Archive for August, 2008
The Value and Importance of Writing
Posted by medaholic in Application, MCAT, Medical School on August 14, 2008
Most science and engineering students I know went into their respective fields to avoid writing. I was also like them. I disliked writing essays in high school and left assignments until the night before to do. I despised it. I avoided it. Every time I sat in front of a blank document, the words wouldn’t come. I hated writing.
However, the more I continue in life, the more I realize that writing an essential skill you MUST have. Even in the realm of science, people write lab reports, scientific articles and educational material. Doctors spend a good portion of their day writing, dictating, and recording patient information. Effective writing is an absolute must for clear communication.
Though writing is easier to do today then ever, with word processors and online blogs, writing is still hard. Even the best writers are without words at times. Writing is at the top of the language skills domain. When we are babies, we only know how to hear and eventually listen to words. As we grow up, we begin to pronounce words and form sentences and a little afterwards, we are able to recognize letters and read books. At the top of this hierarchy is writing. Before we are able to communicate what we want to say in writing, we must learn a whole assortment of skills and tricks such as spelling, punctuation and grammar. Even when we have these basic mechanics down, you encounter tenses, vocabulary and diction. Representing an idea with clarity becomes a carefully coordinated task.
Waiting to get off work…
I’m sitting here, writing this post mind numbingly counting down the minutes until the end of work. I don’t know why I dislike this job so much. It pays well, it’s relatively easy and I’m in control of what I do during the day. I guess it comes down to several more important factors.
First - my supervisor is uninspiring. He shows up late and does things at a snail’s pace. He has no interest in his work and speaks ambiguously, always fluffing up the words he uses. This is to all you prospective “research” students
Find a good supervisor, boss, PI – You’ve been warned.
Secondly - the job isn’t challenging. Some people like to take it easy and sit around all day, but I can’t stand the boredom. It feels like I’m trapped here, all my brain power and waking hours are being wasted. Even though school is stressful, I always felt deep down that education is an endeavor worth pursuing. Copy and pasting data and making charts that “look” sophisticated, not so much.
Third - A lot of modern day clinical research / publications is just talk and no results. It’s a big disguise. People take a simple problem and flower it with big scientific words, jargon and citations. Instead of saying x-rays or images, they use radiographs. I hope my boss doesn’t read this, but this is an excerpt from a “paper” he is trying to publish.
The standard practice in assessing fracture healing entails a qualitative examination of the digital radiographs.
Translation: Doctors look at X-rays.
Science is supposed to be facts. No detours. No Embellishments. Just a one lined elegant equation. However, in the publish-or-perish atmosphere surrounding all academic institutions and all “research” related fields, there is a high output of crap. Find a lab or environment where real work is done. Where doing something makes a difference.
Well, at least this job allows me the time to write. And writing, refining and sharing our ideas is something worth doing. And it helps pass the time too. Speaking of which, it’s finally time to go home 
Should I Retake the MCAT? (A Guide to your MCAT Score)
Posted by medaholic in Application, MCAT, Pre-med on August 10, 2008
After every year’s MCAT score release date, the question of whether one should rewrite the MCAT comes up or what can I do with this (insert number+letter here). This question is so common that several forums are dedicated to answering this question including one for Canadian Students and one for American Students. I have decided to write a guide to help people who are in this situation figure out what their next steps should be. I will be writing this for Canadian audiences, but the ideas and principles should work the same with American Schools. I will update this in the future to provide examples from both countries.
What is your Score?
This step should be pretty self-explanatory for all test-writers. Your score should be a number ranging anywhere from 8-43 (I’ve never heard of any score <8 or similarly the other extreme >43) and a letter from J-T. A key fact about the MCAT is it is a curved test. That means that your grade is a reflection on how well you did on the test relative to other students who took the same test. The median of the test will always be 24 because AAMC sets it up this way. In other words, what really matters is your percentile score and how well you did compared to other test-takers. It’s set up this way to ensure that all the tests are standardized so even if you find one sitting of the MCAT harder than another sitting, you won’t be punished for answering less questions correct because your fellow test takers will have found it just as hard. Regarding the letter score, it is sometimes looked at by schools and sometimes totally disregarded by other schools.
Most medical schools require their students to be above average. A score of 24 will not cut it for almost all schools. A standing in the 80th percentile is a solid score, but there are more factors to consider than just the percentile, which brings us to the next point.
Which medical schools do you want to apply to?
The next step is to see if your score is compatible with the schools you want to apply to. Make a list of which schools you will be applying to. Take into consideration factors such as location, expenses, curriculum, etc. Ideally you want to apply only to schools you would be willing to go to if accepted. Nothing is harder to explain to future admissions committees than being accepted into a medical school and declining their offer without having another acceptance in hand. It will make re-applying to medical schools that much harder.
Stressed and Worried about the MCAT
This post is dedicated to all the people who are about to write their MCAT and may be feeling the stress of needing to do well.
Last summer, I was always procrastinated and distracted from studying for the MCAT. I worried that I would bomb the test and have to retake the MCAT the next summer. I was stressed out that there wasn’t enough time to cover all the material. I doubted my own abilities. With about one month left to go, I had a sudden turn around. One night while studying at the library, I took a break and stumbled upon an interesting titled book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
On Being a Summer Research Student
Posted by medaholic in Application, Pre-med on August 7, 2008
Most people who want a competitive edge for getting into medical school will dabble with “research.” . As a summer student the most common feeling I had was being confused and overwhelmed. There are so many things you don’t know, so much jargon, so many techniques, so many people.
For almost all students, in just the short months of summer, you won’t be coming up with any breakthrough discoveries. In fact, you probably won’t even contribute the slightest bit to furthering the collective scientific knowledge. Real science is hard. It requires dedication, persistence and hard work. So keeping all these things in mind, I will give you my top advice for making your summer research experience as enjoyable as possible.
No Chance for Med School?
Posted by medaholic in Medical School, Pre-med on August 5, 2008
The ultimate pre-med question is what are my chances for med school? We all want to know if we have a fighting chance. We want to make our application as competitive as possible, get the highest grades, destroy the MCAT, do all the right activities, kiss all the right ass. We push TA’s for half a mark more, ask professors to bump up a grade, all in the name of making ourselves a better applicant.
Before I began undergrad, I looked up some medical school statistics. Getting into medical school is not easy. In Canada, there are 2.2 doctors per thousand population. Admission rates are less than 10% for practically every school. In other words, out of 10 students aiming for medical school, I had to be top one or two. For some schools and situations (such as being out of province), the top student out of 100 applicants.
So is there a chance for you? I believe that any person, over a certain threshold of intelligence, could be a good doctor. They might have the compassion to treat patients kindly and care for the sick. However, just because you have the qualities of a good doctor, it doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed you a spot in any medical school. What separates those who get in from those who don’t is dedication.
Medical schools want students who will be dedicated to their patients and their health. They want students who they know will graduate. People who will stay up late studying for exams, lose sleep for their patients. Doctors will sacrifice their personal time for their job. They will strain relationships and put a patient’s health in front of theirs. You don’t have to be the smartest applicant, but you must certainly be one of the most dedicated.
The harsh reality is that for the majority of people (90% plus), there is not the slightest chance that they will get into medical school. That’s just life. Not everyone will become a doctor. Not everyone can sacrifice these lifestyle changes. And that’s ok. There are a lot of professions out there that do good things for our society.
To sum it up, a better way of answering the question of What are my Chances of getting into medical school? is to answer the larger question, How much am I willing to give up, and dedicate to pursue medicine? Very often, this question is tied to the other infamous question, Why Medicine?
Once you have answered that questions, you will know realistically what your chances are.