for the medical types...

[bigwong235]

i'm an undergrad thinking about heading to med school after undergrad.

how was the process for you getting into med school?
what kind of classes did you take?
more specifically, how many math classes did you take (i hate math)?
what major did you declare as an undergrad?
what kinda gpa's are needed to get into a decent school?
do you know who kira kener is? (just wanted to see if you were paying attention) :D

please feel free to add any extra info that you think might help.

[deez nuts]

Originally posted by bigwong235@Nov 14 2002, 03:19 AM
i'm an undergrad thinking about heading to med school after undergrad.

how was the process for you getting into med school?
what kind of classes did you take?
more specifically, how many math classes did you take (i hate math)?
what major did you declare as an undergrad?
what kinda gpa's are needed to get into a decent school?
do you know who kira kener is? (just wanted to see if you were paying attention) :D

please feel free to add any extra info that you think might help.
All med schools require:
1 year of Calc
1 year of Rhetoric
1 Year of Bio + Lab
1 Year of Biochem
1 Year of Organic Chem + Lab
1 Year of Basic Chemistry + Lab
1 Year of Physics + Lab

Youn might wanna check with your counselor this was way back. You can place out of some of those classes via AP exams.

What other classes you took depends on your major to fullfil your major requirement.

I was a Biochemistry and Physiology major. I placed out of the 101 classes prior to entering college so my med school requirements were out of the way. I started off as a sophomore going in, so I took alot of:

chemistry: started with organic chem two and took it up to inorganic
math: started with Calc 3 and took up to DFQ
physics: just took physics III
biology, biochemistry and physiology: too much to list

GPA and MCAT scores are relative to the school you want to apply. I had a like 3.8 something GPA and total of 36 with 45 being a perfect score. 12/15 verbal, 12/15 bio, 12/15 physical. Kinda snoozed on the essay.

1)You should take your MCAT your Junior year.
2)You then submit your AMCAS to the medical schools you want to apply too. Some med schools aren't affiliated with the AMCAS so you'll have to foward your scores and transcript yourself.
3)Judging by your scores and your transcript, if you meet the cut off you'll be sent an official application. Just like an application when you applied to as an undergrad for college(essay's extracurriular activites, recommendations etc etc). If they like you, they'll grant you an interview, this is the make it or break it part, if you gotten this far. So it's basically a 3 step weed out process. Not all med schools do this, however.

Do your extracurricular activities, start thinking about recommendations etc etc. I would suggest diversifying your extra curricualr activites. But definitely volunteer at the hospital, get CPR certified, be a research assistant etc etc.

Kira Kenar: Porn Star and November's Penthouse Pet of the Month :D

Too much to list for the whole process and any recommendations, it's too long ago for me. Be happy to answer questions as you go along, though.

Good Luck man, my only suggestion is make sure this is what you want, cuz it's a fucking long ass road. Heh, I'm still on it and I'm 29. And major in what you want, preferably something useful if you decide not to go to med school. A life sciences bachelors isn't gonna really help you much unless you're pursuing an advanced degree.

[artsfartsyjanet]

I'm so glad I'm not in pre-med (despite my parents disapproval). :) I am happy for my friends who are first, second, and third year med students though. As for the resident physician I know here, all he does is complain about my city ;) but I love him anyway.

[TyroneK(prettypretty)]

Just don't go to law school. It blows.

[artsfartsyjanet]

I thought about law school but that thought bursted in a matter of seconds. =)

[amietron]

Originally posted by VBKao@Nov 14 2002, 12:31 PM
Just don't go to law school. It blows.
I wanna go to law school.

[Pooh]

Just to add on to what chasiubao boy said..

Your target GPA and MCAT scores will vary to what caliber school you want to goto, what state you're in, what part of the country you want to be in, etc.. For instance, I'm in Texas, and I have 7 medical schools that preferentially take Texas residents. So it was relatively easier for me to get into a medical school, but I emphasize the words relatively easier because it was still hard. Medical student applicants are a dime a dozen so schools can be picky. In contrast, California has a ton of medical schools, but it's harder there because of the higher level of students (ie: more Asian folks). My GPA was 3.7 and MCAT was 31.

I was a Bio major at the University of Texas at Austin (Hook 'em horns!). I placed out the majority of my med school requirements except for biochem and organic chem. Most schools will separately calculate the GPA of your premed courses so your grade in those courses are particularly important. In addition to the science classes, I took a couple of "off topic" stuff like computer, business, speech, human sexuality (Kira Kener what?), and medical ethics courses. As for math, the higest level course I took was intergral calc (which I suck at) - I wouldn't worry about taking more than that.

Volunteer experience and research are expected on your resume if you want to be competitive at the higher end schools. Another thing that helps is teaching experience - like I was a tutor in bio, chem, organic chem working 40+ hours/wk in college for 2 years. Some of my friends worked as an EMT. There are various premed organizations and honor societies that you can partake in during undergrad, and many of these organizations offer chances to shadow physicians or attend an autopsy. Starting an organization also shows initiative like I started a paintball club in college with a couple of my friends, and I even played competitively for a year.

For the MCAT, I wold take a prep course like Kaplan unless you are one of those gifted fellows that are naturally good at standardized tests. I took my MCAT the summer after my sophomore year in August - most people wait til April of their junior year to take it. But for me, it was a matter of having to worry about classes AND taking the MCAT which is why I decided to take it early.

One thing that I got out of the whole medical school application process is that there is no magical formula that'll get you in. Just be honest and true to yourself. It's a long hard road, and I'm not even at the hard stuff yet. I would talk to the premed counselors at your school or get some volunteer experience to find out if medicine is what you really want to do. I say that because if you're not 100% committed, it'll be the worst 7+ years of your life after college. You'll get to hear about your friends out making money, buying houses, buying cars while you're still in school or being paid mininum wages in residency. But at least you'll be able to hit them up for lunch ;)

And just for the record, I'm a 4th year med student, and I'm currently going through the interview process for residencies right now. So I'm not quite far out of college as chasiubao boy. :)

And check out http://www.apamsa.org (Asian Pacific-Islander American Medical Student Association) - they have chapters all over the country, and they hold a national conference once a year where they offer various workshops. It's mainly geared towards medical students, but they have workshops for premeds as well. And it would provide you with an opportunity to network.

Good luck man!

[deez nuts]

Thanks for adding to it Dr. Pooh. It's been awhile for me. Gratz on your soon to be graduation.

I'm a 3rd year surgical resident aiming to specialize in surgical oncology. Yes, I picked surgery over medicine.

Good luck with match and on match day.

Ayers, another YW member is going thru match, as well. It's tense and exciting, time.

Here's to hoping that both of ya's get your first choice and not having to scramble.

[Pooh]

Thanks man :) Will need all the luck I can get

Man, I admire you guys in surgery. I probably would've done surgery, but my feeble mind probably wouldn't have been able to handle a 5 year general surgery residency. You have to do a fellowship for surg onc?

I'm applying for internal medicine categorical, and 99.9% sure about doing a fellowship. Thinking about Pulm/Critical Care, but all that is still up in the air. Got to survive the medicine on-call nights of 20+ ER hits. :)

Will keep you updated on all this match stuff :)

[deez nuts]

Haha sounds good, bro.

Yeah I gotta do a fellowship. I'm gunning for Memorial Sloan Kettering since I am doing joint surgical oncology procedures here at NY Hospital Cornell (place I'm doing my 5 year general residency) and with Memorial Sloan Kettering. Plus I don't feel like moving, hehe. Both Hospitals are within walking distance from where I live.

But one step at a time, trying to make chief resident before it's all said in done in the next two years.

I'm sure you heard about R1 already, but it does ease up as you progress thru your residency. R1 was the toughest by far. Eat, work, sleep, that's it. Enjoy the couple of months off, before you start!

Keep us updated.

[Commando_turned_MD]

If you're a wiz, you complete the requirement for Med school by your sophmore year and take the MCAT that summer. Apply for Med school in your JR year. Then you'll start Med school the following year instead of completing your SR year. A undergraduate in life science is almost worthless.

But for the tradition students, the outline others have provide is perfect....Main thing is MCAT score and extracurricular activites. Many say grades are important, which can be if your MCAT score is low or average----about 24-29 with no extracurricular acts. or exp.
For e.g., my science GPA is only 3.08, but I did exceptionally well on the MCAT----37 and I have a wealth of life exp.-----Active Army as a Special Force operator. I guess that was enough for me to be admitted.

One last thing, make sure you're ESSAY is Strong and ORIGINAL!!!!!

HOPE THAT HELPS :)

[Green_Jade]

Originally posted by Chasiubao_Boy@Nov 15 2002, 12:10 PM


Yeah I gotta do a fellowship.  I'm gunning for Memorial Sloan Kettering since I am doing joint surgical oncology procedures here at NY Hospital Cornell (place I'm doing my 5 year general residency) and with Memorial Sloan Kettering.  Plus I don't feel like moving, hehe.  Both Hospitals are within walking distance from where I live.


mm MSK... I tried doing an internship there for medical illustration... they were expanding their dept... so they counldn't take me.. I'd love to work for slone kettering. Hehe.. I'm an MD-wanna-be. Agh, I finally admitted it. :cry:

ha.sorry...this is finals week for me here at my lovely school which has a quarter system..(i actually like it, except during finals) so final projects all around. I'll be done after 2pm today yeah~!

[deez nuts]

Originally posted by artzygrrl@Nov 19 2002, 05:21 AM


ha.sorry...this is finals week for me here at my lovely school which has a quarter system..(i actually like it, except during finals) so final projects all around. I'll be done after 2pm today yeah~!
Good Luck with finals!

And make me some duk bok gi and we can celebrate....thanks....huggles.

[Green_Jade]

I'm celebrating by sleeping...

I dont even know where the asian market is in rochester really.., so can't make duk bok gi... no duk bok gi for you bun-ny

[stunninglyAsian]

I'm gonna be taking the MCAT and applying to med school this year. Anybody else in the same boat?


Here's something interesting I overheard today.

Before class started, this stuck-up pre-med was talking about why she wanted to be a dermatologist with a few students and a teacher (who happened to be on the committee that writes up the recommendation letters to med schools). The student's reasons for wanting to get into medicine were:

-make a lot of money
-work when you want to work, so you can have time with kids and travel around the world because she can't travel now.

The teacher asked her if it was worth it to spend 8yrs. in school and to have a 6-figure debt.

She asked why it would take 8 years and then said her uncle was able to finish it off in 6 years. As for the debt, her response was that, "physicians make so much money that I'll be able to pay off the debt in a year, at most."

After that, another student said with a half-smile, "Wow... that was an interesting response."

[Tao]

i'm a pre-med, gonna take the mcats next year though.

so question...think you're ready for it?

[hooligan]

next year, right now research

[applehead]

good luck everyone!

[Tao]

next year, right now researchi thought you are a junior?

[hooligan]

if you want money, it's over in dental not medicine.

[hooligan]

i thought you are a junior?
i'm actually a fourth year, i'm going to try to double major in microbiology and asian american studies. staying a 5th year, i'll be a super senior!

[hooligan]

-make a lot of money
-work when you want to work, so you can have time with kids and travel around the world because she can't travel now.

The teacher asked her if it was worth it to spend 8yrs. in school and to have a 6-figure debt.

She asked why it would take 8 years and then said her uncle was able to finish it off in 6 years. As for the debt, her response was that, "physicians make so much money that I'll be able to pay off the debt in a year, at most."

After that, another student said with a half-smile, "Wow... that was an interesting response."
6 years? 2 years residency? i thought 3 years was the minimum? her reasons for being a md are kind of pathetic.

[Tao]

i'm actually a fourth year, i'm going to try to double major in microbiology and asian american studies. staying a 5th year, i'll be a super senior!
hey cool, we'll suffer together!

it'd be sweet if we can meet each other during interviews

[Tao]

6 years? 2 years residency? i thought 3 years was the minimum? her reasons for being a md are kind of pathetic.
but oh so realistic....well at least for most pre-meds

what kinda docs do you guys wanna be?

i'm leaning towards general surgery or trauma

[hooligan]

general practice :) i want to be a community advocate if anything.

[hooligan]

hey cool, we'll suffer together!

it'd be sweet if we can meet each other during interviews
not with my grades :wink:

[Tao]

general practice :) i want to be a community advocate if anything.
the community doctor huh? i can see that. i have a feeling you'd be hitting on your assistants a lot though! :tongue:

[Tao]

not with my grades :wink:
as long as it's above a 3.3, you can still become a family practitioner if you go to a second teir med school

and it's primary care, so you don't really need to get into an ivy in order to be a good doc....unless you wanna do research, then getting into an ivy would matter

[hooligan]

the community doctor huh? i can see that. i have a feeling you'd be hitting on your assistants a lot though! :tongue:
sure, why not ;) :D

[hooligan]

as long as it's above a 3.3, you can still become a family practitioner if you go to a second teir med school

and it's primary care, so you don't really need to get into an ivy in order to be a good doc....unless you wanna do research, then getting into an ivy would matter
haha, hmm, see talking to all the hardcore premeds, they've got gpas from 3.9s - 3.7s. i'm like, i shouldn't have fucked up as bad as i did my first year. lol.

[Tao]

haha, hmm, see talking to all the hardcore premeds, they've got gpas from 3.9s - 3.7s. i'm like, i shouldn't have fucked up as bad as i did my first year. lol.
i mean you can get into some pretty decent non top 25 med schools if you want to do primary care.....and besides you do the volunteer thingy and the lab gig. i'm sure you'll be fine as long as you get a 30+ on the mcats.

and the interviews sholdn't be a problem for you since you're just too cool to fail that :wink:

[hooligan]

i mean you can get into some pretty decent non top 25 med schools if you want to do primary care.....and besides you do the volunteer thingy and the lab gig. i'm sure you'll be fine as long as you get a 30+ on the mcats.

and the interviews sholdn't be a problem for you since you're just too cool to fail that :wink:
haha, i want to stay in california and apparently it's really hard to get into a good school here. i'm a decent interviewer, but i'm not that good. <3

where you want togo?

[Tao]

haha, i want to stay in california and apparently it's really hard to get into a good school here. i'm a decent interviewer, but i'm not that good. <3

where you want togo?
yeah cali's tough....come to nyc man, come back to your roots!

My dream school is Cornell, or Northwestern......if i can keep up my gpa, and find a damn club i'm interested in then i think i at least have a shot.

Being realistic though, Stony brook ain't shabby...good reserach opps there too. Suny downstate would be a good safe school since they favor in state ppl.

as for other schools, U Wash in St. Louis is ok, since i wanna be a surgeon, and that place is pretty dangerous....so more practice for me!

Obviously the NYC schools are good too, Einstein, NYU, New Jersey medical, and of course columbia (i wish).

Cali schools are ok by me too....UCSF, Berkley? (i think they have med right?), but i know that out of state ppl have a far lower chance in getting accepted to UC's, so i'm dissapointed.

[hooligan]

yeah cali's tough....come to nyc man, come back to your roots!

My dream school is Cornell, or Northwestern......if i can keep up my gpa, and find a damn club i'm interested in then i think i at least have a shot.

Being realistic though, Stony brook ain't shabby...good reserach opps there too. Suny downstate would be a good safe school since they favor in state ppl.

as for other schools, U Wash in St. Louis is ok, since i wanna be a surgeon, and that place is pretty dangerous....so more practice for me!

Obviously the NYC schools are good too, Einstein, NYU, New Jersey medical, and of course columbia (i wish).

Cali schools are ok by me too....UCSF, Berkley? (i think they have med right?), but i know that out of state ppl have a far lower chance in getting accepted to UC's, so i'm dissapointed.
haha, i'll go to whereever they take me.

should have done your undergrad over here man. :D

[Tao]

haha, i'll go to whereever they take me.

should have done your undergrad over here man. :D
yeah i know, i sorta regret not applying to uc's. but i was lazy during senior year, and didn't realize that the apps for cali schools were due MUCH earlier than others....so i said screw it....but now i wish i could've gone to berkley or ucla....too fucking cold here

[hooligan]

yeah i know, i sorta regret not applying to uc's. but i was lazy during senior year, and didn't realize that the apps for cali schools were due MUCH earlier than others....so i said screw it....but now i wish i could've gone to berkley or ucla....too fucking cold here
ucla's where it's at ;)

[lethal]

The teacher asked her if it was worth it to spend 8yrs. in school and to have a 6-figure debt.

She asked why it would take 8 years and then said her uncle was able to finish it off in 6 years. As for the debt, her response was that, "physicians make so much money that I'll be able to pay off the debt in a year, at most."


I wonder if she knows that 1) only special programs have 6 year programs (UMiami comes to mind) and if she's already in college, she probably missed out on applying to them and 2) did she forget that she has to spend 3 or 4 years as a resident to become a dermatologist during which time she'll be making peanuts?

Silly girl obvious has no basis in reality here.

[deez nuts]

if you want money, it's over in dental not medicine.

haha yeah right tell that to my dentists friends.

[hooligan]

haha yeah right tell that to my dentists friends. :eek: where's the money at?

[stunninglyAsian]

Man, I don't feel like I'm ready for the MCATs at all... but I am taking the Kaplan program, I think the books are pretty good, and you do get 5 full-length mock MCATs. I'm aiming for a 31 on the MCATs and I figure by the end of the semester my GPA will be 3.7. My only weakness is extra-curricular activities. I hate research and don't really care for it. I'd rather be in primary care, so I just volunteer at a hospital and with other charities.

Yeah, that girl is pretty annoying- she's one of those stealth pre-med students, who first say that they're not pre-med, that they're pre-dental and that they don't want to do pre-med at all, but she follows ER religiously and acts like a hardcore pre-med. And she talks about working at A&F like it's some big deal and how the manager needs her all the time and how all the guys flirt with her. But really, she's just so plain looking and doesn't even look like A&F material.

And if you think residency is hell, look at these residents, they couldn't be happier

http://www.hawaiiresidency.org/Images/TransHome/03_04_group.jpg
Residents from the University of Hawaii
This picture cracks me up, it's like they're on vacation instead of working...

[deez nuts]

yeah i know, i sorta regret not applying to uc's. but i was lazy during senior year, and didn't realize that the apps for cali schools were due MUCH earlier than others....so i said screw it....but now i wish i could've gone to berkley or ucla....too fucking cold here


i heard that it's near impossible for a non-cal resident to get into UCLA or UC berkley. in high school a classmate go into yale but got rejected by berkley. another guy got in hopkins med but got rejected from UCSF.

[hooligan]

i'm not entirely sure what i will get on the mcats, my gpa's standing at 3.50 right now and my strengths are my extracurriculars, ironically. given another year, it probably will be at 3.60. i'm doing research in muscular dystrophy right now and volunteer all over.

residency? haha, too far ahead for me :D

[hooligan]

i heard that it's near impossible for a non-cal resident to get into UCLA or UC berkley. in high school a classmate go into yale but got rejected by berkley. another guy got in hopkins med but got rejected from UCSF.
wow, they really keep it within the state. do you think i should apply to east coast school and think i could get in?

[deez nuts]

:eek: where's the money at?


my MBA friends are doing the best out of all of us. a few are pulling in half a mil easy w/o bonus.

you have to remember also if you compare a dentist with a medical resident the dentist will make more since dentists don't have to do residency, but they lack clinical experience and they're left to their own devices to go and get some. and if you want to specialize in dentistry e.g. orthodontist, oral surgery etc etc, you have to go back to school and pay for it. while a medical resident is getting paid during residency and fellowship.

if you compare a high level plastic surgeon with a high level oral surgeon, i would say on average the plastic surgeon will make more. if you compare oral surgeon with a general practictioner. then i'd say the oral surgeon on average will make more.

[deez nuts]

wow, they really keep it within the state. do you think i should apply to east coast school and think i could get in?

u should apply to everything. 3.6 and around 30's on ur mcat is good enuff to get you into a lower tier top 25 med school.

[Proxy]

Hey Chusisao Boy

What B-School did you MBA friends graduate from and what do they do now?

500k, they must have graduated from a top 20 school.

Thanks for answering my questions.

[deez nuts]

Man, I don't feel like I'm ready for the MCATs at all... but I am taking the Kaplan program, I think the books are pretty good, and you do get 5 full-length mock MCATs. I'm aiming for a 31 on the MCATs and I figure by the end of the semester my GPA will be 3.7. My only weakness is extra-curricular activities. I hate research and don't really care for it. I'd rather be in primary care, so I just volunteer at a hospital and with other charities.

Yeah, that girl is pretty annoying- she's one of those stealth pre-med students, who first say that they're not pre-med, that they're pre-dental and that they don't want to do pre-med at all, but she follows ER religiously and acts like a hardcore pre-med. And she talks about working at A&F like it's some big deal and how the manager needs her all the time and how all the guys flirt with her. But really, she's just so plain looking and doesn't even look like A&F material.

And if you think residency is hell, look at these residents, they couldn't be happier

http://www.hawaiiresidency.org/Images/TransHome/03_04_group.jpg
Residents from the University of Hawaii
This picture cracks me up, it's like they're on vacation instead of working...

i had a med student apply for residency at university of hawaii. he said when he interviewed there they wear sandals and hawaiian shirts on their rounds. they also do a little bit of surfing in between rounds.

[deez nuts]

Hey Chusisao Boy

What B-School did you MBA friends graduate from and what do they do now?

500k, they must have graduated from a top 20 school.

Thanks for answering my questions.

harvard, stern (nyu) and wharton(u penn)

[Tao]

i heard that it's near impossible for a non-cal resident to get into UCLA or UC berkley. in high school a classmate go into yale but got rejected by berkley. another guy got in hopkins med but got rejected from UCSF.
hmmm...which schools should i apply for then?

[hooligan]

u should apply to everything. 3.6 and around 30's on ur mcat is good enuff to get you into a lower tier top 25 med school.
good enough for me! thanks :D

[deez nuts]

hmmm...which schools should i apply for then?

it's kinda early to tell w/o an mcat score.

but going by what u told me, top 10-15 is within reach. ny schools prolly columbia and cornell is definitely not out of the question. nyu, einstein, stony brook is definitely attainable.

[hooligan]

it's kinda early to tell w/o an mcat score.

but going by what u told me, top 10-15 is within reach. ny schools prolly columbia and cornell is definitely not out of the question. nyu, einstein, stony brook is definitely attainable.
if i go to the east coast, csb, ttchino, you and me have to hang out sometime . :D then again, i'mgetting ahead of myself again.

[lethal]

if i go to the east coast, csb, ttchino, you and me have to hang out sometime . :D then again, i'mgetting ahead of myself again.

Hey man, how bout me and jing?

Actually...who the hell knows where I'll be in a few years, I move around so damn much.

[hooligan]

Hey man, how bout me and jing?

Actually...who the hell knows where I'll be in a few years, I move around so damn much.
ah jeez, sorry andy, i didn't know you were on the east coast , and jing too. :biggrin:

[stunninglyAsian]

wow, they really keep it within the state. do you think i should apply to east coast school and think i could get in?

It depends... apply to the med schools in your state (since they usually give some preferencial treatment to in-state ppl.) and apply to out of state med schools that are private because usually they're not prejudiced against out-of-state students. It's an uphill battle trying to apply to a public out-of-state med school. But it doesn't hurt to try, right?

Is anybody applying early decision?

[yoMAMA]

I bet you guys/gals are all organic chemistry whores.....:p

haha, j/k! ;)

[hooligan]

I bet you guys/gals are all organic chemistry whores.....:p

haha, j/k! ;)
actually, it's all about biochemistry!

[Tao]

I bet you guys/gals are all organic chemistry whores.....:p

haha, j/k! ;)
i need to catch up in orgo now...stupid aromatic compounds and their new set of rules!

[bigwong235]

if you want money, it's over in dental not medicine.

sweet. i can mooch off my brother then.

[yoMAMA]

sweet. i can mooch off my brother then.

I don't care how much $$$ you can make, but for me, looking over other people's teeth for a living is just GROSS!

:redface:

[stunninglyAsian]

Goddammit, I just signed up for the April MCAT.
Whoo-wheee... here we go!

Today I spent 5hrs studying MCAT stuff with my pre-med friends. Now it's time to study genetics...

[Tao]

Goddammit, I just signed up for the April MCAT.
Whoo-wheee... here we go!

Today I spent 5hrs studying MCAT stuff with my pre-med friends. Now it's time to study genetics...
i reviewed orgo with my pre med buddies

[Commando_turned_MD]

I'm just glad those days are over.......God speed

[Azn Retribution]

Im probably the most behind.. but Im pre-med in my sophomore year.. I only have a little over 30 hours cuz i started my own IT consulting company a few months back...
Anyone know any information about radiology programs at Universities? and how hard they are to get into?

[Tao]

Im probably the most behind.. but Im pre-med in my sophomore year.. I only have a little over 30 hours cuz i started my own IT consulting company a few months back...
Anyone know any information about radiology programs at Universities? and how hard they are to get into?
i think it all depends on how well you do on the uslme tests, like step 1 and 2...i think, that plus grades and recs, so that you can get your choice when it comes time to match with a residency program at a top notch school....it's difficult, but hey if you've come that far, you probably have what it takes anyway.

I'm just glad those days are over.......God speed
any advice for us lowly pre-meds?

[velvet_tear]

I'm pre-med at U of Missouri - Columbia, and am so behind. haha. I need to raise up my GPA, but hopefully that won't be a problem this semester. I'm doing the Kaplan thing, too this semester and so far it's been really good for reviewing and reinforcing concepts. I haven't really thought about where to apply... Chicago area, probably because I miss it, and just for the hell of it, I'm going to apply to a couple in the Philippines, where my mum went.

Did anyone ever do those National Leadership Youth Forum on Medicine thingies?

[Commando_turned_MD]

Just relax and drink beer :biggrin:
The MCAT is not that difficult...I shit you not.
If you understand the fundamental stuff and can apply it, you'll do fine...

Enjoy life!

[hooligan]

I'm pre-med at U of Missouri - Columbia, and am so behind. haha. I need to raise up my GPA, but hopefully that won't be a problem this semester. I'm doing the Kaplan thing, too this semester and so far it's been really good for reviewing and reinforcing concepts. I haven't really thought about where to apply... Chicago area, probably because I miss it, and just for the hell of it, I'm going to apply to a couple in the Philippines, where my mum went.

Did anyone ever do those National Leadership Youth Forum on Medicine thingies?
goood luck, i'm way behind compared to a lot of you. i'm almost done with my major and i haven't really thought about taking the mcats just yet. i want to work in the community before planning to go to med school.

[Tao]

goood luck, i'm way behind compared to a lot of you. i'm almost done with my major and i haven't really thought about taking the mcats just yet. i want to work in the community before planning to go to med school.
what's considered working in the community?

[yoMAMA]

what's considered working in the community?

volunteer for E.R?

[hooligan]

volunteer for E.R?
no way, health advocacy. OCAPICA? orange county asian pacific islander community alliance? it's a community org that works in orange county serving the AAPIs. there's a heatlh branch. i want to get a feel for what i need to learn before jumping right in.

[experiment888]

forget i said anything...

[Pooh]

i'm leaning towards general surgery or trauma

If you don't like to see your significant other and not have a family life, then by all means go for it. Gen surg residents are by far the most stressed and jaded of all the specialties in hospitals. You'd better seriously love surgery if you're going to do it.


general practice :) i want to be a community advocate if anything.

We'll see if that holds up through medical school and residency. There is way too much crap to put up with in general practice which is why noone goes into it. I hate my continuity clinic with a passion.


-make a lot of money
-work when you want to work, so you can have time with kids and travel around the world because she can't travel now.

The teacher asked her if it was worth it to spend 8yrs. in school and to have a 6-figure debt.

She asked why it would take 8 years and then said her uncle was able to finish it off in 6 years. As for the debt, her response was that, "physicians make so much money that I'll be able to pay off the debt in a year, at most."

After that, another student said with a half-smile, "Wow... that was an interesting response."

Lifestyle has become a huge issue in medicine, and more and more people are choosing specialties that reflect that - derm, rheumatology, heme/onc, etc.. Shift work specialties are also increasingly more popular also - anesthesiology, critical care, ER, hospitalist. Note that none of these include surgical subspecialties - optho is the closest one in that field.

As for the debt issue, with how cheap interest rates are (I locked in at 2.9% for 20 years), it has become more of a non-issue. And fact is that doctors, after residency, will be able to pay off their student loans in less than 10 years, and most people I've talked to say the average is 5 years if you don't mind living like a resident for several years afterwards.

[kitty]

hey, not like i'm planning med school, but what i got a pretty comparative mcat score to the ones listed here, but had like a relatively crap gpa? is there hope?

[deez nuts]

define crap GPA?

i mean there's always hope like the lower tier med schools, foreign med schools and osteopathic school. in the end basically a MD degree is a MD degree.

[moJo]

define crap GPA?

i mean there's always hope like the lower tier med schools, foreign med schools and osteopathic school. in the end basically a MD degree is a MD degree.
hey, what is your opinion of a DO degree?

my friend had an undergrad GPA (from a UC) not too far from yours, CSB, but her MCATS weren't so hot. she didn't get into any US med schools, but did get into the caribbean. she's going for her DO now, instead...

[deez nuts]

hey, what is your opinion of a DO degree?

my friend had an undergrad GPA (from a UC) not too far from yours, CSB, but her MCATS weren't so hot. she didn't get into any US med schools, but did get into the caribbean. she's going for her DO now, instead...

i don't think there's really much difference outside of the fact that DO's take a "slightly" different approach to medicine when it comes to diagnosing and treating patients.

DO's take the COMPLEX rather than the USMLE's.

i don't really know too much about DO's outside of the fact that i work with a couple of them.

i don't think she's limited in her choice of specialties, though i think she might have a harder time getting her first choice of hospitals and specialties (i might be wrong on this).

and i'll be honest, there is a varying degree of condescension that MD's have about DO's depending on where you go and the individual MD.

but, you know if she's attractive and she still wants a MD, she can always marry herself one. just kidding.

edit: your friend can always go another route if she really wants to attend an allopathic medical school here in america, she could get her MPH or work in medical research for a year or so and then apply again. i've heard this has worked for some people.

[yoMAMA]

what does it take to go to harvard medical school?

[i'm aiming for harvard law now, harvard med in my next life time... :biggrin: ]

[Azn Retribution]

a Gift from God? If i remember the US news statistics right
It was something like over 36 on your MCATs and over 2.79 on your GPA
as well as all the cfrazy extracurricular jazz.
personally
Im just hoping any Med-School will like my Computer Science major.

[yoMAMA]

so you wanna be a brain surgeon? (http://www.startribune.com/stories/1758/3644457.html)