Physiology is different! If you’re in the midst of learning physiology, either in a traditional or systems course, you’ve noticed that it feels different from biochemistry and anatomy. There are several reasons. First, the stakes are high, as physiology is inextricably the basis for medicine; learning physiology has long-lasting, downstream consequences for understanding pathophysiology and clinical medicine. And physiology is the underpinning for Step 1, so learning it well in your courses is essential. Second, physiology cannot be memorized (and you’re good memorizers!). Physiology must be understood, and understanding can’t be rushed. You’re learning concepts and principles, rather than isolated facts, and you’re challenged by the hierarchy of concepts, interconnections, and recurring themes. Last and oh so important, you must make peace with graphs, equations, and calculations, since they are the language of physiology. Rather than concede up front that “I don’t do graphs,” it’s best to find a system for translating the mathematical side of physiology into something intuitive that speaks to you!
5 Steps to a Better CARS Score
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is one of the most well-known entrance exams in all of higher education. It is known for many things: difficulty, length, bizarre scoring systems, and the breadth of subjects covered – everything from basic human psychology to nucleophilic substitution reactions to electrical circuits to the life cycle of plants are fair game on this test. The test is designed to look for several basic abilities and aptitudes of medical school applicants; among these are problem-solving skills, basic grasp of scientific knowledge, and understanding of human relationships. One aptitude that the MCAT particularly focuses on is the ability to quickly synthesize large amounts of information and data and make decisions based on the conclusions; this skill is extremely valuable for physicians in medical practice, but also important for students to succeed in medical school. This skill is tested on each section of the MCAT, but is also almost the sole skill tested on one section in particular: Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills (CARS), formerly known as Verbal Reasoning.
Question & Answer with Physician-Author Dr. Damon Tweedy
Dr. Damon Tweedy is an assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center and a staff physician … Read more
Chronicles of a Med Student: Reaching Out
I’m sorry, I can’t—I have to study. These are words that have become so routine to me that I barely have to think about them before they come out of my mouth. Ugh, how has it become so reflexive? I was worried that this would happen, at least in the first two years of medical school when I would spend more time with my computer and books than with actual people. The sad thing is that whenever I have a free second, it’s not really a free second because I just find myself wondering if I should be doing something at the moment instead of thinking about making plans with friends I never see anymore. And these are not only the friends I’ve made this year. Sadly those I neglect most are generally the friendships I’ve cultivated over many years.
Tips to Get the Most from the Medical School Admissions Requirements® (MSAR®)
Chances are after deciding to become a doctor, you’ve likely heard a lot of opinions about where you should apply to medical school. There is a lot of information out there, which can create the perception that you should look for the “best” school only based on average GPAs and MCAT scores of its applicants. But we know that your success is not measured by scores and academic data alone.
Just as you want a medical school to evaluate you as a whole applicant—considering your experiences, attributes, and interests—you shouldn’t evaluate medical schools based just on the numbers and statistics that represent them. The most important thing to consider is whether the medical school is a good fit for you. But how do you figure that out with so many schools and programs?
3 Tips for Interpreting Medical School Rankings
Whether you are just beginning your medical school application process by compiling a list of programs that interest you, or if you are choosing one program from multiple acceptance offers, chances are you have referred to a ranking of medical schools. There are a number of such lists, many available online, and each ranking relies on a unique methodology when judging programs. These lists can be very helpful when investigating the differences between medical schools, but they should not be the sole factor when making decisions about where to apply and where to attend. Consider these three guidelines, which can help you best use medical school rankings:
Physician Employment Contracts Part II: The Story Continues
Make sure to check out Part I here!
Today’s article takes a closer look at several key terms in employment contracts that can have a significant impact on a new physician – compensation methods, incentive compensation and outside work or “moonlighting”. Building on our first article that examined termination provisions, non-compete clauses, professional liability insurance and indemnification, we will identify key issues in evaluating compensation models and moonlighting and outline some of the questions to consider before signing on the dotted line.
Dr. Sandeep Jauhar, Author of Doctored
What made you decide to write your new book, Doctored? What were you hoping to accomplish?
When I was growing up, my mother wanted me to become a doctor. She told me, “I want people to stand when you walk into a room.” When I started my first job as a cardiologist, I realized I had been isolated from the changes occurring in medicine. I was a fellow in cardiology; I was learning about the human body, the heart, the physiology, and the therapeutics, but not about the culture of practice. I was shocked to see how unhappy many of my colleagues were. The unhappiness wasn’t just about paperwork, patients going on the Internet, malpractice, the usual things you hear about – it was a deeper, more existential problem. The problem was the systems of medicine didn’t allow them to be the kind of doctor they wanted to be – the same kind I wanted to be. When I entered medical school, I had this fantasy that I was going to reform the profession somehow. I didn’t know how, but I thought I would, somehow. When I got out, I started seeing physicians who were unhappy. I think their unhappiness was a response to this loss of ideals. I think a lot of physicians have had to compromise their ideals because of a diseased system. That’s why I wrote the book. I wanted to write about it and put it out there.
Junior Doctor Stress and What Can be Done about It
Junior doctors [and residents in the US] do a valuable and sometimes life-saving job for patients. They are the future in medicine and can bring enthusiasm and fresh ideas into the profession. Despite the importance of their role to society, junior doctors have sky rocketing stress levels and many have an appalling state of mental health.
The Shocking Suicide Rate Among Doctors
It is totally shocking that in the 21st century, so many bright young doctors fall prey to depression and around 400 US physicians intentionally end their own lives annually. This means that every year in America, a million patients lose their doctor to suicide. The chance of dying by suicide is greatly increased for those in the medical profession compared with ‘lay’ people. For instance, male doctors have a 70% increased risk of dying as a result of suicide, when comparing the death rates with men from the general population. One of the reasons there are more completed suicides – ironically – may be as a result of doctor training. Doctors know the human body intimately. They know about drug dosages, they know more about the effects of drugs on the body. They know how to save a life and because of this, how to take one. A determined doctor can calculate a fatal drug dose expertly or know where to cut that would be catastrophic. They also have access to powerful, death dealing drugs that are only available on prescription to the rest of the population. This may be why there are so many successful doctor suicides each year.
A Guide to a Successful Gap Year
It wasn’t so very long ago that the typical medical student went straight from high school to a premedical program and then onto medical schools itself. This traditional pathway, however, is not so traditional anymore. The question of a gap year is one which comes up more and more frequently nowadays–and it is also one which can cause aspiring medical students a lot of anxiety as they make the decision about whether to take time off from academia when the undergraduate work is finished.
This article covers different aspects of the gap year, including the reasons why students take it, the fact that is it actually becoming more popular among pre-med students and different opportunities that students can take advantage of during this year off.
Why isn’t learning about public health a larger part of becoming a doctor?
Chronic conditions, such as Type II diabetes and hypertension, account for seven in 10 deaths in the United States each year. And by some estimates, public health factors, such as the physical environment we live in, socioeconomic status and ability to access health services, determine 90% of our health. Biomedical sciences and actual medical care – the stuff doctors do – determine the remaining 10%.
Clinical medicine can treat patients when they are sick, but public health provides an opportunity to prevent disease and poor health. But too often, medical students don’t get to learn about public health, or how to use it when they become doctors. That means many of today’s students aren’t learning about health care in a broader context.
20 Questions: Laura C. Londra, MD, FACOG, Reproductive Endocrinology
Laura C. Londra, MD, FACOG, is a reproductive endocrinology and infertility physician at Ohio Reproductive Medicine in Columbus, as well as an adjunct instructor at Ohio State University in the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology. As a native of Argentina, Londra attended Universidad Nacional de La Plata (1988-1993), before receiving her MD from Universidad de Buenos Aires (1993-1995). She completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Hospital de Clinicas, University of Buenos Aires (1995-1999), followed by a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at the Instituto de Ginecologia y Fertilidad de Buenos Aires (2000-2002). In the U.S., Dr. Londra completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Wayne State University, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Detroit (2008-2012), and a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Baltimore (2012-2015).
Dr. Londra received the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Scholarship Award (2013, 2015), Midwest Meeting Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Symposium Scholarship (2014), and Edward E. Wallach Fellowship Research Fund Award for fellows research initiatives in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (2014). She’s been published in numerous journals, including International Journal of Women’s Health, Fertility and Sterility, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Seminars of Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, and Case Reports in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a member of the Howard Kelly Society, Johns Hopkins Alumni, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, as well as a junior fellow in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and fellow in Society of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr. Londra is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and prior to her current work, she was on staff at Instituto de Gynecología y Fertilidad (2002-2006).
Increasing Access to Healthcare in America
The advent of the Affordable Care Act was meant, in part, to help to increase the access that all Americans have to healthcare providers. However, while this has meant that a larger number of families now have health insurance, there is still a long ways to go before equitable access to healthcare is achieved.For medical students who will be coming into practice in the near future, an understanding of this issue and why it is important is a critical beginning to producing new physicians that are aware of the problem and are willing to be both proactive and creative when it comes to finding solutions to it. This article covers health care disparity and why it is important, as well as practical solutions to help close the gap of access to medical care in America.
The Power of the Patient-Doctor Bond: A Conversation with Michael Clearfield, DO
Some people develop the passion for medicine at an early age. Michael Clearfield, DO, was not one of them – but once he did find that passion, he ran with it for miles.Although he’d been interested in science and math throughout college, and had a vague feeling that “something in healthcare would be something I’d be interested in,” it was ultimately a personal experience that cemented his future career goals. “Some personal issues happened in our family, where people got ill, and I was able to experience the healthcare team as it impacts you as an individual,” he told SDN at last year’s UC Davis Pre-Health Conference (UCDPHC15), where he delivered a keynote on opportunities in osteopathic medicine. “There were some very startling revelations to me; some positive, some negative – seeing how the system worked, and how it didn’t – and I decided that [medicine] would be a career that I would like to try and make a difference in.”
How to Use Simple Tricks to Improve Your Grades
Coming Prepared Everyone has a point in their lives where this happens, whether it’s high … Read more
The Best Online Resources for Medical Students
Updated on July 1, 2021. The article was updated to correct minor grammatical errors and … Read more
What You Should Know: Talking to Parents about their Obese Children
According to the Center for Disease Control, childhood obesity is reaching what some are calling … Read more
The One Letter to Rule Them All
As an undergrad, one of the reasons you devoted so much time to a research experience was to earn an epic letter of recommendation–one that speaks to your strengths, resilience, character, self-reliance, cultural competencies, ability to solve problems, and contribute to a group effort. This letter will be a comprehensive endorsement of your medical school application complete with specific examples that influenced your PI’s opinion. This one letter has the potential to outweigh all other letters from a professor whose class you attended, or from someone who oversaw a volunteer program you participated in for a semester.
Love and Happiness… And Medicine? Our Experience in the Couples Match
We were in the same class in medical school. It was your typical story. Boy meets girl, girl doesn’t like boy’s buzz cut, they waste a year, eventually end up as anatomy TAs working on the same dissection together, and fall in love. Standard. I knew that I was going to be a surgeon, he was thinking about ER. We moved in together. We talked about getting married. Then he went out for third year rotations and I started the Anatomy Fellowship at our school. He did Surgery mid-way through the year. To my concern, though not to my surprise, he loved it. He loved it the way I loved it. We talked seriously about what this would mean for us, both for our relationship and for our careers. We had always assumed that when the Match rolled around that we would participate in the Couples Match. Couples matching into Surgery seemed like a long shot, but we both knew we couldn’t be satisfied in another field, that we were surgeons at heart. So we decided we had to try.
The Unmatched Student’s Guide to Successfully Dealing with Failure
I was in the middle of a fairly busy day on the palliative care ward, … Read more