Hey readers. I hope this day has been sunny and pleasant for you. I took some time to tend to the herb garden I grow on my apartment balcony, apparently my plants have become high maintenance.
Having a day off is incredibly refreshing. I tried reprogramming myself to get used to and enjoy working without breaks, but it's not as fulfilling as taking time to enjoy life around you. I also stopped worrying about that girl I had taken on a couple of dates: she just isn't into me, and that's cool. I'm not making someone my choice when I'm just one of their options.
I'm supposed to hang out with a few other girls pretty soon, too. I'm going to stop being all cryptorchidism and ask this certain one out I've known for some time. Life's tragically short, so don't waste time agonizing over trivial things.
In other positive news, I beat a deadline for a journal. I clocked probably 230 hours over 2 weeks just hammering away at it, it was absolutely draining and terrible for my morale. But when you're done, you end up going to that research conference. Worth it, even though it's arduous and draining.
This music video also puts me in a good mood:
The guy I referred to as "that guy" is apparently Jake Gyllenhaal. I need to stop living under a lunar rock.
Showing posts with label medical school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label medical school. Show all posts
Monday, September 3, 2012
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Choosing a Medical School
Haha, I typed "Shoosing a Medical School" because I was thinking of "Selecting" and "Choosing" at the same time. Either way, this article should help you "shoose" the med school that's right for you.
Alright, so you've been accepted! Definitely take time to celebrate and share the excitement with the people you care about.
However, now, you've got a decision to make about where to attend. The most important advice I have here is "go where you think you'll be happy," and "consider where you had a great interview day."
I can't decide for you, and no one else can, but hopefully my post can help a little.
The schools I considered the most (I've narrowed it down but I'm still deciding and waiting to hear back from one final school) were the ones where I felt put together a great interview day. Applying for medical school and going to interviews is expensive, and kind of stress-inducing, so it's nice when a school does what it can to make your interview day really smooth.
Warmth (for lack of a better term): Warmth of the place you're at might not seem like a big deal at first, but you'll be there for 4 years (or more if you're doing a research track). See if the students really collaborate a lot and are friendly, rather than competitive and not open to helping. I haven't interviewed at a school where students seemed self-interested, but I'm sure different people get different vibes.
Research: Are you interested in becoming an MD/PhD or researching as an MD? Then I'd consider looking at the calibre of research at that institution, but if you're more focused on developing clinical skills, I'd take a look at the medical school's clinical training sites.
Reputation: From what I've heard, where you go to med school doesn't matter that much when it comes to residency (but I'm totally open to being corrected, enlightened). I think you have to just do really well on your boards and clinical rotations, and also get solid rec letters, and you should be in good shape.
I wouldn't let this "lower-tier" or "high-prestige" talk get to you, go where you'll be happy for the next 4 pretty intense years of your life, and where you think you can have a great support system, as well as great clinical training.
Alright, so you've been accepted! Definitely take time to celebrate and share the excitement with the people you care about.
However, now, you've got a decision to make about where to attend. The most important advice I have here is "go where you think you'll be happy," and "consider where you had a great interview day."
I can't decide for you, and no one else can, but hopefully my post can help a little.
The schools I considered the most (I've narrowed it down but I'm still deciding and waiting to hear back from one final school) were the ones where I felt put together a great interview day. Applying for medical school and going to interviews is expensive, and kind of stress-inducing, so it's nice when a school does what it can to make your interview day really smooth.
Warmth (for lack of a better term): Warmth of the place you're at might not seem like a big deal at first, but you'll be there for 4 years (or more if you're doing a research track). See if the students really collaborate a lot and are friendly, rather than competitive and not open to helping. I haven't interviewed at a school where students seemed self-interested, but I'm sure different people get different vibes.
Research: Are you interested in becoming an MD/PhD or researching as an MD? Then I'd consider looking at the calibre of research at that institution, but if you're more focused on developing clinical skills, I'd take a look at the medical school's clinical training sites.
Reputation: From what I've heard, where you go to med school doesn't matter that much when it comes to residency (but I'm totally open to being corrected, enlightened). I think you have to just do really well on your boards and clinical rotations, and also get solid rec letters, and you should be in good shape.
I wouldn't let this "lower-tier" or "high-prestige" talk get to you, go where you'll be happy for the next 4 pretty intense years of your life, and where you think you can have a great support system, as well as great clinical training.
Med School Interviews
Hey everyone, I'm back with an entry about medical school interviews. Hopefully you guys who are applying this 2010 are doing what you guys need to do to prepare a strong app (even though the apps don't open yet, it doesn't hurt to start getting your rec letters and your MCAT over with).
After you submit your MCAT scores and your completed app, you guys should breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, after that, you have to wait to hear back from schools for an interview. It might be a little nerve-wracking with all the waiting, but be sure to take time for yourself and don't stress.
Once you hear back from medical schools about your interview, definitely take some time to celebrate and feel good about reaching the last stage of the medical school admissions process.
I was fortunate to interview at 10 schools (and was actually kind of shocked I got some of the interviews I did) and I did feel nervous before my first one. However, I consistently met really friendly interviewers throughout the interview season and I was more excited than nervous about my interviews.
Should you feel nervous or stressed out prior to your interview, or on interview day?. That's normal, but try to keep a positive mindset: your interviewers aren't against you, they're more for you since they present you to the admissions committee, so think of them as a friend or a partner in the admissions process.
The only advice I really have for interviews is this:
-Go over your application and make sure you have your dates straight, and know your listed activities well enough to talk about them in a conversation.
-Relax! You made it this far and the school really just wants to meet the person on paper and see if they're a good fit for the school's "personality" or mission.
-Expanding on the last one, looking relaxed and confident is great: If you're an applicant incredibly nervous about the interview, how are you going to handle board exams, or patients in critical condition? There are bigger things!
-Be humble, smile, show your sense of humour (at the right time), and connect. You'll potentially be seeing patients and in charge of their well-being, and I'm very certain medical schools want personable people to be in that role.
-Thank the interviewer for their time: I was interviewed by a neurosurgeon with an insane schedule, and I felt really humbled by the whole thing. Interviewers are excited about people who are excited about medicine and take time off to do the interview day (when they could be seeing patients or performing surgeries), so thank them for their time.
-Sincerely be sincere. Don't compliment the interviewer on every little thing, or fawn over their CV, or be smarmy or anything. Sincerity and humility are important qualities in a physician, and hopefully you can show that at the right time.
This isn't critical insider information but it may help: I really don't think you get evaluated for every little thing about you on interview day, I think all the evaluation is done during the one-on-one (or group interview at Northwestern). Plus, I'm certain the people coordinating the day understand the applicants are pretty nervous, so they cut you some slack.
Oh, one more important thing: the Dress Code.
For males, I really recommend a charcoal or dark gray suit, white shirt, and a tie you feel comfortable in that is a muted colour.
Females: I'd try the same muted colour thing, and do wear appropriate-length skirts, since you're interviewing and not at the club or whatever.
The reason I recommend charcoal/dark gray is that to me, black is over-doing it and a colour usually reserved for weddings or sombre events. It'll make you stand out and looks "fresh" compared to the mob of interviewers in stark black.
Navy works too, but that might be a little harder to make work. You could probably get away with a white shirt, navy suit, and dark gray/muted silver tie.
A popular look at my interviews (besides the black mourning look) was a navy suit with a yellow shirt, for some reason.
Dark brown suits can work too, but usually if you're going to spend that much on a suit, you want something more versatile like dark gray or navy.
I hope I helped some, and don't forget to relax and enjoy yourself on interview day!
After you submit your MCAT scores and your completed app, you guys should breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, after that, you have to wait to hear back from schools for an interview. It might be a little nerve-wracking with all the waiting, but be sure to take time for yourself and don't stress.
Once you hear back from medical schools about your interview, definitely take some time to celebrate and feel good about reaching the last stage of the medical school admissions process.
I was fortunate to interview at 10 schools (and was actually kind of shocked I got some of the interviews I did) and I did feel nervous before my first one. However, I consistently met really friendly interviewers throughout the interview season and I was more excited than nervous about my interviews.
Should you feel nervous or stressed out prior to your interview, or on interview day?. That's normal, but try to keep a positive mindset: your interviewers aren't against you, they're more for you since they present you to the admissions committee, so think of them as a friend or a partner in the admissions process.
The only advice I really have for interviews is this:
-Go over your application and make sure you have your dates straight, and know your listed activities well enough to talk about them in a conversation.
-Relax! You made it this far and the school really just wants to meet the person on paper and see if they're a good fit for the school's "personality" or mission.
-Expanding on the last one, looking relaxed and confident is great: If you're an applicant incredibly nervous about the interview, how are you going to handle board exams, or patients in critical condition? There are bigger things!
-Be humble, smile, show your sense of humour (at the right time), and connect. You'll potentially be seeing patients and in charge of their well-being, and I'm very certain medical schools want personable people to be in that role.
-Thank the interviewer for their time: I was interviewed by a neurosurgeon with an insane schedule, and I felt really humbled by the whole thing. Interviewers are excited about people who are excited about medicine and take time off to do the interview day (when they could be seeing patients or performing surgeries), so thank them for their time.
-Sincerely be sincere. Don't compliment the interviewer on every little thing, or fawn over their CV, or be smarmy or anything. Sincerity and humility are important qualities in a physician, and hopefully you can show that at the right time.
This isn't critical insider information but it may help: I really don't think you get evaluated for every little thing about you on interview day, I think all the evaluation is done during the one-on-one (or group interview at Northwestern). Plus, I'm certain the people coordinating the day understand the applicants are pretty nervous, so they cut you some slack.
Oh, one more important thing: the Dress Code.
For males, I really recommend a charcoal or dark gray suit, white shirt, and a tie you feel comfortable in that is a muted colour.
Females: I'd try the same muted colour thing, and do wear appropriate-length skirts, since you're interviewing and not at the club or whatever.
The reason I recommend charcoal/dark gray is that to me, black is over-doing it and a colour usually reserved for weddings or sombre events. It'll make you stand out and looks "fresh" compared to the mob of interviewers in stark black.
Navy works too, but that might be a little harder to make work. You could probably get away with a white shirt, navy suit, and dark gray/muted silver tie.
A popular look at my interviews (besides the black mourning look) was a navy suit with a yellow shirt, for some reason.
Dark brown suits can work too, but usually if you're going to spend that much on a suit, you want something more versatile like dark gray or navy.
I hope I helped some, and don't forget to relax and enjoy yourself on interview day!
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Road to A Medical School Acceptance
Hey guys, Medicool here.
I thought I'd write a little entry on the path from undergrad to medical school for those interested in gaining admission and pursuing a career in medicine (or research even).
Well, not emerging from the womb as a 20-some-odd-year medical student has it's advantages: plenty of time to learn what to do as well as what not to do.
I think my biggest piece of advice is: "Do soul-searching," and find out if medicine is really what you want to do. Sure, it's pretty exciting, you get to work with people, and there's science involved, but a lot of jobs contain the same thing. Medicine is a big commitment, not only to a career, but to patients who will come to you with needs both simple and complex.
Medicine really attracted me and became "the only thing that makes sense" because there's the human condition present everyday: illness, recovery, connecting with people, doing what you can to make someone feel physically or psychologically better, and just being there for someone who needs it. I find it really rewarding to help a patient understand a procedure or test a little better, and see them relax, since there can be a lot of discomfort in not knowing. I think half of medicine (outside of surgery) is composed of medications, and the other half, the personal aspect.
Anyway, here are a few tips for those interested in applying to med school:
1. Always study and work hard (painfully obvious), but it WILL pay off, and you'll be where you want to be. Typically, a GPA above 3.5 and an MCAT above 29 should make you a competitive applicant.
2. If you don't have free time, make time! Take time to spend with people you love, and time doing the things you love, it'll be a great balance to your hard studying.
3. Gain research experience: Sure, you might start out washing glassware in a lab, but once you get to work on a project, the rewards are amazing: research teaches you to think critically, and you gain a better appreciation of how medicine and research are intertwined.
4. Gain clinical experience: This is crucial (in my opinion) because it exposes you to the "real world" of medicine. Some people find out that medicine isn't for them halfway-through med school, and you definitely don't want to be that person. Medicine isn't glamorous, it's hours of hard work, dedication to your patients, emergencies, difficult times, but it's also a really unique profession that encompasses both science and the human condition.
5. Gain volunteer experience: Different people will tell you different things about the importance of volunteer experience. However, if you love volunteering, do plenty of it since that makes sense to you. Aside from giving back to your community, you'll also mature a bit, I think, since there's something cool about helping others reach a goal.
6. Get solid letters of recommendation from laboratory supervisors, physicians who've you shadowed, and professors who taught you in classes you did very well in. Be sure to build up a sincere professional relationship with people you want to write you a strong letter. Starting early is great here.
7. Apply early! Get that app out as soon as possible, it can make a really big difference.
8. Don't worry! After you've submitted that app, take some you-time.
9. When you hear about interviews, all you have to do is go over your AMCAS/TMDSAS app, keep up with some news involving health care (if there's a lot going on), and relax! All of my interviewers have been really down to earth, they just want to get to know you as a person and see if they'd like to have you for the next 4 years.
I hope that helps, and remember, fellow pre-meds, advisors, and mentors are great sources of information and advice. Be sure to ask the same question to multiple people, as you always get different answers.
I thought I'd write a little entry on the path from undergrad to medical school for those interested in gaining admission and pursuing a career in medicine (or research even).
Well, not emerging from the womb as a 20-some-odd-year medical student has it's advantages: plenty of time to learn what to do as well as what not to do.
I think my biggest piece of advice is: "Do soul-searching," and find out if medicine is really what you want to do. Sure, it's pretty exciting, you get to work with people, and there's science involved, but a lot of jobs contain the same thing. Medicine is a big commitment, not only to a career, but to patients who will come to you with needs both simple and complex.
Medicine really attracted me and became "the only thing that makes sense" because there's the human condition present everyday: illness, recovery, connecting with people, doing what you can to make someone feel physically or psychologically better, and just being there for someone who needs it. I find it really rewarding to help a patient understand a procedure or test a little better, and see them relax, since there can be a lot of discomfort in not knowing. I think half of medicine (outside of surgery) is composed of medications, and the other half, the personal aspect.
Anyway, here are a few tips for those interested in applying to med school:
1. Always study and work hard (painfully obvious), but it WILL pay off, and you'll be where you want to be. Typically, a GPA above 3.5 and an MCAT above 29 should make you a competitive applicant.
2. If you don't have free time, make time! Take time to spend with people you love, and time doing the things you love, it'll be a great balance to your hard studying.
3. Gain research experience: Sure, you might start out washing glassware in a lab, but once you get to work on a project, the rewards are amazing: research teaches you to think critically, and you gain a better appreciation of how medicine and research are intertwined.
4. Gain clinical experience: This is crucial (in my opinion) because it exposes you to the "real world" of medicine. Some people find out that medicine isn't for them halfway-through med school, and you definitely don't want to be that person. Medicine isn't glamorous, it's hours of hard work, dedication to your patients, emergencies, difficult times, but it's also a really unique profession that encompasses both science and the human condition.
5. Gain volunteer experience: Different people will tell you different things about the importance of volunteer experience. However, if you love volunteering, do plenty of it since that makes sense to you. Aside from giving back to your community, you'll also mature a bit, I think, since there's something cool about helping others reach a goal.
6. Get solid letters of recommendation from laboratory supervisors, physicians who've you shadowed, and professors who taught you in classes you did very well in. Be sure to build up a sincere professional relationship with people you want to write you a strong letter. Starting early is great here.
7. Apply early! Get that app out as soon as possible, it can make a really big difference.
8. Don't worry! After you've submitted that app, take some you-time.
9. When you hear about interviews, all you have to do is go over your AMCAS/TMDSAS app, keep up with some news involving health care (if there's a lot going on), and relax! All of my interviewers have been really down to earth, they just want to get to know you as a person and see if they'd like to have you for the next 4 years.
I hope that helps, and remember, fellow pre-meds, advisors, and mentors are great sources of information and advice. Be sure to ask the same question to multiple people, as you always get different answers.
How About an Introduction?
Hey everyone, and welcome to my new medical school-themed blog.
I'm a male MS-0 (admitted to medical school, but still choosing where to go) and thought it'd be pretty awesome to start a blog chronicling the adventure/craziness that medical school seems to be, as well as relevant stuff before medical school.
I'm absolutely thrilled to have been accepted to medical school, and I'm really glad all of those long hours of studying really paid off. I also am really thankful to all of my mentors and people who wrote my letters of recommendation: I think people who see potential in us tend to be among the most influential people in our lives.
Having been accepted, there's nothing like living a hermetic study life during undergrad to be rewarded with the second part of a hermetic study life for medical school, haha.
Anyway, my blog title comes from the fact that I studied undergrad at the University of Texas at Austin, a completely awesome place to do so. I never had much school spirit in anything until university, and there are just so many amazing things about UT: the city of Austin, the people, food, live music, the football team, it's basically paradise in Texas haha.
Currently, I'm working in a laboratory before taking a lengthy vacation before medical school (carpe awesome!) and I enjoy stuff like watching Britcoms, playing guitar and violin, working out, oil painting, and spending insane amounts of time on wikipedia.
I'll try to keep my entries short from here on out, and post an entry or two on medical school admissions, hopefully they'll benefit some of the readers!
Til next,
A Medicool Student
I'm a male MS-0 (admitted to medical school, but still choosing where to go) and thought it'd be pretty awesome to start a blog chronicling the adventure/craziness that medical school seems to be, as well as relevant stuff before medical school.
I'm absolutely thrilled to have been accepted to medical school, and I'm really glad all of those long hours of studying really paid off. I also am really thankful to all of my mentors and people who wrote my letters of recommendation: I think people who see potential in us tend to be among the most influential people in our lives.
Having been accepted, there's nothing like living a hermetic study life during undergrad to be rewarded with the second part of a hermetic study life for medical school, haha.
Anyway, my blog title comes from the fact that I studied undergrad at the University of Texas at Austin, a completely awesome place to do so. I never had much school spirit in anything until university, and there are just so many amazing things about UT: the city of Austin, the people, food, live music, the football team, it's basically paradise in Texas haha.
Currently, I'm working in a laboratory before taking a lengthy vacation before medical school (carpe awesome!) and I enjoy stuff like watching Britcoms, playing guitar and violin, working out, oil painting, and spending insane amounts of time on wikipedia.
I'll try to keep my entries short from here on out, and post an entry or two on medical school admissions, hopefully they'll benefit some of the readers!
Til next,
A Medicool Student
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