Friday, November 30, 2007

Nephrology here I come!

Greetings once again! I just wanted to drop a quick post stating that I have chosen Nephrology as my final career choice. In fact, it sounds like I have a job offer already for AFTER fellowship! I am so pumped! Anyways, I just want this to be inspirational for those of you out there trying to get into medical school. I definately was not the BEST applicant by far! I was an academic reject coming out of high school. I think I had a 2.2 or 2.4 GPA. Either way, my GPA sucked! I went to a local community college because a.) I was poor and b.) I needed to prove it to myself that I could handle the "college workload". I did well at the CC and transfer to a "real college" where I continued to do well. I took the MCATs, which I won't brag about here, but they weren't good at all! I worked hard, persevered. Thankfully, I was one of the lucky ones! I got into a DO school here in the states and will be pursuing a career as an interventional nephrologist! Pretty cool, huh? I just want all of you out there to keep my story in mind. I had no connections, no help. I basically did it from nothing and now I'm in residency! It truly is an unbelievable feeling!! I wish you all out there similar success. I'd love to hear your success stories or if this blog has helped you in any way!

Sincerely,

DOClass2007

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

American University of the Caribbean


Greetings again,
I am on vacation this week and I thought I would provide an new up-date to this blog. I've been busy with internship and all and I've been trying to decide which avenue I should go - private practice (hospitalist) or fellowship (nephrology). Regardless of my decision, you on the other hand are probably reading this because you WANT TO GET INTO MEDICAL SCHOOL. I can't blame you! Now is a good time to be a doctor (relatively speaking of course) because the DEMAND is there. In the next 15+ years, the number of physicians needed will be astronomical - likely anywhere from 4-10x the current need! It's all those damn senior citizens! lol. Just kidding. Anyways, if you were anything like me, you were looking to get in SOMEWHERE! Luckily for me, I got in to my top choice medical school in the US and on the first try to boot! Others, not as fortunate as me to earn a spot at a US medical school, either never fulfilled their dream or pursued a foreign medical school. The American University of Caribbean School of Medicine has been around for years. They have produced many physicians in the US and around the world. I've had the pleasure of working with some of their students on different rotations and they've all done well. The school will get you where you want to be - a physician in the United States. The facilities are top notch and the island (St. Maarten) is the most "Americanized" of the Caribbean islands. That means that the island has many of the same amenities that can be enjoyed in the states. I love Caribbean schools because they give you a chance! I know people with subpar (<3.0) GPA's and MCAT's (<20) getting in to these schools without difficulty. There are three entering classes per year, which is also nice. They typically allow you to pursue third year rotations at a variety of U.S. hospitals and they also have pretty decent residency placements for their graduates! The school has been producing physicians in the U.S. since 1978 and they have a good track record. They are considered to be part of the "Big Three" Caribbean medical schools - SGU, ROSS, and AUC. I recommend that you check out AUC's website for further details!


Here is the 2007 Match list for the American University of the Caribbean SOM:
Anesthesiology - (4)

Detroit Medical Center - Wayne State University, MI
Hershey Medical Center at Penn State, PA
NYU Medical Center, NY
University of Toledo College of Medicine, OH


Emergency Medicine - (8)

Earl K Long Medical Center, LA
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, LA - 2
LSU- New Orleans, LA
University of Mississippi Medical Center, MS - 2
St. John Hospital and Medical Center, MI
St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, OH



Family Medicine - (52)

AHEC Northwest -University of Arkansas, AR
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, CA - 2
Barberton Citizens Hospital, OH - 2
Beth Israel Medical Center, NY
Case Western-Metro Health Medical Center, OH
Central Washington Family Medicine Residency, WA
Deaconess Hospital, IN
East Tennessee State University, Welmont-Holston Valley Medical Center, TN - 2
Family Medicine of Southwest Washington, WA
Flower Hospital, OH
Glendale Adventist Medical Center, CA
Hazard KY (Appalachian Regional Hospital), KY
Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills – UCLA, CA
LSU HSC - Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, LA -2
LSU-Shreveport Health Science Center, LA - 2
Lynchburg Central Health, VA
Mayo Clinic, FL
Medical Center of Columbus, GA
Miami Valley Hospital, OH
Mount Carmel, OH
Munson Medical Center, MI
Oakwood Hospital, MI
Ohio State University Medical Center, OH
Palmetto Health/Richland, SC
Providence Hospital and Medical Center, MI - 2
Research Medical Center, MO
San Jacinto Methodist Hospital, TX
San Joaquin General Hospital, CA
Somerset Medical Center, NJ
St. Francis Hospital Center, IN
St. Vincent Hospital, IN
U Oklahoma COM, OK
Underwood Memorial Hospital
Univ. of Arkansas Medical Sciences Area Health Education Center Southwest, AR
University at Buffalo, NY
University of California San Francisco, CA
University of Maryland Medical Center, MD
University of Nevada School of Medicine, NV
University of South Alabama, AL
University of South Dakota Center for Family Medicine, SD
University of Virginia, VA
University of Wyoming, WY
USC/California Hospital, CA
Valley Medical Center, WA
West Jersey-Memorial Hospital, NJ
West Res Care/NEOUCOM, OH


Internal Medicine - (29)

Aultman Hospital, OH
Brooklyn Caritas (Mary Immaculate) & St. Johns, NY
Cleveland Clinic, OH
Drexel (MCP Hahnemann) U COM, PA
Exempla St. Joseph Hospital, CO
Franklin Square Hospital, MD
Kaiser Permanente, CA – 2
Maricopa Medical Center, AZ
Memorial Health University Medical Center, GA - 3
Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, NJ
Ochsner Clinic Foundation, LA – 2
Oklahoma University, Tulsa College of Medicine, OK
Orlando Regional Medical Center, FL
Pitt County Memorial Hospital/East Carolina University, NC
Providence Hospital, MI
St. John Hospital, MI - 2
St. Vincents Hospital, NY
Staten Island University Hospital, NY - 3
Univ. Oklahoma - St. John Hospital, OK
University of Texas, TX
West Virginia University, WV
William Beaumont Hospital, MI


Internal Medicine/Psych - (1)

Charleston Area Medical Center, WV


Internal Medicine/Pediatrics - (2)

Albany Medical Center, NY
University of South Florida, FL


Neurosurgery - (1)

University of Virginia, VA

OB/GYN - (14)

New York Medical College-St.Vincents Catholic Medical Center, NY
Oakwood Hospital, MI - 2
UT-Chattanooga (Erlanger Hospital), TN
Atlanta Medical Center, GA
Bayfront Medical Center, FL - 2
Louisiana State University Health Science Center, LA
Medical College of Georgia, GA
Providence Hospital, MI
St. John Hospital, MI
Staten Island University Hospital, NY
York Hospital/Wellspan Health, PA
Palmetto Health Richland, SC


Pathology - (5)

Baylor College of Medicine, TX
Indiana University, IN
LSU-Shreveport Health Science Center, LA
New York Medical College at St. Vincent's Hospital, NY
University of Louisville, KY


Pediatrics - (12)

Albany Medical Center, NY
Blank Children's Hospital, IA
Devos Children's Hospital (GRMERC/MSU), MI
Goryeb Children's Hospital, NJ
Johns Hopkins/Children’s Hospital at Sinai, MD
LSU SOM-New Orleans, LA
Michigan State University-Kalamazoo Center, MI
St. John Hospital and Medical Center, MI
SUNY Upstate Medical University, NY
T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital, TN
University of South Florida COM, FL
Winthrop University Hospital, NY


Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - (1)

LSU-New Orleans, LA


Preliminary/General Surgery - (2)

Monmouth Medical Center, NJ
UConn, CT


Preliminary/Internal Medicine - (4)

Brookdale Hospital, NY
Oakwood Hospital, MI
Staten Island University Hospital, NY - 2


Preliminary Surgery - (3)

Cabell Huntington Hospital a/w Marshall University, WV
Jewish Hospital, OH
Maricopa Medical Center, AZ


Psychiatry - (5)

Creighton University/ University of Nebraska, NE
Morehouse School of Medicine, GA
Pitt County Memorial Hospital, NC - 2
Temple University, PA


Radiology/Diagnostic - Transitional - (1)

Providence Hospital, MI


Surgery/General - (5)

Maricopa Medical Center, AZ
Northwestern Memorial Hospital, IL
Union Memorial Hospital, MD
University of Texas, TX
York Hospital, PA