Med School Confidential Read online

  PRAISE FOR

  Law School Confidential

  “The shared experiences of the vast majority of law students are many, and the author covers these commendably and comprehensively. Valuable in helping students adjust in the early days of law school. A useful and worthwhile book.”

  —NEW YORK LAW JOURNAL

  “This book is a must for anyone attending or thinking about law school.”

  —THE HOUSTON LAWYER

  “Miller covers every aspect of the law school experience—from surviving the first semester to seeking summer internships—which makes this book unique. Recommended.”

  —LIBRARY JOURNAL

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  Business School Confidential

  “A valuable tool for those ready to throw themselves into b-school.”

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  MED

  SCHOOL

  CONFIDENTIAL

  ALSO BY ROBERT H. MILLER

  Law School Confidential

  Business School Confidential (with Katherine F. Koegler)

  Campus Confidential

  MED

  SCHOOL

  CONFIDENTIAL

  A Complete Guide to the

  Medical School Experience:

  By Students, for Students

  Robert H. Miller

  AND

  Daniel M. Bissell, M.D.

  ST. MARTIN’S GRIFFIN

  THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS NEW YORK

  THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.

  An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.

  MED SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL. Copyright © 2006 by Robert H. Miller and Daniel M. Bissell, M.D. Foreword © 2006 by Harold M. Friedman, M.D. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.thomasdunnebooks.com

  www.stmartins.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Miller, Robert H. (Robert Harrax)

  Med school confidential / Robert H. Miller and Daniel M. Bissell, M.D.

  p. cm.

  ISBN-13: 978-0-312-33008-8

  ISBN-10: 0-312-33008-1

  1. Medical education—United States. 2. Medical Students—United States. 3. Medical colleges—United States. I. Bissell, Daniel M. II. Title.

  R745.M612 2006

  610.71’173—dc22

  2006044414

  10 9 8 7 6

  CONTENTS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  FOREWORD

  PART ONE:

  SO YOU WANNA BE A DOCTOR . . .

  INTRODUCTION

  HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

  I am a college student thinking about applying to med school/I’m thinking about changing careers and applying to med school

  I’ve already been admitted to med school, and I’m nervous . . .

  But I’m already in med school . . . I wish I’d found this book sooner

  I’m the parent/friend/sibling/significant other of someone going to med school

  The Med School Confidential Mentors

  CHAPTER 1: THINKING ABOUT MED SCHOOL? THINK AGAIN . . .

  The Four Questions to Ask to Assess Your Readiness for Med School

  The Top Five Reasons Not to Go for It

  My parents were physicians

  The money and prestige

  I can’t think of anything else to do

  The adrenaline rush

  I want to help people

  The Top Five Reasons to Go for It

  I want to help people

  I want to apply my love of science to my love of the humanities

  I am fascinated by the human body

  I want to build on my existing experience in patient care

  I can’t imagine doing anything else

  A Realistic Self-Evaluation for Med School

  Am I smart enough?

  Am I disciplined enough?

  Do I have the perseverance?

  Am I too old?

  Can I afford it?

  What about my life and my family?

  CHAPTER 2: A ROAD MAP OF THE MED-SCHOOL EDUCATION PROCESS

  Preparation and Prerequisites

  Med School: Four Years, 125 Flavors

  Traditional format

  Integrated formats

  M.D. Versus D.O. Programs

  M.D./Ph.D. Programs

  “The Match” and Applying to Residency

  Internship, Residency, and Beyond

  Medical Licensing

  Fellowship Training

  Board Certification

  CHAPTER 3: SURVIVING PREMED

  The Premed Requirements

  Premed as an Undergraduate

  Surviving and thriving in the premed curriculum

  Premed as a Postbac

  Where to complete your premed requirements

  How to structure your course work as a postbac

  CHAPTER 4: BEATING THE MCAT

  What the Test Is All About

  How the Test Is Structured

  How the Test Is Scored, and What the Results Mean

  Preparing for the MCAT

  Getting started and doing a diagnostic test

  Study strategies: deciding between self-study and commercial review courses

  Practice, practice, practice!

  Registering for and Taking the Test

  Whatever the Score, Make It Work for You

  PART TWO:

  APPLYING TO MEDICAL SCHOOL

  CHAPTER 5: CRAFTING THE PERFECT APPLICATION

  A Quick Overview

  References and resources

  The AMCAS universal application

  A Self-Assessment of the Strength of Your Credentials

  Scholastic fitness

  Intellectual drive and curiosity

  Maturity and responsibility

  Integrity and ethical conduct

  Desire to serve

  Sincere interest in health care

  Create a Timeline and a Master Task List

  Getting organized

  How to use your premed advisor

  Take the MCAT in the spring

  Soliciting letters of recommendation

  Crafting the perfect personal statement

  Putting it all together

  CHAPTER 6: CHOOSING YOUR SCHOOL

  Research Resources

  Finalizing Your List and Weighing Your Decision

  Location

  Curriculum

  Reputation

  Cost

  Making your list and checking it twice

  CHAPTER 7: FINALIZING YOUR AMCAS APPLICATION AND COMPLETING YOUR SECONDARIES

  Secondary Applications

  CHAPTER 8: HOW TO ACE YOUR MED-SCHOOL INTERVIEWS

  How to Choose and Prioritize Your Interviews

  Preparing for Your Interviews

  Structure of the interview

  Practicing your interview

  Conquering your nerves

  Top Ten Interview Dos and Don’ts

  Interview Follow-Ups

  CHAPTER 9: HANDLING ACCEPTANCE, REJECTION, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

  How to Manage Offers of Acceptance

 
Single or top-choice acceptance

  Offers out of synch

  Multiple offers

  What to Do If You Are Wait-Listed

  Coping with Rejection

  PART THREE:

  THE PRECLINICAL YEARS

  CHAPTER 10: THE FIVE THINGS TO DO BEFORE CLASSES BEGIN

  Step One: Celebrate and Relax

  Step Two: Familiarize Yourself with the Road Ahead

  Step Three: Get Mentally, Emotionally, and Physically Fit

  Step Four: Find Housing and Set Up Shop

  Where to live

  The roommate issue

  Other housing considerations

  Step Five: Learn to Keep Stress at Bay

  Keep your perspective

  Get organized and stay organized

  Be ready to practice damage control

  CHAPTER 11: FUNDING YOUR MED-SCHOOL EDUCATION

  Show Me the Money!

  Scholarships and grants

  Subsidized and unsubsidized loans

  Impact of personal or family resources

  Work-study programs

  Loan Repayment Programs

  Budgeting

  Record Keeping

  CHAPTER 12: GETTING OFF TO THE RIGHT START IN THE PRECLINICAL YEARS

  Goal of the Preclinical Curriculum

  Establishing a Study Strategy

  Larry the Lecture Hound

  Curly the Curious

  Moe the Meeting Man

  Decide on a Schedule and Stick to It!

  A Study Technique Toolbox

  CHAPTER 13: THE FIRST YEAR: NORMAL SYSTEMS

  The First-Year Course Work

  Anatomy

  Physiology

  Biochemistry

  Cellular Biology

  Neurobiology

  Embryology

  Genetics

  Nutrition

  Ethics

  Introduction to Clinical Medicine—your first patients

  A Welcome Summer Off

  CHAPTER 14: THE SECOND YEAR: DISEASE AND MEDICINE

  The Second-Year Course Work

  Microbiology

  Pathophysiology

  Pathology

  Pharmacology

  Human Behavior/Psychiatry

  CHAPTER 15: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: THE USMLE STEP 1 EXAM

  An Overview of the Step 1 Exam

  Preparing for the Step 1 Exam

  Confronting Failure at Checkpoint 1

  PART FOUR:

  THE CLINICAL YEARS

  CHAPTER 16: LIFE ON THE WARDS

  Rotations

  What You Need to Learn from Your Rotations

  A Typical Day on the Wards

  Prerounds

  Rounds

  Lectures

  Clinics

  Call

  Dealing with the Culture Shock

  Professionalism

  Reliability

  Humility

  How to Survive on the Wards

  Reading

  Basic Clinical Skills

  Interviewing and physical-exam skills

  Making chart entries

  Calling consultants and other services

  Working with nurses and other team members

  Keeping Perspective and Developing Your Clinical Persona

  But for Now, It’s Still School: Reports, Grades, and Evaluations

  CHAPTER 17: PROBLEMS IN THE WARDS—AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM

  Act with Integrity

  Resolving Conflicts with Attending Physicians or Residents

  CHAPTER 18: CORE CLINICAL ROTATIONS

  Internal Medicine

  Career considerations—internal medicine

  Pediatrics

  Career considerations—pediatrics

  Surgery

  Career considerations—surgery

  Ob/Gyn

  Career considerations—ob/gyn

  Emergency Medicine

  Career considerations—emergency medicine

  Psychiatry

  Career considerations—psychiatry

  Family Medicine

  Career considerations—family medicine

  CHAPTER 19: BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER AGAIN: THE USMLE STEP 2 EXAM

  The USMLE Step 2 Clinical Knowledge Exam

  The USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam

  For D.O. Students It’s the COMLEX Level 2

  CHAPTER 20: ELECTIVE ROTATIONS

  PART FIVE:

  APPLYING fOR RESIDENCY AND SURVIVING THE MATCH

  CHAPTER 21: THINKING ABOUT RESIDENCY

  Making the Choice: What Do You Want to Do with Your Life?

  Learning opportunities

  Long-term camaraderie

  Lifestyle

  Likelihood of success

  Love of the particular field

  Designing Your Application Schedule to Meet Your Goals

  Making Contacts and Collecting Information

  Paving the Way to a Successful Match

  CHAPTER 22: APPLYING ALL OVER AGAIN

  The System

  Tasks and Timelines

  Crafting your application and essay

  The dean’s letter

  Letters of recommendation

  CHAPTER 23: SELECTING YOUR PROGRAMS

  Applying as a Couple

  Making Your Final List

  CHAPTER 24: RESIDENCY INTERVIEWS

  How They’re Different from Admissions Interviews

  Interview Tactics

  How to Evaluate Programs

  Scheduling Your Interviews

  CHAPTER 25: THE MATCH

  Making Your List

  Match Numbers and “The Scramble”

  Match Day

  CHAPTER 26: FINISHING UP

  Elective Time: Have Fun, Try Something Different

  Vacation!

  Certifications

  Financial Aid Considerations

  PART SIX:

  THE TRANSITION TO RESIDENCY AND LIFE AS A PHYSICIAN

  CHAPTER 27: MAKING THE LEAP

  Setting Up Shop

  Organizing Your Life

  Managing Your Loans

  CHAPTER 28: STARTING OUT STRONG IN RESIDENCY

  Orientation

  Your First Day on the Wards

  Your First Call Night:

  Understanding Academics in Residency

  The Balancing Point

  The USMLE Step 3 Exam

  The Future

  PART SEVEN:

  ADVICE FOR THE SPOUSES, PARTNERS, SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, AND FAMILIES OF MED STUDENTS

  CHAPTER 29: THE REALITIES OF LIFE WITH A DOC-IN-TRAINING AND STRATEGIES FOR MAKING IT LIVABLE