Aspiring M.D.

Random musings, interesting things, and personal vents from a premed.

[thecraftypremed-deactivated2016]

Legitimately Free MCAT Resources

If anyone’s uncomfortable with downloading that set that circulating around (I’m guilty of reblogging that post, and have deleted it since), here’s a list of free resources from subreddits I visit. 

/r/mcat’s sidebar (in masterpost form:)

Free Resources:

Question of the Days: Old MCAT, Kaplan,2015 MCAT, and NextStep

Khan Academy: Videos and Passages

MCAT Study Programs

Create Your Own Study Plan by mcatme

EK Home Study Plans

WikiPreMed MCAT Course

MCAT-Review

Prep101’s Free Study Aides

MCAT Mnemonics

Kaplan’s 20 Minute Workout

OrgoMadeSimple

AAMC Resources:

MCAT Official Site

MCAT 2015 Exam Content (pdf)

Explore the MCAT 2015 Exam

MCAT 2015 Testing Calendar (pdf)

Fee Assistance Program

How the MCAT 2015 exam is scored

MedEDPortal Videos

Premeddit:

PastySojourner’s guide on the test-taking techniques

MCAT mental tactics

MCAT 2015 Skype Study Group

MCAT study plan excel sheet

MCAT study guides

MCAT math tips

Review of materials for the new MCAT

Brief guide to MCAT 2015 content

Other Subreddits to take note of:

/r/premed: Very chill pre-med community, but isn’t afraid to be really blunt on things. I feel like they give rather honest/realistic opinions on things, with the exception of STUNNAGUNNA45T, the most magnificent bastard on the subreddit. 

/r/AskHistorians: the most lengthy, driest forum posts I have ever read on the internet. Also generally agreed upon by pre-med redditors to be most effective way to study for the verbal section. 

Get your butt into gear:

/r/GetStudying: Has an accountability thread and you can get an online study buddy there as well.

/r/getmotivated: pics and quotes and stuff

/r/GetDisciplined: Motivation gets you started, but discipline keeps you going.

/r/MusicForConcentration: find cool stuff here. Expect numerous Nujabes reposts though…

/r/Mydaily3:  Daily journal entry of just 3 bullet points of what you did today. Good for keeping track of what you studied and would go well for you bullet journalists out there.

/r/TimeManagement

/r/trackmypomodoros

Other Sites to Consider:

Orkanizer

Study Keeper

There’s tone more but they’re on everyone else’s studying masterposts (plus I like these two the most)

[thelifeofamedstudent]

The mnemonics page is awesome. Additionally there is MCAT-review.org. It is for the old MCAT but most of the information is still relevant.

[eviscerator-blog]

Staples tend to allow for rapid skin closure with minimal wound inflammation and are easier to remove than stitches. Staples are removed with a staple remover tool, while stitches are removed by cutting the suture next to the knot and then pulling out the thread.

Steri-Strips are thin adhesive strips which can be used to close small wounds, generically known as butterfly stitches. Steri-strips may be used instead of sutures in some injuries because they lessen scarring and are easier to care for.

Sutures (stitches) 

Absorbable sutures:

Gut sutures: Used to close tissue that requires minimal support and heals rapidly, such as that of the oral cavity mucosal layer, or procedures of superficial blood vessels

Vicryl sutures: Best for the lower layers of skin, and approximating muscle or fatty tissue

Maxon and monocryl sutures: Used for sub-cuticular stitches and soft tissue approximation

PDS: Used for stitches of muscle and fascia tissue

Non-absorbable sutures:

Prolene sutures: Used in tissue of fascia, muscle or blood vessels

Nylon sutures: Used for closure of skin, surgical incisions or drainage tubes

Silk sutures: Typically used to tie off blood vessels or bowel segments

[aspiringdoctors-blog]

Dang, I wish I’d seen this before my surgery rotation!

[medicalstate]

As the popularity of smartphone of tablet computing expands, so too does the library of apps. The following is a list of iOS apps that might be of interest or use for the curious, for the learners, and for the clerks.

Laboratory

LabDx: A reference tool for common laboratory investigations.

Acid Plus: A calculator tool that helps tease out the type of acidotic or alkalotic process involved.

Lytes: A basic reference to the common electrolyte abnormalities, the causes, signs, and symptoms.

Calculators

BiliTool: An online tool that has an optimized mobile format, this tool helps calculate bilirubin levels in neonates and gives recommendations based on the risk stratification of jaundice.

Qx Calculate: A free calculator for many of the formulas and algorithms in medicine including risk calculators and unit conversions.

MedCalc Pro: A premium calculator that has a more streamlined design and more formulas than Qx Calculate. It also allows you to save patient values for use in multiple calculations.

Pharmaceutical

Lexicomp: The standard for monograph information, this subscription-based app includes routine updates to the drug database for newly added medications and warnings. It includes a drug interactions calculator.

Epocrates: For the free alternative, Epocrates continues to be a favorite among my classmates and attendings. It includes the standard dosing and regimens for medications but offers less detailed information regarding them compared to Lexicomp.

Micromedex: Another decent alternative that is updated regularly with the most recent warnings and medications. There is a basic free form with premium add-ons including the drug interactions tool.

Anatomy

Netter’s Anatomy Atlas: Netter is a household name in the world of medical illustrations and all of his anatomical plates have been compiled in this app. A good quick reference of study tool.

Pocket Anatomy/Essential Anatomy: Moving into the third dimension, these two apps despite a premium price, a useful study tool for anyone interested in medicine.

Muscle System Pro III: For the anatomical enthusiast wishing to see muscles in all their detail and intricacies. Premium.

Skeleton System Pro III: For the anatomical enthusiast wishing to see bones in all their detail and intricacies. Premium.

Brain and Nervous System Pro III: For the anatomical enthusiast wishing to see nerves in all their detail and intricacies. Premium.

Radiology

Radiology 2.0: One Night in the ED: A case-based radiological app that goes through the common presentations with a methodical approach.

Clinical

Medscape: A basic app that includes drug interaction calculator, a procedures reference and daily news in the world of medicine.

Skyscape: A free app that includes a number of resources to help with clinical decision making. Designed to be a one-stop shop, you can purchase and subscribe to more features and resources within depending on your needs.

Eponyms: For the medical student, half the battle is learning the language of medicine. Eponyms explains the common and obscure terms and signs of medicine named after their discoverers. 

Bugs and Drugs: A reference tool for antimicrobial therapy, the dosing guidelines and the sensitivity tables of all antibiotics.

PEPID: A clinical companion tool that provides summary information around conditions, include a brief explanation of the condition, the investigations, differential, and the treatment plan. Written in a concise form for the learner on the go.

UpToDate: The clinical companion tool that is a favourite among the attendings. This subscription-based app comes in both an online or offline version and mirrors the desktop counterpart. Including in-depth review of disease states and clinical pearls surrounding therapy.

DxSaurus: A differential diagnosis generator that works around your working diagnosis or the symptoms you see.

Reference

The Merck Manual: Professional Edition: A digital, pocket version of the original reference. Disease states can be searched by section or by symptom.

Toronto Notes 2012: While not exactly an app, this textbook is an excellent reference for any medical student and is one that I read during quiet moments on shift. A digital copy of this textbook stays with me in my eBooks library.

Principles and Practice of Hospital Medicine: This is also not an app but an eBook. An excellent reference for internal medicine, it offers great deal of information and clinical pearls for the hospitalist. 

Tools

Google Translate: For the moments where language is a barrier, this could be the only useful way to gather patient information.

Flashlight: For the times on call where we do not want to disturb other patients in a dark room as we make our way around.

Evernote: A note-taking tool to keep and sort out clinical pearls or to document clinical moments.

Drive/Dropbox: A cloud-based service like Drive or Dropbox offers an opportunity to store algorithms, guidelines, or textbooks that you can access anywhere. Now available on your phone or tablet.

Review

USMLE World QBank: For the medical student preparing for exams, the QBank is an important resource to have.

This list is by no means exhaustive but is a good starting point for readers out there interested in finding medical apps. What apps do you use?

[lem0urohasmoved-deactivated2022]

Im trying to learn my anatomy and drawing what Im studying tends to help me remember things better, so I made this! I made this for personal reference but figured it might be helpful to some of you trying to learn hands too? It helped me a lot so I just figured, eh. I tried to keep it short and simple without going into too much detail, so pardon if there’s some stuff I omitted. Feel free to use it if you like! Im planning on making a Part 2 soon, which will have the hand structure, surface form, proportions, finger tapering, foreshortening, etc. Also please excuse my writing, I did my best to make it neat! >_<

Edit: fixed the insertion point of the adductor pollicis. Everything should be okay now!

[themidwifeisin]

People were interested in learning about the medication abortion as well. Send any questions over to TheMidwifeIsIn.tumblr.com.

[themidwifeisin]

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what the actual IUD insertion procedure is like.  I hope this answers some of your questions!

[pathtowardmd-blog]

Interesting...I've been thinking about switching to a non-hormonal type of birth control

[compoundchem]

This week has seen the discovery of a new antibiotic - and, more importantly, a new way of discovering more. Here’s what you need to know about teixobactin: http://wp.me/p4aPLT-Ts

[sciteachers]

For teaching: cell biology

[pathtowardmd-blog]

ooo yes, I remember reading about this the other day!

[miss-sassmaster]

10 things to ask at your med school interviews

Also applies to many professional school!

Since being a student ambassador I’ve learned at lot things that are really important to medical school applicants and what it important for them to know when choosing a school. I have also learned what potential students find important to their personal experience. Luckily, I’m more informed than the average first year (thanks to the medblrs!) so I’ve been able to answer many of these questions effectively!

So (hopefully) I’ve complied some useful questions that can help you figure out if a school is the right place for you. Everyone has different wants and needs, and that’s just fine, but maybe you’ll see something you didn’t think of. If you have any to add, please do! 

1. Ask the current students how they like their curriculum

The internet is a wonderful place, where many schools are kind enough to port either their curriculum or at least the type they employ. Its a great first past to knowing if a school is right for you. But simply knowing what type of curriculum a school has won’t let you know if it’s really giving the students what they need.  This is definitely a case by case basis and each student will tell you something different. But if you ask enough people you will get a feel for how the curriculum effects the students as a whole and how well the information is taught. This way you can get a feel whether its a situation you can see yourself succeeding in, and hey, you might even change your mind.  

2. How heavily focused is the school on board prep 

Ask about how the testing is done (block or individual class exams, computer or written, classroom or school testing center), and are questions written boards style? Do they have focus on things besides boards? Half of the battle of boards (as I understand it, correct me if I’m wrong) is being able to correctly approach these specific types questions. Some schools build up to it and some throw you right in. Some school might be too focused on boards (the students might not be as great clinically). Do they offer any boards prep besides a kaplan discount? It seems far off, but trust me, it’s worth knowing sooner rather than later.

Read More

[ask-a-zebra]

Having Ehlers Danlos Syndrome sometimes feels about the equivalent of being composed of jello and wet spaghetti. Nothing stays where its supposed to. Literally every single cell in the body is floppy, so fingers are definitely an issue for many of us. I can almost guarantee that for the majority of us, writing is not only slow and painful but nearly impossible at times. FIne motor skills? What even are those? An EDSer surely doesn’t have any of those. Even typing which is far easier than writing, is painful and daunting at times. But last year I joined the population of shiny zebras by getting fitted for a set of Silver Rings Splints and they are beyond magical.

For those of you who have not heard of The Silver Ring Splint Company, they are a company that custom makes finger splints that look like elegant pieces of jewelry. Don’t believe me? Well I can’t even tell you how many compliments I’ve received for them. Nobody even suspects that they might possibly be medical. But more importantly, they work amazing! I still have hand pain and finger dislocations when performing fine motor skills and writing is definitely not something I look forward to but I have saved myself thousands of painful dislocations, I can open doors easier, type faster, write longer and hold objects in my hands without looking like an alien from a sic-fi movie. With the rings on my fingers actually look like fingers rather than tentacles!

The company is also family owned and the people are so sweet and helpful!

If you are having trouble with hand pain, clumsiness and dislocations please check out this amazing company!

http://www.silverringsplint.com

[cozycaffiene-deactivated2018040]

I’m literally crying right now. I will be able to use my hands!!! As it stands I can’t do dishes, hold things, write, hold books, type, without pain or dislocation. Oh my gosh. This is a miracle.

[aquasplendens-deactivated202411]

peaceypanic

[tinyratfeet-deactivated20160331]

those are gorgeous and that is amazing how well they’re working! signal boost!

[murderouswaterhorse]

I love these things. I use one for my thumb because due to arthritis I have very little strength/support in the joint and therefore often can’t do anything. My splint makes it possible for me to do my job, do the shit i need to do and not have as bad of pain. 

[lancrebitch]

these are so cool

[a-very-purple-paper-prenurse]

OMG. It straightens fingers and looks cool. I absolutely need one of these.

[medmonkey]

Sexy medical devices are SO AWESOME. Look at them! 

[pathtowardmd-blog]

This is awesome!!

[thisfuturemd]

History of Medicine Ancient Egypt: Medicine and History (History Channel, “Where Did it Come From?) Forbidden Knowledge: Ancient Medical Secrets (Discovery) Getting Better: 200 Years of Medicine (New England Journal of Medicine) Human Anatomy and Medicine (Discovery) Lost Tomb...

[1000-life-hacks]

This diagram could save someone’s life!

[thisfuturemd]

Medical Specialty Aptitude Test Find out which medical specialties “match” your personality!

[pathtowardmd-blog]

interesting!

[medmonkey]

Map of Osteopathic Medical Colleges

Get the PDF with list of schools and the map. Source is AACOM.

[the-nurse]

Here is a true story for all to read and to share so others may benefit. A while back, there was a 12 year old boy who fell from the merri-go round on the playground at his school. He was dazed for a moment but acting fairly normal. He was taken to the school nurse after which he was brought home by his mother. Once home, the boy complained of a headache but nothing more. After dinner time, his parents noted him to be sleepy and disengaged. Both thought he was just tired and considered putting him to bed early in hopes he would feel better in the morning. But a mother’s intuition kicked in and she knew something was wrong.

She took him to the emergency department to be evaluated. At the emergency department, the child was very sleepy but would arouse, talk, and then quickly fall back asleep. He simply seemed to be very tired. A CAT scan was performed showing a large blood clot over his brain. The blood clot was putting pressure on the brain. I was the Neurosurgeon called to evaluate the boy in the emergency department that evening. I reviewed the CAT scan, examined the child and recommended emergency brain surgery to remove the blood clot. The parents were beside themselves as they had considered putting their child to bed that night to see if he would be better by the morning. If they would have done so, the boy most likely would have not woken up the next morning and could have very well died in his sleep. The child was in surgery within the hour. At surgery, I found an enormous blood clot pressing on the brain which was easily removed. I found a hairline skull fracture which had ruptured an artery and resulted in the bleeding. Post-operatively, the child did well. He was back to his normal self after surgery and was discharged to home with his parents several days later.

His post-operative CAT scan showed the blood clot to be gone. I have seen him back in the office several times since his discharge. He is a normal 12 year boy back to life as usual. With his parents permission, I have included the pre-op and post-op CAT scan images to show you what an epidural hematoma pressing on the brain looks like before surgery and how the brain looks after the blood clot is gone. This real life story nicely illustrates the power of a mother’s intuition, especially regarding her own child. Always trust your gut instinct when you’re not sure of something. More often than not, you’ll be right. This young boy had what’s called an “epidural hematoma” which is the same type of blood clot that actress Natasha Richardson died from in 2009. She was married to Liam Neeson at the time. She died after falling on a bunny hill while taking a ski lesson at a resort near Montreal. She initially felt fine, was awake, talking and acting normally. This is called the “lucent interval”.

She declined medical attention at the resort because she felt fine and subsequently returned to her hotel room. Within hours, she fell sick complaining of a headache and was rushed to the hospital where she was declared brain dead many hours thereafter. She never made it to surgery. She was not wearing a helmet at the time of her fall. An autopsy revealed that she died from an epidural hematoma. Natasha Richardson’s death may have been preventable if she or anyone else around her would have had a higher degree of suspicion for injury or if she had accepted treatment when she had the chance. There is power in knowledge. Unfortunately, no one strongly suspected an epidural hematoma or brain injury when she was initially acting fine. Obviously, hind sight is 20-20 and I don’t have all the details surrounding her death to make any conclusive statements but you get the general idea. Always have a higher degree of suspicion for injury when someone hits their head, especially if they are complaining of a headache or acting tired afterwards. Epidural hematomas cause increasing pressure on the brain as the blood clot enlarges.

The most common symptoms include headache, sleepiness, nausea/vomiting or altered mental status. If you note someone having these symptoms after hitting their head, you should have them promptly evaluated at your local emergency department. And remember, always follow your natural instincts on these matters because usually they are right, especially when it pertains to a parent’s intuition. On a final note, always encourage, and if you can, make your children wear a helmet when they are riding their bike, skate boarding, roller blading or skiing. That one simple measure, which they will certainly fight you on, can save their life. If you have found this post interesting or helpful, PLEASE SHARE for others to read. And stay tuned for more Real Life Neurosurgery stories to come a www.BrianMatters.com.

- Brian Hoeflinger, MD

[cranquis]

TL;DR — wear a helmet when you’re doing activities that could cause a head injury, and get checked out immediately if you have “headache, sleepiness, nausea/vomiting or altered mental status” after a head injury.

[larstheyeti]

this is basically how Gallbladder can cause pancreatitis

[source] [New (limited) Gallbladder shirts]

[pathtowardmd-blog]

OMG the gallbladder is the best!!!

[janellerose]

Leopold’s Maneuvers: Determining Fetal Position in the Uterus

(A: First Maneuver: Determining the Fetal Part at the Fundus) Facing the woman, place both hands at the upper portion of the abdomen to palpate the fundus to identify the fetal part occupying the upper part of the uterus. Head: hard, firm, round, and moves independently of the trunk Feet: soft, symmetrical Shoulders&Limbs:small bony prominence, move with the trunk

(B: Second Maneuver: Determining the Position of Fetal Back) Still facing the woman, palpate the abdomen with gentle but also deep pressure using the palm of the hands. First the right hand remains steady on one side of the abdomen while the left hand explores the right side of the woman’s uterus. This is then repeated using the opposite side and hands.The fetal back will feel firm and smooth while fetal extremities (arms, legs, etc.) should feel like small irregularities and protrusions

(C: Third Maneuver: Determining which Fetal Part is Lying above the Pelvic Inlet in the Lower Abdomen) The area above the symphysis pubis is palpated with the thumb and third finger to determine the presenting fetal part. ***The Pawlick Grip is often abandoned in favor of a two hand palpation due to the discomfort it causes the Mother.

(D: Fourth Maneuver: Determining Location of Fetal Brow) Facing the Mother’s feet the fingers of both hands are moved gently down the sides of the uterus toward the pubis. The side where there is the greatest resistance to the descent of the fingers toward the pubis is where the brow is located. If the head of the fetus is well-flexed, it should be on the opposite side from the fetal back. If the fetal head is extended though, the occiput is instead felt and is located on the same side as the back.One hand applies pressure on the fundus while the index finger and thumb of the other hand palpate the presenting part to confirm presentation and engagement [preferably, the fetal head]

[wayfaringmd]

Since it’s Med School and Residency Interview Season, I give you a lil something to help you prepare.

Tell me about yourself.

What are your strengths (3)?

What are your weaknesses (3)?

What qualifications set you apart from other applicants?

How have you done in medical...