My final semester (of college) began last week. On the first day of my classes I had an interview at Albany Medical College. They used the MMI format for the interview and it was a blast. Supposedly they let us know results within 2-3 weeks. I still have yet to hear from 16 other medical schools. Applying to medical schools is definitely like running a marathon, with no finish line, ever. This semester I will be taking Mammalian Physiology with Professor Thomas L. Foxall, Ethical Issues in Biomedical Science with Professor Thomas G. Pistole, Environmental Health with Professor Rosemary M. Caron, and Introduction to Theater with Sarah J. Marschner… Hah. Should be a blast. I’m also a TA for a Microbiology Lab twice a week. I can’t wait for the next lab where students have to swab their own butts. Hilarious. Cross your fingers for more interviews and a couple of acceptances!
Last Day of Classes
•December 13, 2012 • Leave a CommentToday is the last day of the first semester of my senior year at UNH. I am currently sitting in my Biostatistics classroom waiting for the final exams to be handed out. I have one more exam later this afternoon and then I am finished for a few weeks. I still have plenty of holiday shopping to do! But first let me go finish this exam.
My First Medical School Interview
•October 9, 2012 • Leave a CommentThis Thursday I will fly out to Omaha, Nebraska, for my first, and hopefully not the only, medical school interview of the year. My interview is scheduled for Friday the 12th and will be at UNMC (University of Nebraska College of Medicine). I am very anxious excited and can’t wait to tour the campus. For more information on the University and the Medical Center, click here. Luckily I have a few family friends in Omaha – so finding a place to spend the night was effortless. My flight schedule only allows for one day there and I have to return the night of my interview – which is a little annoying. I’ll try to post on here the night before my interview and the night after my interview. Wish me luck!
Bioethics Topics – Student Issues
•September 20, 2012 • Leave a CommentI added my first bioethics page today on the topic of student issues. The page can be accessed by clicking on Bioethics from the menu and then Student Issues from the list or from clicking this link. Questions answered on this page include the following:
What should I do when my preceptor introduces me as “Dr. X”?
How should I respond when an intern asks if I want to practice on a procedure on a patient who just died?
What if I see my resident or attending doing something “unethical”?
Is it ever appropriate to do a procedure for the first time without supervision?
I’m not sure how I feel about “using” vulnerable patients as teaching patients. Are we taking unfair advantage of people?
Other students have (unauthorized) access to last year’s killer exam. Should I look at it?
I’m noticing what looks like addictive behavior in one of my classmates. What should I do?
EMT Memes Continued
•August 29, 2012 • Leave a CommentHere are a couple more EMT memes that I’ve collected over the past few days. Some are funny and some are not. All are ridiculous. Enjoy!
Doctor Burnout
•August 22, 2012 • Leave a CommentDoctor Burnout: Nearly Half of Physicians Report Symptoms
The report’s findings were pretty alarming. 1 in 2 doctors suffer from burnout? I can’t say I’m not surprised. I am well aware of the stress involved with being a physician, and when I become one (hopefully), I am sure I will have to learn ways to avoid burning out. The problem is, as far as I can tell, is that there are not enough physicians. There will be millions of newly insured patients under the health care law. Doctors are already being asked to see more patients and being forced to spend less time with each individually. With a new rush of patients, I’m predicting that even more doctors will being to suffer more systems of burnout. With a shortage of physicians, why haven’t medical schools increased their incoming classes? Or why have new M.D. programs not been implemented? I know of a couple here and there but adding 100-200 spots a year is not enough. Especially since AMCAS noted a 20% increase in the amount of medical school applicants this year.
EMT-B Certification
•August 22, 2012 • Leave a CommentI took my EMT-B CBT (Computer Based Testing) Exam yesterday in Concord, New Hampshire. My appointment was originally set for 1:30 PM but they let me start half an hour early. I was done in about 32 minutes even though you have approximately 2 hours to complete the exam. The questions were interesting and some often had more than one correct answer. The trick is in choosing the “Best” answer even if two or three are technically correct. Basically, it was a critical thinking and common sense exam rather than a knowledge exam. On my way home I checked the NREMT website and my test results were already up! The first thing I read was:
“Congratulations on successfully earning your national EMS certification.”
Yay! I then headed over to Wal-Mart and got my new kitten, Chloé, a few things. I’m now also looking for places to apply to as an EMT-B. I have a few in my sights – so well see where that takes me. Classes start in less than a week and I’m still spending 4-5 hours a day on Medical School Secondary Essays. I just can’t wait till everything is done. To be honest as soon as my senior year classes start my “break” will begin. Ironic no?
