20 Questions: Dr. Yvonne Thornton, MD, MPH, OB-GYN

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Dr. Yvonne Thornton, author of Something to Prove: A Daughter’s Journey to Fulfill a Father’s Legacy (2010), and the e-book Inside Information for Women: Answers to the Mysteries of the Female Body and Her Health (2011), has broken down gender and race barriers, and in the process become an inspiration to millions.
In Dr. Thornton’s first book, the Pulitzer-prize nominated best-selling memoir The Ditch Digger’s Daughters (1995), she describes her upbringing, detailing how her parents, a maid and a manual laborer, brought her and her four sisters from the projects to possibility, with four of the girls eventually pursuing careers in medicine at the behest of their father.

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Getting into Residency: Most Important Factors

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How do residency program directors decide whom to interview? And what factors influence how they rank those applicants they do interview? The National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) surveyed residency program directors in 2008 and 2010 about what they consider most important when deciding which applicants to interview and what criteria are most valuable when ranking residency applicants. This survey, an underutilized resource, provides valuable insight and information that can help medical students determine how competitive they are for a given specialty. The data can also empower applicants if they use the information to improve their candidacies.
Here is what the survey showed about 1) what factors influence program directors to offer a residency applicant an interview, presented as the percentage of program directors who considered each factor important, and 2) what specific criteria influence their decision to rank a residency applicant after the interview, using a scale from 1 (not at all important) to 5 (very important).

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Getting Ready For Private Practice

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I remember the time I was a senior resident. It was the beginning of my final year of postgraduate training. I knew I had decisions to make. I was conflicted. Would I go into academics or would I go into private practice? This was the first question I needed to answer.
Throughout medical school and residency, the allure of academics and the urging of my professors had led me down the path of academics. The collegiality and sense of purpose with academics made this a difficult choice for me. I did not want to disappoint my professors. However, I wanted to get into private practice. Honestly, I wanted to make some money. It had been a long haul, and twelve years of education and training had brought me to this juncture. I had no debt, thankfully. But I had no money either.

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The Successful Match: Getting into Radiology

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the match

Of the 4,455 total residents training in 188 ACGME-accredited radiology residency programs, 88.3% are graduates of U.S. allopathic medical schools, 7.6% are international medical graduates, and 3.9% are osteopathic graduates.1 Dr. Vicki Marx is the director of the radiology program at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, and we asked for her insights into the radiology residency selection process.

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Interview Advice: What to Wear, What to Wear

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“I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn’t itch.” Gilda Radner
Let’s face it, we live in a much less formal era than those preceding. The anomaly of casual Friday has become the norm in American culture. Many people work from home, conquering the world through a computer while wearing a comfy pair of sweatpants. This new trend can lead one astray when it comes to the medical school interview. The increase in informality is compounded by the fact that many of those being interviewed may never have had the opportunity to wear a suit for a formal event.
Often times, an applicant is left with an awful feeling shortly before an interview when they realize they may not be in compliance with the “dress code.” It can be distressing when you discover there are rules to the game but no one gave you a copy. Not to worry.

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The Successful Match: Getting Into Emergency Medicine

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There are 4,479 total residents training in approximately 150 ACGME-accredited emergency medicine residency training programs. Of these, 85.1% are graduates of U.S. allopathic medical schools, 9.0% are osteopathic graduates, and 5.7% are international medical graduates.1 Osteopathic students may also enter an AOA-approved emergency medicine residency program. In recent years, there have been over 40 such programs.2 Based on recent match statistics, emergency medicine can be considered to be a moderately competitive specialty.
We recently discussed the emergency medicine residency selection process with Dr. Jamie Collings, the Executive Director of Innovative Education and an associate professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. For many years, she served as the program director of the emergency medicine residency program at Northwestern. Over the past fifteen years, she has been heavily involved in advising students interested in pursuing a career in emergency medicine. Dr. Collings earned her medical degree at the Oregon Health & Science University, and then completed her residency at the University of Chicago.

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Interview Advice: Grades?! Part 2

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Originally published 26 February 2007.
“A wise man can see more from the bottom of a well than a fool can from a mountain top.” Unknown
So you’re not happy with your grades. Are they at the bottom of a well? Do you feel that the GPA and MCAT scores on your application don’t reflect the true brain power you possess? This firmly plants you in the majority of applicants. So what can be done to help this common situation? Here are some tips to help you be the “wise man” and make the most of your grades.
Overview of Problem Areas
During the course of the medical school interview, it is important to proactively bring up weak areas of your application. I liken this to telling your parents you’ve done something wrong before they find out about it. Although I rarely practiced this philosophy as I was growing up, the times I did usually resulted in less trouble. I think the same is true for admissions committees. Students who can assess their own weaknesses gain credibility. Those who come to the committee with an honest assessment and plan (not excuses) to address weaknesses look much stronger than those who ignore or try to hide their shortcomings.

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Interview Advice: Grades?! Part 1

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Originally published 11 January 2007
“Doubt is not a pleasant condition…” Voltaire (1694 – 1778)
If you are concerned about your grades (GPA, MCAT, etc.), you are not alone. As an advisor and interviewer, it’s one of the most common issues I encounter. Nobody thinks they have perfect scores. It’s the equivalent of looking in the mirror and being a little displeased with that sag or roll. We all wish something was different. Applicants view their grades the same way. The good news is that changing your scores doesn’t involve a nip or tuck.
The topic of grades is a big one. There are several key concepts that need to be addressed and are paramount to your success. It’s too large and important to adequately cover in one column. That is why the next two articles will be dedicated to this subject.

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20 Questions: Timur Durrani [Preventive Medicine/Medical Toxicology]

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Dr. Timur Durrani

Timur Durrani, MD, MPH, MBA, is currently a medical toxicology fellow at UCSF. Dr. Durrani, who specializes in preventive medicine, attended University of California Irvine, where he received a Master of Business Administration with a focus on Health Care administration in June 2008. Prior to that, he received a Medical Doctorate from University of Arizona College of Medicine in 2004, and a Master of Public Health with a focus on Community Oriented Public Health from the University of Arizona, College of Public Health in 2004. Dr. Durrani served a family medicine residency at the University of California Los Angeles from July 2004 – June 2007, followed by a preventive medicine residency at the California Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County Public Health Department, from July 2007 – 2008. He also speaks Spanish.

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The Successful Match: Getting into Obstetrics and Gynecology

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There are 4,815 total residents training in nearly 250 ACGME-accredited obstetrics and gynecology training programs.1 Of these, 71.8% are graduates of U.S. allopathic medical schools, 19.9% are international medical graduates, and 8.1% are osteopathic graduates.  In recent years, over 1,100 categorical positions have been available in the Match.

We recently discussed the obstetrics and gynecology residency selection process with Dr. Eugene Toy, the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs and residency program director in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX.  Dr. Toy is widely known as the creator, series editor, and primary author of McGraw-Hill’s popular Case Files Series.

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