BYU-Hawaii Pre Med: Medical Schools

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.

Showing posts with label Medical Schools. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Get into school fall 2011

Its that time of year to start putting everything in order to have you application in opening day. No matter what kind of candidate you think you are, it will be to your advantage to have your application in as close to the beginning of the cycle as possible. Many schools accept students throughout the entire process its just at the beginning you are competing for far more spots than those who are applying in the fall. For the most part the beginning of June is usually the soonest you can turn in your application materials. You may think that you have plenty of time but the medical school application is long and it takes a lot of time to turn out polished personal statements and essays and no matter how much time you spent studying for the MCAT you will wish you studied more. Here are a few things you might want to consider doing in preparation for your acceptance into medical school.

Start studying for the MCAT. The Library has some materials for studying but you may consider buying some materials on your own. There are DVD's, work books, study guides, computer programs, and flash cards you may want to consider. If you are broke like me you may find great deals from friends who took the MCAT last year and share costs by finding a study buddy. If you have the money and time you may want to enroll yourself in a Kaplan MCAT course, these classes are expensive but some people need to be motivated to study, and they do offer a full review with practice tests, online materials, access to a tutor and test taking strategies. I have heard mixed reviews about Kaplan so I would suggest learning more before committing the $1500+ down payment. Kaplan is constantly visiting campuses offering free trial classes and tests for those interested.
Since BYU-Hawaii doesn't have a premedical committee yet it is up to you to work out your own letters of recommendation. I would suggest for your own sake that you register for interfolio or other similar online document service, which will cost somewhere in the $35 range for a years worth of service. By doing this you will comply with all the rules regarding your letters of recommendation while making it easy on your letter writers. Its an easy process which is quick and easy to use. I have used Interfolio and found that my documents are sent in a timely manner, either electronically or through the mail. Each delivery you send (which can contain several letters) will set you back $4-6.
After you have signed up for your document service start asking for letters of recommendation. It might be a good idea to ask your potential letter writer if they feel comfortable writing you a good letter of recommendation. Even at this small school your letter writer might not feel they know you well enough or perhaps you they don't have enough good things to say about you. If this is the case, tell them thanks for their time but don't pursue a letter any further it is a waste of both of your time. I know there is a misconception out there that letters from prominent people are better but the reality is for a letter to be a good letter they have to know you and be able to say a few nice things about you. One way to assist your letter writer is to share with them some personal information about yourself; your career goals, major accomplishments, etc which will aid them in portraying you in the most favorable light to admissions. (Don't lie, the stories are many and easy to find of applicants blowing their opportunity to gain admission into medical school for fabricating stories to 'strengthen' their application. The medical admissions staff are good at their jobs and know when you aren't being truthful, plus why risk it?)
In my experience with Interfolio once I had talked with my letter writers I was able to send the official invitation via email through my interfolio account. Along with the invitation the email comes with the instructions on how to submit the document and once your letter writer submits the letter Interfolio sends you an email informing you that your letter is in. To be prepared (since different schools ask for different things) get 3 or 4 from science professors (since we don;t have a premedical committee at our school you will be asked to send extra letters in lieu of a committee letter. You might also need 1 or 2 letters from non science professors, an ecclesiastical leader (if applying to a religious institution like Loma Linda or Creighton), an old boss, a physician you shadowed (DO schools usually require the physician be a DO MD schools don't typically care), and a place you volunteered. This process of asking and reminding and reminding takes a lot longer than you will anticipate so it is good to start asking earlier and be persistent. You will have to walk the thin line between dedication and annoyance to ultimately get the letters you are looking for so start asking early, preferably before finals and vacations when your letter writers can take time to put together a solid letter.
Buy the MSAR or visit your libraries copy on a regular basis. This book is a list of all the medical schools along with information about each individual school. Study this book religiously and keep a list of schools you feel competitive in applying to. (A hint; state schools to which you are not a resident will be extremely difficult if not impossible to get into, so start in your home state then look into private schools).
Work on your personal statement. Have lots of people look at it. Get an English professor to do the final once through. A lot of people who would otherwise be very competitive applicants blow off the personal statements and get rejected. This is the one area outside of the interview you can express yourself and where admissions officers can weigh the intangibles. I was told by an admissions officer that a good statement won't necessarily get you into the school on its own but a poorly written one will sure keep you out. If you don't know where to start, begin by looking at personal statements of people who were accepted.
If your MCAT or GPA are lower than average you may want to consider DO programs which typically look at many other factors in determining admission to their school. Osteopathic medical education typically emphasizes more the primary care aspects of medicine and consequently most DO's pursue primary care residencies but in spite of this you are still free to apply for whichever residency you wish and there are DO's in virtually every area of medicine (even teaching in MD schools). The major differences between Allopathic and Osteopathic medicine are DO's used to be more holistic in their approach while MD's were more symptomatic. These differences have narrowed in time but what remains today is the Osteopathic approach still emphasizes the musculoskeletal relationship with disease and as a result teach Osteopathic Manipulation Technique, which some DO's find useful while others learn it and never use it.
Foreign Medical Schools are an option for some students. There are thousands of foreign schools but only a handful of reputable institutions. In the Caribbean St. George's,Ross, American University of the Caribbean, and SABA are the biggest names in turning out doctors in the US. These programs usually involve 1.5-2 years of the science curriculum taught in the Caribbean followed by clinical rotations at U.S. or English hospitals. You have to be careful to make sure that upon completion you will be able to practice medicine in your state. Only New York, New Jersey, Florida, and California actually pay to evaluate the schools and the rest of the states tend to fall in line with one of these. States like Idaho, Colorado, and Texas have a reputation for being a little harder for foreign medical school graduates although they do have foreign graduates practicing within their borders. If you are interested in applying to a foreign school make check out whether or not you'll be licensed to practice in the state you intend to live, whether or not you qualify for federal loans, and what the USMLE pass rates are. You will be surprised at the disparity of foreign medical schools. Some are on par with US medical schools in USMLE pass rates, residency placement, and technology. It fascinates me to this day how some of these schools can do it with an 'inferior' student population which is a testament that there must be other factors for predicting future success outside of grades and test scores. Another thing to keep in mind is that foreign schools typically accept students 3 times a year and have no application deadline which makes them a viable back up plan in the case you don't get in and you have no desire to get a masters degree, or enroll in a premedical post bacheloriate program.

Keep in mind that everything discussed in this post will probably take more time than you think, so start working on you application today, give yourself deadlines, make goals because you will benefit from the preparation of not only getting your application in on time but also done right. Don't wait until the end to start throwing it together. Good Luck and if you have any advice you would like to make please do so in the comments section below (no registration required)

Thursday, October 15, 2009

If the flux capasitor was real I'd go back in time and....

There are a few commonalities in what those applying for grad and preprofessional schools say they wish they would have done differently. Maybe it was their choice in major, many begin college thinking that they had to major in the hard sciences to get into the schools they wanted, when in reality the statics say prove almost the opposite. Schools love diversity and they love excellence so you can major in what ever you want (as long as you still perform well on the prerequisites) as long as you do well.
Another point brought frequently is studying for the mcat early and taking the mcat in the spring. It is one of the biggest tests you'll ever take and cramming the night before will not help you out one iota.
Start filling out the application in the winder and spring. (you don't have to send it out until you're ready) Its not going to get filled out over night or even in a whole week. If you want it to come through perfectly write personal statements and rewrite them, email them to friends and family, get an English professor to look over it, use everyone in your circle of influence to write it.
Sign up to interfolio, it costs about 20 dollars per year but this is a great deal considering how difficult it is to collect letters of recommendation. (a side suggestion, ask your writers if they could honestly write a good letter about you early on and be persistent in reminding them to do it) You can then easily have them write a letter and mail it to interfolio where its archived or they can send it electronically. Get lots of letters, we don't have a premedical committee so you will need at a minimum 3 science professors and one non science professor. Secondaries might ask for people you shadowed or worked for, or served with. So its not a bad idea to get these ahead of time preferably before too much time goes by and your writers forget details about you.
So a quick recap major in something you love, where you genuinely have interest. Plan your schedule so you can succeed. You cannot spend too much time preparing for the mcat so start early. The application can be filled out without paying anything or having to turn in anything so take a look at it, begin filling out the information, at least start figuring out what you need to work on and getting organized. Get good letters of recommendation, use a service like interfolio to store them for when you're ready to send them out.
And lastly be sure that you're going into medicine for the right reasons; money, and prestige, approval of parents for example are not good reasons to go into debt and work insane hours doing something that is hard. admissions officers can see right through you if there is no genuine desire to follow a career in the health care industry and they can spot the delusionals who have this pipe dream of making six figures and having people worship you as an authority figure. There are easier more secure ways which require a lot less sacrifice to make tons of money, and if that's what will make you happy medicine is probably not the right career for you.
If you are reading this and you have any other regrets or suggestions please feel free to post them below in the comments box.

Friday, August 21, 2009

What is a D.O.?

Artical taken From link: http://www.amsa.org/premed/rx/rx1101.cfm

That Thing You D.O.
Paul Jung, M.D.
Diversifying your pool of potential medical schools

What is an osteopathic physician? This is an excellent, but unfortunately infrequently asked, question. Many medical students and applicants have never heard the term "osteopathy." Even within organized medicine there are disagreements about the similarities and differences between osteopathic and allopathic physicians. With this column, I hope to make clear the distinction between physicians who hold a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree and those with a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). And as you become more informed, you'll find that your list of potential medical schools will expand. Don't worry, though. This column also offers some tips for choosing among medical schools.

Similarities and differences

First and foremost, D.O.s are physicians who can practice medicine just like M.D.s. Osteopathic physicians hold all of the required state medical licenses and are eligible to practice in every medical specialty.

The admission requirements to D.O. and M.D. schools are identical. The D.O. and M.D. curricula are also quite similar, and both degrees require four years of study. Both osteopathic and allopathic students have to pass background courses such as anatomy, physiology and pathology as well as all of the clinical clerkships. The scientific training in both types of medical school is equally rigorous. And as there are for M.D. students, there are combined degree programs for osteopathic students-D.O.-Ph.D., D.O.-M.P.H. and others. The D.O. boards cover the same material as the M.D. boards and ask the same types of questions. Like M.D.s, D.O.s must complete a residency-and may do so at the same program to which M.D.s apply and match. However, some state boards require D.O.s to complete a specific osteopathic internship before they can obtain a license. This internship would have to be done before either an osteopathic-specific residency or an allopathic residency.

As another example of how similar the two degrees are, take a look at the 1961 allopathic conversion of a California osteopathic medical school. The state medical board decided to offer all of the school's alumni an M.D. degree for a $65 fee and a few required seminars.

Osteopathic and allopathic physicians use the same medical reference books, learn about the same bodies, diagnose and treat the same diseases in the same patients, order the same diagnostic tests, dispense the same prescriptions and get paid the same money. The federal government recognizes no differences between D.O.s and M.D.s for the purposes of treatment and reimbursement under government-run health-care programs.

Yet despite all of these similarities, there are significant philosophical, if not practical, differences between osteopaths and allopaths.

Let's look at how osteopathy began. Dr. Andrew Taylor Still formally launched osteopathic medicine in 1892 with the founding of the first osteopathic medical school in Kirksville, Missouri. An allopathic physician dissatisfied with contemporary medical practices, Still wanted to create a more comprehensive, holistic approach to medicine. With the belief that the human body can heal itself and that all disease has a basic musculoskeletal component, Still created the osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT)-the manual manipulation of the body designed to stimulate the body's ability to combat disease and restore health. OMT is the cornerstone of the osteopathic medical curriculum. Many people believe the OMT philosophy and treatment to be the true distinction between osteopaths and allopaths. Many D.O.s use OMT in their daily practice, sometimes on its own or in combination with other therapies such as prescribing medicine or performing surgeries. Conversely, many D.O.s do not use OMT in their practices, further blurring the line between allopathic and osteopathic medicine.

There are 19 osteopathic medical schools and 125 allopathic medical schools in the United States. D.O. graduates comprise 6 percent of the physician population and 15 percent of physicians practicing in our underserved communities. In contrast to M.D.s, D.O.s have historically chosen to practice in primary care fields. D.O.s and M.D.s have virtually the same professional opportunities.

Every premed should consider both osteopathic and allopathic medical schools.

For more information about osteopathic medicine and osteopathic medical schools, you can contact: the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine; the Student Osteopathic Medical Association; and the American Osteopathic Association.

So many schools, so little time and money

With 19 osteopathic and 125 allopathic medical schools on your list of possibilities, exactly how many medical schools should you apply to? This is a perennial question for many premeds. Surely you shouldn't apply to all of them. Nor should you apply only to two or three prestigious institutions. What is the appropriate number? To determine this, take a look at your odds of acceptance. Of course, there are numerous variables to consider, so here are some handy guidelines:

Apply to your state school(s). State-affiliated medical schools typically give preferential consideration to in-state applicants. So unless you have extreme reservations about attending a particular institution, you should stack the deck in your favor by applying to all of your state medical schools. Some schools may not be state-supported, yet still may provide preferential consideration for state residents. For example, for Pennsylvania residents, the University of Pittsburgh charges a lower tuition and the University of Pennsylvania offers preferential admissions. So if this is true in your state, apply to these schools as well.

If your state doesn't have an affiliated medical school, check to see if surrounding states' medical schools would offer you preferential consideration. Pennsylvania's Thomas Jefferson University gives preference to Delaware applicants, and Washington's medical school gives preference to applicants from Idaho, Wyoming, Alaska and Montana. The bottom line is to investigate which schools would offer you preferential consideration and apply to those.

Location, location, location. Many students would prefer to live in a particular region or city. If this is the case for you, you should apply to several medical schools in your desired areas. Don't hesitate to cluster your applications and frankly admit to admissions committees that you prefer that region of the country. But, don't necessarily expect your personal preference to carry any weight with a school's admissions staff.

Money talks. Applying to medical school costs money. So the number of schools you apply to may be limited by the amount of money you have to spend on applications. If this is the case, financial restraints behoove you to choose carefully.

Unfortunately, medical school tuition is also pricey. Your state school probably charges the least expensive tuition, but you must also consider living expenses and other costs when evaluating schools. If certain institutions are prohibitively expensive for you, don't bother applying to them. Of course, as a medical student you will have absolutely no problem finding an adequate number of loans to cover all your expenses. But keep in mind there's no guarantee these loans will carry a reasonable interest rate. Don't bury yourself in debt.

And never assume that a higher tuition implies a higher quality of education. In fact, when comparing schools with radically different tuitions, you should always ask yourself, "What am I getting in return for paying the additional tens of thousands of dollars per year?"

You should research the financial aid, grant and scholarship options at each school. Some institutions have special programs significantly reducing tuition. These deserve investigating.

Matching interests. Some schools have truly unique and innovative curricula designed to encourage and develop particular interests or medical careers. For example, Mercer University School of Medicine and the University of Minnesota-Duluth School of Medicine were both founded to provide physicians for rural underserved areas. You should investigate several schools matching your career interests and apply to them. Obviously, your application to these schools should promote your interest in their special programs. And it makes no sense to apply to schools with strong primary care programs if you're interested in a subspecialty and vice versa.

Remember to diversify your list. If your entire application list consists of similar schools and you suspect you lack the qualifications for one of them, chances are you won't be admitted to the rest either. You should strive for a balanced list-one that includes several different schools, varying by location, state affiliation, unique programs and special interests. In other words, don't apply only to the Ivy League schools or only to M.D.-Ph.D. or D.O.-Ph.D. programs. Nor should you apply only to "safety schools." Diversify your list of medical school choices, take a few chances, but always be reasonable. There are many options available to you, and with a little research and analysis, you should be able to select the medical institutions that are the best fit for you.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Q&A with a a top tier medical school top of her class graduate

I have been fortunate enough to have grown up with some really great people who have gone on to become succesful in many different areas of expertise but one of the biggest "over achievers" is my friend Dr. Heather Webb who was accepted even though she decided to apply very late to Washington University St. Louis (currently ranked 3rd best medical school in the country by US News World Report). She went on to graduate near the very top of her class got accepted to a very competitive residency and is now finishing up her training in Wisconsin.

The other day I had the opportunity to take a few minutes of Dr. Webb's time to get some questions answered that I thought might not only benefit me but all who are curious about medical school.

Here it is:

"First of all, dont worry about not having an advisor or official premed program. I didn't decide until last minute (very last minute) to even apply to med school so I didn't do the premed program at BYU and only went to talk to an advisor once, who basically told me I had waited too long and there wasn't much he could do for me. Not very helpful.

So I may also be the blind leading the blind here since I just sort of fumbled around on my own and didn't really know what I was doing-- but hey, that should give you hope, right? Things still turned out okay.

Anyway, to answer some of your questions

Q:In your experience what types of things were medical schools looking at and what percentage of importance would you rate them?)Is it possible to mitigate a poor GPA or MCAT and if so How?

A:First of all, it seemed like the interviewers were interested in more than just GPA and MCAT scores. They also want to know you're a well-rounded person and a decent human being who can get along and work well with people. (You'd be surprised at how many really smart people are lacking in the social skills arena... or maybe that's not so surprising).

Extracurricular activities, especially if it involved some sort of service or leadership experience are also a good thing. And missions and church callings are definintely in that category since not many people will have done that kind of thing.

Q:How does the whole match system work? (I understand that the students

rank the program and the program ranks the students and how the list

works I guess my question is more is about how the residency program

knows which students are interested and how they rate their potential

candidates).

A:First of all I wouldn't really worry about this yet. It's not something you really have to think about until your third year of med school and once you've decided what area you want to go into. Each area does things a little bit differently so it's better to talk to people who have gone through the match in your area. For example, radiology and surgery or medicine matches work pretty differently-- not the actual computer match itself, but all the behind the scenes stuff. Different fields are going to value different things as well. Your Boards scores will matter a lot in some fields and not so much in others, for example. But if you are definitely interested in a particular program, its a good idea to let the program director know, via phone, email, or in person, whatever.

As far as DO's, I've worked with plenty here and in my internship in Virginia. I don't know if they felt they had a harder time getting in than others or not, but they're here and doign well. Being a graduate of a foreign med school can make it difficult to get into some of the more competitive residencies, but as long as you're not set on being a brain surgeon at Harvard (and I know some-- they seem miserable : ) ), then I would say it's less of a disadvantage than most people think. I have a cousin who did the first two years of med school in the Caribbean, then was able to transfer to Cornell and is now doing a residency at George Washington. If you want I can try to track him down and get more info about his experience.

Most of the foreign medical grads I've seen who had trouble with liscensing, credentialing, etc. was due to citizenship issues, (visas, work permits, etc.) and language barriers. I don't think US citizens typically have any problems there. You do have to take the US Boards exams to be accepted into a US residency, but a lot of foreign schools take them already or you could always take them on your own.

Q: Is there any other advice you would would have for us about

preparing, getting into and being successful in medical school?

A: Well, first I would say there's no magic formula for any of those things (which is, by the way, a direct quote from your dad about 8 years ago. Dang, I'm getting old.)

Since it's hard to know where you fit in the pool of people trying to get into med school, I think it's always a good idea to apply to a wide range of places; some you don't think you have a chance of getting into, some you have a decent shot, and some that would not be your first choice (or second or third) but that you could live with if you had to.

Success in med school really comes down to how hard you work, I think. Most of the material isn't any harder than what you're already studying. The difference is that there is a ton of it and it comes at you really fast. So you just have to put the time in. But that being said, if you do put the time in, there's no reason you can't do well. I definitely had classes at BYU that were harder than anything I had in med school.

On to your more personal questions. Feel free to post anything I write, by the way.

Like I said, I was a very last minute applicant. I actually missed the April MCAT and had to take it in August, which meant that I was sending out all my applications before I even got my scores back. Not the best way to do things. So I basically applied to a ginormous (I have no idea how to spell that) range of schools and hoped I would get in somewhere. By the way, although I did get into one of the "top schools in the country" whatever that means, I also got rejected by some relatively mediocre schools, so don't get discouraged. You never know. (Basically I was so clueless at the time that I didn't know how good a school it was or I probably wouldn't have applied.)

So, you're atleast ahead of where I was.

And if there is a place that you get an interview and are really interested with, make sure you talk with either someone you interviewed with or the Dean of Admissions and let them know you're VERY interested. If nothing else, it will help them remember you when they're looking through a huge stack of applications.

Just keep you options open at this point. It's always better to have applied to more places than you needed, even though it is kind of a pain, than to not have any options that you like. If you end up getting inundated with interview offers (which was definitely not the case for me), you can always turn them down.

-Heather

P.S. Some advice from a reluctant Wisconsinite-- enjoy Hawaii while you can! :-)"

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Some things to consider about which med schools to apply to

If you're stressed out about your future and where to go to medical school (much less get accepted) you are not alone. Many there are many qualified applicants to Medical School yet fewer than half ever matriculate. The good news for you is there are 4 paths one can take to become a Doctor.

Probably the best way if you can pull it off is to get accepted into an American allopathic (MD) school. Things to take into account is they are harder to get into, you need a relatively high GPA and MCAT (your GPA or MCAT alone can't get you in but it can keep you out.) The state school to which you are a resident is your best bet, state schools guarantee the majority of their positions to their state's residents and this is because the state is investing into their best interest by subsidizing your education with the hope you stick around to practice. Private schools have a higher tuition but they offer the same level of competitiveness. What makes Harvard or Stanford so great isn't because the school's name will get you into that competitive residency (it can't)but rather the scores you will receive on your USMLE's from being surrounded by the best and brightest students and faculty will likely be higher but in reality no matter where you go you it is ultimately up to you to do well on the USMLE's
An option that is growing in popularity is Osteopathic medical Schools (DO). These schools get you licensed to be a physician and you can go into any specialization (but they do draw in more general practice) as long as you do well. Traditionally there had been two barriers that kept osteopathic medicine from being seen as equals to allopaths; the first being they aren't as well known (although this has changed significantly over the past decade and well known physicians such as Dr.90210 are DO's) the second thing that held them back was that they are a little more liberal in their teaching (many still teach manipulation yet few go onto use that 'chiropractor stuff' in their own practice.) This has changed as the Allopathic symptomatic approach met the osteopathic holistic approach somewhere in the middle. Some DO schools actually blend with MD schools in some of their clinical classes and hospital rotations and entirely in residency programs. The good thing about DO programs is they you can get in with a lower GPA or MCAT than most allopathic schools because they focus more on the big picture and the applicant being well rounded.
Caribbean Medical Schools are growing in populrity and reputation. The Big 3 are Saint George's, Ross, and American University of the Caribbean but there are others like University of Health and Medical Sciences St. Kitts which are good. Some reputable Caribbean schools can have USMLE pass rates comparable to allopathic medical schools which is amazing since they typically are full of students who got rejected from US allopathic schools. Many accept student 3 times a year and do the first 4 semesters year round making it possible to graduate faster. One other thing to note is that most of these programs send you out to an affiliated hospital (often from another Allopathic medical school) to do your clinical training (also known as hospital rotations which lasts about 2 years.)
The 4th route is if you're not accepted find something meaningful to do that will strengthen you as a medical school candidate. Drexel and Columbia university are schools in which have programs tailored to this, they are shorter than most masters programs usually a year, give you a chance to take a class or 2 with medical students and really are directed at getting higher MCAT score. It isn't necessary to get a masters if that not something you want you don't even need to go to school (although it might be helpful for keeping you conditioned to the learning environment for when you get in). Jobs in which you are paid to administer health care or conduct research are helpful and you may find something more suited to you doing this. There are places you can get your EMT certification in as little as 3 months.

Now if you're lucky enough to get accepted to multiple schools there are several factors to take into consideration. You should find answers to the following questions: Am I a good fit here (family environment, church, feel of campus, climate,etc)?, Will my spouse survive here?, What is the USMLE pass rate?, What residencies are graduates entering into?, What do the graduates have to say about their Alma mater, etc.

When applying to medical school its important to do some research as to whether or not you have a legitimate chance of getting in. These schools charge you to apply and they charge even more to send in a secondary application, so if you're applying outside your state of residence and they only accept 3 out of state students maybe its a waste of time and money into the application process. If you're set on getting into a limited number of schools have a back up plan in case you don't get accepted. If getting in is all that matters to you apply to schools you would want to get into, as well as some that you think you will get into (putting more lines in the water increases the chances of getting a bite). Don't get overly intimidated about the averages (some people get in with higher and lower scores), make sure you have something to offer you might be surprised but sometimes you don't have to be the best just the best fit and good enough everywhere else to get accepted. Some schools such as the University of Utah consider every applicant with a 3.0 and above as a possible student and the MCAT and GPA only play 20% into what they're looking at, in fact when you land your interview the interviewers don't see your scores instead they look at personal statements and make sure you're well rounded. You may be asked questions totally unrelated to medicine such as: why are poor people poor? or What do you think about the crisis in Darfur? Getting into Medical school doesn't only depend on your GPA, MCAT, extra curriculars, and service hours Medicine is looking for well rounded physicians who are not only competent but posses the social skills, compassion, and understanding to truly help others.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Q&A with a 3rd year Med Student

Casey Lythgoe is a third year Medical Student at Medical College of Wisconsin, which was formally associated with Marquette, it is a private Allopathic (MD) school with a good reputation (ranked #52 top medical school by U.S. News and World Report). Casey (soon to be Dr. Lythgoe) graduated from BYUH in 2004 and sympathizes with us seeing how we don't currently have a pre-med adviser.

Q-How did you decide which schools to apply to?

A- I applied broadly: to my state school and every other private school out there who accepts a significant number of students from out of state. My MCAT wasn't the best (28) so I hoped to get lucky by applying everywhere.

Q-Besides the obvious GPA and MCAT what other things can improve yourodds of getting into med school?
A-Go get some experience in health care. I know this is easier said than done: I volunteered at the hospital in my hometown of Ogden UT. I tried anything to get to speak with and hang out with surgeons. I got lucky a couple of times and saw some operative procedures. Try to get as much of this type of experience as possible. Sure you may be able to get paid as a CNA, but wiping people's butts doesn't really tell you what being a doctor is like, you need to hang with the docs to get a feel for what they do.

Q-Is it possible to mitigate a low GPA or MCAT and still get into school? have you heard of anybody getting in despite one of these strikes against them? and what did they do to draw attention away from the negative aspects of their application? (basically is it possible to redeem yourself? and How?)
A-I believe so, and many of my classmates with sub-30 MCATs would agree. I had a relatively high GPA at 3.85 or so, and I think that counterbalanced my relatively low MCAT of 28. Get some research experience to help out your application. If you live near a major university during the summer, many scientists will have projects that you can do if you are willing to volunteer your time, who knows you might even get published! Again volunteer in health care related activities, and this will offset some of the more negative aspects of your application. Recently, we had a guy come through interviews with great grades and a 36 on the MCAT with no research, no health care experience. It was easy to reject this candidate. Being well rounded can make up for other faults in your application.

Q-What information did you find most useful in getting accepted into medical school?
A-Unfortunately, I had no advisor either and turned to websites like studentdoctor.net for advice. If you have been to the website, you'll find that the advice is poor and the company is worse. Each person's experience will be different, but I can offer mine as an example in context for anyone who wants to pick my brain. See some of my comments below.

Q-What would you have done differently knowing what you know now about the admissions process?
A-I would have studied harder for the MCAT and taken practice tests that are RECENT and UP TO DATE. As many tests as possible, is the advice I can give you. Also, I wouldn't try to be a superstar when it comes to admissions essays: you're likely not a Pulitzer prize winning author so don't try to be. Just be yourself. Explain why you want to be a doc, usually without saying "I want to help people" EVERYBODY says that and no one in admissions believes it unless you have a really credible story. I wanted to be a doc because I love how surgeons can open a person, remove something that has gone wrong, sew the person up, and the patient is better off for it, THAT is AMAZING! It less to do with helping people as it does my fascination with the science of medicine. It is OKAY to love medicine. Yes, you will help people, but that doesn't have to be your main concern. Social workers help people all day, so why do you want to be a doc and help people. Oh, yes, and apply early! Enough said.

Q-What does MCW look for in the application/interview process?
A-See my post above. Be well rounded. Know what you're getting into. Study hard and do well in all your courses.

Q-What was the best way to study for the MCAT? (group study, Kaplan,flashcards,etc)
A-I'm probably not the best person to ask about this considering my MCAT score. I studied alone and used some out of date practice tests. I set up a study schedule according to the list of topics to be covered by the MCAT. I believe this list is somewhere on the AAMCAS or AAMC website. I gave myself a month to do practice tests, and would time myself with the same watch I used in the test. Go back and review the ones you got wrong and take another test. I didn't find it necessary to do a full practice test: the day of the MCAT you'll be so hopped up on adrenaline, that the time will fly. Don't worry about preparing yourself for the "marathon" like aspects of the MCAT. Some guys used kaplan: one scored better than I did, two scored worse. I was good at setting apart time to study every day and sticking to it. Ultimately, each person studies differently and each must decide which approach will work best for them. Remember that understanding a concept is different from knowing it cold!

Q-Does your major(and minor if you have one) count in choosing who gets into med school? (There is a sacrifice of GPA to take harder more challenging courses relevant to medicine rather than taking the bare minimum requirements and filling your schedule with fluff)
A-Again, most schools take into account the whole picture. I was a biochem major. I have a buddy who was an English major. Whatever you do, do it well. Taking courses that are relevant to medicine is irrelevant ironically. You'll find that in your first year of med school, you will breeze through everything you learned in 1 year of biochem in 4 months, less depth in some areas, more depth in others, and a completely different emphasis: you may have studied DNA but do you have any idea what a patient with xeroderma pigmentosa looks like? You may have taken a course in anatomy, but again the focus is different in med school: I had NEVER taken an anatomy course in my life and felt very comfortable in anatomy and received very high scores on all my tests. Once again, take courses you are interested in and courses that will prepare you for the MCAT, and enjoy both of them. Don't worry about whether they are fluff if you enjoy it and can talk about it in an interview, it's worth its weight in gold.

Q-Is there any other advice you would give to an undergrad student interested in becoming a doctor?
A-Now that's a broad question...I love what I do every day. Sometimes it is meaning less scut work. I like that a lot less. Sometimes I get to be first assist on an inguinal hernia and do all the dissection down to the inguinal ligament, or use the bovie during a lumpectomy. If you are excited about medicine now, just wait until you have a part in actually doing it. If you're married prepare your spouse now for the rigors of medical school. Some days I come home after 12 hours of work and spend the rest of the night studying. Some rotations I hardly study at all, but largely it is a lot of time put in to do well. I might also advise you to live your life to the fullest while you have the time. Not only for the fun you'll have, but so that you can tell your attendings in school about the different life experiences you've had. I was surprised to meet so many people that had not stopped going to school since they started high school. Never been out of the country, never did anything different etc. Of course, they still got accepted to med school, but again I believe in being well rounded.

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

Thursday, October 16, 2008

University of Medicine and Health Sciences St. Kitts

I just stumbled upon another school I think many of you might be interested in considering. UMHS is a new school in the Caribbean brought to you by the same man who owned and founded Ross University (if you remember their Representative came last year). This medical school is a similar format as Ross, you do approximately 1.5 years (4 semesters without summer break) on St. Kitts in the Caribbean then you do 1 semester in Portland, Maine followed by rotations at one of many different teaching hospitals located throughout the country. You may consider this option if you are worried about getting in because of low grades or test scores or just really love Tropical islands. Things to consider: it is a new school and their first graduating class is July 2010, they accept students 3 times a year.