I've been doing a lot of surfing on medical school forums in the last week. These things are great. It's nice and somewhat comforting to know that other people out there share your concerns. However, it is also disconcerting to know how vast my competition is. But, such is life.
I've put a couple of posts up myself and they've been very helpful. So far, however, I'm getting the same impression from everyone. Concentrate on those grades, worry about mastering your medical school pre-requisites (BCMP). I can't wait to get this started. Going to school can be a bitch. But, when you go to school with an ultimate goal in mind it really makes things a little easier.
My school history sucks so far. But I've been hearing promising things about being able to come back from that sort of stuff.
-Merlin
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
The Professional
I spoke with my primary physician yesterday. He and I had a 20 minute long discussion regarding medical school. It was an entertaining discussion.
Essentially, he told me that this was going to be the most difficult task I've ever undertaken, and that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I'm going to have to work my ass off is basically what he said. He also told me that I shouldn't be worrying about volunteering or any of the other extra-curricular activities expected of most med students.
I think I may still do some volunteering. It's early enough that I can do a little bit at a time and get lots done. My primary also said that doctors are dogs. He said that they never stop working and the word quit isn't even in their vocabulary. That certainly sounds like my personality.
-Merlin
Essentially, he told me that this was going to be the most difficult task I've ever undertaken, and that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I'm going to have to work my ass off is basically what he said. He also told me that I shouldn't be worrying about volunteering or any of the other extra-curricular activities expected of most med students.
I think I may still do some volunteering. It's early enough that I can do a little bit at a time and get lots done. My primary also said that doctors are dogs. He said that they never stop working and the word quit isn't even in their vocabulary. That certainly sounds like my personality.
-Merlin
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
REQUIREMENTS!
I'm sure most of the people in the world don't have a clue as to what medical school's requirements are. I'm so sure of this because I was one of those people before a day or two ago. Admissions really does expect quite a bit out of you. If you want the education, you have to show them. Aside from the tall order of maintaining a minimum 3.6 GPA and an above-average MCATS score (which is like 33 or so), there are some other requirements that act to further filter the "heroes from the zeros" (please forgive the terrible metaphor).
Without the GPA and the MCATS, you won't even be looked at. This is what I've learned. GPA and MCATS are of prime importance. However, maintaining a volunteer career is also vitally important, as it demonstrates that you are willing to sacrifice your time for others. Apparently, clinical experience and shadowing a doctor are also very important. Medical schools want to insure that you understand what you're getting yourself into and that you're not going to beg off halfway through medical school because you realized this isn't what you wanted.
The next, and what I consider to be a little more superficial and obscure is being researched and published. You should be researched, there's no doubt about that. In medical school you will spend a good portion of your time in laboratory settings and you've got to know your way around. Being published, however, is akin to just plain showing off. If you can get published then kudos to you. My question is how the hell do you get published? I'm not a professional scientist. I don't have any experience developing advanced or even basic scientific theories and testing them. How am I supposed to publish a research paper if I can't even research?
It's very important to me that I am able to perform to the best of my abilities in all requirements, but the real quest is going to be setting myself up to perform. I'm a very competitive person by nature and I don't like to lose. So, it is my goal to be better then any pre-medical student out there by the time it's time for me to apply. Yeah, I might have a better chance of being struck by lightning then getting into Harvard, especially considering some of these requirements. But, I am going to try like hell.
-Merlin
Without the GPA and the MCATS, you won't even be looked at. This is what I've learned. GPA and MCATS are of prime importance. However, maintaining a volunteer career is also vitally important, as it demonstrates that you are willing to sacrifice your time for others. Apparently, clinical experience and shadowing a doctor are also very important. Medical schools want to insure that you understand what you're getting yourself into and that you're not going to beg off halfway through medical school because you realized this isn't what you wanted.
The next, and what I consider to be a little more superficial and obscure is being researched and published. You should be researched, there's no doubt about that. In medical school you will spend a good portion of your time in laboratory settings and you've got to know your way around. Being published, however, is akin to just plain showing off. If you can get published then kudos to you. My question is how the hell do you get published? I'm not a professional scientist. I don't have any experience developing advanced or even basic scientific theories and testing them. How am I supposed to publish a research paper if I can't even research?
It's very important to me that I am able to perform to the best of my abilities in all requirements, but the real quest is going to be setting myself up to perform. I'm a very competitive person by nature and I don't like to lose. So, it is my goal to be better then any pre-medical student out there by the time it's time for me to apply. Yeah, I might have a better chance of being struck by lightning then getting into Harvard, especially considering some of these requirements. But, I am going to try like hell.
-Merlin
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
The Day After That Fateful Day...
So, my wife and I talked about my decision to pursue medical school. I fully expected her to tell me I was completely insane and that we needed an immediate divorce. However, that was not the reaction I received.
A little background on my wife and I: we are polar opposites regarding almost any topic you could imagine except for how to raise our son (for the most part). I say black, she says white. She says up, I say down. So, when she said that she absolutely backed me up on this and she thinks I'm fully capable of getting into medical school I almost shit a brick.
I've started working out how I'm going to accomplish all of my prerequisites in a strategic fashion so that I can maximize my success rate. So far, I've figured out that I'll start volunteering now at the AIDS Project and a local place called Tap In that provides a variety of things for needy families. I'm aiming for 400 or more hours of volunteer service. God knows I've got the time.
I'm going to be attending undergraduate school part time initially. I'll go to the local Community College to knock my freshman general education requirements out and then transfer to the local state University for my main undergraduate courses, where my major will be Microbiology. I want to get some research time and experience in, and I think I'll take care of that while an undergrad. I also am supposed to do some shadowing of doctors. I haven't a clue how or when I'm going to do that. Hopefully somebody at URI will be able to hook me up at some point. Then, there is the question of GPA...oh boy. This one is the deciding factor of whether I even get looked at by medical schools. I intend on holding a minimum 3.8 GPA. My MCATS should follow suit with my GPA if I do my job right. It will be very interesting.
-Merlin
A little background on my wife and I: we are polar opposites regarding almost any topic you could imagine except for how to raise our son (for the most part). I say black, she says white. She says up, I say down. So, when she said that she absolutely backed me up on this and she thinks I'm fully capable of getting into medical school I almost shit a brick.
I've started working out how I'm going to accomplish all of my prerequisites in a strategic fashion so that I can maximize my success rate. So far, I've figured out that I'll start volunteering now at the AIDS Project and a local place called Tap In that provides a variety of things for needy families. I'm aiming for 400 or more hours of volunteer service. God knows I've got the time.
I'm going to be attending undergraduate school part time initially. I'll go to the local Community College to knock my freshman general education requirements out and then transfer to the local state University for my main undergraduate courses, where my major will be Microbiology. I want to get some research time and experience in, and I think I'll take care of that while an undergrad. I also am supposed to do some shadowing of doctors. I haven't a clue how or when I'm going to do that. Hopefully somebody at URI will be able to hook me up at some point. Then, there is the question of GPA...oh boy. This one is the deciding factor of whether I even get looked at by medical schools. I intend on holding a minimum 3.8 GPA. My MCATS should follow suit with my GPA if I do my job right. It will be very interesting.
-Merlin
That Fateful Day
So, today is that day. The day I decided, concretely, to pursue a career in medicine. I can't believe that I'm even saying this, but in the same breath it feels and sounds "right." I've been researching and reading for two days, trying to understand what kind of mountain I'm going to be climbing. So far, it's the Olympus Monds of educational terrain (for me, at least). I've never read the acronyms GPA, MCATS, MD, PhD, and DO so many times in one hour as I have in these last few days.
As far as I can tell, this is going to be one hell of a ride. I just wonder if I'm going to be smiling, grimacing, or crying for my mommy by the end. I've got a tall order to fill considering the prospective medical schools that I can attend (based on proximity). Brown, UMass, Harvard, Boston Univeristy, Yale, and the University of Conneticut. Obviously I won't limit myself to just these schools, considering that more then half are considered Ivy League and I might as well sign up for the "Stand Around and Get Struck by Lightning" program while I'm waiting for my acceptance letters.
Anyway, I'm aware of the workload I've just requested to be dropped on my head, and I can't wait to get started!
-Merlin
As far as I can tell, this is going to be one hell of a ride. I just wonder if I'm going to be smiling, grimacing, or crying for my mommy by the end. I've got a tall order to fill considering the prospective medical schools that I can attend (based on proximity). Brown, UMass, Harvard, Boston Univeristy, Yale, and the University of Conneticut. Obviously I won't limit myself to just these schools, considering that more then half are considered Ivy League and I might as well sign up for the "Stand Around and Get Struck by Lightning" program while I'm waiting for my acceptance letters.
Anyway, I'm aware of the workload I've just requested to be dropped on my head, and I can't wait to get started!
-Merlin
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