Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Paying homage to my advertisers...

I am a little perturbed that St. George's University, arguably the top Caribbean medical school, isn't displaying ads on my website. I don't even have Ross, the close number 2! I've had some love from UAG in Mexico and ASUM in Aruba. So, I'd like to thank my advertisers for their support. I can add a little credibility to UAG. It has been around for nearly 70 years and has been home to many American students studying medicine abroad. It provided many Americans who were unable to gain admission to medical school in the United States an opportunity to pursue their dreams. In fact, one of the OBGYNs in my hometown went to UAG back in the 1980's. I think the 1980's was a particularly difficult time to get into medicine because it paid well and was a well-respected profession. It still is to some degree, but not like in the 1980's!

I'd take a look their site. I like to use this forum to expose you to all of your potential options. UAG is a reputable medical school. Admissions are that you must take the pre-reqs, obtain a 3.0 GPA, and you need to take the MCAT. That's pretty much it! They offer 2 entering classes per year - August and January - and they accept a lot of students. So, your chances are pretty good. Please take a look for yourself and see if UAG is the school for you. Again, I'd like to add that if you can get into an American medical school (osteopathic included), I'd go that route. However, if you fail to gain acceptance after three tries, please consider foreign schools if you still want to be a doctor. That's all I have for now. Check back soon.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

What is the secret to getting into a DO school?

I am a graduating osteopathic physician. Tomorrow is my last day! Yeah! It hasn't been that hard, really - especially in the fourth year. I've basically been on cruise control since September. He He. I'm on Allergy right now and I'm loving it! The hours are hard to beat. So, anyways, I figured you guys were missing me so I thought I was write a piece on getting into a DO school. Of course, good grades and MCATs are pre-reqs for getting an interview. Once you get an interview, your chances for admission go from 1-in-10 to 1-in-3, roughly. So, getting the interview is the hardest part. And, let's extrapolate from my ratios and say comfortably that if you get 3-4 interviews (especially at DO schools), your chances of getting into one of them is pretty good. I'd say the intangibles to getting into medical school rest in your interview and your experiences. Obviously, if you get an interview, you've done well up to this point! Congratulations! That usually means that your "numbers" are competitive enough for admission. Now, they want to get to know you better. Here is where you have to step it up because now the competition gets fierce. You and the other interviewees are basically on an even playing field at this point. The interview is clutch. You must nail it. Dress appropriately and clean and bathe yourself! he he. Next, make sure you think about those Oh-so-important questions such as "Why do you want to go to an osteopathic medical school?", "Where do you see yourself in ten years?", etc. Be prepared to answer why you didn't shadow a DO if you haven't done so. This leads me to my other recommendation. Your experiences are important as well. They lend for good conversation pieces in the interview. Most DO school interviews are laid back, so you'll end up talking about yourself and all the amazing golf outings, camping trips, and ballroom dancing classes you've taken, etc. You get the idea. But, I'd highly recommend you get to know a DO. Get to know them well. They can easily make a call to their Alma mater, which can get you that interview! That is SO HUGE! Plus, you need to see for yourself what a DO looks like. Yeah, we all have three heads and a magnetic force around us that glows! Just kidding. You can say that you've been looking into osteopathy and agree with their principles. You can honestly tell your interviewer that you know what the field is about and more importantly that you know what you are getting into as a physician. A lot of people want to be doctors without ever realizing what it takes to do this job. That is separate from getting in or actually going to medical school. I'm talking about life after school. Do you REALLY want to do this? It's not really a "job" per se. You can't screw up. A plumber can screw up. An accountant can screw up. All they have to say is "I'm sorry. I'll make it right for you." We don't have that luxury. Remember that. It can be difficult on your life and relationships. So be prepared for a shock if you do get in. Medical school, especially the first year, is hard. No doubt. It's meant to be difficult. It's meant to scare the heebie-jeebies outta ya! That's how you learn and grow as a physician. So, keep these thoughts in mind as you go about your days contemplating medical school. Find a DO to shadow or work for in a clinic setting. And finally, make sure your interview skills are polished and up-to-date. Good luck.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

My top pick for caribbean schools





Say you don't get into an American school after a few attempts. That sucks, man. I'm sorry to hear that. However, your dream isn't dead yet. There are alternatives - Caribbean schools. Caribbean schools are for-profit institutions that accept a large number of students every year on a rolling basis. There are good, reputable ones and there are some that I would avoid. One school, my pick of the Caribbean medical schools would have to be....drum roll please....St. George's University in Grenada. The last time you heard of Grenada was probably in the 1980's when the United States military had to invade in order to rescue American students studying at SGU. Well, this for profit school has made quite a reputation for itself over the last 25+ years. Their admission standards are on-par (or above) some US medical schools. But don't get too discouraged because they are FOR PROFIT. They will give people a chance that didn't hack it in the US. Their average student has a 3.4 GPA and 25 or so on the MCAT. Don't worry if you don't measure up. I know a guy that is a fourth year at SGU who wasn't even close to those averages. The beauty of Caribbean schools is that they give you a chance to realize your dream while you can study in paradise! You can click on the links on this page to visit their site. Check out their residency match list. It's quite impressive. So, to conclude, I highly recommend SGU as an alternative to American schools if you can't seem to make it in the states. As always, I will give you my best with accurate information in order to help you achieve success. Don't forget to visit SGU's website! Adios!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

New MCAT products

I know I've discussed MCAT preparation in the past, but now I will discuss specific books that I feel are necessary to doing well on the exam. Below, on the right hand said on this page, you'll find links to Kaplan products. Please take a look at them. I hand selected them because I feel they are most important in your preparation. I thumbed through the MCAT 45 book at the bookstore the other day and I really think many of you could find it helpful. It is packed full of useful information and the toughest questions that should get you the highest score possible. I wouldn't mess around with the MCAT. It's a HUGE part of your medical school application. Don't miss out on this opportunity to do well on the exam.

The other thing I'd highly recommend would be Kaplan's MCAT prep course. You can sign up for it from this site by clicking on its icon. It's easy and fast. Anyways, I think that for the money, this is your best bang for the buck! This program basically guarantees you a competitive score! How can you beat that!!?? Anyways, I just want to put a plug out there for some of my favorite products that Kaplan has to offer. I'd stick with the leader in test preparation for the MCAT - Kaplan.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

A New Medical School in Michigan is formed

Officials from Oakland University and Beaumont Hospitals announced last week they will create a privately funded medical school on Oakland’s campus.

Beaumont and Oakland jointly filed a letter of intent with the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) to begin the process of establishing an allopathic medical school.

“Studies show that there is a looming shortage of physicians, nationally and especially in Michigan,” said Ananias Diokno, M.D., Beaumont’s Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. “This new medical school will help fill the gap.”

In addition to addressing the doctor shortage, the new medical school will have a significant economic impact on southeast Michigan. According to the AAMC, the economic impact of medical schools and teaching hospitals is $451 billion nationwide, $18 billion alone in Michigan.

“Beaumont is the largest, private-staff model teaching hospital and academic medical center in the country,” said Kenneth J. Matzick, President and CEO, Beaumont Hospitals. “Becoming the primary teaching hospital and equal partner of a medical school is the logical next step.”

Officials said the first two years of the four-year curriculum will consist of basic medical science in classrooms and labs on Oakland’s campus. Students are placed in hospitals for clinical rotations in years three and four at Beaumont’s two hospitals in Royal Oak and Troy, Michigan. The medical school will be funded by foundations, individual and corporate donations. Plans to erect a new building to house the medical school on Oakland’s campus have already been discussed.

The charter class is expected to be admitted in 2010.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

US NEWS TOP MEDICAL SCHOOLS

The US NEWS and World Report published their rankings of top (MD) medical schools in the country. Here is a short sample:

1.) Harvard University: 3.81 GPA, 11.7 Avg. MCAT, 4.7% acceptance
2.) Johns Hopkins: 3.85 GPA, 11.6 Avg. MCAT, 6.2% acceptance
3.) University of Pennsylvania
4.) Washington University - St. Louis
5.) University of California - San Francisco
6.) University of Washington
7.) Stanford University
8.) Duke University
10.) Baylor University (tie)
10.) Columbia University - NY (tie)

There is a list of the top ten. I thought many of you would find it interesting. Enjoy!

Sunday, April 8, 2007

MCAT prep - Part II

Here is my analysis of what resources you should use according to previous experience, discussing with friends who have 35 and 36 MCATs, and my overall impression of what is good and what is not. First of all, I think a Kaplan MCAT question book is essential. I'd start working through these questions about a month before your exam. Gradually advance your testing by timing your exams as you get further into the book. Next, use the Exam Krackers series. I used the verbal reasoning and I thought it seemed to help me prepare, even though I didn't do as well as my friends. They, too, however, used this resource and found it helpful. There is a complete set of books, which is nice. If you have the means, I'd get the whole set. If you had to pick just one, I'd get the verbal reasoning. I also like the Kaplan MCAT book. I think it is pretty complete and offers you tons of information in one nice location. I'd like to recommend that you take a review class. Kaplan offer a nice class. I didn't do it, but I know people who did and found it helpful. It can be pricey - like $2,000. But if you REALLY want to get into medical school, it's worth it! I hope this concise list of references will be helpful for you. It should serve as a guide to help you decide which resources are worth the money and which ones aren't. Take care.

Saturday, April 7, 2007

MCAT preparation

Please stay tuned as I am refining my MCAT prep blog entry as we speak! I want to provide you with the MOST up-to-date information I can about preparing for the MCAT. It's no doubt that this test is very important to gaining acceptance to medical school. You must do your best. Even I got in with a 20!!! Don't let people sway you if you do poorly on the exam. Prepare, work hard, pick up a good work book and go to town! I will research some texts and tell you my top picks! Granted, I have no monetary gain from this. I just want you to beat my measly score! If you can do that - you stand a chance! Please keep me up-to-date on topics that you'd like to discuss. Until next time...take care and best of luck! I'll be back soon!

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Osteopathic Medicine

Osteopathic Medicine was founded by Andrew Taylor Still, a M.D. surgeon who fought in the civil war. He thought there had to be a "better way" to care for his patients. Through his investigations and study, he found that the body is a system of inter-related organs and incorporated this philosophy as the foundation of osteopathy today. Osteopathic schools differ from their allopathic (M.D.) counterparts in two distinct ways. One, they view the body as a whole - a system of inter-related systems that reside in a harmonious balance with one another. Two, through their knowledge of the musculoskeletal system, osteopathic physicians are masters at using osteopathic manipulative medicine (OMM). This is similar to chiropractic, but don't tell a DO that they are a chiropractor. We believe that when then body is misaligned and "somatic dysfunction" is present, the body doesn't function optimally and vice versa.

D.O.'s are fully licensed physicians and surgeons and are represented in nearly every medical specialty. They CAN incorporate OMM as a part of the therapy. It is taught in D.O. medical schools that OMM is used along with conventional therapies such as drugs and surgery. It is a common misconception that manipulation is all that they know how to do. That is false. It is sad, but many pre-med students are unfamiliar with Osteopathic Medicine. In the United States, the D.O. degree is considered to be equal and equivalent to the MD degree. There are osteopathic medical schools all of the country and more are popping up almost yearly. And like I said before, they practice in every medical specialty - anesthesiology, radiology, orthopedic surgery, etc. Their level of compensation is exactly that of their M.D. counterparts, so they are in no way "inferior" to M.D.'s. The average accepted student has a 3.5 gpa and a 25-26 MCAT - on par with most M.D. "state" schools!

Here is a listing of the osteopathic schools in this country courtesy of the AACOM:
1.)A.T. Still University - Mesa
2.)A.T. Still University - Kirksville (the founding school)
3.)Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University
4.)Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine
5.)Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
6.)Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine
7.)Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
8.)Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine - Bradenton
9.)Lincoln Memorial University College of Osteopathic Medicine
10.)Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
11.)Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine
12.)New York College of Osteopathic Medicine - NYIT
13.)Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
14.)Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
15.)Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
16.)Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - Georgia campus
17.)Pikeville College of Osteopathic Medicine - Kentucky
18.)Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - New York
19.)Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - California
20.)Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - Nevada
21.)UMDNJ - New Jersey College of Osteopathic Medicine
22.)University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
23.)University of North Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine
24.)Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Virginia Tech
25.)Western University College of Osteopathic Medicine - COM of the Pacific
26.)West Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Please visit the AACOM website here for more information!

Considering I'm graduating from a D.O. school this year, I am available to answer questions about the type of education I received. I am really thankful to have had the opportunity to attend a D.O. School. Looking back, I'm glad I went to osteopathic medical school instead of the allopathic route. I wouldn't ever trade those experiences for the title "M.D." over my "D.O." I'm proud to be a D.O. So, please feel free to ask questions. I am here to help.

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

What is the deal with Caribbean Medical Schools?

When I was applying to medical school, I investigated the Caribbean schools as my possible back-up plan. I was afraid my low MCAT scores would keep me out of an American medical school. These are for-profit schools set up by wealthy business men and women that will grant the M.D. degree upon completion of their rigorous training. There are many to choose from and their admissions criteria vary greatly. There are some reputable ones - namely the BIG 3: St. George's (Grenada), Ross (Dominica), and the American University of the Caribbean ("AUC" in St. Maarten). There are others obviously, but these are the big schools that have a long reputation of placing graduates into US residency training programs. Before the Caribbean rage, there was Mexico. Many of our parent's generation of physicians that could not get accepted in the U.S. went to Mexico to get their M.D. The Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara is the big one that comes to mind. The UAG is a major international player in the medical school game. More on this later.

You might be asking "Why don't I just go to a Caribbean school?". Well, the answer is this...you will be a FMG (Foreign Medical Grad). There are more hoops to jump through as a foreign grad than any other. There are sometimes visa issues and often times they do not get top programs - although this is changing because I know some Caribbean grads that have done quite well for themselves. But, the stereotype is there. The usually land Family Practice, Internal Medicine, Peds, Psych, etc. residencies - the non-competitive ones. You can see a listing of their match lists on their websites to see where their graduates are going.

The best thing you can do is to try to get in somewhere in the U.S. You can't beat home cookin'! There used to be licensing issues with Caribbean grads - not so much anymore, especially from the bigger, more reputable schools.

The admissions standards are generally lower for Caribbean schools. They are for-profit so they used to let anyone in that could pay the bill. Now, in order to develop their reputations, they do have requirements. You must take all the necessary pre-reqs and even sit for the MCAT. Although, there is no "set" number for MCATs and gpa's that guarantees success. Let's just say they'll give you a chance when no one else will and if you're ready to pay the price for your dream! They do offer you that chance to pursue your dream, which thousands of physicians in the US have taken advantage of fully! I'd venture to say for SGU (St. George's), I'd shoot for a 3.3+ gpa and a 24 MCAT (higher numbers to be on the safe side). For Ross, a 3.1+ and a 22 MCAT would suffice. I'd say similar numbers go for AUC as well. UAG (Mexico) as mentioned above requires a 3.0 GPA. The MCAT story with them is suspect. You probably just need to take it and apply. These schools, I must mention, do accept a large number of students (600 students), usually two to three times a year!! This could be good for you OR bad for you depending on how you look at it. It's good for you in the sense that you will probably get in. But, it's bad in that they accept a lot of students and a lot of those students DO NOT MAKE IT through the program, fail out, and go home poorer. BEWARE.

I don't know the rigors of medical school outside this country. I would venture to say that it is more difficult than at a US school for the simple fact of being away from home. Med school is hard enough! But, then again, you can't beat the view and the beach!! I like Caribbean schools. I do. But you must realize that they have pros and cons. You must be fully prepared for the complete undertaking should you pursue them. I would investigate them thoroughly. Check out forums such as Student Doctor Network as well as Value MD. I'd only believe some of what is said, but you can learn more about these schools from such websites. Just take the info with a grain of salt and of course - listen to me and read my blog! :-)

I would advise you to consider foreign schools ONLY if being a physician is the only way for you and you cannot get into school in the US after three attempts. That's right...I'd try...try again...and then try again - of course only after improving your application each time. Oh yeah...don't try to play the cycles. You have no idea where the cycle is and you'll get burned. Improve your application and then re-apply. If you fail to get in after three tries and being a doctor is the only thing you could ever do - then I'd recommend Caribbean schools. Please feel free to visit the websites of St. Georges, Ross, and AUC. Visit other Caribbean schools to see what they are all about. You can click on any of the schools listed on the top, right, and bottom of this page to go directly to their site. If you have any specific questions about Caribbean schools, please feel free to ask. I know them pretty well. I hope this answers some questions and alleviates some anxiety. Please, young doctors, don't sweat this med school thing too much! Remember that you can always fulfill your dreams of going to medical school...and you can do that on the beach in the middle of paradise!

P.S. If you apply broadly, YOU WILL GET IN SOMEWHERE. No worries friends!
Just be ready to work HARD if you go this route!

P.S.S. You can search for these schools using the search box at the top of this page. Just type in SGU, Ross, AUC, etc. and off you go!!!!

Monday, April 2, 2007

Let's break down some numbers...my analysis.

By all means, please feel free to make comments as you see fit so long as they are productive in nature. I'd like to hear what people out there think or what they would like to hear more of from this blog. Today, however, I'd like to offer my analysis of the current situation in the application process to medical school. Granted, using old numbers to predict the future does not guarantee similar results; however, looking at patterns can help you tremendously. It's funny. You'll see that medicine is all about "trends" and "patterns". Soon, you'll become concerned with a patients' blood sugar patterns or their cholesterol trends. So the same goes for applications to medical school. They are "cyclical" if you will. There are up years and down years for applications. Sometime in the not so distant past, applications were as high as 45,000 for roughly 16,000 spots. That number doesn't include DO schools mind you. Forty five divided by sixteen gives you 2.8. So, roughly one-in-three applicants actually enrolled. Now, the numbers are slightly down. In 2005, that number declined to 37,000 applicants for the same number of spots (roughly). That is almost one-out-of-two. Not too bad. But why?? Why did the numbers drop? Part of the reason is the cyclical nature of the application process. Other factors include the current malpractice climate, decreasing salaries of physicians, a broken system, whatever. Now is a good time to apply to medical school - the numbers are in your favor. Also, I'd like to add that DO schools (and Caribbean schools as well) are cyclical in nature too. I've seem to have lost track of how many DO spots a year there are now because I can't keep up with the tremendous growth of osteopathic schools in this country! They are growing like weeds! No matter - your chances for admission are probably at its peak right now. Looking at recent past trends and depending on what happens to health care in the next 4 years will ultimately determine whether the number of applicants goes up or down. You tend to see a reverse cyclical trend with business schools. What I mean is that when medical school applications are down, business school apps are increasing. Again, there are factors involved that I won't go into, but the point I'm trying to make has been made. Follow the cycles, but don't necessarily let them dictate when you apply. If you are a strong candidate, it doesn't matter so much whether you apply in an up year or a down year. You'll probably get in somewhere either way.