BYU-Hawaii Pre Med: What does it take to become a doctor

Welcome To the Official BYU Hawaii Pre Medical site

The BYU Hawaii Premedical resource and events guide is designed with the future medical school student in mind. The information contained on this website will aid applicants in preparing for a career in medicine. You will find everything you need to know from information regarding the application process, medical schools, career exploration, the MCAT as well as advice to realize your dream of practicing medicine. Comments and suggestions are encouraged to help us help one another find success in such a competitive field.

Friday, January 16, 2009

What does it take to become a doctor

The University of Washington every year puts on a series of lectures designed for undergraduate students and the community about medical school along with the problems in health care, innovations, and what it takes to become a doctor. I don't want to sound biased but the University of Washington ranks in the top 5 medical schools in America ever year and serves the WWAMI region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho all considered "in state" in applying for UW medical school)

These lectures are a great resource to all considering medical school, you will get some insight that you might consider especially useful in personal statements and interviews along with your own convictions about attending medical school. Everyone knows to get a good GPA and do well on the MCAT but it is also important to learn everything you can about the field of medicine and thanks to technology you don't have to commute to Seattle to watch these lectures, so take advantage of it and find some time to watch some episodes via the web. Here's a description along with a link to watch one of the sessions in which I attended and found particularly insightful and inspiring. But feel free to browse around other lectures in the series for something that interests you http://uwmedicine.washington.edu/Global/NewsAndEvents/minimed/Mini-Medical+School+Series+Video+Archive.htm.

"Exactly what does it take to get into medical school? Dr. Terry Mengert takes you through the history of teaching medicine, from Hippocrates to modern day. Aside from highlighting the training today's new doctors receive, Dr. Mengert interviews two students about the challenges and joys of medical school. 'The Colleges', a program which focuses on teaching patient communication at the bedside, is also featured. "

http://researchchannel.org/prog/displayevent.aspx?rID=4084&fID=345

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Medical School personal statement NO NOs!

A bad personal statement can put your medical school application on life support. Don't negate an otherwise impressive application with an innocent mistep. Avoid these approaches like a virus:

1. Don’t repeat information from other parts of your application. Take this unique opportunity to provide some deeper insight into who you are; don’t regurgitate your resume.
2. Avoid generalities. Admissions officers read an enormous number of (probably boring) essays. If you want to be remembered, the devil is in the details. Use specific incidents and examples from your life.
3. Maintain the proper tone. You don't need to be ultra-formal, but remember that this is a professional document, not a post on your blog. Skip the outrageous stories and casual slang.
4. Be careful with humor. Only a select few can pull off humor in this context. Keep it subtle and restrained, and have someone else read your essay and tell you if you’re as funny as you think. If you are successful, you won’t soon be forgotten.
5. Don’t get (too) political. Medical schools want students committed to the preservation of human life. Left or right, blue or red doesn’t matter as much. If you opt to write about a controversial issue, tread with care and respect.
6. No gimmicks, no gambles. Standing out is a far cry from going off the deep end. Don't write a satire or a mocked-up front-page newspaper article. Don't rhyme. Gimmicky personal statements often appear contrived and usually fall flat. Stick to a straightforward narrative.
7. Don’t revisit grades or test scores. They speak for themselves. Trying to explain away bad credentials just draws unnecessary attention to them.
8. “I want to become a doctor to help people.” Duh. A statement like this seems insincere unless you back it up with evidence. Demonstrate your commitment through the example of your work and your life.

Advice to stregthen your application

1. Medical Experience
The majority of successful applicants have some experience in a hospital, clinic, hospice or other health care setting. You should aim to hold a volunteer or paid position for at least six months.

2. Diverse Interests
medical schools admit students who have displayed a strong aptitude for science. But they also look for applicants with an interest in the wider world. Diversity comes in all flavors: academic, extracurriculars, experience.

3. Commitment
Medical school is lengthy, challenging, and physically strenuous. Admissions committees want to know if you can commit to something over a long period of time. (RM's this is where you talk about your mission)

4. Altruism
Altruism distinguishes a strong medical school applicant from a mediocre one. Volunteer work and community service are vital.Many schools expect you to explain how service to others has informed your decision to become a doctor.
Teaching experience is always an asset to a medical school application because it suggests an ability to communicate clearly and confidently. How have you demonstrated a genuine concern for the well-being of other people? In other words you must be able to show through experiences compassion and ultimately why you wish to persue a carreer in medicine.

5. The Whole Picture
Medical schools look for individuals who have a strong interest in science and a wide-ranging intellect. They want to graduate physicians who listen to their patients and use their acquired talents to heal them. There is no magic combination of scores or personal qualities that will create an unbroken path into medical school, so sell yourself, not someone else. Admissions personel can tell when you aren't genuine.

6. Don't Make Excuses
In order to mitigate your weaknesses own up to your mistakes and explain how you learned and grew from them. Excuses show a lack of responibility and deficit in charactor two charactoristics which stand out more so than your bad grade or low MCAT score.

Welcome To the Official BYU Hawaii Pre Medical site

Friday, January 16, 2009

What does it take to become a doctor

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