Pre-Med Competition: Here’s what they know…
Episode 7: 50 Listener Questions and Special Requests: The Power Of
Exploiting Your Competition!
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In this episode:
ANNOUNCEMENTS
PODCAST UPDATE
Pre-Med E-book now a 17-week FREE course
$0.01 Pre-Med CD lays the groundwork for EVERYTHING Pre-Med!
LISTENER REQUESTS
Q & A
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ANNOUNCEMENTS:
LEVEL 1: PODCASTS: I’ve had a slow pace with podcasts lately due to the pressure
of keeping up with residency. The newsletter has been reorganized to provide
continual email updates every 4 days, however.
LEVEL 2: NEWSLETTER: The FREE Pre-Med E-book had a fatal flaw. The newsletter
was cutting off the 50+ page Diary of a PreMed Student book around page 10 or
so. Thank you Mr. C. from Detroit, Michigan for pointing that out! There are
many other topics that get emailed to you in addition to the E-Book contents,
but it has been repaired to send you one of the chapters per week for a 17-week
course – all FREE!
LEVEL 3: CD OF THE MONTH CLUB: The MINDMAP is progressing nicely. This tool
organizes all of my Pre-Med content, and MANY topics not in the podcasts, using
an outline formatting software. For the first time you can have all of the
medical education websites, files, videos and podcasts all in one place! This is
only available through the CD of the Month Club. Sign up for my FREE Pre-Med
E-book at www.MedicalMastery.com using the attached file you get in my emails.
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LISTENER REQUESTS:
The survey on medicalmastery.com has sparked many questions, comments, and
suggestions for how to improve this Podcast. The most common request was for
more podcasts at more frequent intervals. Believe me, I’m doing the best I can
as a medical resident. I really enjoy helping Pre-Med students. It’s a passion
of mine and I look forward to staying involved with you guys in the future.
This podcast emphasizes the importance of asking your questions! NO question is
to simple. The only “dumb” question is the one you don’t ask. As you can see
there are all different levels of experience of the Pre-Meds that listen and
there is something here for everyone. Also, by asking your questions you are
helping each other out because you’re not the only one that wants to know. We’re
going to go through over 50 questions.
I am accepting introduction music submissions for an honorable mention. The
music has to be original, so if there are any musicians out there you are
invited to submit short music segments for introduction, special announcement,
and closing segments.
Listeners have also requested that I interview medical students and doctors.
Please submit questions for each. I want to make sure I ask them the things that
YOU most want to know.
If you have any other suggestions, visit medicalmastery.com and complete the
survey. Be sure to sign up for the FREE Pre-Med E-Book Newsletter.
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LISTENER Q & A’S
QUESTION 1: There were four similar questions –
Part A:
I am currently doing all basic classes including the basic sciences and my
intended major is Biology/premed and according to the UH NSM requirement I also
have to take a NSM capstone (which is either a double major, a minor, a thesis
or some research). But, after browsing the school website they have another
major that is interesting as well, its called B.S in Biology (medical
Technology) and it seems really interesting and the requirement are same except
their is a few more classes of chem but less math (all you have to do is cal 1)
but the last 30 hours are clinical programs. It sounds really interesting but
she told me that a lot of students that want to go into medicine do not take
this major! Is there a reason behind this? and plus do you think its a good
program? It also says that entry into a medical technology clinical program is
competitive, not a certainty. Although a minimum GPA average of 2.5 or better is
required by most medical technology schools. So, please let me know what you
think of this and let me know!!
ANSWER 1A
Congratulations on finishing another semester. By the way, I’m about to do
my next podcast that will answer your previous questions about which classes
to take and which schools to attend. The short answer is – choose your own
life! More to follow…
This is a very interesting question about the med tech curriculum. I say
that because it brings up a big concept in the admissions culture – program
hopping! See, this same question pops up when people transfer from Ph.D,
masters, nursing, or physician assistant programs and attempt to enter
medical school. The main question you have to answer is “why?”
What most advisors don’t demonstrate at the undergraduate level is a genuine
understanding of the CRITICAL health care provider shortage. If someone
takes up a seat in a competitive medical technology program and then doesn’t
fill that position in the community, but they change careers, per se, and go
into medicine, then they’ve wasted community resources.
Keep in mind, too, that state-supported schools (like UT and U of H) are
under a mandate to fill the shortage as efficiently as possible, or face the
threat of losing funding.
BUT HAVE NO FEAR
With the little bit I know about you, I already can see a bullet-proof plan
that will cement your entire application and undergraduate experience (at
least on paper). Are you ready?
1. Do whatever is safest and most convenient for you this summer.
2. Stick with whatever undergraduate major YOU like the most. Do the med
tech program if it sounds interesting enough to finish.
3. In your personal essay, state that you have an interest in pathology and
that is why you chose that major. You’re not lying, after all. Plus, if you
change your mind later, it’s a great career.
4. When your grades gain steady improvement, site that semester as the time
in your life when you decided to pursue medicine in all seriousness.
5. When you come back from India, step up your academic game and treat it
like a job.
You can do it.
Part B, C:
Transformation from RN to MD and the reality of it. Please
include experiences from medical school students. What do medical schools think
about nursing majors who are going into medical school?
Part D:
I want to learn about the MCAT prep and advice on choosing
a major for a BA or BS degree.
QUESTION 2
I was wondering if you had any references for me in order
to beef up my knowledge of healthcare policy and issues in the US (and maybe
abroad)? I would really appreciate any sources, or if you could point me in the
right direction.
ANSWER 2
What are you most interested in learning about? Just basic stuff to be
knowledgeable for interviews or something more serious for career aspirations?
My first thought is to subscribe to newsletters/magazines such as American
Medical News (by the AMA). I get this and that’s what they’re all about. They
represent 25% of US physicians and they’re all about policy.
QUESTIONS 3-49: From The Online Survey
The $0.01 first CD contains the answers to the following
questions:
• Video Tutorial: Getting Organized lecture, presented at the University of
Houston’s American Medical Student Association’s PreMed chapter.
• Audio MP3’s: About Medical Mastery, Admission Requirements, Letters of
Recommendation, and Medicine as a Career
• Study Material: Biostatistics, Definitions and Differentials, Ethics of
Healthcare Organizations, Neurology Questions parts 1 and 2, Research
commentary, Statement of the definition of true science, Somatosensory Pathways,
Processes and Systems, Statistics PowerPoint, and the USMLE eBook.
• What the admissions committee is looking for and tips
for the interview.
• Getting the residency you want and information about the Personal Statement.
• Second Edition Diary of a PreMed Student
• Checklist: Getting Organized
• Show Notes: Getting Organized
• Articles: US, UK, Canadian med student career choices, Letters of
Recommendation
• MCAT: Biochemistry Questions and Answers
• MindMap Contents:
• Advice about medical school preparation, especially
comment on consistency and reliability.
i. 1. Getting organized: graphical and narrative descriptions of the Master
Application Binder
ii. 2. Professional Email Account references. Make sure the email account you
use doesn’t have an embarassing title that the admissions committee might
notice.
iii. 3. A reference tool for Password Organization. Welcome to modern medicine -
be prepared to have to remember more ID’s and passwords than humanly possible.
iv. 4. Transcript request template.
v. 5. Address label template.
vi. 6. Transcript follow-up checklist template.
• How graduate GPA factors into the equation for medical
school and MCAT tips.
vii. 7. Official GPA calculations of the American Medical College Application
Service, including a graphical insert from my actual application and a
narrative.
viii. 8. A Microsoft Excel GPA calculator template for you to manipulate to
predict what your GPA will be come application time.
ix. 9. Sample list of academic honors important for you medical school
application.
x. 10. Resume template.
xi. 11. Sample phrase for volunteer community activities.
xii. 12. Undergraduate research description samples.
xiii. 13. My personal essay.
xiv. 14. My entire medical school application. See all of the biographical and
personal questions you have to answer in advance! There is a lot more to write
than the personal essay.
xv. 15. Secondary application essays. Most medical schools require an additional
application, besides the centralized application service, which comes with
multiple short essays.
xvi. 16. Medical School Application Summary Page (sample). Get an inside look at
the application cover page that admission committees see first!
xvii. 17. The original diary of a PreMed student, unedited and written while on
the medical school interview trail.
xviii. 18. Medical School Essay – HELP. 10 steps to writing the personal
statement along with 5 DO’s and 5 DON’Ts.
• How much do my goals for my career affect my chances of
being accepted and an assessment of how competitive my application is right now.
xix. 19. My Practice Vision: The second personal essay. The general question is
“How do you see your career playing out 5-10 years after medical school?”
xx. 20. Checklist for writing the personal essay.
xxi. 21. How to get STRONG and plenty letters or recommendation.
• What is the best way to log volunteer hours? I mean, is
it a cumulative report from the beginning of undergraduate or is any work done
prior applicable as well?
xxii. 22. The coveted letter for an invitation for an interview (sample now an
expanded section!).
xxiii. 23. Common details about interview details (sample itinerary).
• Information about non-US medical schools, particularly
Caribbean schools.
xxiv. 24. List of Caribbean Medical Schools
xxv. 25. Medical school admission requirements.
xxvi. 26. List of Allopathic medical schools
xxvii. 27. List of Osteopathic medical schools
• How do you start to become a doctor and Pre-Med?
• What are the steps to become a doctor for someone who has NO education (at
least on paper)? Where do I start?
• How do I keep myself motivated…I know this is what I want to do but other
students always seem to keep discouraging me.
xxviii. 28. Deciding on a career in medicine (article)
xxix. 29. Personal essay (sample) for MD/PhD program
xxx. 30. The Modern Medical Scrolls E-book. 1,275 pages of medical student notes
written for each other…and themselves. This .pdf file contains the parts of
medical school that you’ll actually want to remember!
CD Number 2 contains the following answers to your
questions: subsequent CD’s are only $17!
• How can nontraditional applicants create a competitive
AMCAS application and how do I maximize the personal statement and interview to
express my viewpoints.
• Video Tutorial: How to write the Personal Essay in 10 Steps. Also, 5 DO’s and
5 DON’Ts!
• How do I compensate for a low GPA? How do grades from a
harder school compare to presumably easier schools? Besides the MCAT, are there
other ways to demonstrate academic strength? Do the admissions committees
already understand these discrepancies and account for them when reviewing
applications?
• Overcoming a low GPA (under 3.4). How to get back into the swing of things
after a break from school.
• How do community college courses affect your chance of admission?
• Audio MP3’s: The Perfect GPA: No matter what your grades! Sound ridiculous?
• Study Material: Chest x-ray primer, EKG primer, Most Common Female
Reproductive Problems, Hemorrhage, History and Physical Checklist, History and
Physical Pocket Card, Hormone Chart, Psychological Assessment, Tachyarrhythmias
101
• Checklist: The Personal Essay.
• Articles: Euthanasia, Neurenberg, The Personal Essay, Threats To Validity
• MCAT: Pathophysiology
• Getting into medical school in general and specifically,
how much is medical school going to cost me.
• MindMap Additions: The Perfect GPA, Military Experience, Financial Assistance
CD Number 3 contains the following answers to your
questions: subsequent CD’s are only $17!
• How to improve my chances of getting into medical
school.
• How do I get my application recognized among the rest?
• Video Tutorial: The Construct – Part A. Write
your entire medical school application way in advance! Now!! Think through every
step of the process and use this to objectively assess the strengths and
weaknesses of your application.
• Audio MP3’s: Financial Assistance, The Construct – Part A.
• Study Material: Basic Eye Exam, Blood Smear, Dermatology – Skin Neoplasms, Lab
Values 101, Moguls – heart shadows on x-ray, Neuroradiology, Opthamology
• Checklist: The Construct – Part A.
• Articles: False Hopes – Best Data, Human Subjects Research Training, Research
Commentary, Research Description (sample) Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine,
Threats to Validity.
• MCAT: General Chemistry.
• What do you think about post-bacchleurette programs?
Speak about master’s programs before entering medical school for someone that
needs to enhance their academic background.
• MindMap Additions: Research: The Role Of Research In Your Medical School
Application.
CD Number 4 contains the following answers to your
questions: subsequent CD’s are only $17!
• Video Tutorial: The Construct – Part B. Write
your entire medical school application way in advance! Now!! Think through every
step of the process and use this to objectively assess the strengths and
weaknesses of your application.
• Audio MP3’s: The Construct – Part B, Financial Assistance.
• Study Material: Infrared Spectroscopy parts 1-3, Mental Status Examination,
Renal Disease Chart, Stem Cell Research, Vitamins, History of Present Illness (HPI)
and assessing the patient’s mental status.
• Checklist: Financial Assistance Opportunity Exploration, The Construct – Part
B
• Articles: Financial Assistance For Medical School: An oxymoron?, Medical
Futility, Suicide, The Tarasoff Case, The Ethics Movement
• MCAT: Physics
• The interview process and comment more about the path of
the nontraditional student.
• How to make my application standout and how to get an internship or shadowing
opportunity as an undergraduate.
• MindMap Additions: Having a Successful Interview, Volunteer Activities, Uncut
Interview Diary, Diary of a PreMed Student (2nd Edition Guide), Interview Topics
(85 pages!).
CD Number 5 contains the following answers to your
questions: subsequent CD’s are only $17!
• Is it worth taking the MCAT for the third time?
• How should a Pre-Med student study and/or practice for the MCAT?
• Video Tutorial: How To Study For The MCAT And More: The Proven 5-Step Study
Method
• Audio MP3’s: How To Study For The MCAT And More: The Proven 5-Step Study
Method
• Study Material: Neonatal Resuscitation, Behavioral Science Part A, Behavioral
Science Part B, Psychiatry Review
• Checklist: Maximizing Your Study Methodology
• Articles: 100 Years After The Flexner Report, Feedback In Clinical Medical
Education, Impact Of Formal Continuing Education, Systematic Review Of Physician
Performance
• MCAT: Biochemistry Part A, Biochemistry Part B, Evolutionary Questions
• MindMap Additions: How To Study For The MCAT And More: The Proven 5-Step Study
Method
CD Number 6 contains the following answers to your
questions: subsequent CD’s are only $17!
• Video Tutorial: The Power Of Exploiting Your Competition & Demonstration Of
Navigating The MASTERMIND Map.
• I really would like some more information regarding your
thought process upon your decision to leave the military and pursue a career in
medicine. Also, how did you articulate your experiences in the military in your
application/personal statement? What type of responses did you receive from
medical schools regarding your military experience?
• Audio MP3’s: Opening Lecture at the University of Houston Pre-Med Club, The
Power Of Exploiting Your Competition & Demonstration Of Navigating The
MASTERMIND Map.
• Study Material: Antibiotic Medications, Anti-Mycobacterials, Neuroscience
Review, Parasite Note Cards
• Articles: “I Don’t Know” – The Three Most Important Words In Education,
Learner-centered Approaches In Medical Education, ECFMG Information Booklet and
Certification Fact Sheet.
• MCAT: Pathology
• MindMap Additions: Legal Documentation, Work History Template, References,
Certifications, The Professional Email Account, Journaling, Extracurricular
Activities
FUTURE CD TOPICS:
• Also, are the MCAT preparation courses worth the money?
• Interviews with doctors for comparison of what I’ve heard and insight on the
application and interview process.
• What admission officers DON’T want you to know about the process and some big
misconceptions about medical school.
• The reality of medicine. What being a doctor means? I mean, tell me about the
day-to-day goings on of an actual doctor, not what is shown on television.
• What about the “unprepared” medical student that didn’t decide to become
Pre-Med until after college and therefore didn’t take advantage of a true
academic advisor?
• LAST BUT NOT LEAST: insider medical school practice tests – the real thing!
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Mission Statement
“Medical Mastery seeks to podcast meaning into medical education by combining
faith, high-quality lectures, and charity.”
Tags: competition for medical school, cut-throat premed competition, undergrad competition
