When I am not on call and juggling office visits and catching babies, I am still working in the office seeing both OB and GYN patients every single day of the week. I realize that most of you spend only a fraction of that time in any physician's office, and frankly, we can tell. Here are some helpful hints to make your day at the GYN go a bit more smoothly:
Ob/Gyn Office *Dos*
1. Do make an early appointment. Whenever possible, make your appointment the first appointment of the morning or the first appointment after lunch. Trust me on this one and see below.
2. Do arrive for your appointment at least 10-15 minutes early. I know, I know, why would you want to show up early when you just *know* you are going to be in the office for *hours* on end. Here's why: The Snowball Effect. Invariably, as is required by the office, your insurance, or pencil pushers from various state and local agencies, you will be asked to fill out some kind of form upon your arrival. These are usually not mind-shatteringly difficult, but they can take time. Then the receptionist has to verify your information, make sure your insurance is still good, find your chart, and send it down the line to the MA/RN who will be bringing you into the office. The MA then fills in any new information, takes your vitals, asks the reason for your visit, and takes you to the room. Imagine what happens when you are "just 15 minutes" late for your appointment, everything that has to be done gets done further and further away from your appointment time. Before you know it, you are in the exam room 30 minutes after your appointment time, and if you think your schedule is thrown off, multiply that by 12-15 patients in a half-day. If all of them are even 5 minutes late for their appointment time, it creates a significant backlog for the physician to overcome. We're good, but we can't reverse time. It's just not feasible.
3. Do know your personal and medical history. Be sure that you have approximate dates of any surgeries or hospitalizations that have occurred in the last few years. Know what body parts you do and do not have. Know what medications (and their doses) you are taking, for the love of all that is holy! I have no idea what birth control pills are in the pink rectangular package, and will not be able to divine it easily. Have a tentative idea of when your last period happened. I also have no idea what is in your medical history unless you bring your records to me to look at or have them sent to the office *before* your appointment, so please don't wave a dismissive hand and mumble something about how "it's all in there somewhere."
4. Do bathe. Applying soap and water to your body sometime in the 24 hours before the appointment is considered common courtesy. I really don't care if your legs or any other areas are shaved, hair maintenance really doesn't concern or bother me in the least, but the courtesy of bathing is much appreciated.
5. Do know what you want to accomplish. Write down the questions that you have or issues that you want to address at your appointment. In the hustle of the office routine, you will probably forget something. Keep a little list on a piece of paper or on your phone to review...and I stress *little.*
Ob/Gyn Office *Don'ts*
1. Don't make a routine appointment for an out of the ordinary problem. This, of all things, is my number one pet peeve when it comes to office visits. If you are feeling depressed, your libido is in the toilet, your uterus is falling out, or you feel like you are bleeding to death every month, even if it *is* just about time for your pap smear, please, please, PLEASE don't call the office to make an "annual exam" appointment. Believe it or not, GYN physicians do more than just pap smears. If you want to see the doctor for a problem, make an appointment for such. Here is something you may not realize: You do *not* have to disclose to the scheduler *what kind* of problem you are having! Simply stating you have a problem you would like to discuss with the physician is totally adequate and spares you any embarrassment you may feel. Annual exam appointments are usually given about 10 minutes, but problem appointments can be scheduled for 15 minutes-30 minutes. This means you get more time with your physician to discuss treatment options and formulate a plan to get you feeling better. In the same vein, don't save up all of your problems for your annual exam; there is only so much we can do in an annual exam. Change your birth control? Yes. Change your birth control, cure your depression, diagnose your infection, and evaluate abnormal bleeding? Not so much. Scheduling the appropriate kind of appointment sets up a "win/win" situation for all involved.
2. Don't expect to get an immediate answer/treatment/cure after one visit. Some problems (like infections) are easy to solve, but some problems are more complex and require data gathering and imaging studies. Your initial appointment may need to be followed by a secondary appointment in order to assimilate information and assess treatment efficacy. You may not have all the answers after seeing your physician one time, but I can assure, you will be headed in a definitive direction for treatment.
3. Don't be rude to the office staff. They are there to do a job, and when you get seen, how you get seen, and certain office policies (like late policies) are totally out of their control. We all work together as a team, and you can bet that if you are a raging b*tch to my MA, I am going to hear about it before I step foot in the room. I can't guarantee a warmed speculum in those cases, either (I KID, NO HATE MAIL, PLEASE!!) On the flip side, if our staff is rude to you we want to know about it, so please share your experience with us.
4. Don't expect your physician to (do even more) work for free. Trust me when I say that much of the "behind the scenes" work that we do goes uncompensated. It is common courtesy to inform you of your lab results over the phone (usually our nurses or clinical staff will do this), however, if you want to discuss the interpretation of your labs or formulate treatment plans based on the lab results? Make an appointment. Physicians' clinical opinions are based upon what we spent years learning; this is our professional service, and we deserve to be compensated for services rendered.
5. Don't attempt to dictate your own treatment. Dr. Google is great for answers in the middle of the night, but printing sheaves of paper dictating how you *think* you should be evaluated/treated is incredibly off-putting. I value an educated patient, and appreciate when my patients "do their homework." This is not the same thing as demanding of a physician a specific test or treatment that you happen to think you may need. We want to collaborate with you about your care, and have spent years of training learning how to do this. Our knowledge is not so easily replaced by We.b.M.D. or W.ik.ipe.d.ia.
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Friday, February 04, 2011
Monday, March 29, 2010
Answers for A
I recently received a comment on the blog posing the following questions. At first, I was going to just correspond via email, but I thought perhaps my readership could also jump in on answering these questions from "A," a 3rd year medical student considering Ob/Gyn. So, thank you in advance for your help!
Hi Dr. Whoo,
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and appreciate the time and effort you put into your posts to provide us readers with a glimpse of your life. I am currently an MS III with only 6 months left to decide on what to do with my medical career. My top 3 choices are OBGYN, Anesthesiology and Psychiatry. I loved my OB rotation and feel that the field is a perfect blend of medicine, surgery, procedures and primary care.
Hello, A! Thank you for the nice words about the blog, I am glad to be able to provide a glimpse of life in the world of Ob/Gyn. I agree that Ob/Gyn is a perfect blend of medicine, surgery, procedures, and primary care. It is a really great field, but it does have its limitations.
However, I am afraid to commit to the field for the following reasons:
-Work hours. I cannot get a straight answer from the academic faculty on what to expect after residency. Most of them have flat out discouraged me from choosing OB, telling me that I should just do one of my other 2 choices. Is it possible to find a job working 60-65 hours/week and still come out with a salary of $250-$300k in smaller cities in midwest or the south? I just want to be well-informed of what to expect before I take the plunge to ensure that I don't end up hating my career .
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ahem, I mean, ah, not likely right off the bat, at any rate. I think you can get the salary you want with more work hours, or the work hours you want for a lower salary, but it would be rare to find the above combination just out of residency. My average work week (5 person group practice) is right about 60 hours with weekday call, 110 hours for weeks where I have weekend call. As an employed physician, I make less than $200,000. My pay will increase with each employed year until I am able to "buy-in" to the practice. After that, my income will increase (but a large portion of it will go back into buying into the practice). After about 5 years of "paying my dues," I will be able to set my ticket for income. It just takes some time.
At my previous job, I made over $250,000, worked in a rural, under served area with high Med.icaid, and only had 4 days off per month, so 168 hours the weeks that I worked weekends, 120 hour weeks the weeks when I had the weekend off. Trust me, it is far better to make less money and work less hours, especially now when O.b.ama.care looms on the horizon. (Plus, think of the taxes you will be paying on a higher salary, you may get to keep more of your money working for a lower income.) So, while I am sure you can find some places where low work hours and higher income combines, that would certainly not be the norm until you establish a practice.
-Liability. How stressful is this aspect of OB if I choose to move to a state with Tort Reform or low liability?
Liability, Tort Reform or not, is always stressful in OB. It will loom over your shoulder with every decision you make, especially with respect to managing labor and delivery. Even when you uphold the standard of care, you can still be sued for bad outcomes, and all it takes is one case to destroy you financially, personally, and professionally. Malpractice premiums are fairly exorbitant in the field, as well. You may not be able to cover your malpractice costs if you have a poor payer mix, meaning more volume, which leads to more chances of things going wrong. Vicious cycle. Most of the time, it is just like static noise in the background, other times you hear the alarm bells clanging. You get used to it, but it is always there.
-I am a male (a minority in the pool of OB applicants). I have been told that being a male would make it difficult for me to find a decent job because practices tend to prefer women OB's (hence males have to settle for worse locations, work hours and call schedules). How true is this?
Well, to be honest, I am not sure, since I am not a male. (Any male Ob/Gyns out there want to field this question?) I know that in many of the positions for which I interviewed, they were very interested in procuring a female physician. One field that you may consider, if you are so inclined, is the field of Urogynecology. I think it is a 3 year specialty after residency. It is a more surgery-heavy specialty, and, in my experience, still fairly male-dominated. You still get some procedures, good primary care and a lot of good surgeries, no babies, so less liability, and likely better hours and compensation overall. I hope that these answers helped somewhat, and I hope my readers are able to clarify further some points I am not able to elaborate upon. I truly wish you the best of luck with the rest of your training, and in whichever specialty you choose to pursue.
Hi Dr. Whoo,
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and appreciate the time and effort you put into your posts to provide us readers with a glimpse of your life. I am currently an MS III with only 6 months left to decide on what to do with my medical career. My top 3 choices are OBGYN, Anesthesiology and Psychiatry. I loved my OB rotation and feel that the field is a perfect blend of medicine, surgery, procedures and primary care.
Hello, A! Thank you for the nice words about the blog, I am glad to be able to provide a glimpse of life in the world of Ob/Gyn. I agree that Ob/Gyn is a perfect blend of medicine, surgery, procedures, and primary care. It is a really great field, but it does have its limitations.
However, I am afraid to commit to the field for the following reasons:
-Work hours. I cannot get a straight answer from the academic faculty on what to expect after residency. Most of them have flat out discouraged me from choosing OB, telling me that I should just do one of my other 2 choices. Is it possible to find a job working 60-65 hours/week and still come out with a salary of $250-$300k in smaller cities in midwest or the south? I just want to be well-informed of what to expect before I take the plunge to ensure that I don't end up hating my career .
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ahem, I mean, ah, not likely right off the bat, at any rate. I think you can get the salary you want with more work hours, or the work hours you want for a lower salary, but it would be rare to find the above combination just out of residency. My average work week (5 person group practice) is right about 60 hours with weekday call, 110 hours for weeks where I have weekend call. As an employed physician, I make less than $200,000. My pay will increase with each employed year until I am able to "buy-in" to the practice. After that, my income will increase (but a large portion of it will go back into buying into the practice). After about 5 years of "paying my dues," I will be able to set my ticket for income. It just takes some time.
At my previous job, I made over $250,000, worked in a rural, under served area with high Med.icaid, and only had 4 days off per month, so 168 hours the weeks that I worked weekends, 120 hour weeks the weeks when I had the weekend off. Trust me, it is far better to make less money and work less hours, especially now when O.b.ama.care looms on the horizon. (Plus, think of the taxes you will be paying on a higher salary, you may get to keep more of your money working for a lower income.) So, while I am sure you can find some places where low work hours and higher income combines, that would certainly not be the norm until you establish a practice.
-Liability. How stressful is this aspect of OB if I choose to move to a state with Tort Reform or low liability?
Liability, Tort Reform or not, is always stressful in OB. It will loom over your shoulder with every decision you make, especially with respect to managing labor and delivery. Even when you uphold the standard of care, you can still be sued for bad outcomes, and all it takes is one case to destroy you financially, personally, and professionally. Malpractice premiums are fairly exorbitant in the field, as well. You may not be able to cover your malpractice costs if you have a poor payer mix, meaning more volume, which leads to more chances of things going wrong. Vicious cycle. Most of the time, it is just like static noise in the background, other times you hear the alarm bells clanging. You get used to it, but it is always there.
-I am a male (a minority in the pool of OB applicants). I have been told that being a male would make it difficult for me to find a decent job because practices tend to prefer women OB's (hence males have to settle for worse locations, work hours and call schedules). How true is this?
Well, to be honest, I am not sure, since I am not a male. (Any male Ob/Gyns out there want to field this question?) I know that in many of the positions for which I interviewed, they were very interested in procuring a female physician. One field that you may consider, if you are so inclined, is the field of Urogynecology. I think it is a 3 year specialty after residency. It is a more surgery-heavy specialty, and, in my experience, still fairly male-dominated. You still get some procedures, good primary care and a lot of good surgeries, no babies, so less liability, and likely better hours and compensation overall. I hope that these answers helped somewhat, and I hope my readers are able to clarify further some points I am not able to elaborate upon. I truly wish you the best of luck with the rest of your training, and in whichever specialty you choose to pursue.
Monday, June 29, 2009
More Advice you Never Wanted to Hear: Residency
Holy shit, new residents are starting on Wednesday! Residency, for me, was such a far cry from medical school. When I started residency, it was back in the "dark ages" of medicine. Read: prior to the (oh so benevolent) 80 hour work week. That's right. I worked 120 hour weeks in my first 2 years. Uh huh. I'm the monsta. But seriously...I did have weeks when I was on call Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. 36-48 hours on, 6-8 hours off. It was unbelievable. Surreal. I often fell asleep in my bed after a (much needed) shower with a Smirno.ff Ice or Be.er in my hand. I remember holding a retractor for a vag hyst, in an oncology case, at 9 pm, when I was post-call. I had tears streaming silently under my surgical mask. I thought I was going to die. But, guess what? I did not die. Not physically, anyway.
Residency isn't as hard as it used to be, but the principles remain the same. Work. Your. Ass. Off. I mean that. In order to be a good intern/resident, you'd better work (now turn it to the left). Pay attention in morning rounds. Make check boxes and lists. Make sure the labor and post-partum floors are taken care of when you are the OB resident. Be sure that all Gyn cases are covered, pre-opped, and post-opped when you are the Gyn resident. Be everywhere at every time. Seriously. I mean this.
A good resident knows his/her patients. Labs are checked often. Notes are written. Labor progress is always recorded. Gyn patients are rounded on 4 hours post op, AM, and PM. Know your patients better than the attendings know them. Be able to regurgitate labs, post-op blood loss, and diet orders. Help your fellow residents and interns. Don't throw people under the bus. Work as the team. If someone isn't sleeping, then *no one* is sleeping. Divide and conquer. Be nice to the nurses. Round on the floors and give universal "Wal-Mart orders" to the floors before you try to lay down (IE. if they can buy it at Wal-Mart ~heating pad, Tylenol, Tums, fan~ they can have it!)
Help your junior residents, and teach them how to run the board. There is no such thing as a "little" case. Scrub in on as many surgeries as humanly possible. I don't care if you have seen a million c-sections, scrub in on the next one....it may be a C-hyst. You need as much surgical exposure as humanly possible. Especially now in the restricted 80 hour work week.
If you have to do research for your residency graduation...do it NOW. Do not wait until your Senior year when you are trying to interview for jobs, study for written boards, and get licensed. Do the research early. Just suck it up and do it. Be good to your nurses, and they will be good to you. Don't whine. Don't ever let them see you cry. Stick up for yourself. Enjoy your time off. If you are considering a family, residency is a decent time to have a kiddo. Just be ready for the way your fellow residents will treat you. Especially if you are in a small program. No one wants to work more than they have to work, but you may never have so many people to cover your absence again. Don't delay your personal and family life for residency. Take care of yourself. Don't eat those fries with a grilled cheese at 2 am because you "deserve it." Exercise. Leave your job at work. Stay in touch with family and friends.
Learn as much as you can. When you go out into the "real world" you will wish that you did more surgery and paid more attention in clinic. Even when it sucks, you can do it. Even when you think you won't make it, you will. One day you will look back and 4 years of residency will be over...seemingly instantaneously. You can do it. One foot in front of the other. Life on the other side is good. Keep moving.
Residency isn't as hard as it used to be, but the principles remain the same. Work. Your. Ass. Off. I mean that. In order to be a good intern/resident, you'd better work (now turn it to the left). Pay attention in morning rounds. Make check boxes and lists. Make sure the labor and post-partum floors are taken care of when you are the OB resident. Be sure that all Gyn cases are covered, pre-opped, and post-opped when you are the Gyn resident. Be everywhere at every time. Seriously. I mean this.
A good resident knows his/her patients. Labs are checked often. Notes are written. Labor progress is always recorded. Gyn patients are rounded on 4 hours post op, AM, and PM. Know your patients better than the attendings know them. Be able to regurgitate labs, post-op blood loss, and diet orders. Help your fellow residents and interns. Don't throw people under the bus. Work as the team. If someone isn't sleeping, then *no one* is sleeping. Divide and conquer. Be nice to the nurses. Round on the floors and give universal "Wal-Mart orders" to the floors before you try to lay down (IE. if they can buy it at Wal-Mart ~heating pad, Tylenol, Tums, fan~ they can have it!)
Help your junior residents, and teach them how to run the board. There is no such thing as a "little" case. Scrub in on as many surgeries as humanly possible. I don't care if you have seen a million c-sections, scrub in on the next one....it may be a C-hyst. You need as much surgical exposure as humanly possible. Especially now in the restricted 80 hour work week.
If you have to do research for your residency graduation...do it NOW. Do not wait until your Senior year when you are trying to interview for jobs, study for written boards, and get licensed. Do the research early. Just suck it up and do it. Be good to your nurses, and they will be good to you. Don't whine. Don't ever let them see you cry. Stick up for yourself. Enjoy your time off. If you are considering a family, residency is a decent time to have a kiddo. Just be ready for the way your fellow residents will treat you. Especially if you are in a small program. No one wants to work more than they have to work, but you may never have so many people to cover your absence again. Don't delay your personal and family life for residency. Take care of yourself. Don't eat those fries with a grilled cheese at 2 am because you "deserve it." Exercise. Leave your job at work. Stay in touch with family and friends.
Learn as much as you can. When you go out into the "real world" you will wish that you did more surgery and paid more attention in clinic. Even when it sucks, you can do it. Even when you think you won't make it, you will. One day you will look back and 4 years of residency will be over...seemingly instantaneously. You can do it. One foot in front of the other. Life on the other side is good. Keep moving.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Ass-vice: The Med School Years
Oh yes, so where were we? Medical School. Everyone finds their path to medical school a bit differently, but once you are there? It is a completely new "ball game." Once upon a time, you were the best of the best. You worked the hardest. You got the best grades. You were the smartest person that your friends knew. Guess what? Once you get to medical school...everyone is the same as you. You are all the smartest, the most rigorous, the most dedicated, and, no, you cannot all be the best in the class. Perhaps, for the first time in your young life, you will be an "average student." Please don't let that kill your self esteem. You know what they call the person to graduate last in his/her medical school class? That's right...Doctor.
For me, I felt like once I got to medical school I could actually *breathe.* I had, for all intents and purposes, made it to the "end game." I did not go into med school with a super clear idea of the field in which I wanted to specialize. (Aside: I thought Dermatology would be way cool with awesome hours/lifestyle, but, much to my dismay, I came home disgusted every day from Derm clinic (and also with a case of ringworm before the rotation was over).
However, first things first. The first two years of medical school? They suck. Hardcore suck. It is massive amounts of information, crammed into your brain in ways you never thought possible. You thought you studied hard in undergrad? Freaking forget it. I remember that I would sit....cross legged on my futon in my apartment, hunched over my books and notes for 8-10 hours (after going to class all day), pausing only for bathroom breaks and meals. I would do this, and then I would make a B or a C, because I was in the middle of the (incredibly intelligent) class. So. Frustrating. Studying in medical school surpassed anything that I ever dreamed of in undergrad, but so did the parties after the tests. Crayzee. I made my first D in medical school. I failed my first class (Endocrinology) in med school. I felt lower than I ever had felt....until 3rd year. Once we got into the wards, it all changed. I was taking care of patients. I liked it!!! All of the angst of the first 2 years felt redeemed.
For those of you going into medical school knowing that you want to specialize in Ob/Gyn...you have a leg up. I had no idea who I wanted to be when I "grew up." I blindly stumbled through the blocks until I found something that I really loved to do. For me, it was Women's Health. I loved reading about it. I enjoyed the clinics. I was intrigued with the GYN surgeries, and, of course, delivering babies was the biggest rush in the world. I remember vehemently wishing that I didn't love it. I looked at the lifestyle and was scared to death. But, I knew, just knew, that being an Ob/Gyn was what I was meant to do. I wished it was different, but I couldn't fight how I felt.
If you do know that you are passionate about Ob/Gyn in medical school, get involved early. Look for research (ugh) projects with residents. Bust your butt on your rotations, make yourself invaluable to your team, and impress your attendings. You will need good letters of recommendation from at least a couple attending physicians, so do as many rotations and electives as you can do. Be highly visible. Scrub every surgery that you can manage to do, get your hands in on as many deliveries as you can, and offer (often) to run scut for your interns. Learn the lifestyle before you take the final plunge.
The good news for you is that Ob/Gyn, because of the lifestyle, isn't super-competitive like Radiology or Dermatology. You don't need AOA to get into a good program. If you are a good student, with good references, you will likely go where you want to go. I graduated in the top 25% of my class, and I got my first pick from the Match. So, again with the bullet points:
~ If you know what you want to do, get involved early.
~ Don't despair, the first two years suck for everyone.
~ Go above and beyond on your Ob/Gyn (and, really, every) rotation. Make yourself invaluable to your team (without being a PITA).
~ Find research opportunities through the residents and interns. Everyone needs someone who can research charts and compile data.
~ Be thinking about your letters of recommendation early.
~ Work hard, and the rest will follow.
~ DO NOT be a know-it-all, or do anything listed here.
Up next, how to survive your residency...with your sanity somewhat intact! :)
For me, I felt like once I got to medical school I could actually *breathe.* I had, for all intents and purposes, made it to the "end game." I did not go into med school with a super clear idea of the field in which I wanted to specialize. (Aside: I thought Dermatology would be way cool with awesome hours/lifestyle, but, much to my dismay, I came home disgusted every day from Derm clinic (and also with a case of ringworm before the rotation was over).
However, first things first. The first two years of medical school? They suck. Hardcore suck. It is massive amounts of information, crammed into your brain in ways you never thought possible. You thought you studied hard in undergrad? Freaking forget it. I remember that I would sit....cross legged on my futon in my apartment, hunched over my books and notes for 8-10 hours (after going to class all day), pausing only for bathroom breaks and meals. I would do this, and then I would make a B or a C, because I was in the middle of the (incredibly intelligent) class. So. Frustrating. Studying in medical school surpassed anything that I ever dreamed of in undergrad, but so did the parties after the tests. Crayzee. I made my first D in medical school. I failed my first class (Endocrinology) in med school. I felt lower than I ever had felt....until 3rd year. Once we got into the wards, it all changed. I was taking care of patients. I liked it!!! All of the angst of the first 2 years felt redeemed.
For those of you going into medical school knowing that you want to specialize in Ob/Gyn...you have a leg up. I had no idea who I wanted to be when I "grew up." I blindly stumbled through the blocks until I found something that I really loved to do. For me, it was Women's Health. I loved reading about it. I enjoyed the clinics. I was intrigued with the GYN surgeries, and, of course, delivering babies was the biggest rush in the world. I remember vehemently wishing that I didn't love it. I looked at the lifestyle and was scared to death. But, I knew, just knew, that being an Ob/Gyn was what I was meant to do. I wished it was different, but I couldn't fight how I felt.
If you do know that you are passionate about Ob/Gyn in medical school, get involved early. Look for research (ugh) projects with residents. Bust your butt on your rotations, make yourself invaluable to your team, and impress your attendings. You will need good letters of recommendation from at least a couple attending physicians, so do as many rotations and electives as you can do. Be highly visible. Scrub every surgery that you can manage to do, get your hands in on as many deliveries as you can, and offer (often) to run scut for your interns. Learn the lifestyle before you take the final plunge.
The good news for you is that Ob/Gyn, because of the lifestyle, isn't super-competitive like Radiology or Dermatology. You don't need AOA to get into a good program. If you are a good student, with good references, you will likely go where you want to go. I graduated in the top 25% of my class, and I got my first pick from the Match. So, again with the bullet points:
~ If you know what you want to do, get involved early.
~ Don't despair, the first two years suck for everyone.
~ Go above and beyond on your Ob/Gyn (and, really, every) rotation. Make yourself invaluable to your team (without being a PITA).
~ Find research opportunities through the residents and interns. Everyone needs someone who can research charts and compile data.
~ Be thinking about your letters of recommendation early.
~ Work hard, and the rest will follow.
~ DO NOT be a know-it-all, or do anything listed here.
Up next, how to survive your residency...with your sanity somewhat intact! :)
Sunday, June 07, 2009
"I give myself very good advice..."
"...but I very seldom follow it." I've been getting a few requests in comments and emails about advice for people in various stages of pre-medical and medical life. I think I have spilled a few kernels of (snicker) wisdom here and there within the blog, but I'm feeling froggy enough to try to organize my thoughts for your collective benefit. Since there are a million ways from point A to point B, what I will do is to describe what worked for me, and, if you are in a hurry, will bullet point the highlights at the end of the paragraph.
~Take as many AP courses as you can handle
~Have FUN (it may be the last time you are able...Hahahaha. Just Kidding)
~Get involved (volunteer, sports, music, student council, doesn't matter what, just do something else besides study!)
College
So, once I went to college, and chose to be a Biology major. I had to seriously consider my options for a career. I could be a research scientist, go for the PhD track, maybe teaching, or I could pursue the medical field. Once I had an inkling that I wanted to declare myself for "pre-med," I began to actively seek opportunities to volunteer. I worked at a hospital rehab center a few evenings a week, shadowed an (family friend) anesthesiologist during the summer months during surgeries. I also sought out other "extracurricular" activities, many of which involved leadership positions in my junior and senior years. When I was applying for medical school (back in the dark ages, though I imagine it is much the same now), the main goal for many schools was to find the "well-rounded" student. (read, *not* the person buried up to their eyeballs in books day and night).
Don't get me wrong, I did *plenty* of studying. I studied harder than I ever had before, and was fortunate enough to make Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key, and Mortar Board. These things look good on a CV. Bio majors' classes were always Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays (so no four-day weekends) and usually started at 8 am. Oh, how my college self suffered, only being able to go out 3 nights a week instead of 5. I still managed to make great memories and go to football games, even if I didn't get to go out on as many Thursday nights as I would have liked.
I also did not take a class for the MCAT prep, and I totally wished that I had. I did my own prep, and did just fine (obviously), but I hate to think of how much better I could have been. I didn't even automatically release my scores until I saw them, I thought they were that bad. Luckily, it all worked out.
One thing that I always loved was being able to take some "non-major" coursework in the subjects which interested me, like Astronomy and Philosophy. My Biology major afforded me the flexibility to take a few classes "just for fun." I know that you can still go to medical school without a science undergraduate major, but it is more difficult to do. I couldn't imagine trying to get in all the pre-requisites for a completely different college *and* fulfill medical school requirements. I know people who did it, but I was far too lazy for that!
~Choose a science major (unless you are not lazy).
~Volunteer and expose yourself (not like *that*) to the medical profession in any capacity possible.
~Again, get involved! Leadership positions are a plus, as well, and you are going to need good people skills. (Trust me on this one.)
~Don't be a martyr. Yes, you are working hard, and no, your final exam isn't going to be as easy as making a giant cardboard Apple poster (no shit), but you ain't seen nothing yet.
~Study harder than you did in high school.
~Take non-major classes that interest you. This is your last opportunity to learn about something "for fun."
~Take an MCAT prep course.
~Again....HAVE FUN! I had a great time in college, and it was because my studies and social life were fairly well balanced.
Ok, I think I will stop here for tonight. Up in the next installment....ass-vice, I mean, advice for Medical School, Residency, and beyond!
Elementary School
Joking! Joking! Ok? You people are way too serious.
High School
I wish that I could say that I was consciously preparing for a medical career even in high school, but in truth, I really wasn't. I liked science, hated math, and loved to read and write. For a brief time, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer...that lasted until I took a class in Law. I did make good grades, participated in a lot of activities, and took as many Advance Placement courses as my high school offered, so the better not to have to take them in college. Let me clarify that my parents had already prepaid for a state school, so I had no lofty aspirations of Ivy League schools. My fascination with my Anatomy and Physiology class led me to choose to be a Biology major in college.
~Make good grades
~Take as many AP courses as you can handle
~Have FUN (it may be the last time you are able...Hahahaha. Just Kidding)
~Get involved (volunteer, sports, music, student council, doesn't matter what, just do something else besides study!)
College
So, once I went to college, and chose to be a Biology major. I had to seriously consider my options for a career. I could be a research scientist, go for the PhD track, maybe teaching, or I could pursue the medical field. Once I had an inkling that I wanted to declare myself for "pre-med," I began to actively seek opportunities to volunteer. I worked at a hospital rehab center a few evenings a week, shadowed an (family friend) anesthesiologist during the summer months during surgeries. I also sought out other "extracurricular" activities, many of which involved leadership positions in my junior and senior years. When I was applying for medical school (back in the dark ages, though I imagine it is much the same now), the main goal for many schools was to find the "well-rounded" student. (read, *not* the person buried up to their eyeballs in books day and night).
Don't get me wrong, I did *plenty* of studying. I studied harder than I ever had before, and was fortunate enough to make Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key, and Mortar Board. These things look good on a CV. Bio majors' classes were always Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays (so no four-day weekends) and usually started at 8 am. Oh, how my college self suffered, only being able to go out 3 nights a week instead of 5. I still managed to make great memories and go to football games, even if I didn't get to go out on as many Thursday nights as I would have liked.
I also did not take a class for the MCAT prep, and I totally wished that I had. I did my own prep, and did just fine (obviously), but I hate to think of how much better I could have been. I didn't even automatically release my scores until I saw them, I thought they were that bad. Luckily, it all worked out.
One thing that I always loved was being able to take some "non-major" coursework in the subjects which interested me, like Astronomy and Philosophy. My Biology major afforded me the flexibility to take a few classes "just for fun." I know that you can still go to medical school without a science undergraduate major, but it is more difficult to do. I couldn't imagine trying to get in all the pre-requisites for a completely different college *and* fulfill medical school requirements. I know people who did it, but I was far too lazy for that!
~Choose a science major (unless you are not lazy).
~Volunteer and expose yourself (not like *that*) to the medical profession in any capacity possible.
~Again, get involved! Leadership positions are a plus, as well, and you are going to need good people skills. (Trust me on this one.)
~Don't be a martyr. Yes, you are working hard, and no, your final exam isn't going to be as easy as making a giant cardboard Apple poster (no shit), but you ain't seen nothing yet.
~Study harder than you did in high school.
~Take non-major classes that interest you. This is your last opportunity to learn about something "for fun."
~Take an MCAT prep course.
~Again....HAVE FUN! I had a great time in college, and it was because my studies and social life were fairly well balanced.
Ok, I think I will stop here for tonight. Up in the next installment....ass-vice, I mean, advice for Medical School, Residency, and beyond!
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