-
Consider the Impact of Residency Work-Hour Changes
Tweet Share on Facebook September 5, 2011 CommentStarting this academic year (July 1, 2011), the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) implemented substantial changes to the work-hour guidelines that have largely governed residency programs. The last major change was in 2003, when the ACGME introduced an 80-hour limit to the work week.
Given that residents play a large role in medical student teaching, how might this affect your education?
-
Should You Go to Medical School or Nursing School?
Tweet Share on Facebook August 29, 2011 Comment (12)As many aspiring healthcare workers are drawn to the field by a desire to help and make a difference in the lives of patients, the decision between medical school and nursing school can be difficult. Differing time and financial commitments, coupled with distinct roles nurses and doctors play on a healthcare team, make it important to explore both careers fully before making a choice.
There are advantages and disadvantages to either career path, so it's important to be sure of your specific aspirations before you take the plunge. In terms of education and training, the two careers differ most in time/requirements, costs, and roles.
-
Transferring Between U.S. Medical Schools
Tweet Share on Facebook August 22, 2011 CommentMany medical school applicants breathe a sigh of relief when they receive that coveted acceptance letter and then settle into their new school. For a select few, however, a few things change along the way, and a little-known option might emerge: transferring.
How do you transfer between medical schools? Unlike undergraduate institutions, it is very difficult, in general, to transfer between medical schools. Many schools will only consider allopathic applicants from schools accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), and only for what they consider to be very compelling reasons.
-
Consider a Joint M.D. Degree
Tweet Share on Facebook August 15, 2011 Comment (1)Becoming a physician is a long and transformative process that will enable you to intervene meaningfully in the lives of others. Many aspiring physicians have a variety of interests and abilities; these abilities, combined with the analytical skills and long hours of training required to obtain an M.D. or D.O. (doctor of osteopathic medicine) degree, are transferable to a host of other fields.
Combining the M.D. with another degree, such as a Ph.D., M.B.A., M.P.H. (master of public health), or M.P.A. (master of public administration), can greatly enhance your career options and impact. However, pursuing a joint degree is a significant undertaking, and preparation is key. Here are the three most common joint degree offerings; consider whether they're right for you and the impact on the application process:
-
How Hospital Violence Affects Medical Students
Tweet Share on Facebook August 8, 2011 Comment (3)A study conducted by researchers at the University of California—San Francisco School of Medicine recently featured in the Los Angeles Times suggests that patient-initiated assaults are a growing problem in many hospitals, particularly in emergency rooms and psychiatric wards.
As a medical student, how would this affect you?
-
Pros and Cons of Applying to Foreign Medical Schools
Tweet Share on Facebook August 1, 2011 Comment (10)For years, less competitive medical school applicants have been attracted to the more liberal admissions policies of medical schools in the Caribbean. Other applicants have been attracted to medical schools overseas for personal reasons, including simply wanting to explore a new culture. However, with a myriad of languages, laws, and curricula, it's hard to know what you're getting—especially if you plan on returning to the U.S. for residency.
What is the truth about applying to foreign medical schools? Consider both the pros and cons.
-
3 Tips for Retaking the MCAT
Tweet Share on Facebook July 25, 2011 Comment (2)Perfectionism is a personality trait found frequently amongst future doctors, which most patients would probably consider to be a good thing. But it also leads to intense self-scrutiny when it comes to medical school applications. Striving for perfection is usually a driver of self-improvement—though at its worst, the anxiety and self-doubt produces destructive, rather than constructive choices.
-
3 Reasons to Include a Medical School Application Addendum
Tweet Share on Facebook July 18, 2011 Comment (1)When you're working on your medical school applications, you want to do everything you can to make them perfect. However, there's a good chance that you are not perfect and that you have some blemishes in your background. Although medical school applications are standardized and don't necessarily allow for a lot of exposition beyond the standard questions, there is one area where you do have the ability to mix in some additional information about your background: the addendum.
Submitting an addendum is entirely optional. Yes, many applicants do submit them, but it is often out of necessity—they submit an addendum because they need to explain something in their background. If there is nothing in your application that calls for additional explanation, then there is no need for an addendum. Definitely don't create one simply to have one!
-
Don't Apply to Medical School Without a Purpose
Tweet Share on Facebook July 11, 2011 Comment (1)Applying to medial school? Take a moment to consider some of the short-term consequences of your enrollment: an intense curriculum coupled with a steep reduction in social and leisure activities, enormous tuition bills with correspondingly large debt, and concerns regarding long-term financial security and medico-legal dangers. It's enough to make any would-be medical student fall prey to at least a few moments of self-doubt.
Admissions committee members know this and are looking for applications that convey a sense of motivation and enthusiasm durable enough to withstand the various assaults (and insults) a medical education will invariably deliver.
-
A Day in the Life of a First Year Medical Student
Tweet Share on Facebook July 4, 2011 Comment (6)Many of you are either applying or thinking of applying to medical school—but what is it really like? For some, vivid images of long hours in the anatomy lab or an alarm ringing at 3:30 a.m., summoning you to the hospital, come up.
Akash Parekh, a first year medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, was gracious enough to give a window into a day in the life of a medical student.
[See U.S. News's rankings of Best Medical Schools.]
"I'm picking a typical day; however, since Pritzker happens to be on a quarterly system, our class times change every three months (more often than some other schools), but the time frame is probably similar at every school," Parekh says. Below, in his own words, is how he spent a day in March:
