Rookie Med

Thoughts and adventures with a pre-med student making his way through undergrad and Med school to the finish line. I encourage questions in my ask box so don't be shy...

[fuckyeahbeer]

Found here.

FuckYeahbeer!

[xiominy]

[rookiemed-blog]

This is really the inspiration I need right now.

[surgicalbrief]

The obvious difference between arterial and venous blood.

[mernaateya]

Great one.

[mucholderthen]

The Seven Deadly Cells by ~danieljoelnewman

Lust - sexual reproduction Gluttony - phagocytosis Gossip - synapse Intoxication - osmosis Suicide - apoptosis Pride - mitosis Wrath - nematocyst [cnidocyte]

For a more traditional list [of the seven deadly sins], you can read one here …  

[jewsee-medicalstudent]

Normal chest x ray.

(Picture by http://www.anatomybox.com/).

[rookiemed-blog]

Are you currently studying the fetal heart?

Not currently but I was for a while. 

The Human body is amazing, not to mention when it has another human inside if it.

[rookiemed-blog]

Haha, this is so true...

[medicalschool]

“Not Medical”: Best Medicine Show 2013 

Ever wondered what it’s like living with med students? Wonder no more. Erin explains the challenges of being “not medical” house mate. Premiered at UASOM’s Best Medicine Show, March 2013. Written and directed by Kara Graves.

[rookiemed-blog]

Happy DNA Day! Radio Interview with Watson!!!

Today is National DNA Day, an annual tribute to of the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003 and the discovery of DNA's double helix in 1953.

[rookiemed-blog]

We're all different, not really...

Everyone you have ever met is just a different combination of the same 4 nucleic acids...

How's that for a Friday brain teaser

[whatshouldwecallbeingamedstudent]

COMFORTING MY FRIEND AFTER SHE TAKES THE MCAT

[rookiemed-blog]

Basically what My friends did for me... but instead of words we used booze.

[infinity-imagined]

Neurons growing in a cell culture

These time lapse animations use phase contrast microscopy to show neural stem cells in a nutrient medium for 4 hours.  They reveal the dynamic growth and recycling of dendrites and synapses as neurons establish relationships with each other.  The social behavior of these cells creates the incredible properties of the mind and brain.

Credit: University of Victoria Medical Sciences

[rookiemed-blog]

This is really Awesome. Good GIFs

[ihearthisto]

Ex-cell-ent!

For all you hearters of histo - show you care and hug a cell.

Favorite = the gray neuron

i-heart-histo

available from GIANTmicrobes

[medicalmysterytour]

The 9 Pieces of the Pre-Med Puzzle (a quick rundown as explained to me by my Pre-Health Advisor)

GPA: Varies with the Medical school you are applying to. Includes overall GPA and BCPM (Science) GPA. Consult the AAMC Medical School Admissions Requirements for more information.

Standardized Test Score: This includes the MCAT, or the DAT for pre-dents. Consult the AAMC MSAR for more information.

Shadowing: At least one generalist and one specialist, for at least 40 hours each; shadowing 3 or more physicians is even better. You would ideally want one of these to be able to write a letter of recommendation about your patient contact skills.

Leadership: Sustained involvement in organizations allows you to develop your ability to lead others. Does not need to be medically related to be meaningful.

Personal Statement: Allows you to explain why you have chosen to pursue a medical career directly to the admissions committee. Avoid telling, but rather show through your experiences how you arrived at the decision to become a doctor. Start writing it early and have as many people read it as possible. 

Community Service: Being a physician means leading a life of service. Early and sustained involvement in volunteering will allow you to show commitment to service. Can include hospital volunteering and medical mission trips, but again does not need to be medically related.

Research: A taste of research is recommended, such as a summer internship or semester as a research assistant, though not as important as shadowing.

Interview Skills: Proper preparation for the admissions interview is essential.  Many schools tend to use stock questions (“Why medicine?”), be prepared to answer these as well as other questions such as on ethics or healthcare, and questions about your application.

Letters of Evaluation: At least 6 letters, 3 from science faculty, 2 from non-science faculty, and 1 “wild card” (from a research PI, physician shadowed, or employer).

Hope this helps! 

[rookiemed-blog]

Something to think about.

[rookiemed-blog]

Check out my other blog!

I've started another blog that focuses on more of my hobbies. Let me know what you think. http://ptfc-ales.tumblr.com/

[medicalschool]

Chromosomes

[rookiemed-blog]

Time to get your ducks (chromosomes) in a line.

[itsokaytobesmart]

[ohyeahdevelopmentalbiology-blog]

casualstroll:

jtotheizzoe:

Overly Honest Methods: Uncovering the hilarious truth behind how science actually gets done

Earlier this week, in a fit of comedic inspiration, a postdoc named Leigh tweeted a funny lab confession and included the hashtag #overlyhonestmethods. By the end of the day, dozens of scientists had joined in, and the result is nothing short of hilarious.

Science is an incredibly painstaking and difficult process, and in addition to being quite funny, these tweets pull back the curtain on just how human a process research really is. Some of them had me raising my eyebrows right after I finished giggling, because please tell me you didn’t actually do that. Others had me nodding sagely in agreement, because sometimes you drop a tube or run out of a chemical and the world has to keep on turning, man.

Check out this collection of 75 of the best, and Robert Gonzalez has picked quite a few gems at io9. What are your favorites? Got any confessions?

Haha. The last one.

[rookiemed-blog]

Oh undergrad, how I (somewhat) miss you.