8 Ways Health Professional Students Can Help The Nation’s Uninsured

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I am getting restless hearing about what may or may not happen to the Affordable Care Act. And I am worried about the 18 to 22 million Americans who currently receive coverage through it.
As health professionals in training, we are often tasked with keeping the system running and making sure nothing slips through the cracks. We spend time getting to know our patients, diligently maintaining their records, finding extra resources, and going out of our way to call, page, and text residents and supervisors when our patients’ health is in jeopardy.

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So Little Time: Prioritizing For Healthy Time Management

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Chronicles of a Med Student

As I enter the thick of studying for board exams, I’m reminded even more every day to stay calm, grounded, and keep my head clear. This is the last semester of my pre-clinical education (I can’t believe how time has flown!), and I’m caught in a balance of staying positive about that as well as juggling my hours of studying for board exams. I’ve experienced just about every emotion in the past few weeks, but one of them has always been there lurking underneath the surface: the feeling of being overwhelmed. I’ve touched on this multiple times before, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay mentally stable and sane through the medical training process! I have found myself slipping these last few weeks as I try to “do it all”, so I had to reach out.

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Three Tips to Improvise Your Way to MMI Greatness

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three tips mmi

Ding. The ring of a bell emanates from invisible speakers overhead, and the pre-med waltz begins.
Immediately, a hallway of med school hopefuls grab the laminated neon sheets hanging on the doors in front of them. We flip over the page, read the prompt, and have two minutes to mentally outline an answer in our minds before the next…

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Residency Applicants Beware! Make Sure You Understand the Match Participation Agreement

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With Match Week approaching, this is an exciting and hectic time. As you prepare for the next phase of your medical career, it is also important to understand legal issues involved in the Match®, administered by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)®. As part of the online enrollment process for the Match, residents accept the NRMP’s Match Participation Agreement (MPA). Residents cannot register for the Match unless they accept the MPA. The MPA is a binding contract exceeding 30 pages. Many residents never read the MPA during the online enrollment process. Others may skim the MPA, but not read the terms carefully. Lurking within the MPA, however, are numerous restrictions on what residents may do before, during, and after Match Week. Applicants who fail to comply with those restrictions in the MPA may commit a match violation, which could lead to substantial penalties and adverse consequences for your medical career. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of your obligations under the MPA and to assure your compliance with the MPA.

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Use Mind Mapping to Write a Personal Statement that is Unique to You

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MCAT preparatory courses

Mind mapping is a brainstorming technique that can help you see the big picture of your life story, key personal strengths, and professional competencies. As such, it can be an invaluable method for students preparing for personal statements, medical school applications, interviews, etc.

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I Want You Tibia My Valentine

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i want you tibia my valentine

Valentine’s Day can be hard for med students, medical professionals, and their spouses because all the other couples are out and about with their special someone. Where is your special someone? Your “person” in the wise words of Meredith Grey, is currently on call at the ER and just texted you during a moment of sanity (miracles do happen) to tell you that due to the high influx of patients they won’t be home that night…even though they worked the previous 6 nights. Sound familiar? “Wait, you don’t know what time your husband will come home every night?” Actually no, no I don’t. “You spent your weekend studying?” Of course! Doesn’t it sound like fun to spend every moment of your waking hours at the library? “Can you guys go out tonight?” Please define “out” and could you set specific parameters on how long we will be gone and when it will be socially acceptable for us to leave to sleep or study once again.

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Advice for 4th Years: Creating Your Best Residency Application

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The residency application process is winding down for the current cycle. As this is my second season reviewing applications to my residency program as a resident, I’ve across some insight that I wished I had as a fourth year medical student applying to residency. Being on the other side of the fence, I gained a deeper appreciation for the process and the care my program invested in selecting this year’s applicants. I will share some insight along with examples from current residents at various programs in the country. Here are five tips for 2017-2018 cycle applicants and beyond.

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How to Prepare for the MCAT’s Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills Section

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The Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (or CARS) section of the MCAT is occasionally placed on the backburner by prospective medical students who are focused on learning (and relearning) the information necessary for success on the science-based portions of the test. What some individuals realize too close to their exam date, however, is that the CARS section is anything but a buffer score for results in “more difficult” sections of the MCAT.

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Preparing to Apply to Medical School

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Wondering if a career as a doctor would be a good fit for you? Already decided you want to apply to medical school, but not sure where to start? In order to help premedical students understand what is involved in applying to medical school, Student Doctor Network has partnered with Open Osmosis to create a video on “Preparing to Apply to Medical School.” Learn what to consider when deciding whether medical school is the right path for you, find out what you will need for your application, and hear what steps you’ll need to take before starting the application process. The video also takes a look at joint degree options, different curricula, and school environments to help you find the best fit. 

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You and Your Spouse: A Financial Team

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Medical Spouse

Aside from long hours and lots of studying, the other guarantee in medical school is financial stress. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a spouse whose medical education is paid for and you have funds from family or a job that will cover both of your living expenses, you’ll be on a tight budget and accumulating massive amounts of debt. That debt will be large enough to change your financial planning and lifestyle both now and for years to come.

So how do we put ourselves in the best financial position now and plan for the future? And how do we still enjoy life now during these lean years? It’s worth it to start talking about finances now!

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Choosing a Specialty: Narrowing Down Your Options

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This column has focused on the process faced by every medical student, especially third-years: learning the basics of clinical medicine while trying to choose which specialty is for them. This is not an easy task, and although for many it begins before the third year, it usually is not solidified until clinical experiences confirm a student’s passion and proclivity for a certain discipline. The articles in this column have sought to offer particular stories and experiences that may be typical of a specialty, highlighting as many of the “core” specialties as possible. I am only one person, and these experiences are from my perspective as I try to sort through this process myself. This article will explore the process of narrowing down your specialty choice, including some things you may want to consider besides the obvious question, “which specialty do I like the most?”

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From "Book Rat" to Neurologist: An Interview with José Cavazos, MD-PhD

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As a child, José Cavazos, MD-PhD, was a self-proclaimed “book rat”. So, it makes sense that his career path was clear after reading a book.
“I stumbled into the literary work—meaning the autobiography—of Don Santiago Ramón y Cajal. He’s a Nobel laureate, the discoverer of the neuron, from Spain,” said Cavazos, speaking to SDN at the 2016 UC Davis Pre-Health Conference. “And, you know, [his work was] the beginning of what excited me to become a neuroscientist, and eventually, a neurologist and a clinician scientist.”

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The Value of Navigating Different EMR Systems

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Electronic medical records were an inevitable advancement. Paper filing could only go so far, and EMRs allowed the healthcare industry to simplify and automate clinical tasks for greater efficiency. Hospitals and practices throughout the world use EMR systems, with a vast majority of facilities using at least one.

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New Student Success Stories: How I Prepared for the MCAT Exam

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Studying for the MCAT exam can be daunting, and chances are, you’ve typed “How do I study for the MCAT exam?” or “What’s the best way to prepare for the MCAT exam?” into your search engine. You may have even wondered how long you should spend studying.
Whether you are about to begin studying or are currently in the process, it’s likely you are still looking for guidance about where to start or where to find the best review strategy, or whether you are on the right track with your preparation. To find these answers, you may have searched the web, skimmed online forums, and consulted with friends or family, likely uncovering hundreds of different results, advice, and opinions that can leave your head spinning.

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4 New Year’s Resolutions for Pre-Medical Students

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Being a pre-medical student means committing to a years-long process aimed at ultimately gaining admission to medical school. No matter how many years away you may currently be from applying, starting the new year with a resolution or two that is geared toward helping you achieve your goal of becoming a physician is a great way of ensure that you are on track. Whether you vow to finally enroll in that EMT class, or to broaden your academic horizons by taking an elective outside your major, find time to build yourself as an applicant while also maintaining a life outside of your pre-medical activities. Consider taking on one or more of the below resolutions, or craft your own to fit your academic and personal needs.

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