Free Resources Every Aspiring Doctor Should Read

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free premed resources

As you make the decision to pursue a career in medicine, you may wonder, “Where do I even start?” It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the process, but there are a lot of resources out there designed to help you. No matter what stage you’re in, below you will find free resources, information, and tools that you can take advantage of throughout the process to guide you as you navigate your medical journey.

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Should I Retake the MCAT?

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retake the MCAT

Believe it or not, it is not uncommon to take the MCAT twice. Though sitting for seven hours and thirty minutes more than once is not anyone’s idea of fun, scheduling a second test can be the best option if your target MCAT score is not reflected in your actual score report.

If your current score does not meet your expectations, you may be wondering if another test day is the right choice for you. Should you apply with the lower score, or should you study again? Is it worth the delay, cost, and effort to re-test? While you should consider your individual case with the guidance of an academic advisor, these guidelines can help you decide whether to schedule another test.

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What It Means to Love Being a Doctor

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love being a doctor

I stood and watched off to the side as the cart wheeled in through the wide double doors into Operation Room 1. It was my first day of shadowing a pediatric neurosurgeon, and so as I waited for the doctor to enter the room, I tapped my feet to the rhythm of an invisible beat and wrung my hands behind my back. A young boy with short-cropped brown hair lay propped against the pillows, his back straightening as he entered the room. He was young—he couldn’t have been older than 2 or 3—and he looked around with a gleam in his wide blue eyes. Clutching the edges of his blanket, he looked about the white room. He looked at me for an instant, just a second, just as long as he did for all the others in the room, and he tilted his head. So had I, I realized, as I straightened mine.

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Are You Ready for Commitment? When and How to Write a Letter of Intent

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letter of intent

So you are nearing the end of your application season. You have spent years completing prerequisite courses, engaging in thoughtful and philanthropic extracurricular pursuits, preparing for the MCAT, and of course submitting primaries, secondaries and interviewing at your desired medical schools. Maybe you have multiple letters of acceptance in hand; maybe you have not yet received your fat envelope. But there is one school that has stolen your heart. And unfortunately, your love might be unrequited.

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What substance is associated with this presentation?

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A 45-year-old female presents with painful lesions on her lower limbs and ears. She is a smoker, and has a history of recreational drug use. Purpuric, necrotic lesions are noted on both lower extremities, in addition to tender purpura on both ears. A biopsy is performed which demonstrates leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Use of which substance is most likely to be associated with this presentation?

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Q&A with Duffy Jones, DVM, Author of The Business Side of Veterinary Medicine

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Duffy Jones

Dr. M. Duffy Jones, DVM completed his Bachelor of Science degree in biology at the University of Notre Dame and obtained his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine. He then completed an internship at Georgia Veterinary Specialist in 2000. In 2005, he founded Peachtree Hills Animal Hospital located in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the co-author of The Business Side of Veterinary Medicine: What Veterinary Schools Do Not Teach You, published in 2017.

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What long-term complication is associated with this condition?

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A five-year-old male with a four-day history of fever presents with a new erythematous rash. His mother says he has been coughing and sneezing for the past few days. Examination reveals conjunctivitis, grayish elevations on the buccal mucosa opposite his molar teeth, and a maculopapular rash on his trunk and extremities. Which of the following is a long-term complication of this patient’s condition?

A. Mitral valve disease
B. Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
C. Cataracts
D. Infertility

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How would you manage this acute abdominal pain?

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A 24-year-old sexually active female presents with a three-day history of severe right upper quadrant pain that worsens on inhalation. She has a history of multiple sexual partners and does not use contraception. Examination reveals marked tenderness in the right upper quadrant and laparoscopy demonstrates the findings seen here. Based on this patient’s diagnosis, what treatment would address the most likely underlying infection?

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A Crucial Health Professions Pipeline Pt. 2

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More great stuff from the SHPEPers at CCOM

Our visit with pre-health students in the Carver College of Medicine’s Summer Health Professions Education Program continues as co-host Teneme Konne talks with SHPEPers Asjah Coleman, Kirsten Grismer, Ahone Koge and Margaret Mungai.  Before the show, Teneme also visited with two of Iowa City’s homeless population, and gained some insight into their lives as well as the reasons they are living on the streets.

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Your Research Can Change Medicine: Interview with Dr. Jeffrey Drazen, Editor-in-Chief, NEJM

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Jeffrey drazen

Medical journalists and researchers have a responsibility to perform meaningful, reproducible research to guide the direction and practice of medicine, both now and in the future. As upcoming researchers and practitioners, your work could have a significant impact on future medical practice. In this video, Nirmal Gosalia of DocThoughts discusses the future of research and medical journals with Dr. Jeffrey Drazen, Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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