All of us wonder this one time or another...how smart to you have to be to be a doctor? I actually think about this every hour of every day, but I am a little obsessive compulsive. Well that question came up in YahooAnswers not too long ago and I thought I would share it with everyone. Apparently answerer 2 thinks that you have to be the Gary Kasparov of math to become a doctor. I especially like answerer 1's suggestion that you can't gag when you see blood. And then there is self deprecating answerer 6 who suggests to our young inquisitor that he pursue a Caribbean medical school and even provides a website address...I think he maybe working for them. One person states that their brother was pretty much a complete idiot in high school and now he is a dentist "making loads of cash." I didn't know having loads of cash was the point of becoming a doctor. I think answerer 3 is by far the most helpful and thoughtful not only in her answer but also by the fact that she left an email address for the young lad to contact her. Yahoo answers will never let you down. Click here to see it for yourself. (All those typos btw are theirs, not mine)
How smart do you have to be to become a doctor and to even get into medical school? like i know you hae to be good in math, so would have to be in challelnge math in highschool for the whole five years???
Answerer 1 I'm not so sure that you have to be a genius or anything. But more of a interest in what a doctor has to do and have a strong passion for it. For example, if you don't like blood and it make you gag I wouldn't go into the medical field. But if you love the idea of being a doctor and are interested but you don't think your smart enough, try as much as possible. Or read books and study up.
Answerer 2
You have to be VERY good in science and math especially
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Hope that helped Good Luck
Answerer 3
Yes, math and science, do well in those it will take you very far.
Math really isn't a big deal, actually. The only math you need to get into medical school is general 2 semesters of college math, usually one statistics and one calculus or similar class. Although it is important to do well in these classes, a B probably isn't a big deal (and statistics really isn't hard at all if you go to class).
You do need to be good at science...biology, chemistry, and physics are all classes you need to take and do well in order to get into medical school, and all three are on the MCAT. The only thing you need to do in highschool is keep your grades up enough to get into a good 4-year university with a good science program. Medical schools don't look at your highschool transcripts, so it really doesn't matter what you take in highschool. That being said, a good solid science background will make your life easier in college.
In college you need to keep about a 3.5 GPA to get into medical school, and you need to get a 30 on the MCATs (out of 45).
If you have any more questions about what you need for medical school, please feel free to email me at goodee_2_sandals@yahoo.com.
Answerer 5
i would do an internship at a doctors office and see what they actually do... or work as a medical assistant to decide if working in that environment is something u'd wanna do for the rest of ur life.
i definetly think that you have to be decent in math and science, nothing spectacular though. Also alot of it is memorization... think of ALL the different body parts and diseases that a doctor must remember and have knowledge of at any given time... having a passion and love for the job certainly helps u memorize
Answerer 6
It's not necessarily smarts... you have to have good discipline, work really hard and be really motivated. I am a 4th year medical student and personally i don't think i am very smart... but i work hard. You can go to medical school out of high school to a 6 year program. The only thing is you have to go abroad. if you want to go to medical school in US you have to do 4 yrs of premed and 4 years of medical school(total 8). If you go to a place like the Caribbean you can be done in 4 years. here is a site to help you... good luck
http://www.bestforeignmedicalschools.com
Answerer 7
math in high school is there to get you prepared for college math. My brother was never a good math student in high school (C's and B's) but he managed to get by. Now he is a dentist making loads of cash. If you really want to go into the medical field then i would try taking some math courses to the side or during summer for summer school. The only way to like math is to understand it, if you don't understand it then you don't know if you like it. But to answer your question furthermore, i would say that you probably have to get into the basics of calculus to become a doctor. This also depends on the college you choose.
Courtesy of: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080330183345AAaonrF
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
How Smart to You Have to be to Become a Doctor?
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
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Monday, April 28, 2008
Residency Salaries
I started obsessing about how many years it takes to become an MD, so I was comforted by the statistics I found for the mean salary of residencies nationwide. It's not as bad as I thought. Although residencies are the equivalent of hell-week spread out over 3 plus years, at least we are compensated for our work. I found out there are also many perks besides just the salary. I know this is premature, but it is something to look forward to following four or more years of school. The 2007 Mean stipends in United States for a MD Resident (also called house-staff) from any specialty were as follows:
- 1st Year (PGY1 / Intern ): $44,000
- 2nd Year (PGY2): $46,000
- 3rd Year (PGY3): $48,000
- 4th Year (PGY4): $52,000/-
- 5th Year (PGY5): $54,000/-
- 6th Year (PGY6): $54,000/-
Info Provided By: http://mdsalaries.blogspot.com/2005/10/residency-salaries.html
The Day in the Life of a Physician
It's really hard to grasp what a doctors life is like day to day. There are people out there that make it sound like your personal life is over once you are a doctor. You will have no time for family, friends, hobbies...nothing. It sounds pretty bleak right? I know that shadowing a doctor is supposed to provide a premed with an honest view of what it is like to be an MD, however, I doubt that any shadowing program allows you to go whom with the doc and see what their life is like outside of the hospital. We are made to believe that their entire life is the hospital when in fact we all know that there are doctors who have happy functional fulfilling lives outside of medicine. I grew up not knowing any doctors. I didn't even have a regular pediatrician because we moved around so much, so my idea of what it is like to be a doctor is completely skewed. All I can go by is the advice that has been given to me by adcom members and advisors who all suggest that you are pretty much giving up your life as you know it. Maybe it is just their way of weeding out the dedicated individuals from the slackers. Either way I am beginning to think that doctors maintain this monastic lifestyle devoid of any kind of joy. I set out to find out what life is really like for a doctor on and off of work. So I did what any self respecting blogger would do...I googled "a day in the life as a physician." One of the first things to come up was a series of articles on a website called The Next Generation. They highlight what life is like for four different MD's from different specialties. Question two in an interview with an internist named Dr. Douglas Kelling asks:2. What is your schedule like? How much time do you spend with each patient? When I am not on vacation, I work 7 days a week. Monday through Friday I start my hospital rounds between 5:30 am and 6:30 am. Rounds are usually completed by 8:30 am. I then go to my office, which is attached to the hospital. Monday through Thursday I see patients from 8:30 am until 6:00 pm. I take about 1/2 hr for lunch. I eat in the office. On Fridays, I see patients from 8:30 until noon. Friday afternoon is devoted to education and paperwork. After my office is closed, I go back to the hospital to work up new patients. About 7:00 pm I go home for supper. I return to the hospital about 8:00 pm and stay until 10:00 to 10:30 pm to see patients and do paperwork. On Saturday and Sunday I work at the hospital from 9:30 am until 5:00 pm rounds on patients and do paperwork.
This guy sounds intense. Maybe everyone was right about a doctors lifestyle. Someone please correct me if I am wrong in my assumptions.
Photo Credit: http://www.nextgenmd.org/vol1-5/kellingv1i5.html
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Saturday, April 26, 2008
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Friday, April 25, 2008
Fact or Fiction?
I have been reading up on the numerous "medblogs" that litter the "internets." I am intrigued by the fact that there is this whole genre of blogs that are out there that go mostly unnoticed by the general public. A person could spend all day reading and still not catch up on all the new posts. It's like trying to fit the smithsonian into one day. As I read these blogs from people from all facets of the medical field I am reminded of the fact that I have a long way to go. I started obsessing over the fact that medical school applicant numbers increase from year to year, and it is getting more and more competitive to gain entrance into medical school. Of course this is all anecdotal from pre-meds who are trying to scare the shit out of each other while listening to a lecture on fisher projections and redox reactions. Students often make these preemptive proclamations to also soften the blow of a rejection letter months down the road. I set out to find out for myself whether there was any truth to these rumors, and because I am guilty of regurgitating the same "facts" all the time.
According to AAMC more than 42,300 individuals applied to enter medical school in 2007, an increase of 8.2 percent over 2006. Nearly 32,000 were first-time applicants, the highest number on AAMC record. And according to amednews.com the American Assn. of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine also saw its applicant pool reach a record level for the 2007-08 academic year, with 11,500 candidates." So how many were accepted and enrolled out of this huge applicant pool? AAMC says that the 2007 entering class to U.S. medical schools is the largest in the nation's history, according to new data released today by the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges). The number of first-year enrollees totals almost 17,800 students, a 2.3 percent increase over 2006. The bad news is that "overall, the academic credentials of applicants to medical school this year were stronger than ever before, with the highest MCAT scores and cumulative grade point averages on record. In addition, over the past five years there has been an increase in applicants' average amount of experience in premedical activities, including time spent in medical research and community service in clinical and nonclinical settings."
The good news for us and the bad news for the public is that "the need for more doctors is real and will become more urgent as our population grows and ages," said AAMC President Darrell G. Kirch, M.D. "This increase is a significant step in the right direction, and we are pleased that 71 U.S. medical schools plan to expand their class sizes over the next five years. But clearly, we must find additional ways to stimulate more growth in medical school capacity so that we have enough doctors to care for our nation in the coming decades."
However there are numerous barriers to increasing enrollment that need to be addressed including available scholarships, classroom space, ambulatory preceptors and costs. I guess there was some truth to all those pre-med horror stories, but at least there is demand for the supply. Now all we need to do is fix the distribution.
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Thursday, April 24, 2008
Image of the Week - Babesiosis
"A 34-year-old man came to the emergency room with a 3-day history of fevers (peak temperature, 40°C), accompanied by shaking chills. Laboratory tests revealed a hemolytic anemia, with a hemoglobin level of 8.6 g per deciliter. Nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's lymphoma, stage IIIB, had been diagnosed 12 years earlier, in 1994, and the patient underwent splenectomy at that time. He had traveled recently to Massachusetts, Oregon, Hawaii, Florida, and Illinois and to South Africa and Costa Rica. The peripheral-blood smear shows numerous intracellular organisms in red blood cells, with nearly 3% of erythrocytes harboring parasites. Multiple ring forms are seen, as well as rare tetrads (thin arrow). These so-called Maltese cross formations are essentially pathognomonic of babesiosis, since they are not seen in malaria, the primary consideration in the differential diagnosis. The dark, round body in the right lower quadrant of the red blood cell with the tetrad is a Howell–Jolly body (thick arrow), an erythrocyte inclusion representing an incompletely extruded nucleus. Howell–Jolly bodies are seen in patients with functional asplenia, and such patients are particularly susceptible to serious babesial and encapsulated bacterial infections. This single red cell provides both a diagnosis and an understanding of the underlying pathogenesis. Our patient received a 7-day course of treatment with azithromycin and atovaquone. His fever subsided rapidly, and his hematocrit eventually returned to normal."
Courtesy of: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/358/17/e19
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Photo Credit: http://witchdoctor.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/reibeiro050606_228x257.jpg
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Student Admitted to Medical School Without Ever Taking MCAT
An extreme case of nepotism or a gross oversight? A student was admitted to the University of Florida School of Medicine by its Dean, Dr. Bruce Kone, "over the objections of the college's selection committee." Apparently not only did he not take the MCAT, but he "did not apply through AMCAS by the usual deadline - instead, he applied by special permission, given by Dr. Kone, in February." It is not clear what prompted the dean to make this kind of concession for one student, but the article suggests that it may have been political influence by Governor Charlie Grist that expedited the students admission. Governor Grist, who is a friend of the students father, wrote a letter of recommendation for the student when he originally applied to the UF's accelerated program in 2007 in addition to a letter of recommendation from Sen. Ken Pruitt.
Before I go any further you should just read the rest of the article for yourself here. It makes for a quite an interesting read. I wish I had those kind of recommendation letters. It's amazing to me that we go through all this work to get into medical school when there are others out there that are being accepted without the requisite credentials. We should all email the dean at bkone@ufl.edu and let him know that this kind of behavior is unfair.
Aaron Daye/The Gainesville Sun
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Photo Credit: http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/resources/oceanography-book/Images/LA-smog-2.jpg
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Medical School...Is It Worth It?
I found a great blog that I just had to share with everyone (e.g. the late night post). I am sure some savvy pre-med bloggers out there are all ardent subscribers to the blog Panda Bear, MD, but it is new to me. Every person that has ever made the decision to commit themselves to the pursuit of medicine has inevitably asked themselves whether it is worth it or not. Panda Bear poses this question in such a cogent and eloquent manner that I could never do it justice by paraphrasing it so I recommend that you just read the whole thing for yourself here. I ask myself this question on a daily basis and I still don't know the answer to this and judging by Panda Bear's post I may never will. I constantly second guess myself on whether it was prudent to leave architecture school and pursue medicine. It's an even riskier decision when you have a wife and kids and in my case a debilitating chronic illness like celiac sprue. Every morning I wake up energized and excited in pursuit of my goal and every night I go to bed wondering whether I made the right decision. I guess I won't know until it is over. This is definitely a worthwhile read and well worth your time...enjoy!
Photo Credit: http://www.southernbyways.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/Panda%20Bear.jpg
Older Doctors Hate Their Jobs!?
"Fifty-seven percent of older physicians said they would not recommend medicine as a career to their own children. Similarly, 44 percent said they would not select medicine as career if they were starting out today."
This is a quote from an article I found, Many older doctors plan to phase out their practice, while snooping around the Internet and it is really depressing for those of us who want to become doctors. It doesn't really say why more than half of all older doctors polled wouldn't recommend medicine as a career even to their own children. Is it really that bad? Why are they so disgruntled about their jobs? Why are we trying so hard to get to a place that they are trying so hard to get out of? It is really making me think twice about whether to even pursue this. I wonder what jobs they would opt for instead of medicine? I bet it's a lot easier to make that kind of a claim when you are pulling in $150,000 a year. I am sure they wouldn't be happy making $30,000 a year as a mouse testicle remover or maybe a Walmart greeter. I guess the bright side of this is that there are so many doctors that are leaving their practices that there is going to be a shortage. More jobs for us! I think most doctors are just old and grumpy, as can be seen in the photo above.
Photo Credit: http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/msu-red-cedar-message-board/302784-old-man-walmart-application.html
So What About People With a Science Background?
Well...basically you're screwed. Honestly though we are at a slight disadvantage because we have already taken all the prerequisites, and if your GPA is a little too low for comfort (anything around or below a 3.0) you will have to get a little creative in boosting up your GPA. From what I can tell there are currently 4 programs that are geared toward individuals who come from a science background. These schools include University of Pennsylvania's Special Science Program, Drexel (MSP, IMS & MMS), American University's Premedical Certificate Program and Georgetown's Special Masters Program. I applied to all four and got into Drexel's MSP and UPenn's Special Science. I have only researched Drexel and UPenn in depth so I will describe those two programs in more detail. Trying to decipher Drexel's different programs can get a little confusing. It took me a while to figure out which one to actually apply to. There are two routes one can take at Drexel depending on whether or not you have a good MCAT score. Both routes lead to a masters degree:
- MSP → IMS (Master of Biological Science)
- IMS → MMS (Master of Medical Science)
Drexel Interdepartmental Medical Science (IMS) program "is considered a 'special master’s' program, students in the IMS program are afforded the opportunity to take actual first-year medical school courses and are graded based on the performance of the medical school class."
Penn's Special Science program is slightly different and a lot less structured in terms of curriculum. For one thing you are taking all undergraduate classes, which is great for boosting ones undergraduate GPA. I hear that the program has great support staff and counseling. I would have gone to Penn, but unfortunately I still need to take the MCAT and it seems like the MSP has a better curriculum for that purpose. I am not sure if I made the right decision and will probably be agonizing over it for a while. I may still take the MSP and then reapply to Penn's Special Science the year after that.
Photo Credit: http://www.chrisdellavedova.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/scientist.gif
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Image Credit: Serge Block
Monday, April 21, 2008
So Why Do A Postbaccalaureate Program?
So there are two types of non-traditional students pursuing medical school, those with a science background and those without. Personally I feel that those individuals who have never taken the med-school prerequisites have a huge advantage over those that have. The prereqs by the way are 2 semesters of Biology with a lab, 2 semesters of inorganic chemistry with a lab, 2 semesters of organic chemistry with a lab and 2 semesters of physics with a lab (there might be additional class requirements for different medschools). There are a number of traditional post-bacs to choose from for the non-science individual which can be found here at Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs. Many post-bac programs can be found in your area and many offer evening and part time classes for full-time workers and parents. There are a number of advantages of going through a post-bac versus doing it yourself (DIY). Post-bacs offer structure and support for their students. They are there to get you into medical school. It is also in their best interest to help you succeed because that will increase their numbers which in turn increases enrollment which means more money for them. Many post-bacs also have affiliation or linkage programs with other medical schools. You are often guaranteed an interview or even admission to medical school if you maintain an above average GPA, however, these schools are hard to get into. The main disadvantage of doing a post-bac instead of doing it on your own is the obvious cost of the program.
Photo Credit: http://www.irishhealth.com/content/image/1488/Image1.jpg
Here are two additional forums that I found really helpful when I was researching post-bac programs:
The Official Guide to Special Masters Programs
Rate your SMP & Postbac
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Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Mike Derer)
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Baby Steps...
So I guess I should breakdown for you where I am at right now in my application process. I have been hesitating to write this not because it is personal or hard for me, but because it is boring as hell to describe the circumstances which lead to my current situation. I promise that after this things will be a lot more witty and succinct...well maybe. Perhaps I can speed things up by making a list:
- Graduated from UC blahblahblah in 2000 with a BA Molecular Cell Biology and a BS in Plant Biology with a uninspiring GPA
- Worked in Costa Rica for 2 years in rain forest conservation
- Returned to US and worked for the Department of Energy and later with Department of Homeland Security first on mouse sperm (laugh here) and later on classified bioweapons detection devices respectively
- Took the MCAT and unsuccessfully applied to medical school
- Left public research for private research at a leading genomics research firm
- Left the research field to get a Masters in Landscape Architecture (random right?)
- Realized during my second semester of A-School that I just had to be a doctor and quit
- Moved to the midwest to live with my partner, who is also in school, while I apply to post-bac programs and look for a job in research
- Applied to four programs and I got into two
- Accepted Drexel's offer to attend their Medical Science Preparatory program and deferred for Fall of 2008
http://eagle.la.asu.edu/hester/cozumel/chichenitza/index.html
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
The Optimizers
What is an optimizer you ask? Well it is what we refer to as any person who goes above and beyond what is needed for the task at hand in order to either elevate their status amongst their peers and or instructor, or to ensure that they maintain their A+ average. Unfortunately for us, re-entry students are often seen as optimizers. You know the type. It's usually the older person in the front row of every lecture, who raises their hand for every question rhetorical or not, and who is without fail always the last one to leave the classroom after class has been dismissed. I used to mock these individuals in undergrad and now I have become one. So please go easy on us because we really don't mean to do it intentionally. It's just that time is so much more precious to us and we must take advantage of every second of the day because this may be our last shot at getting into med school.
Update: I am beginning to realize that most premeds are optimizers. Maybe this field just attracts that type of individual.
Photo Courtesy of: Blend Images (RF) Image #23292391
Image of the Week
"A 62-year-old man reported having had fatigue, fever, and cramping abdominal pain for 7 days. He also reported that he had recently eaten raw pond smelt (Hypomesus olidus). The results of liver-function tests were abnormal, showing elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (350 IU per liter), alanine aminotransferase (352 IU per liter), alkaline phosphatase (204 IU per liter), -glutamyltransferase (434 IU per liter), total bilirubin (6.4 mg per deciliter [109 µmol per liter]), and conjugated bilirubin (3.9 mg per deciliter [67 µmol per liter]). The white-cell count was also elevated (13,000 per cubic millimeter), and there was eosinophilia (27%). A computed tomographic scan of the abdomen showed dilatation of the common bile duct without definite filling defects. Given our concern that the patient might have acute cholangitis, a duodenoscopy was performed, and a prominent major papilla was discovered. After cannulation of the common bile duct, numerous leaf-shaped worms popped out (see video) and were subsequently identified as Clonorchis sinensis (also called Opisthorchis sinensis). The patient was given praziquantel and had a quick and uneventful recovery. The clinical manifestations of clonorchiasis tend to reflect the worm burden and the duration of infection. Clonorchis may persist in the biliary tree for decades, and prolonged infestation is associated with the development of cholangiocarcinoma. Acute cholangitis and pancreatitis are rare but important complications of C. sinensis infestation infestation."
New England Journal of Medicine. "Images in Clinical Medicine" [Online] 17 August 2008. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/358/16/e18
Better Late Than Never
I guess I should preface my first post by stating that I actually applied to medical school once before. I know you are thinking that this would pretty much nullify the whole concept of middle age medical school since I had applied once before at the ripe young age of 25. I like to pretend like that whole event actually never took place. It was one of the more depressing, emotionally and financially draining events of my life. Looking back I now know that I was completely unprepared for the task at hand. Maturity or the lack there of was one factor in my demise. I had a less than stellar GPA coming out of one of the top California universities. This can be contributed to the fact that I was easily distracted (aka partied too much), and I worked like a maniac to pay my way through school (aka poor family). Unfortunately for me the admissions committees don't take sob stories into account when looking at applicants. So now with fresh eyes and new gusto for life almost seven years later, I will be reapplying to medical school. The concept for this site came to fruition after I realized that there weren't that many resources available to non-traditional students out there, and what was available could only be found through considerable sleuthing. I also feel that this process is so emotionally draining that there should be some kind of support group in place to vent our frustrations. So with much trepidation and procrastination I give you Middle Age Medical School.
Photo Courtesy of: http://home.tiscali.dk/8x070493/traffic/enprintr.htm
