Well it has certainly been a wild Fall so far. I have only recently gotten over a major sinus infection that turned into an ear infection, then into bad bronchitis. A course of Augmenten and a Z-Pak later, I am actually feeling well again. My wife is finally over the same infections herself, and our son, while still getting regular nebulizer treatments, seems better than he has been since September.
There is an interesting cycle that I am going through following acceptance to medical school. First there was the initial excitement and elation with being accepted. The fact that I expected to have to re-apply next year made my admission offer that much more exciting. Shortly after the high wore off, however, doubt began to creep in. I even, in typical neurotic fashion, wondered if the e-mailed notification of acceptance was a mistake, and they meant to notify me that I was put on-hold. This was laid to rest upon receipt of the official offer letter in the mail, and their acceptance of my deposit reserving my place. Now, I am in the "I have nothing to do, and nothing to worry about until next August" phase. I have little motivation to work, no desire to continue volunteering, and am basically counting down the days until I can give notice at work and really prepare for medical school.
The next big step I am waiting on is filling out the FAFSA, which I hope to do as soon as I can this Winter. I do not think anything will prevent me from taking out the necessary loans, but since getting the full cost of attendance plus the allowed increase for child care is the only way I can afford to go to medical school, any problems with receiving the full amount may prevent me from matriculating. My credit is good, and I am not under a crushing debt burden, so I don't think it will be a problem, but if there is something to worry about, I can find it.
I am debating pre-studying anatomy before beginning classes. I believe some familiarity with anatomy and physiology will help me get a handle on the first few weeks of classes more easily, but the consensus on SDN seems to be that pre-studying is useless and a waste of time. I will probably cave in and read the text I have a bit, but not put in any serious pre-studying hours.
Other than that, I am looking forward to Christmas, looking forward to quitting my job, and knowing that I will wish for the freedom I currently have once I am actually in the thick of classes. Updates will probably be pretty sparse for a while, considering I am not actually actively pursuing anything toward medical school, as I have an acceptance in hand. When I have something to add, I will do so.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Accepted!
It has been a crazy week. I was told that I would be informed of the decision of the Admission committee on Friday, October 30th before 2:00 PM. At 2:05 I still didn't have an e-mail, so I called the admissions office. The lady who had the decisions for the EDP applicants was still at lunch, so I was told to check back later, I would know that day. There was a meeting at work at 3:00 and the e-mail had not arrived by then, so I sat through the meeting still not knowing.
At 4:10 or so I was finally let out of the meeting, and checked my e-mail. The decision was there, in the form of a PDF without any indication of the answer before the file was opened. I was able to open the file, read enough to see I was accepted, and then it was out the door to head home.
I of course called my wife and told her the answer, and called and talked to my parents. We all went out to dinner to celebrate. That was the first indication that something was wrong with our son. I fed him while we were waiting to be seated at the restaurant, which usually makes him content and sleepy. One of us had to hold him the entire time we were at dinner, which is very unusual for him. Luckily he went to sleep alright that night.
The next day, Saturday, our son seemed fine, but my wife was gone most of the day at a "mom-to-mom" sale and shopping for the dinner we were having that night with friends. I stayed home, watched our son and cleaned the house. The dinner went fine, and he didn't seem too fussy that night; in fact, he was loving the attention of all my wife's childless friends!
That night was bad. For the first time since he was around 3 months old, he didn't sleep through the night. He woke up crying, and refused to be comforted. The next day was worse, where he would cry for hours only settling down occasionally, to eat and when he was napping. He also developed a mild fever and was congested. All day, he was very fussy and upset. I also could feel I was developing a cold.
To make a long story short, my wife stayed home to watch our son and I ended up calling in sick to work because of my inability to sleep while being unable to breathe. The next day, my wife went to work and I stayed home with the baby since he still seemed sick, but appeared to be getting better. He hadn't had a fever since Sunday, so we sent him to daycare on Wednesday. Wednesday evening he had a fever again, so my wife took him to the doctor this morning and was told he was wheezing and had an ear infection. She just picked up his breathing treatments, steroids and antibiotics.
In other words, a lot has been going on that prevented me from immediately posting my success on here. While all of this was going on I completed the information required for my background check and it came back clean, so I am simply awaiting the official offer letter in the mail so I can send my deposit to the school and reserve my spot. I am very glad that I was accepted this cycle, as I expected to have to apply again next cycle to multiple schools, but thought the chance was worth the cost and effort. The moral here is, just because someone tells you it is a bad idea to, for example, apply to just one school, risk applying multiple cycles, or apply with a lack of clinical experience, only you can decide if the money and effort required is worth the chance that you will be accepted. I took the gamble, and for me, it paid off royally since I will not only be attending my top-choice school, but I will be starting a year earlier than I expected to. Good luck to everyone else applying this cycle, especially my soon-to-be classmates at my medical school!
At 4:10 or so I was finally let out of the meeting, and checked my e-mail. The decision was there, in the form of a PDF without any indication of the answer before the file was opened. I was able to open the file, read enough to see I was accepted, and then it was out the door to head home.
I of course called my wife and told her the answer, and called and talked to my parents. We all went out to dinner to celebrate. That was the first indication that something was wrong with our son. I fed him while we were waiting to be seated at the restaurant, which usually makes him content and sleepy. One of us had to hold him the entire time we were at dinner, which is very unusual for him. Luckily he went to sleep alright that night.
The next day, Saturday, our son seemed fine, but my wife was gone most of the day at a "mom-to-mom" sale and shopping for the dinner we were having that night with friends. I stayed home, watched our son and cleaned the house. The dinner went fine, and he didn't seem too fussy that night; in fact, he was loving the attention of all my wife's childless friends!
That night was bad. For the first time since he was around 3 months old, he didn't sleep through the night. He woke up crying, and refused to be comforted. The next day was worse, where he would cry for hours only settling down occasionally, to eat and when he was napping. He also developed a mild fever and was congested. All day, he was very fussy and upset. I also could feel I was developing a cold.
To make a long story short, my wife stayed home to watch our son and I ended up calling in sick to work because of my inability to sleep while being unable to breathe. The next day, my wife went to work and I stayed home with the baby since he still seemed sick, but appeared to be getting better. He hadn't had a fever since Sunday, so we sent him to daycare on Wednesday. Wednesday evening he had a fever again, so my wife took him to the doctor this morning and was told he was wheezing and had an ear infection. She just picked up his breathing treatments, steroids and antibiotics.
In other words, a lot has been going on that prevented me from immediately posting my success on here. While all of this was going on I completed the information required for my background check and it came back clean, so I am simply awaiting the official offer letter in the mail so I can send my deposit to the school and reserve my spot. I am very glad that I was accepted this cycle, as I expected to have to apply again next cycle to multiple schools, but thought the chance was worth the cost and effort. The moral here is, just because someone tells you it is a bad idea to, for example, apply to just one school, risk applying multiple cycles, or apply with a lack of clinical experience, only you can decide if the money and effort required is worth the chance that you will be accepted. I took the gamble, and for me, it paid off royally since I will not only be attending my top-choice school, but I will be starting a year earlier than I expected to. Good luck to everyone else applying this cycle, especially my soon-to-be classmates at my medical school!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Waiting
It is 10 days until I receive my answer for this cycle, accepted or not. If not accepted, I likely would be on the wait list but will proceed assuming I will have to apply again. Our house will be renovated soon, as water damage required us to replace some windows and we have an insurance claim to replace the floors and walls. This along with a wedding to attend, our son having to be brought to daycare each day, work and volunteering is keeping us busy, but it is hard to not stop during the day to hope and wonder. I really hope I am accepted this cycle if for no other reason than to avoid this stress next cycle.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
9/11/11
It has been 10 years since the 9/11 attacks. I heard about the attacks after the towers had both fallen since I was in class the morning it happened. I won't forget getting the call from my mother at home asking me if I had heard about what had happened.
I just want to say God bless those who died that day, God protect the heroes who are fighting terrorists around the world, and God guide our nation to a more secure future.
I just want to say God bless those who died that day, God protect the heroes who are fighting terrorists around the world, and God guide our nation to a more secure future.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Interview
Yesterday I had my first interview for admission to medical school. Due to the weakness in my application regarding clinical experience (i.e. I have almost none) I applied to a single school this year, which is the closest school to where I live, my first choice school overall and what I believe is the most likely school to accept me. I received an interview so early due to applying through the Early Decision Program.
The program is for applicants who have a certain school as their first choice, and they are relatively confident that they will be admitted there. The program guarantees that a student will receive an answer, yes or no (or waitlist) by October 1st. If accepted, the student must attend the school, but if rejected or waitlisted, the student may apply to other schools, though they will be applying late.
I applied EDP because I did not think I was that likely to get in this year due to my lack of clinical experience. I figured it was worth the time and money to apply to a single school this year, my first choice, on the off chance that I am accepted this year. The fact that I quickly received a secondary and that I received an interview invitation has me questioning whether my application is that strong, or whether they simply treat everyone who meets the minimal EDP criteria like this. The simple fact that only around 1/4 applicants are offered an interview makes me confident that I at least have a shot this year, and if I don't get in this year an excellent chance next cycle. Meanwhile, I am building my clinical experience by volunteering and having shadowed at my son's pediatrician's office, and will add more specialties to shadow if I am not accepted. Since October 1st is a Saturday this year, I will receive an e-mail on Friday, September 30th which will give me my answer.
The interview itself was a lot less stressful than I thought it would be. I arrived at the admissions office early and was told I would be interviewing with one of the school's academic advisers. At the scheduled time of the interview, I was brought back to his office and he went over my application with me. He did not ask any of the traditional questions, such as "Why do you want to be a doctor?" "Why this school?" or "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" Instead, he asked for elaboration on certain points of my application, such as my current job, my family's occupations, etc. He spent more time talking with me about the school than asking me questions. The interview was very laid-back.
Some interviewers ask very challenging ethical questions, then argue with the applicant or tell them they are wrong. This may tell the interviewer a little about how the applicant handles stress and conflict, but probably does little to reveal how the person reacts in day-to-day dealings with others. Other interviews are very formal even though they are not intentionally confrontational, asking many of the standard questions in addition to some more esoteric questions ("What kind of cookie would you be?" Really?). Anyway, to anyone who is interviewing or will be in the future, the best thing you can do is be ready for the standard questions, know your application forward and backward so you know what the interviewer is talking about if they reference some obscure comment you made somewhere, and relax because being tense and uptight will not make you look like a strong candidate in the interview.
The program is for applicants who have a certain school as their first choice, and they are relatively confident that they will be admitted there. The program guarantees that a student will receive an answer, yes or no (or waitlist) by October 1st. If accepted, the student must attend the school, but if rejected or waitlisted, the student may apply to other schools, though they will be applying late.
I applied EDP because I did not think I was that likely to get in this year due to my lack of clinical experience. I figured it was worth the time and money to apply to a single school this year, my first choice, on the off chance that I am accepted this year. The fact that I quickly received a secondary and that I received an interview invitation has me questioning whether my application is that strong, or whether they simply treat everyone who meets the minimal EDP criteria like this. The simple fact that only around 1/4 applicants are offered an interview makes me confident that I at least have a shot this year, and if I don't get in this year an excellent chance next cycle. Meanwhile, I am building my clinical experience by volunteering and having shadowed at my son's pediatrician's office, and will add more specialties to shadow if I am not accepted. Since October 1st is a Saturday this year, I will receive an e-mail on Friday, September 30th which will give me my answer.
The interview itself was a lot less stressful than I thought it would be. I arrived at the admissions office early and was told I would be interviewing with one of the school's academic advisers. At the scheduled time of the interview, I was brought back to his office and he went over my application with me. He did not ask any of the traditional questions, such as "Why do you want to be a doctor?" "Why this school?" or "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" Instead, he asked for elaboration on certain points of my application, such as my current job, my family's occupations, etc. He spent more time talking with me about the school than asking me questions. The interview was very laid-back.
Some interviewers ask very challenging ethical questions, then argue with the applicant or tell them they are wrong. This may tell the interviewer a little about how the applicant handles stress and conflict, but probably does little to reveal how the person reacts in day-to-day dealings with others. Other interviews are very formal even though they are not intentionally confrontational, asking many of the standard questions in addition to some more esoteric questions ("What kind of cookie would you be?" Really?). Anyway, to anyone who is interviewing or will be in the future, the best thing you can do is be ready for the standard questions, know your application forward and backward so you know what the interviewer is talking about if they reference some obscure comment you made somewhere, and relax because being tense and uptight will not make you look like a strong candidate in the interview.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thank-you notes
I just sent "official" thank-yous to the three professors who wrote me Letters of Recommendation. I included a Starbucks gift card as a token of appreciation (something you should not forget to do for your LoR writers). I probably should have sent them a little earlier, but given money has been tight, this was the best time.
The letters of recommendation you receive can make or break your application. You can sound like a genius with your other stats, but if a professor who is supposed to talk you up and recommend you for medical school instead tells the admissions committee that you are a tool, you are pretty much screwed. The fact that you have the letters sent to AMCAS directly by the professor or letter gathering service means you don't know what the professor says about you before the medical school sees it.
Many schools have a pre-med committee that writes a letter recommending you to medical schools on behalf of the university. Often, you talk to individual professors and have them send a personal letter of recommendation to the committee, and the committee letter includes these. This can create a problem if a student has not spent any time seeing his pre-med adviser, or the committee otherwise has a reason to not recommend the individual. For example, if a university prides itself on having 90% acceptance of pre-meds from their school into medical school, it is in their interest to deny a committee letter for a student with marginal statistics. That marginal applicant then faces even more trouble getting into medical school, since the admission committee members (Adcoms) will wonder why the applicant's undergraduate institution didn't include a pre-med committee letter.
Either luckily or unluckily, my school does not have a pre-med committee. Obviously, medical schools Adcoms know what schools do and what don't have such a committee, so there is no penalty to me for not providing a committee letter. They have a letter service though, so I had my three professors send their letters to the advising office, and the advising office sent a letter packet to AMCAS. This letter packet was available to the medical school when they wanted to view my secondary application. Since I did not undergo a formal post-bachelor program, I may have faced a lot of trouble getting an official pre-med committee to write a recommendation for me.
Luckily, the letters provided must have been positive and strongly recommended me since I received an interview invite. Hopefully I will not need to ask them to write letters for me again next year.
The letters of recommendation you receive can make or break your application. You can sound like a genius with your other stats, but if a professor who is supposed to talk you up and recommend you for medical school instead tells the admissions committee that you are a tool, you are pretty much screwed. The fact that you have the letters sent to AMCAS directly by the professor or letter gathering service means you don't know what the professor says about you before the medical school sees it.
Many schools have a pre-med committee that writes a letter recommending you to medical schools on behalf of the university. Often, you talk to individual professors and have them send a personal letter of recommendation to the committee, and the committee letter includes these. This can create a problem if a student has not spent any time seeing his pre-med adviser, or the committee otherwise has a reason to not recommend the individual. For example, if a university prides itself on having 90% acceptance of pre-meds from their school into medical school, it is in their interest to deny a committee letter for a student with marginal statistics. That marginal applicant then faces even more trouble getting into medical school, since the admission committee members (Adcoms) will wonder why the applicant's undergraduate institution didn't include a pre-med committee letter.
Either luckily or unluckily, my school does not have a pre-med committee. Obviously, medical schools Adcoms know what schools do and what don't have such a committee, so there is no penalty to me for not providing a committee letter. They have a letter service though, so I had my three professors send their letters to the advising office, and the advising office sent a letter packet to AMCAS. This letter packet was available to the medical school when they wanted to view my secondary application. Since I did not undergo a formal post-bachelor program, I may have faced a lot of trouble getting an official pre-med committee to write a recommendation for me.
Luckily, the letters provided must have been positive and strongly recommended me since I received an interview invite. Hopefully I will not need to ask them to write letters for me again next year.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Interview Invite
I received my invitation to interview at the single school I applied to. I just bought a suit yesterday for this very purpose, so I am glad the money was not wasted. Now I need to review as many potential interview questions as I can find so I don't sound like a blathering idiot in two and a half weeks.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Return from Vacation
I haven't had too much to write about in the last couple weeks. I was on vacation this past week, and before that I was forced to skip volunteering a couple days. I mailed out my secondary application materials the day before we left. While on vacation (the U.P. of Michigan is beautiful) I received notice that my secondary application was received and would be reviewed to determine whether I would be offered an interview.
I will wait until other people post on the Student Doctor Network that they have received interview invites, and if I have not received one within a week of the first invite mentioned, I will call the school to see if I have been ruled out for an interview. Since I applied via the Early Decision Program, I am supposed to be interviewed in September and notified on October 1st whether I am admitted, rejected, or put in the wait-list with the general applicants.
Hoping that I am wrong, and I am in fact admitted this cycle.
I will wait until other people post on the Student Doctor Network that they have received interview invites, and if I have not received one within a week of the first invite mentioned, I will call the school to see if I have been ruled out for an interview. Since I applied via the Early Decision Program, I am supposed to be interviewed in September and notified on October 1st whether I am admitted, rejected, or put in the wait-list with the general applicants.
Hoping that I am wrong, and I am in fact admitted this cycle.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Secondary Application
So I have finished drafting my responses to the secondary application essay prompts. Need to have them reviewed and edited, polished and ready in a few days. I also need to get a picture of myself and write a check for the secondary application fee.
The application fee is quite controversial. While some schools aggressively weed out applicants based on their primary application, and only request secondary applications from candidates they are likely to interview, many schools use the secondary application as an easy money-maker. Since the schools charge anywhere from $50 to $100+ for the honor of sending them a picture and a few essays, and the typical school has thousands of applicants, an unscrupulous school can pull in an impressive chunk of change for minimal work. Sure, there is effort involved in reviewing the applications, and they have every right to charge a fee to process the secondary application, but how often are the secondaries really necessary?
Schools should only request secondary applications from those they are likely to want to interview. This doesn't mean they should base their first screening only on GPA and MCAT, but the primary application consists of MCAT score, GPA, full transcripts of all college-level work attempted, a listing of work experiences and extra curriculars including research and volunteering, family history and income, and the personal statement essay. It is hard to justify charging an applicant a fee by saying "sure their GPA and MCAT are low, and they don't have any extraordinary life experiences to compensate, but you know, their essay in response to "how will you adapt to a changing medical landscape?" could really wow us and make us want to interview them." It is virtual fraud to collect these fees when the chances of interviewing the candidate are in the sub-10% range.
The good part of the secondary application is the letter of recommendation system. AMCAS has an applicant enter the information for letters of recommendation into the primary application when it is being filled out. They do not, however, need to receive the letters before the primary application is made available to your schools. You therefore have some extra time for your college to write a pre-medical committee letter, or your professors to write individual letters before they have to be in. Medical schools review letters of recommendation as part of the secondary application, so their review is not delayed, and they can simply access the letters online when they receive your secondary application.
The important part, though, is having passed the first weeding-out of the application process. I was fairly confident that I would not be chucked immediately this cycle, since my MCAT and GPA are slightly above average at the single school I am applying to, but receiving the secondary application request is comforting none-the-less. Sure, I will probably not make it in this year, but at least I was not summarily rejected. Now I get to wait and worry about whether I will be invited to interview.
The application fee is quite controversial. While some schools aggressively weed out applicants based on their primary application, and only request secondary applications from candidates they are likely to interview, many schools use the secondary application as an easy money-maker. Since the schools charge anywhere from $50 to $100+ for the honor of sending them a picture and a few essays, and the typical school has thousands of applicants, an unscrupulous school can pull in an impressive chunk of change for minimal work. Sure, there is effort involved in reviewing the applications, and they have every right to charge a fee to process the secondary application, but how often are the secondaries really necessary?
Schools should only request secondary applications from those they are likely to want to interview. This doesn't mean they should base their first screening only on GPA and MCAT, but the primary application consists of MCAT score, GPA, full transcripts of all college-level work attempted, a listing of work experiences and extra curriculars including research and volunteering, family history and income, and the personal statement essay. It is hard to justify charging an applicant a fee by saying "sure their GPA and MCAT are low, and they don't have any extraordinary life experiences to compensate, but you know, their essay in response to "how will you adapt to a changing medical landscape?" could really wow us and make us want to interview them." It is virtual fraud to collect these fees when the chances of interviewing the candidate are in the sub-10% range.
The good part of the secondary application is the letter of recommendation system. AMCAS has an applicant enter the information for letters of recommendation into the primary application when it is being filled out. They do not, however, need to receive the letters before the primary application is made available to your schools. You therefore have some extra time for your college to write a pre-medical committee letter, or your professors to write individual letters before they have to be in. Medical schools review letters of recommendation as part of the secondary application, so their review is not delayed, and they can simply access the letters online when they receive your secondary application.
The important part, though, is having passed the first weeding-out of the application process. I was fairly confident that I would not be chucked immediately this cycle, since my MCAT and GPA are slightly above average at the single school I am applying to, but receiving the secondary application request is comforting none-the-less. Sure, I will probably not make it in this year, but at least I was not summarily rejected. Now I get to wait and worry about whether I will be invited to interview.
Friday, July 22, 2011
My MCAT prep
There is a thread over on the Student Doctor Network that asks those who achieved 30+ on the MCAT to post how they prepared as advice to others getting ready for the exam. The typical student, upon reading through the thread, would have to feel like a moron. It seems that at least half of the people who post there have 35+ MCAT scores. To the new pre-med or anyone new to SDN, this is an inaccurate perception. First, the people most likely to post their scores are those who scored the highest. The thread, therefore, selects for that top 1% of MCAT takers, and there are plenty of people who, while they scored above a 30, are disappointed with some aspect of their performance and thus choose not to talk about their score.
Second, there is at least some portion of the population, and I can't even guess at the actual percentage, who feel better about themselves when they lie about their accomplishments. While I would be surprised if a majority of the super-high scores were not genuine, there is certainly some number of immature individuals who make up fake, highly-impressive statistics about themselves and post them online. It is pretty pathetic, but spend a little time in a few internet forums and you will see evidence of this. Don't let the seemingly high scores of others intimidate you, though, since most of those who are accepted to medical school do not have those incredibly high MCAT scores.
I chose not to post to the thread not because of any inadequacy in my score, but because sharing my preparation would not help anyone. My studying for the MCAT, both times I took it, was non-existent. The first time was in 2008 as I was finishing the pre-reqs I was taking as a post-bachelor student. I glanced through an old MCAT prep book (published before the MCAT was computer-based) for a total of 2 hours or so. I basically read through the genetics section of the book (since I didn't take genetics) and took a few practice problems. I didn't buy any MCAT sample tests, nor did I take advantage of any free ones. This was stupid on my part. My MCAT the first time was 32R with 12bs 9ps 11v. If I had gone through a thorough review of every subject, or even taken all of the available practice tests, I could have increased my score at least a point or two in each section.
The second time I took the test I was equally foolish about it. My decision to actually apply to medical school was made in early 2011, which put me in an awkward spot. I checked with the schools I can commute to and not all would accept scores from 2008 for 2012 matriculation. This meant I could take the MCAT immediately and apply this cycle, or give myself lots of prep time and put off applying until the 2012-2013 cycle. I chose the former, so I registered for the March MCAT and took it without any real prep. I was taking two courses, Calc III and P-Chem at the time, I was working full time, and our son was still in the NICU. I was convinced, however, that the P-Chem course would make up for my biggest deficiency the last time I took the MCAT, in physical science, and I ended up with a 32Q on the MCAT, with 11bs 10ps 11v. I was happy that the score was more balanced, but again, if I had actually prepared, I would have been able to do much better.
It remains to be seen whether my choice to rush into the application season was a waste based on whether I am admitted this cycle. I have no real expectation to get in this time, but the low chance was still worth applying in my opinion, and I thankfully did not bomb the MCAT which would greatly reduce my likelihood of being accepted anywhere.
Second, there is at least some portion of the population, and I can't even guess at the actual percentage, who feel better about themselves when they lie about their accomplishments. While I would be surprised if a majority of the super-high scores were not genuine, there is certainly some number of immature individuals who make up fake, highly-impressive statistics about themselves and post them online. It is pretty pathetic, but spend a little time in a few internet forums and you will see evidence of this. Don't let the seemingly high scores of others intimidate you, though, since most of those who are accepted to medical school do not have those incredibly high MCAT scores.
I chose not to post to the thread not because of any inadequacy in my score, but because sharing my preparation would not help anyone. My studying for the MCAT, both times I took it, was non-existent. The first time was in 2008 as I was finishing the pre-reqs I was taking as a post-bachelor student. I glanced through an old MCAT prep book (published before the MCAT was computer-based) for a total of 2 hours or so. I basically read through the genetics section of the book (since I didn't take genetics) and took a few practice problems. I didn't buy any MCAT sample tests, nor did I take advantage of any free ones. This was stupid on my part. My MCAT the first time was 32R with 12bs 9ps 11v. If I had gone through a thorough review of every subject, or even taken all of the available practice tests, I could have increased my score at least a point or two in each section.
The second time I took the test I was equally foolish about it. My decision to actually apply to medical school was made in early 2011, which put me in an awkward spot. I checked with the schools I can commute to and not all would accept scores from 2008 for 2012 matriculation. This meant I could take the MCAT immediately and apply this cycle, or give myself lots of prep time and put off applying until the 2012-2013 cycle. I chose the former, so I registered for the March MCAT and took it without any real prep. I was taking two courses, Calc III and P-Chem at the time, I was working full time, and our son was still in the NICU. I was convinced, however, that the P-Chem course would make up for my biggest deficiency the last time I took the MCAT, in physical science, and I ended up with a 32Q on the MCAT, with 11bs 10ps 11v. I was happy that the score was more balanced, but again, if I had actually prepared, I would have been able to do much better.
It remains to be seen whether my choice to rush into the application season was a waste based on whether I am admitted this cycle. I have no real expectation to get in this time, but the low chance was still worth applying in my opinion, and I thankfully did not bomb the MCAT which would greatly reduce my likelihood of being accepted anywhere.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Attempted behavioral break-out
I haven't been working as a volunteer in the emergency department for very long, but I am glad we are actually able to do something. I have read about some volunteer assignments, even in emergency, that consist of sitting behind a desk and nothing more. At my hospital, while I am certainly not doing anything glamorous, there is at least the ability to interact with patients. Volunteers here relay questions from patients to nurses, clean and make beds, bring food and drink to patients, get pillows and blankets, etc.
The interaction with patients, while certainly not providing the ability to observe procedures that shadowing would, still allows us to see some interesting things. My first volunteer day (after the "training" in which a long-time volunteer showed me what volunteers do and how) I heard yelling down the hall. Running toward me was a gowned patient with a nurse chasing after her. Just before they reached me the nurse caught and tackled the patient, and every nearby tech, nurse and doctor converged to subdue the woman and get her on a gurney in restraints.
It seems that when the nurse was exiting the "Behavioral" room, where the emergency department psychiatric patients are held, evaluated and treated before being admitted or discharged, the patient took advantage of the opened door to try to escape. The door to this room has a code preventing the patients from escaping, so when the nurse opened the door, the patient hit her from behind to push past her and get away. Her attempted escape earned her being tied to a gurney, probably some pharmaceutical sedation and the nurse threatening to prosecute her for a felony. Always something interesting going on in the emergency department.
The interaction with patients, while certainly not providing the ability to observe procedures that shadowing would, still allows us to see some interesting things. My first volunteer day (after the "training" in which a long-time volunteer showed me what volunteers do and how) I heard yelling down the hall. Running toward me was a gowned patient with a nurse chasing after her. Just before they reached me the nurse caught and tackled the patient, and every nearby tech, nurse and doctor converged to subdue the woman and get her on a gurney in restraints.
It seems that when the nurse was exiting the "Behavioral" room, where the emergency department psychiatric patients are held, evaluated and treated before being admitted or discharged, the patient took advantage of the opened door to try to escape. The door to this room has a code preventing the patients from escaping, so when the nurse opened the door, the patient hit her from behind to push past her and get away. Her attempted escape earned her being tied to a gurney, probably some pharmaceutical sedation and the nurse threatening to prosecute her for a felony. Always something interesting going on in the emergency department.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
My Introduction
Welcome to my blog. I am writing this mostly as a journal, as I doubt I will have much of a readership. I am starting this as a 28 year old graduate from a state school (class of 2005) with a BA in history. I decided to pursue medicine after becoming disenchanted with law, so I began taking med-school pre-reqs. By the time my pre-reqs were completed, I had met my wife. I took a good job doing chemical synthesis with a biomedical supply and instrument company and put my med-school dreams on hold. I believed that a family life was incompatible with pursuing medicine, so I planned to make my chemical synthesis job into my career.
My (then future) wife and I bought a house in 2009 and were married in 2010. After the honeymoon we found out she was pregnant. Her pregnancy progressed well until she was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia at 31 weeks one day. Our son was delivered at 32 weeks and spent the next 5 weeks in the NICU.
This intense exposure to hospitals, doctors and medical problems did two things. First, it re-ignited my desire to go to medical school, which though I hadn't stopped wanting to attend, I had resigned myself to not entering that career path. Second, my actions, attitudes and the comments of the doctors and nurses at the hospital convinced my wife that I should not give up on my dream, and would not have to completely sacrifice my family life to be a doctor.
With her encouragement I re-took the MCAT and began the final steps toward applying to medical school. With any luck, this blog will not only document my attempts to gain admission, but my progress though medical school and beyond.
My (then future) wife and I bought a house in 2009 and were married in 2010. After the honeymoon we found out she was pregnant. Her pregnancy progressed well until she was diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia at 31 weeks one day. Our son was delivered at 32 weeks and spent the next 5 weeks in the NICU.
This intense exposure to hospitals, doctors and medical problems did two things. First, it re-ignited my desire to go to medical school, which though I hadn't stopped wanting to attend, I had resigned myself to not entering that career path. Second, my actions, attitudes and the comments of the doctors and nurses at the hospital convinced my wife that I should not give up on my dream, and would not have to completely sacrifice my family life to be a doctor.
With her encouragement I re-took the MCAT and began the final steps toward applying to medical school. With any luck, this blog will not only document my attempts to gain admission, but my progress though medical school and beyond.
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