Pediatric Oncology
Posted by: Tim on: September 29, 2008
As a first year med student, I don’t know what specialty or residency I want. There’s are too many fields I haven’t fully considered yet. However, after viewing a gallery from one of my favorite picture blogs, The Big Picture, I might not have a big enough heart to go into pediatric oncology. I haven’t ruled it out yet, but it’s just so sad sometimes and I’m not sure if I could not be pessimistic seeing this picture day-in and day-out for twenty years.
Why I Write / Blog
Posted by: Tim on: September 27, 2008
- In: Thoughts
- 2 Comments
A reader asked: Why do I keep up with this blog? What motivates me to write stuff that will help people?
I have thought about this question for a while. Some days when I cannot think of anything to write and can only see the lack of viewers, I get discouraged from writing at all. However, I know that even if one person stumbles upon this blog and gets something of value from it, I have helped someone out there and have added value to their lives. Information is powerful and there are hundreds of people out there looking for information regarding medicine.
After getting into medical school successfully, I have some good and bad experiences that I can share to help prospective students. I have gone through the admissions and interviews process. And it was challenging at times without guidance. I hope I can be resource people trust.
Why You Shouldn’t Join the Pre-Med Club
Posted by: Tim on: September 26, 2008
Premed clubs (PMC) re scams. Or that’s how I’ve always seen them. I acknowledge that they do host useful events and speakers once in a while, but to the average member they’re a bunch of con artists and here’s why.
- They overcharge you – During clubs sign-up they usually charge their members a higher fee, despite having large memberships. Running a premed club is low cost and here they are racking in $20 from hundreds of people that join. And what do you get for the expensive initiation fee? Usually just a bland t-shirt that you would be embarrassed to wear. What services do they provide? Practically nothing that a person can’t get for free.
- They prey on your fears – The people who will would join a pre-med club are those who are considering a field of medicine. Many premeds in fear that they won’t be competitive for medical school get tricked into joining the club. They believe this will help their application and the premed club exploits this to trick everyone who is thinking of medicine to join, making it seem like a must to enter medical school. In reality, admissions committees know what these clubs and give little notice to such clubs. Read the rest of this entry »
What Extracurricular Activities Should I Do?
Posted by: Tim on: September 25, 2008
I have moved to www.medaholic.com
The typical pre-med day involves studying, getting good grades, making connections with professors, and doing amazing extracurricular activities that will somehow separate you from all the other medical school applicants. This naturally leads to the question, which extracurricular activities will increase my chances to get into medical school? You might hear from another pre-med that you have to do research or volunteer in a hospital in order to be accepted into medical school. Friends and family may suggest that you do some overseas volunteer/aid work in a third-world country to stand out and have something to talk about in the interview. The truth is, there is no “one” activity that will increase your chances the most. We are humans after all, not machines. We play musical instruments and exercise because we enjoy these activities, not because we get more “points” added to our application for doing them. Having said that, I will try to clarify what medical schools are looking for when they look at your CV / sketch / activities list.
To read the Rest head over to www.medaholic.com
Homogeneous Classmates
Posted by: Tim on: September 22, 2008
If someone was to ask me what I thought about medical school so far, my one-word answer would be interesting. The material we cover each day is fascinating both in basic sciences and its clinical applications. The teaching style is also diverse ranging from lectures, small group work, anatomy labs and clinical shadowing where we are currently doing some role-playing (playing doctor all over again). I am only beginning to realize the limitless of medicine. If you’re afraid of being bored in a career of medicine, I guarantee there is no way to sail and master all of it.
After a month of school, I’ve gotten to know a bit more about my classmates. They are an interesting bunch. Some go out to bars and parties 3-4 days a week. Others, I only see in the classroom. During small group learning sessions, it’s not too uncommon to find a peer has a master’s degree on the subject of the day. A few have just defended their thesis and some are partway through their MPH (Master of Public Health). Some play football, hockey and soccer and some have no athletic background. Several students can play songs by Liszt and Chopin on the piano beautifully and another student plays online-poker to pay for his tuition. It’s an interesting mix. You can sense the talent in the class. You can smell the ambition.
Medical School Parties and Medical Student Partyers
Posted by: Tim on: September 14, 2008
Along with the first few classes of medical school are the medical school parties. These social events mainly for classmates to know each other also act as a way to relieve some stress and have some fun before the serious business begins.
Over the past weeks, I’ve observed that medical students throw crazy parties. I went to a relatively relaxed undergrad where things got pretty loud from Thursday night to Saturday night. But medical school seems to be a whole other animal.
Perhaps med students are just having their last ounce of fun before the workload hits, but I think it’s because the students are older, have gotten over that awkward stand-at-a-party stage and know how to have a good time. They have studied more, drank more, smoked more, talked more and are at different stage in their lives. They stand at the end of their old undergrad days and can see the long road in medical education ahead. Perhaps, that is a reason to cherish every moment. To live life as if you’re invincible and that everyday could be your last.
First Week of Medical School
Posted by: Tim on: September 12, 2008
The first week of medical school has been quite an experience like no other. I am at a lost for words to describe it, so instead I will use numbers and statistics to best capture my feelings.
Number of applicants: 1388
Applicants Interviewed: 451
Total Positions Available: 150
Final class size: 150
Mean GPA of entering class: 3.8
Mean MCAT score for each section: 11
Mean Writing Sample: Q
Number of students with a BSc or BA: 117
Number of students with a Masters: 7
Number of students with a PhD: 3
Number of students with an B.Eng: 2
Number of students with a Theology Degree:1
Number of students with NO degrees: 17
Number of students with an M.D: 150 hopeful
Open Source MD: Mailbag
Posted by: Tim on: September 9, 2008
I don’t know how many readers I have out there but I am now creating an email you can contact me at.
I’ve been fairly lazy with my posting as of lately and I am lacking any brilliant ideas or topics to write about so, if you’re a reader and have a burning question to ask, write me an email and I will get back to you. If you have an email that I think everyone can benefit from, I will answer your question on my mailbag. (Your identity and privacy will be protected I assure you)
First Day of Medical School
Posted by: Tim on: September 8, 2008
Today was the first “official” day of medical school. I got to meet a few more of my classmates, the names and faces are still not sticking. I might have to go study facebook to remember them. One thing different from undergrad and medical school is the talent of the class.
No longer are these unsuspecting first year undergrads unprepared for an academic workload. All these individuals are bright, motivated and hardworking. They all had stellar grades, good MCAT scores and meaningful extracurriculars.
It’s probably just the new-school jitters, but it’s always unsettling not knowing where you stand in the class. I might be at the top of the class or I can very well be at the bottom of the barrel. Only time (and the first test/exam) will tell.
Michael Phelps 100m Butterfly Win – Photos and Video
Posted by: Tim on: August 16, 2008
An Iconic Image is born
The whole series can be found at Sports Illustrated
Here’s a gif of the last moment in the race. Michael Phelps is on the right without the body suit.
