Week 38 of the PreMed Mondays book covers 5 tips to writing a great personal statement. Besides your actual interview, this is your best opportunity during the application process to show the medical schools who you really are. The 5 tips are:
1) Make it personal
2) Don’t embellish
3) Write when you feel like writing
4) Don’t turn your essay into a CV
5) Have at least 5 people review your essay
Premeds, find affordable services designed to help you get accepted into medical school at www.PreHealthMarket.com.
A week ago, I was honored to be a part of the Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit in Dallas, Texas. This was an AMAZING event spearheaded by Dr. Dale at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Students from all over the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and some from out of state were present along with parents and teachers. There were a number of volunteers, medical doctors, premed students, and teachers in attendance as well. I was in awe at the attendance and highly inspired by everyone who spoke.
Dr. Dale gives his G.R.I.N.D. talk at the Youth Summit!
As I chatted with the young students in attendance, I began to notice nearly everyone had the same two questions for me?
1. How long did it take you to become a doctor?
2. Why did you choose Endocrinology as a specialty?
These were two excellent questions. I liked them because they allowed me to appreciate the dedication these students had to the field of medicine. As we say, medicine is a long road and it is best that you count the costs before embarking on it. I thought I’d share with you my answer to these two questions but first I must explain what it is I do as an Endocrinologist.
Endocrinology is the branch in medicine dedicated to studying endocrine glands and hormones. As Endocrinologists, our bread and butter is diabetes of all types but we also treat a host of hormonal disorders stemming from the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, gonads, and pancreas glands. We also deal with metabolic disorders, growth disorders, and bone disorders. I personally think it is the coolest job in the world.
So back to the questions.
#1. How long did it take you to become a doctor?
This was a question asked primarily by the young students but when I think back, I don’t know that I could answer this question while I was a premedical student. I took for granted that I was going to medical school straight out of college and did not have anything but time on my hands. “A veeeery, veeeery long time,” was the answer I gave most of them as I watched their eyes open wide. I thought I surely scared them off with that but not at all!?! Nothing could deter these kids from their dream of becoming a physician. Most of them inquired further by asking me to explain the steps needed after high school all the way to my specialty. I obliged.
So there you have it.. 10 years! This is a long time to dedicate to training but it is necessary to become a competent physician. During this time, friends will start jobs, buy homes, get married, and start families. You may have to put those things on the backburner but in no time you will catch up and it will be worth it. Delayed gratification is the key.
#2. Why did you choose Endocrinology as a specialty?
Medical students ask me this question all the time. My answer is, I chose Endocrinology because I had to be true to myself. To be an internist, you need to be intellectually curious. You must master the body in an out. As a medical student, I liked the cerebral challenge of internal medicine and felt it would be applicable in serving my family and community. While I rotated through the wards, I paid special attention to the cases that kept me up at night. These were the ones I loved to round on. The ones I was eager to see the lab results for. I found myself going back to the patient’s room after rounding so I could teach them about their condition. These were the cases I would watch on one of my favorite TV shows called “Mystery Diagnosis”. Pheochromocytoma, Addison’s disease, and acromegaly were always those zebra diagnoses in the back of my mind. How small glands such as these can transform one’s life continues to amaze me to this day but it is great to know that with the correct diagnosis and tools, you can help a patient out tremendously.
There are many paths to become a doctor and many flavors of doctors. The road is a long one but oh what a privilege and honor it is to don the white coat.
Week 37 of the PreMed Mondays book covers the importance of networking as a premed. This is the “N” in my G.R.I.N.D. success strategy and one of the most important things for you to get right on your journey to success. Show me your 5 closest friends and I’ll tell you who you are!
Premeds, find affordable services designed to help you get accepted into medical school at www.PreHealthMarket.com.
I am the primary scribe for Dr. Stanley Michael at Cape Regional in New Jersey. He is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement of the shoulder, knees, and hips. A typical day for me starts with an early wake up to get my children off to school. I tend to the animals so I can focus my attention on the work ahead for us that day. Fifteen minutes prior to start time, I clock in to document all of the currently scheduled encounters for the day in Fluency For Scribing. I review whether the patient is there as a new or existing patient, and this generally gives me an idea of how thorough the encounter will be. I gather any snacks or drinks and use the restroom before my provider logs into Fluency for Scribing. After he is sent the first chart, I will click on the encounter, so that while Dr. Michael reviews the previous encounters, I can include in the H&P any diagnostic imaging or laboratory test results that he may have reviewed in order to save time when typing the Assessment and Plan. While he is examining the patient, I apply the physical exam templates for typical areas above and below the joint he is focusing on during this visit. He and I have adopted a list of auto-text dot phrases, which helps when charting, especially for a brief encounter. After each encounter, we act as sounding boards for anything that we might have missed. He will always make sure to take time to review the charts to ensure he and I are both accurate.
The most important advice I can give is to learn from your provider. Do not be afraid to ask any questions, no matter how intimidated you may be! If you are uncertain of anything, speak up. It is better to double check than to let an encounter be signed off on that has to be fixed later. Also, remember that your team leader is a great place to go when you are uncertain of how to proceed.
(Kimberly lives on the East Coast and scribes remotely for Dr. Stanley Michael of Cape Regional Medical Group, which is located in Cape May, New Jersey.)
Week 36 of the PreMed Mondays book covers 5 things to consider when preparing to study for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). Last week we talked about the MCAT in general, but this week I’ll break down some specific things for you to think about BEFORE you start studying for it.
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Today, one of my good friends said something to me that made me think. “Dale, I don’t know how you do all of these things. You’re a doctor and still get all this other stuff done.” I thought it was rather funny that he said that to me when he himself is a very successful businessman. Usually, to do as well as he has done, you’ve got to spend some very late nights at the office working. Anyways, his statement caused me to take inventory on my time compared to others. Why is it that I seem to get more done than other people?
After careful consideration, the answer is simple…I care more. I don’t mean that I care more about people or success, etc. What I mean is that I care more about accomplishing whatever task it is that I set out to accomplish. Success tends to be about priorities. We prioritize things which we care about higher than those which we don’t care about. At the moment, I am practicing medicine,running a couple of companies, working on a book, and putting on a summit that will host over 1,000 people. I am able to do this because I deeply care about each one of these projects. The truth of the matter is that God gives each one of us 24 hours a day. Time is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, you still get 24 hours! It’s not how much time you have that matters, it’s what you do with it.
Other than caring deeply about the things I choose to spend my time on, I’ve also spent several years studying mechanisms to become more effective. I am a strong advocate for reading and have learned from brilliant people (via their books) how to get things done! One of the biggest secrets to getting stuff done is working in a team. The truth is, it’s near impossible to accomplish greatness by yourself.You need other people in your corner to bear the burden with you. Hopefully you have seen my G.R.I.N.D. talk or at least read the blog. If you have, you’ll know that I place a very high value on building a strong network. This is half the battle to become successful.
In the end, I think it’s pretty simple. I’m effective because I deeply care about the things I spend my time on and I have a network of great people who contribute to the success of these things. I challenge every person reading this to do this one simple exercise.
Step 1: Make a list of your values and the things you care most about.
Step 2: Review how you spent your time yesterday (down to the minute).
If I were to look at your time diary, would I be able to deduce what your values are and what you truly care about?
Week 35 of the PreMed Mondays book covers 5 things to know about the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). This is considered by many to be the most important test for your career as a doctor. Prior to taking on this beast of a test, you’ll want to know some basic yest critical information about the exam to help you strategize ahead of time. And remember, even the test is grueling, You’ve Got This!
Premeds, find affordable services designed to help you get accepted into medical school at www.PreHealthMarket.com.
Did you know that doctors of podiatric medicine must take the MCAT? Did you know that podiatric training follows a very similar and rigorous path as allopathic and osteopathic medicine?
If you are as ignorant about the field of Podiatry as I was as a premed, then I strongly encourage you to learn about the field. Many premeds are not aware that this is another option they can pursue with their prerequisites. Recently, I have had the opportunity and pleasure to assist a premed student applying to podiatry school and this has expanded my knowledge on the path to podiatry. As an Endocrinologist, I have had the pleasure of working alongside many podiatrists over the years. In fact, of all specialties I refer patients to, podiatry makes my top 3. I wanted to share this bit of research I did with you all so you are aware of your options as a premed. Possibly it is not the field for you but it may be the right field for your friend. I am in no way an expert in podiatry so please do your own research on the subject as well and correct me if I got anything wrong.
How do I get into Podiatry Medical School?
As a premedical student, you are likely already doing exactly what you need to be doing to get into podiatry school. You may just need to add shadowing a podiatrist. Most podiatrists complete a 4 year bachelor’s degree. While you can major in anything you want, you will need to complete essentially the same prerequisites one would need to get into an osteopathic or allopathic medical school. Unfortunately, you cannot escape that dreaded MCAT test. Although average acceptance scores tend to be lower than those for MD and DO programs, they need to be competitive since there are only 9 podiatry medical schools across the US.
What does the curriculum for podiatry medical school look like?
The medical school curriculum is very similar for podiatry, allopathic and osteopathic schools. In fact, they all tend to take the same classes over the first two years. Your first two years typically consists of basic medical science classes such as anatomy, pathology, microbiology, immunology, neurology, and pharmacology, with occasional exposure to clinical medicine. Between second and third year, all three programs generally will take their board exams. Third and fourth year consists of clerkships, rotating through different clinics and hospitals. Podiatry students may rotate through surgical podiatry, trauma, dermatology, anesthesia, infectious disease, endocrinology, and other specialties. Similar to allopathic and ostheopathic students, podiatry students will take their step 2 exams during their 4th year of medical school. At this time they will also interview for residencies.
Can you start practicing after medical school?
Not so fast. After podiatry medical school students become doctors of podiatry medicine (DPM). However, training is not complete. They then have to complete residency training where they will partake in interdisciplinary rotations such as surgery, trauma, infectious disease, internal medicine, pediatrics and others. There are two type of residencies they can choose from:
• Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency (PMSR)
• Podiatric Medicine and Surgery Residency with credential in Reconstructive Rearfoot/Ankle Surgery (PMSR/RRA)
After fellowship, DPMs can begin practicing or further their education with a fellowship. Podiatric physicians are licensed to practice in all 50 states. Many podiatrists enjoy a good work-life balance. Some work in clinics and others primarily in the hospital setting. Most podiatrists earn a salary in the mid $100,000s (120-180K).
So there you have it. I hope this was informative. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the field of podiatry.
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