A 37-year-old female presents to her family physician with recurring abdominal and flank pain. She mentions her mother suffered from kidney problems but doesn’t know many details. Examination reveals a blood pressure of 170/110 mmHg and proteinuria is present on dipstick. Laboratory tests show an elevated hematocrit, microalbuminuria, and microscopic hematuria. A CT scan later reveals the findings seen here.Which of the following conditions is most commonly associated with this patient’s likely diagnosis?
Night Float: Finding Mentors, Being a Mentor
Mentorship–both giving and receiving–is a crucial part of being a resident
Keenan Laraway, MD
Short Coat Podcast veteran Keenan Laraway, MD (CCOM ’15, Internal Medicine), returns to the microphone to give his insights into one of the most important parts of residency–finding and being a mentor. As you listen, note how much credit he gives to his mentors for their influence on him, and how much emphasis he gives to teaching medical students himself. Medical residency (and undergraduate medical education, partially) operates on an apprenticeship model, in which the experience and advice of one’s colleagues is integral to one’s own development. Seeking out those relationships is therefore vital.
The MCAT Scoring Process: Your Questions Answered
When you receive your score report, you will receive five scores—four scores for each of the multiple-choice sections of the exam and one total score. As you prepare for test day, you may wonder how the AAMC calculates your scores. Or perhaps you’ve heard some theories about how we do it. To help dispel any myths, we’ve answered three of your frequently asked questions about how the MCAT exam is scored.
3 Study Strategies for the Behavioral Sciences on the MCAT
As essential as it is to know the pathophysiology of various diseases and the pharmacological and surgical interventions used to treat them, it is also necessary to understand the social and psychological aspects of illness in order to effectively treat patients. Physicians must situate their treatments within psychosocial parameters that best serve the individual patient, asking questions like, “What will motivate this patient to take his medication as prescribed?” and “How do the social supports of this single parent influence his or her ability to get his/her child to well-visits with the pediatrician?”
Student Loan Repayment Strategies for Medical Professionals
Unless you’re one of those people who wins every scholarship you apply for, you’ve likely … Read more
Daniel Lam: Medical Student & Study Aid Knitter
Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA, went to UC Berkeley for undergrad (go Bears) and studied linguistics, then made a sharp left turn and decided to go to medical school. Now I’m a fourth year at the University of Chicago applying into pediatrics.* I’m a middle child, a West Wing fanatic, and a knitter! I like to knit (obviously), but I also like other things, like writing/reading, cooking/eating, other forms of production/consumption, and hanging out at cafes listening to music and doing crossword puzzles.
Dyspnea, Cough, and Facial Swelling—What’s the Cause
A 70-year-old smoker presents with a four-week history of dyspnea, cough, and facial swelling that is exacerbated by bending forward. A physical examination reveals venous collaterals on the chest wall, and imaging is ordered. What is the most likely cause?
Tests, Tact, and Turpentine
Everyone gets anxious about tests. And med school features a lot of tests.
The news that students at Oregon Health and Science University will now be subject to ‘compassion tests‘ in order to graduate got Dave thinking about test anxiety. As schools pile on the examinations, how do students deal with the stress? Dabin Choi, Gabe Conley, Claire Casteneda, and Erik Kneller discuss meditation, sleep, prayer, and eating habits that keep them from letting the fear derail them.
Q&A with Ginny McCarthy, Director of Health Sciences Division Ministry
Ask any doctor, in any specialty and of any age, and they will remember their training in medical school. It is full of learning, new experiences, new friends, and major strides in both personal and professional development. With so many changes, dozens of obstacles in each student’s life must be confronted and overcome. Fortunately, medical schools have extraordinary people who devote their time and talent to guiding and supporting medical students through their four years. This column interviews these people at medical schools around the country to help students learn more about the resources they have available during their years in school.
In our fifth installment, I interviewed Ms. Ginny McCarthy. Ms. McCarthy is the Director of Health Sciences Division Ministry at Loyola University Chicago. She is currently working toward her Master of Public Health. Ms. McCarthy is married and has three children, enjoys running and cooking, and is grateful for continued opportunities for learning and growth.
What To Expect: Intern Year
You’ve likely heard the rumors about the dreaded Intern Year. It’s the worst of the worst. Say goodbye to your partner and hello to lonely days and nights. But are the rumors really true? And if they are, what can you do about it?
I remember when my husband was a few months into MS3, and we were feeling the med school blues. Third year was particularly challenging for my family, so I already felt like my life and relationship were struggling. One day, I happened to attend a “Baby and Me” yoga class with my nine-month old, and the mom sitting next to me started a conversation by asking me what my husband did. I replied “he’s in medical school,” and she just laughed and shook her head. She replied, “My husband is an intern. I wish someone had told me how horrible it was going to be. If you think it’s bad now, just wait. It gets so much worse.”
Q&A with Dr. Suzi Schweikert, Ob-Gyn and Medical School Admissions Expert
As a physician, I have worked in private practice, academic medicine, research medicine, and community health. I currently work in a non-profit community clinic, where I treat patients, supervise nurse midwives, and train providers on electronic health records. At Accepted, I advise students applying to medical school, residencies, fellowships, PA, NP, MPH, nursing, midwifery, and other healthcare-affiliated programs. I enjoy working with traditional and nontraditional applicants alike and believe that healthcare is at its best when providers come from a wide variety of backgrounds.
The Physician Gender Bias—What Every Female Doctor Has Faced
A man and a woman step into an elevator wearing the exact same hospital scrub … Read more
The Truth About "Primary Care" Statistics
How to Think About Med Schools’ Primary Care Statistics
Listener Lavender BloodPoison (not their real name) sent us a message saying they were impressed by CCOM’s Primary Care residency match statistics. And while many schools that serve states like ours do love primary care, “there are lies, damn lies, and statistics,” as the saying goes. How should one interpret match statistics in light of the fact that many who appear to match in primary care will go on to specialize after their first year residency? Lisa Wehr, Teneme Konne, Aline Sandouk, Amy Young, and Kaci McCleary are here to drop some truths about the so-called “Dean’s Lie” (less a lie as much as it is a truth that doesn’t tell the whole story).
Q&A with Courtleigh Watson, DVM
Today we (Tutor the People) are interviewing Courtleigh Watson, a DVM associate veterinarian. Courtleigh studied veterinary medicine in Alabama, and she is going to tell us more about her background, the steps she took to become a veterinarian, and her current career.
TTP: Hi, Courtleigh. Thank you for speaking with us today. Not many people can say they were able to acquire their dream job. Did you always want to be a veterinarian? Please tell us more about your background and what drew you to this discipline—did you know during undergrad that you would continue to pursue veterinary medicine? This was a big decision to make at that time.
Non-Academic Ideas to Boost Your Med School Chances
At this point, you are probably already aware of how competitive medical school admissions are. For instance, you may already know that the most competitive med schools boast acceptance rates of nearly 3%—that’s almost half the acceptance rate of Harvard College. Pretty dire, right?
The truth, however, is that while medical school admissions are and will continue to be incredibly competitive, there are a number of steps you can take throughout college to distinguish yourself from the enormous pool of hyper-qualified candidates. Along with doing the typical extracurricular activities for med school like lab research, teaching experience, etc. the best candidates think outside of the box to make their extracurriculars stand out.
How to Choose Your Dental School
April showers bring May flowers, and May flowers into a summer of applications for dental … Read more
What’s causing this teenager’s vision loss?
A 14-year-old boy is brought to the pediatrician by his mother over concerns of difficulty walking and worsening clumsiness. He reports a gradual loss of night vision, and a long history of chronic diarrhea which is pale and foul-smelling. Examination reveals an ataxic gait, and loss of deep tendon reflexes. Bilateral retinitis pigmentosa is noted on fundoscopy and a peripheral blood smear reveals the findings seen here. Which additional laboratory finding is most likely?
Should You Retake the MCAT? 3 Key Things to Consider
Studying your butt off for months, suffering through an anxiety-inducing test day, and then waiting … Read more
Putting the Anxiety Cart Before the Horse
Anxiety about your competitive specialty ambitions in your first year isn’t worth it.
Listener Luis wrote in expressing his anxiety that his med school–which he’ll begin attending this fall–doesn’t have the prestige or programs to support his desire for a competitive specialty like ophthalmology. If that’s the case, he wondered, what can he do to increase his chances of obtaining his dream career? Fortunately for Luis, Irisa Mahaparn, Gabe Conley, Brendan George, Jason Lewis, and new co-host Andres Dajles were on hand to give Luis the advice and encouragement he needs…and a tiny dose of tough love, too.
How to Work with a Recruiter to Find a Job
In your second or third year of residency or fellowship, your smartphone will suddenly start … Read more