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EVERY DAY I SEE HOW FUCKED UP THE MEDICAL SYSTEM IS, THE ANGRIER I GET AND THE MORE I REALIZE IT'S THE HUNGRY YOUNG DOCTORS LIKE YOU AND ME WHO ARE GOING TO FIX THINGS.

WORK HARD MY FRIENDS. WE NEED MORE ANGRY PEOPLE.

- Andy

#andy's thoughts

The existing system of premedical education is broken, and needs to be fixed

*ROUSES RABBLE*

#premed

FAQ: WHEN DO I ASK FOR LETTERS?

IF YOU FOSTER THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH A LETTER WRITER, ASK FOR THE LETTER WHEN THE MEMORY IS STILL FRESH - GENERALLY I RECOMMEND ASKING FOR A LETTER AFTER YOU FINISH A CLASS. IDEALLY YOU'VE BEEN GOING TO OFFICE HOURS AND THE PROF KNOWS WHO THE F YOU ARE. IF YOU GO BACK THERE WHEN YOU'RE A JUNIOR OR SENIOR OR WHATEVER YOU WILL BE ONE RANDOM DUDE OUT A BAZILLION DUDES THAT HAVE COME BY AND IT'LL BE LIKE AITE COOL LOL.

WELL YOU ARE LIKE WELL I AM A FRESHMEN AND I AM NOT GONNA APPLY UNTIL I AM LIKE OLD AND SHIT AND TAKE GAP YEARS.

DOESN'T MATTER.

THEY CAN HAVE SOMETHING ON FILE FOR YOU - AND BE STRAIGHT WITH THEM, BE LIKE LOOK BRAH, I AM FRESH AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHEN I'M GONNA APPLY, BUT I JUST WONDERED IF YOU CAN KEEP SOMETHING ON FILE FOR ME WHEN I DO. AND THAT IS TOTALLY COOL BY ALMOST EVERYONE'S BOOK. THAT WAY WHEN YOU GO BACK X # OF YEARS LATER YOU CAN BE LIKE SUP.

WELL NOT JUST "SUP". BUT MORE LIKE SUP SO I'VE BEEN UP TO XYZ OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS SINCE WE HAVEN'T INTERACTED AND DO YOU MIND IF WE HAVE COFFEE/TEA/SOME KINDA BEVERAGE AND WE CAN CHIT CHAT AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO SO YOU CAN UPDATE THAT LETTER AND STUFF FOR SENDING OUT TO AMCAS.

AND VOILA, LETTER.

#letters of recommendation

Hope all the Bruins are safe!

#ucla

What tests do international students need to take to enter medical school in US? Like the student already has taken A Levels in Singapore. So what else would she need? To enter medical school. Apart from grades and all - do extracurriculars matter ? X

I’m not sure about what international students need. I would think you still need to take the MCAT and possibly TOEFL but other than that I don’t know, sorry.

Is it possible to get into med school with a C in Organic Chemistry? My school is notoriously hard, grades on a curve, and over 1/4 of my class dropped so I think it's going to affect my grade because I am borderline between B and C.

One grade is not going to break your chances of getting in. If you really are worried, check if your school allows retakes. Although I would say a C is not that bad as to retake the course, but its a option. Just try to do better moving forward. If you can show a good upward trend, there’s no reason why you can’t get in. Good luck!

Since two letters of reccomendations from science profs are needed to for your app, how does one do that when you are in large lecture sized classes? I have asked core profs for reccommendation letters but classes were small and they knew us by name

LORs from small classes are fine, may even be better since the prof knows you well. However, if you are trying to get one from a prof of a larger class, go to office hours, make a point to introduce yourself to the professor and talk about something beyond the class material. Some professors are willing to meet with students to discuss career aspects, study strategies, etc. This is a great way to interact and potentially get a LOR from that prof.

Good luck!

UAG or do a post baccalaureate program in the states?

I’m not sure what UAG is but I’m assuming its an international school. With any international school, you have to make sure that the US state you want to ultimately practice in has approved the school. This goes for caribbean schools as well. If you aren’t attending one of the “big 4″ schools, which are approved in all 50 states, make sure you check.

Now to answer your question, postbac in the US will always be better if it ultimately leads you to a US medical school. It just makes the matching process easier.

hey, 4th year canadian med student here trying to get a little more exposure, please let any premeds know they can come my way for questions! :)

I really wanna become a doctor but my parents are against it... My dad went to medical school and owned 3 labs for a number of years so he knows how hard and long it is. Where as my mom , thinks that it wouldn't play to my strengths since im only average in math and science. However, I really think this is a good fit. Im taking anatomy this year as a junior in high school and I love it. I also really like to help people and interact. Making this a good fit in my opinion.

If you want to do it, then go for it! You are still a high schooler so, you do have quite a bit of time to decide. However, like I said, if you want it, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t try to pursue it.

I've been thinking of majoring in biological anthropology, and then going to medical school. Is that idea too far off ? I don't wanna major in the standard bio or chem but want something interesting that sets me apart. Plus i want a major that allows me options incase i decide pre med then medical school isn't the right fit. Any advice?

Its perfectly fine to major in bio-anthro! If you really want to pursue medicine, just have your prereqs in order, MCAT scores, etc., and,of course, make sure you do well in all your classes.

So.... Holding a job during the school year and maintaining a high enough GPA.... Possible?

Sure! Will it be difficult? Yes.

Make sure you know what the time commitments are for your job and your classes. Leave yourself enough time to study.

This may not be for everyone but if you can handle it then, I don’t see why not!

What are your thoughts on vocational majors? I want to have a back-up plan in case the medical school thing doesn't work out, so I planned on majoring in something that would actually be useful for this in the future, but many people are telling me medical school won't see me as committed enough because of this.

Don’t decide on your major depending on what med school will or will not “like”. All you need are good grades, all your prereqs, MCAT score, and some outside experience. Everything else is up to you!

COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND GENERAL HELP ROUND 2

FITE.

7. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME?

FIRST OF ALL, THE WRONG ANSWER IS NO I DON’T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OF COURSE YOU ARE GONNA HAVE SOME GODDAMN QUESTIONS. HAVE A SHORT LIST OF QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR INTERVIEWER. THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU SHOW THAT YOU READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SCHOOL YOU ARE INTERVIEWING AT. ASK ABOUT THE CITY, THE POPULATIONS YOU WORK WITH, OPPORTUNITIES, THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SEEM CURIOUS AND INTERESTED ABOUT THE PROGRAM OR SHIT THAT YOU CAN’T FIND ON THE WEBSITE. A COMMON QUESTION I ASKED WAS WERE THERE ANY COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS BECAUSE I HAD A STRONG INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING IN THEM.

8. WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON ABORTION, DOCTOR-ASSISTED SUICIDE, STEM CELL RESEARCH, POLITICAL HOT TOPIC OF SOME SORT ETC.

SO, THIS HAS BECOME SOMEWHAT LESS POPULAR THE LAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE PEOPLE STARTED ACCUSING PROGRAMS OF BEING BIASED BUT HONESTLY IT’S STILL FAIR GAME. THERE ARE TWO GENERAL STRATEGIES, BOTH OF WHICH ARE BROADLY VALID. LET’S USE MEDICAL ABORTION SINCE THIS HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS A FAIR BIT.

THE FIRST IS WELL MY POSITION ON THIS ISSUE IS X. IF YOU WERE AGAINST MEDICAL ABORTIONS, YOU SHOULD EXPLAIN IN DETAIL WHY YOU WERE, HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT PATIENTS WHO WERE SEEKING THEM THAT CAME TO YOUR PRACTICE, AND HOW YOU WOULD DEAL WITH THE PATIENTS THAT NEEDED OR WERE SEEKING THEM IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. BASICALLY WALK YOUR INTEREVIEWER THROUGH YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH IT IN SOME DETAIL.

THE SECOND WHICH IS THE APPROACH I TOOK WAS MORE OF A EXPLORE THE ISSUE FROM BOTH SIDES APPROACH – YOU LEAN MORE “NEUTRAL” ON THE ISSUES AND THEN YOU TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLORE BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE. THIS IS THE “PRO” SIDE FOR EXAMPLE AND WHERE THEY’RE COMING FROM, WHERE THEIR CONCERNS LIE. HERE’S THE “AGAINST” SIDE AND WHERE THEY’RE COMING FROM, ETC. “I’M NOT SURE,” AND THEN AND EXPLORATION OF BOTH SIDES, IS ALSO FINE. IT’S OKAY IN LIFE TO BE UNDECIDED ABOUT AN ISSUE, AND WE’D RATHER PREFER THAT THAN YOU BE BELLIGERENTLY FOR OR AGAINST SOMETHING, WITHOUT KNOWING WHY.

I DON’T THINK THERE’S A WRONG WAY TO GO ABOUT IT SO LONG AS YOU ARE THOUGHTFUL AND PROFESSIONAL ABOUT HOW YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION, AND ULTIMATELY TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION IN A WAY THAT YOU THINK IS BEST FOR YOUR PATIENTS.

9. TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH/THIS THING/THAT THING/ON YOUR APPLICATION

THIS PERTAINS MOSTLY TO RESEARCH BUT POTENTIALLY TO OTHER THINGS AS WELL, LIKE VOLUNTEERING OR OTHER CLINICAL EXPERIENCES. DON’T TELL ME THAT WHEN YOU WORKED IN A LAB, THAT YOU LIKE, WIPED DOWN COUNTER OR SOMETHING FOR 4 YEARS. MAYBE YOU DID, I DID TOO, BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT THE QUESTION IS ABOUT. WE’RE INTERESTED IN KNOWING IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GOALS OF THE LAB’S RESEARCH WERE. WHAT’S THE BIG PICTURE? WHAT WAS YOUR LAB STUDYING? CAN YOU TALK ABOUT IT SIMPLY? EVERY LAB TALKS ABOUT THEIR RESEARCH LIKE IT’S THE BEST SHIT SINCE SLICED BREAD BUT IT’S SO TECHNICAL THAT LIKE 2 PEOPLE WORK ON IT AND UNDERSTAND IT. EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THAT SHIT IS ABOUT AND SHOW ME YOU HAVE THE INTELLECT TO TELL ME WHAT IT’S ABOUT. TELL US WHAT IT’S ABOUT.

10. TELL ME ABOUT A TIME WHEN YOU MADE A MISTAKE. WHAT DID YOU DO AND HOW DID YOU CORRECT IT?

YO INTERVIEWEE IMMA LET YOU FINISH BUT I’D HIGHLY ADVISE YOU TO THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT THIS ANSWER BECAUSE THIS SHIT GONNA GET AWKWARD REAL FAST WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THAT CRAZY WEEKEND YOU HAD IN VEGAS AND THEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THAT REAL KINKY SHIT YOU WERE DOING AT THAT ONE CLUB AND SO ON AND SO ON AND MEANWHILE MY SPHINCTER IS JUST TIGHTENING IN MY GODDAMN SEAT

OK THAT’S IT FOR NOW. LEAVE YOUR QUESTIONS COMMENTS AND SNOTTY REMARKS BELOW.

PART 3 LATER.

- Andy

#premed #Interviews

Letters Part 1

No caps because I am tired, haha. Caps is for when Andy has energy.

Letters are very important, I think particularly so for UC students. At the same time, I think there’s a tendency for them to be kind of misunderstood entities. I’ll spend a few posts on why I think they’re important and how the strategy behind them. Here is why:

We know for a fact that some people are very good at interviews. We also know that some people are very good at making their applications look good.

We also know that some people are extremely good interviewers and this is not really a reflection of who they are – in essence, used car sales essentially. There are people that can literally put on a show for 15 minutes or whatever and really just talk in circles around an interviewer that isn’t super keen or whatever. Similarly, there are lots of people that pay for application-writing services/consultants that basically write their apps for them from essays to the whole works, etc. to make themselves sound way better than they actually are, and this is not something that’s easy for us to poke holes in as a person who literally sees a pretty generic packet of paper get shat out by the AMCAS at the end of the day.

In a similar vein, to some degree the opposite is true – shy interviewers often don’t do as well on the interview, but could be great doctors. They just happen to be nervous because this means a lot to them, etc etc, but generally this is a smaller concern than the former category.

So how do we avoid not being fooled? How do we separate out the good from the bad?

Basically, letters.

Letters will tell us what kind of person you *really* are. Not the one that a consultant writes for you, not the show you put on for 15 minutes then go back to being an asshole, etc.

Now I can’t tell you – okay, X program weighs your letters by Y points depending on how Z strong it is. That’s not how it works. But they are very important in us figuring out who the real you is. The more letters you have that say that you walk on water – the better. This is what makes the maybe applicant a yes, and what makes the hm I have two good applicants which do I take question easy, and the saving grace for many applicants at the highest tier programs.

IF you are serious about throwing down with the best of them, you should max out the # of letters you apply with – 6. You have little control over your 3 other letters, the ones that have to be written by teaching professors. You’re kinda dealt a bad hand here, but so are tens of thousands of other students and so it’s not really that big of a deal. What does matter is the remaining 3 letters, which can be from really, anywhere.

Think hard and early about how you are going to get these letters – these are not to be trifled with. They are arguably as important or more important than grades in some cases.

As you go on through your career, your grades will mean less and less, and letters and references will mean more and more – mainly because of the reasons mentioned above. People will be honest about what they really think of you in private, and most admission committee members know that we can be fooled by a piece of paper or a great interview performance.

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