Southern Doc (Caribbean Style)

2012 Advice for the Highschool Student

2012-01-28T19:26:00.000-05:00

I have a secrete that no Advisor for any college will ever tell you

Whats important to admission to medical school:
1. Any US university and university level work ( not CC or tech college)
2. Any major you do well in with the prereqs 1 yr of each: Bio, Chem, Ochem, Physics and Math
3. GPA better than 3.4
4. MCAT of 30 or better
5. Volunteering ( while in college)
6. Patient contact experience
7. Shadow a Doctor

What you do during Highschool is important for:
1.Foundation
2.Getting into a college

Understand, when you apply to Medical school what you did during highschool is not important
any volunteering or patient experience will not matter that much because you not over 18 and past highschool stage. More responsibility is given to the older college students and that is the experience the Medical Schools want to see.

Also to emphasize this:
Any University of course an Ivy college wins some minor points but the GPA is the one most important thing and the College GPA used for medical schools will be All grades earned during college years ( includes ones earned during highschool), all college grades on the transcripts are averaged together.
It will be important to take a class once and get a C or better because if you repeat the 1st and 2nd grades are averaged together for a new GPA by AMCAS,

"The American Medical College Application Service® (AMCAS®) Web site. AMCAS is a non-profit, centralized application processing service that is only available to applicants to the first-year entering classes at participating U.S. medical schools. Most medical schools use AMCAS as the primary application method. Advanced standing and transfer applicants should contact the medical schools directly for assistance.

Regardless of the number of medical schools to which you apply, you submit just one online application to AMCAS. AMCAS does not render any admission decisions and does not advise applicants where to apply." https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/amcas/

Good Luck!

Time to be Poetic

2012-01-26T00:19:00.002-05:00

Why Medicine?
Because it keeps my interest

Why a Physician?
I enjoy making decisions and investigating problems
I enjoy advising people about their health as a "Partner" in health

Has it paid off?
Ask me after third or fourth year of Residency

Would I do it again?
That at times is a tough one, but the answer is always YES.

Was Medical School hard?
YES, but anything worth doing is.

How long did it take you?
For me my journey had many problems and it took a total of 6 years (Yes 6 years)
Most it will take 4 to 5 years depending on many factors.

Since you went to a Caribbean School was it easier?
No it was not easier, it was a lot harder, I will briefly explain:

1. Easy to get accepted

2. 3 semesters a year so a 1.5 to 2 year Basic science program due to 4 to 5 semesters, I went for 4 semesters but my school and most others have 5 semesters.

3. Clinical science is 2 years and it was a nightmare with my first school, some were counted and others were not, questionable if they were green book, I transferred to another school (Aureus ) and my clinicals were great and all green or blue book. I redid my cores with Aureus ( this cost me an extra year in medical school).

4. USMLE, so many ask "Did the school prepare you for the USMLE?" No they did not, in fact few of the schools prepare one for such a strange test, its almost like a Medical IQ test then a real test of knowledge. The way I finally learned how to slay the USMLE was
Kaplan course review
and Questions, Questions and then more Questions I learned how to answer the questions with the knowledge I had and how to read the questions properly, Medical school cannot prepare you for this, they give you the material and you acquire the knowledge but you must learn how to navigate the test and choose the correct answers, online Q banks are the most important part in this.

5. Knowing the above, many students can pass basic science, but it means little until you pass step 1, the hardest of the three tests ( step 2 is two parts CS and CK). Currently about 30 to 40% depending on school, cannot pass the USMLE step one, this is not the school's fault, this is why I tell people go to medical school if you understand its YOU. You are responsible to learn the information and how to succeed, the school gives you the opportunity.

6. Only 50 to 60% of FMG grads will get a residency the first year in the match.

So would I do it again?

Of course, but I may have done things differently knowing what I know now so

YOU BENEFIT

The way a Nurse thinks

2012-01-19T13:59:00.003-05:00

This is what many nurses think, and I know I'm an RN for years before medical school:

"I did the EKG to cover my butt"
How does it cover your butt if no one reads it for a couple days?

"I wrote the order"
Ok will the physician sign it?

"Dam I have to call Dr. XXX he always screams at me and sometimes curses"
Yes many doctors are real jerks on call, they act very unprofessional ( I hope never to, even for the stupid tylenol at 2am)

"They have a cold why can't they have an antibiotic"
Needs no real comment we know why

Lastly:

"That doctor is the worst, they have no idea what they are doing"
If you doubt this will be said about you, LOL it does and will happen during your practice

Happy new Year, High school

2012-01-11T08:48:00.002-05:00

Happy new Year!

From time to time I read posts from aspiring High School students.

An important thought came to mind today.

High school GPA will not matter for Medical School admission.

High school GPA will count for which college they will attend.

Does it matter which college one will attend? In the end any University with any major and the
Premed prereqs is what matters, How high the over all College GPA , Volunteering, Patient contact,shadow experience, and how high the MCAT is the main formula to success.

AP college credit and taking college courses while in High School is not an advantage in my opinion. Why? Simple, all college work will count, Bio, Chem, Physics are offered in High School as courses in High School, while watered down and basic, its still an intro and a chance to find out how well you can do without it ever affecting your chances for admission into medical school. If a High school student takes a college course at a college and fails the course. It will have to be reported to AMCAS and averaged into the AMCAS GPA used to decide and know the the Applicants GPA.

Simple definition of AMCAS GPA: All grades ever earned, if retake first and second grade, averaged together for a new GPA ignoring the college's GPA will be used for application GPA to medical school.

Link to AMCAS

This is from the 2012 application instructions, information every High School student should understand before they start College, since this is how your GPA will be calculated for Medical School, no mystery, and when you talk to Counselors you will know if they truly understand this.

"AMCAS GPAs are almost always different from those calculated by the school(s) you have attended."

Grades and GPA Calculations

After your application is verified, your AMCAS GPA is calculated. GPA calculations are

represented by BCPM codes (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math), by AO codes (All Other),

and by Academic Status. You will also be able to view your Cumulative Undergraduate GPA and

your Graduate GPA when AMCAS processing is complete.

AMCAS GPAs are almost always different from those calculated by the school(s) you

have attended. Therefore, AMCAS does not in any way attempt to compare our

calculations with those appearing on your official transcripts.

AMCAS reports to the medical schools a GPA for each Academic Status (HS, FR, SO,

JR, SR, PB, and GR), subdivided into courses listed as "BCPM" or "All Other" in the

BCPM/AO columns.

Any course with Semester Hours and an AMCAS Letter Grade is calculated into the

AMCAS GPA, regardless of whether the credit is counted toward a degree or has been

counted toward a school-calculated GPA.

AMCAS counts grades and hours assigned by the school where the courses were

originally taken, not by any school that might have granted transfer credit. The only

exceptions to this rule are foreign course work transferred to a U.S. or Canadian

institution and course work taken through an official study abroad program. See Section

Four: Course Work for full details.

Courses with the AMCAS grades listed below are not included in the GPA calculations.

Instead, the total hours for each of these categories are reported to medical schools

under the heading Supplementary Hours.

o Pass/Fail - Pass

o Pass/Fail - Fail

o Advanced Placement (AP) Credit

o College Level Examination Program (CLEP) Credit

AMCAS counts all "+" or "-" grades, even if your school does not. At some schools, a "+"

or a "-" counts as n.3 or n.7, at others they count as n.5. Please note that AMCAS

assigns the same weight (4.0) to grades of A+ and A.

Post baccalaureate (PB) course work is included in the "Undergraduate Total" GPA as

well as in a separate "Post baccalaureate" GPA.

AMCAS counts all attempts of a repeated course, even if your school does not.

Grades of "IF" or unauthorized/unofficial/administrative withdrawal may be treated as "F"

in the GPA depending on how they are considered by your school.

Grades and credit hours for all failed courses will be included in the AMCAS GPA, even if

they are not included in the GPA calculations of the transcript-issuing institution.

Grades that Do Not Affect the AMCAS GPA

The following AMCAS grades do not have a weight or value in computing the AMCAS GPA:

G Used to indicate AP credit not assigned a letter grade

L Used for CLEP or USAFI/DANTES credit not assigned a letter grade

P Used for courses taken in a Pass/Fail system, which are Passed

N Used for courses taken in a Pass/Fail system, which are Failed

For the following types, no entry should be made in the AMCAS Grade Column. These courses

have no value or weight in the AMCAS GPA.

AU Audited courses

CC Courses which are currently being taken or which you expect to take

DG Multi-term courses (incomplete series)

EX Exempt courses

NR Courses for which there is no recorded grade because of school error

W Courses from which the applicant has officially withdrawn or "dropped"

If grades are entered on the application, but not listed on the official transcript at the time of

verification, they will not be included in the AMCAS GPA. Conversely, if grades are not entered

on the application at the time of verification, but appear on the official transcript on file at AMCAS,

they will be included in the AMCAS GPA.

Also every counselor and even AMCAS have "Timelines" Ignore this, its BS. There is no time line, your GPA and MCAT score are more important than if it takes 4 or 5 years of College until you are ready to apply, there is no such requirement to apply during the 3rd year of college.

The real disadvantage is how low or high the GPA and MCAT are.

Good Luck

Happy Holidays

2011-12-25T12:54:00.001-05:00

Happy Holidays
Merry Christmas

I worked last night myself
but off today

Arrogant Doctors

2011-12-20T07:15:00.002-05:00

Arrogant Doctors, or so people believe.

I have never been nor will I be insensitive to the competent, hard work others do.

If only others would do the same.

I have been working part time as an RN until the Match this year. Most know I'm also an MD.

Some at first are apprehensive but as they get to know me they calm down and realize I don't care about titles as much as Patient care issues.

Some people it would not matter anyway. If you are sitting in a seat they think is theirs they let you know how displease they are. If you are, in this case, the only RN with clerks and LPN's you still get ignored by major issues even though you are responsible for what happens.

Yes arrogance comes from anyone, self importance is, well a sin when it affects patient care.

My feelings are not important compared to patient care issues.

Are some "Angles of Mercy" petty? Work in medicine awhile and you will find out.

Ok Twitter Time

2011-12-18T18:20:00.002-05:00

Yes I have had a Twitter Account for awhile but have not used it much, maybe I will more.

When I'm not working ( we cannot carry any electronics where I'm working part time ) I will tweet and check twitter.

If interested

mine

@DRFP1

No activity this week, still just relaxing and working after Step 2 CS, no news on the Match for me, still in the game.

I may have to scramble this coming year :(

Have a Safe Holiday all.............

Mold, not all is Toxic

2011-12-10T10:22:00.003-05:00

As I watch home renovation show after home renovation show then do internet searches I can see the widely held belief that all mold is toxic and dangerous in a home. It is fueled by junk and bad science and blogs that ramble on with nonsense at times.

As we study and become physicians it is our duty to teach people about good science and how a real study is done to prove claims.

The source, The CDC has studies about house molds and if they are toxic or not.

CDC

Linking to blog is ok but the proof is trusted sources.

What the CDC says:

I heard about "toxic molds" that grow in homes and other buildings. Should I be concerned about a serious health risk to me and my family?

The term "toxic mold" is not accurate. While certain molds are toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins (specifically mycotoxins), the molds themselves are not toxic, or poisonous. Hazards presented by molds that may produce mycotoxins should be considered the same as other common molds which can grow in your house. There is always a little mold everywhere - in the air and on many surfaces. There are very few reports that toxigenic molds found inside homes can cause unique or rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. These case reports are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxigenic mold and these conditions has not been proven.

In 2004 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found there was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition. The IOM also found limited or suggestive evidence linking indoor mold exposure and respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children. In 2009, the World Health Organization issued additional guidance, the WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould [PDF, 2.52 MB].

A common-sense approach should be used for any mold contamination existing inside buildings and homes. The common health concerns from molds include hay fever-like allergic symptoms. Certain individuals with chronic respiratory disease (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, asthma) may experience difficulty breathing. Individuals with immune suppression may be at increased risk for infection from molds. If you or your family members have these conditions, a qualified medical clinician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment. For the most part, one should take routine measures to prevent mold growth in the home.

What are the potential health effects of mold in buildings and homes?

Mold exposure does not always present a health problem indoors. However some people are sensitive to molds. These people may experience symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, eye irritation, wheezing, or skin irritation when exposed to molds. Some people may have more severe reactions to molds. Severe reactions may occur among workers exposed to large amounts of molds in occupational settings, such as farmers working around moldy hay. Severe reactions may include fever and shortness of breath. Immunocompromised persons and persons with chronic lung diseases like COPD are at increased risk for opportunistic infections and may develop fungal infections in their lungs.

In 2004 the Institute of Medicine (IOM) found there was sufficient evidence to link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition. The IOM also found limited or suggestive evidence linking indoor mold exposure and respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children.

How do you get the molds out of buildings, including homes, schools, and places of employment?

In most cases mold can be removed from hard surfaces by a thorough cleaning with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water. Absorbent or porous materials like ceiling tiles, drywall, and carpet may have to be thrown away if they become moldy. If you have an extensive amount of mold and you do not think you can manage the cleanup on your own, you may want to contact a professional who has experience in cleaning mold in buildings and homes. It is important to properly clean and dry the area as you can still have an allergic reaction to parts of the dead mold and mold contamination may recur if there is still a source of moisture.

If you choose to use bleach to clean up mold:

Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners. Mixing bleach with ammonia or other cleaning products will produce dangerous, toxic fumes.
Open windows and doors to provide fresh air.
Wear non-porous gloves and protective eye wear.
If the area to be cleaned is more than 10 square feet, consult the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guide titled Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings. Although focused on schools and commercial buildings, this document also applies to other building types. You can get it by going to the EPA web site at http://www.epa.gov/mold/mold_remediation.html.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using bleach or any other cleaning product.

For more information click on the link above.

Of course if you are truly worried about Mold and health issues and feel you need the experts to evaluate the mold and remove, then do it, but you can take care of it yourself and save thousands.

Stay healthy. Dr. Bill

Took CS yesterday.............OMG

2011-12-01T14:04:00.002-05:00

CS is a mess, it just rattles me too much,
I was almost 95% in practice, but in a situation you are monitored and taped and passing is your life.....................I screw up due to anxiety

I messed up 3 cases by not asking meds and allergies

I have no idea how it will be scored so if I get enough points during the exam I know I pass

I finished all cases
during the 15 min and the 10 min note
Focused on asking questions ( still screwed up)

If I pass I will post how I came up with the method

till then I will chill and enjoy the Holidays

Later all

1st year Premed Spring semester is heading your way

2011-11-27T12:03:00.002-05:00

As the spring semester is in your view as a 1st year college student no doubt your success and failures are weighing heavy on you. With Spring semester ahead of you several thoughts for you.

1. Make sure you adjust your schedule to something you can live with and succeed with, do not worry on credit hours but your ability to study, learn and do well.
12 credits is fine, 15 credits fine as long as you can do well if not cut back to 12 and get the help you need, if you screwed up because you were lost then maybe you need a lower course as a foundation before retaking it.

2. Cramming is always a bad idea, even if it worked ok this semester, learn to revise everyday and 6 days a week with one off. This is the way 90% of Medical students study who succeed, and to get those A's in undergrad you will need to do this most times.

3. Summer, many premeds use summer for two things:
Volunteering hours
Rest
so not fall into the "Time trap" I have to take a course in the summer because of time, these college courses are very condensed and missing topics and well, many get C's in them and just pass. You need to rest and do well, I suggest you volunteer during summer and shadow.

Good Luck all

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T22:10:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

No new news for me no residency interviews yet.

Studying for CS the last test I need to take for a year. :)

Working tomorrow

then coming home after 12 hours

US Born and bred but a foreigner

2011-10-26T19:32:00.003-04:00

Yes yes
I was born in Baltimore MD.
4th gen American
went to school in US including undergrad.
Practiced for 17 + years as an RN in the US

But going to a medical school outside the USA makes me a Foreigner

Somehow I'm now a non US Doctor and put into the same category as a Doctor from another country. One who has never practiced here nor has lived in the USA.

I was out of the country during medical school for 18 months
Spent the rest of medical school in the USA taught by the same US doctors as the US students.

I have large US student loans

How do you get the Residency programs to understand without throwing your app into the IMG pile?

No its not fair at all...............

The Parking Ticket is Immortal

2011-10-23T08:39:00.002-04:00

Yes fellow physicians the Parking ticket you received while in clerkships or by mistake lives forever. It will not need a witness, it does not need proof, like a deadly virus you acquired it and it will get worse when ignored.

A week ago out of the blue I got a letter demanding payment for a parking ticket from a state I have not been to since 1997. The ticket was from last year.

So I called then faxed proof and if lucky it will go away.

But I decided to do research. What turned up is an Ugly situation that can happen.

You live in State A you go to state B and bam get a parking ticket. You think LOL I don't live here who cares I wont pay.

Yes you will pay they will get you.

Apparently a Parking ticket is like MURDER in most states. The offense is so bad that there is no statute of limitations. The Parking authority has so much power as to ruin your credit and ability to drive............and this is how:

1. Post it on the credit report as a bad debt.
2. Report it to your state and then your title and registration cannot be renewed for any vehicle you own.
3. Prohibit you from renewing your driving license.
4. Arrest you next time you show up in their state since ignoring a parking ticket in some states for an amount of time elevates the crime to a warrant.
5. Boot your car next time parking in that state, years later when you do not expect it.

Extortion?
Unfair?
Punishment does not fit crime?
Conviction without trial?

YES all of this.

To top it off after months and years of not paying a 15 or 20 dollar ticket it could cost you thousands in fines and fees to take care of it.

Lesson? Pay the current tickets and fight to change the ticket laws with your state.

Knowledge is power and know you must pay that Parking

Caribbean and IMG grads listen here

2011-10-22T01:15:00.002-04:00

I just read a blog from someone who is a surgeon and I knew them on the internet when they were graduating medical school.
They are very intelligent but always have been out of touch for Caribbean and IMG students / Grads because they went to a US school.

I read advice "Pass the USMLE 1st time and you should get a residency in the USA" to an IMG.
That was it for the advice..............WOW it was lacking things that will keep an IMG and FMG from a Residency, a big thing a IMG or FMG needs is US clinical experience.

IMG's can get this by Observer-ships, at least 6 months but a year is better.
FMG's need this too but most Caribbean schools have US clinicals, with the US clinicals they have that experience.

Also missing was the advice of ECFMG certification ( Passing steps 1 and 2 CK/CS) and WHO/IMED medical school listings.

One other thing is California list of medical Schools, a school not on the list of approved schools by California then you cannot practice in California and about 5 other states that use the approval list for foreign schools.

Some residencies want step 3 passed for IMG's

Lastly Licensure, some Residencies will not consider anyone who cannot be Licensed in the state where the residency is. So you must make sure you can be licensed in that state after residency before applying to the residency or your wasting time and money.
All these things matter.

I always caution people to seek out the information and research don't just take my word or any others and when you call places remember, a lot of times the people who answer the phone sometimes do not give you correct information, verify it always.

Dr. Bill

Caribbean Medical school Experience

2011-10-22T01:06:00.002-04:00

Over the last 5 years I get asked a lot about what was it like at a Caribbean Medical school?

Well, it was not fun and sun on the Beach. I saw the Beach little, spent most of the time in my room studying for exams.

My classmates where nice yet its lonely. Lonely? Yes, 1/4 of the students transferred out or failed out, I'm older so its harder to connect to them and honestly we are all different.
Competition was also a factor, competition about what I'm not sure to this day but it was there.

I have understood always that medical school is not a competition against anyone but yourself.

Tests and the USMLE is also a competition against yourself.

We had 3 semesters a year and finished 4 semesters in 1.5 years. It went fast.

The times I saw the beach and the island was during the 2 week breaks between semesters, really the only time I took off.

5 years of my life have been continuously spent studying medicine. I don't totally mind it, but it gets lonely at times.

I have me, myself and I to contend with, a wife and 3 kids. But my wife and 3 kids are not in medicine and are not interested in what I do that much. Lonely is what I feel the most at times.

So what I remember the most about life on the island is all the time I spent reading and on the computer preparing myself for the tests.

Dr. Bill

Step 2 CS

2011-10-15T09:26:00.004-04:00

Step 2 CS is coming up, Sigh, Its a retake for me and the last test I need for the Match.

ECFMG has verified my credentials and Diploma

Was already rejected from one residency (No surprise Non IMG friendly and they want 99 on the test first time I hear)

What I do not get is a multiple attempt US grad with a 75 on both steps will still get a residency this year and FMG's will have to pray and beg. How is this even close to fair?

Many, if not most, residencies see FMG, Score and then if the score is not a min

then into the trash.

US grad Interview not caring about the score unless its like Derm or Surgery.

I've worked hard and passed the test, All I want is a chance.

New Blog I found about SJSM

2011-10-13T01:03:00.007-04:00

My old school SJSM Blog found out about this blog

http://www.medstulife.blogspot.com/

Seems there is a new Campus on Bonaire, Cool

heres a few Pics of the old and one of me with a couple other students from 2006

I left the school in 2009 For Aureus (All Saints) on Aruba due to the clinical rotations were better there (All Cores are Blue book with Aureus and in Baltimore)

New GrandDaughter!!!

2011-10-12T17:21:00.001-04:00

Abby

I know non Medical but still Important! lol

Follow Up to "Doctor Nurse"

2011-10-09T11:51:00.002-04:00

Back in 2008 I posted this "Dr. Nurse"

A FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) Defined per University of MD

This master's specialty prepares advanced practice nurses to work as primary health care providers for individuals of all ages and their families. With over 800 clinical hours, students develop expertise in the management of care for individuals across the life span, emphasizing health promotion and disease prevention, as well as diagnosis and management of acute and chronic diseases. Graduates of this specialty are eligible for certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Web-based courses may be available. Full-time, part-time, and post-master's (non-degree) options are available.

Sample Plan of Full-Time Study

Fall (Semester I)
Course	Title	Credits
NPHY 612	Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology	3
NURS 660	Advanced Health Assessment Across the Lifespan	4
NURS 630	FP I: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention	2
NURS 631	FP I: Practicum: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (Clinical Hours: 45)	1
	Total	10
Spring (Semester II)
Course	Title	Credits
NURS 701	Science and Research for Advanced Nursing Practice	4
NURS 723	Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics	3
NURS 632	FP II: Clinical Management of Common Health Care Problems	3
NURS 633	FP II: Practicum – Clinical Management of Common Health Care Problems (Clinical Hours: 180)	4
	Total	14
Summer (Semester III)
Course	Title	Credits
NURS 622	Systems and Populations in Health Care	3
NURS 703	Specialty Topics in Family Practice (Clinical Hours: 45)	2
	Total	5
Fall (Semester IV)
Course	Title	Credits
NURS 640	FP III: Management of Complex Health Care Problems	2
NURS 644	FP III: Practicum: Management of Complex Health Care Problems (Clinical Hours: 135)	3
NURS 659	Organizational and Professional Dimensions of Advanced Nursing Practice	3
NURS 755	Families in Crisis	2
	Total	10
Spring (Semester V)
Course	Title	Credits
NURS 731	FP IV: Integrative Management of Primary Health Care Problems	2
NURS 741	FP IV: Practicum: Integrative Management of Primary Health Care Problems (Clinical Hours: 315)	7
	Total	9
Total Credits		48
Clinical Hours		720

a DNP program (Doctor of Nurse Practice)

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a practice-focused doctorate based on the recommendations of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's "Position Statement on the Practice Doctorate in Nursing" and on their "Essentials of the Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice." Master's prepared nurses who hold positions such as nurse executives, nurse informaticians, nurse educators, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, and nurse practitioners are ideal candidates for this terminal professional doctoral degree.

Sample Study program from UM web site

Sample Plan of Full-Time Study...

First Semester (Fall)
Course	Title	Credits
NDNP 802	Methods for Evidence-Based Practice Corequisite: NDNP 810	3
NDNP 804	Theoretical and Philosophical Foundations of Nursing Practice	3
N--- xxx	Specialty Elective	3
NDNP 810	Capstone Project Identification Corequisite: NDNP 802	1
	Total	10
Second Semester (Spring)
Course	Title	Credits
NDNP 805	Design and Analysis in Evidence-Based Practice Prerequisite: NDNP 802	4
NDNP 807	Information Systems and Technology for the Improvement and Transformation of Health Care Prerequisite: NDNP 802	3
N--- xxx	Specialty Elective	3
NDNP 811	Capstone II: Project Development Prerequisites: NDNP 802, NDNP 804, NDNP 810 Corequisites: NDNP 805, NDNP 807	1
	Total	11
Third Semester (Summer)
Course	Title	Credits
N--- xxx	Specialty Elective	1
NDNP 809	Complex Health Care Organizations	3
NDNP 812	Capstone III: Project Implementation Prerequisites: NDNP 802, NDNP 804, NDNP 805 NDNP 807, NDNP 810, NDNP 811 Corequisite: NDNP 809	1
	Total	5
Fourth Semester (Fall)
Course	Title	Credits
NDNP 815	Leadership and Interprofessional Collaboration Prerequisite: NDNP 809	3
N--- xxx	Specialty Elective	8
NDNP 813	Capstone IV: Project Evaluation & Dissemination Prerequisites: NDNP 802, NDNP 804, NDNP 805 NDNP 807, NDNP 809, NDNP 810, NDNP 811 Corequisites: NDNP 812, NDNP 815	1
	Total	12
Total Credits		38

Clearly not Medical School....................

My post from 2008

I find this interesting, disturbing and unnecessary:

Article http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Departments/eL earnin...

In reply to:

Making Room For "Dr. Nurse"

By Laura Landro

Provided by CareerJournal.com

CareerJournal.com

As the shortage of primary-care physicians mounts, the nursing profession is offering a possible solution: the "doctor nurse."

More than 200 nursing schools have established or plan to launch doctorate of nursing practice programs to equip graduates with skills the schools say are equivalent to primary-care physicians.

The two-year programs, including a one-year residency, create a "hybrid practitioner" with more skills, knowledge and training than a nurse practitioner with a master's degree, says Mary Mundinger, dean of New York's Columbia University School of Nursing. She says DNPs are being trained to have more focus than doctors on coordinating care among many specialists and health-care settings.

To establish a national standard for doctors of nursing practice, the non-profit Council for the Advancement of Comprehensive Care announced in April 2008 that the National Board of Medical Examiners has agreed to develop a voluntary DNP certification exam based on the same test physicians take to qualify for a medical license.

The board will begin administering the exam this fall. By 2015, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing aims to make the doctoral degree the standard for all new advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners.

I personally do not like this because I see it as a lowering the standards of Primary care from a Physician level of care to a something just below that, this new expanded Nurse Practitioner level.

They are now suggesting that these new practitioners be addressed as "Doctor"

They did not go to medical school, they did not go through 3 years of residency pn top of that.

I personally see it as a short cut to be a Doctor but yet they are not a Physician.

Then this part:

In reply to:

the American Association of Colleges of Nursing aims to make the doctoral degree the standard for all new advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners.

So NP's will be Doctors? No I do not think so.

This is another example of Nurses (I'm an RN myself) thinking they can solve the problem by Nursing, if we need Doctors, need Primary care Physicians then thats what we need not something else.

You give a different medicine that contains the disease but does not cure it, yet there is already a cure that is easy to get to and there available why go for something that just continues the problem?

My solution is simple

NP PHD Or RN PHD

thats what they should be,

Some would be "RNC ADN BSN MSN PHD" Yea I can see that on the name tag........LOL

This is just my opinion on this, we work hard to get to the level of Physician and we do not take shortcuts Being called "Dr" is a privilege of this hard work and to have this happen takes away that privilege along with causing unneeded confusion.

Had to add this 5/27/08

And what are the Nursing Educators doing about the Huge Nursing shortage? They cannot solve this problem so far, now they turn and try to solve the shortage of Physicians by replacing them with advanced degree Nurses ( who did not go to medical school)?

My feelings in 2011

Nurse practitioners are not Doctors of Medicine and are not licensed as such. Getting a Doctorate is a great thing but in the clinical setting, in the Hospital Nurse Practitioners have been NP and not addressed "Doctor" achieving the Doctor of Nursing does not change the scope of practice so a new title in the clinical setting is not appropriate.

When a Patient sees a Nurse Practitioner, they should not have to guess the level of practice,

If the NP says they are Doctor X, then the patient will assume that Doctor X, a medical doctor is taking care of them, not a Nurse Practitioner, and yes it matters.

This is not like Coke or Pepsi

A Nurse Practitioner and a Medical Doctor, a Physician, are as different as a Tomato and an Apple, both may be red but both are different.

Nurses should be proud of the achievement of a PHD in nursing but realize the importance of accurately identifying themselves to patients and the level of care they will provide.

Nurse Practitioners with a PHD will provide the same level of care as a NP with a Master degree by law and regulations and training.

I base my opinion and belief on facts not emotions, if you are being seen by Doctor X for a medical condition than you expect Doctor X to have a medical degree and have gone to medical school (MD or DO)

Dr. Bill

"Natural Products"

2011-10-08T14:48:00.005-04:00

Now that Fall is upon us,

Natural cold treatments
Energy drinks (Used by College Students)

Are played often on "TV"

While most of these are harmless, and may help you some, they usually do not live up to the claims they make.

Main ingredient in most energy Drinks is Caffeine

5 hour energy:

In a clinical trial 5-hour ENERGY^® significantly outperformed placebo on continuity of attention and self-related awareness. But what’s in it? A brief description of each ingredient follows.

Vitamins

Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)

Energy Blend

Citicoline
Tyrosine
Phenylalanine
Taurine
Malic Acid
Glucuronolactone
Caffeine

RedBull

Caffeine

Caffeine is known for its stimulating effects on mental and physical functions such as endurance, performance, reaction speed, alertness and concentration.

Both energy drinks and Cold treatments contain a combination of vitamins you can get in a safe dose of a standard multivitamins

So a cup of coffee and a multivitamin may be the answer to spending the money on these products.

Always read the ingredients and make sure they do not interfere with any medications you take.

No such thing as Caffeine free Coffee

Type of coffee	Size*	Caffeine**
Espresso, restaurant-style	1 oz. (30 mL)	40-75 mg
Espresso, restaurant-style, decaffeinated	1 oz. (30 mL)	0-15 mg
Generic brewed	8 oz. (240 mL)	95-200 mg
Generic brewed, decaffeinated	8 oz. (240 mL)	2-12 mg
Generic instant	8 oz. (240 mL)	27-173 mg
Generic instant, decaffeinated	8 oz. (240 mL)	2-12 mg
McDonald's brewed	16 oz. (480 mL)	100 mg
McDonald's Mocha Frappe	16 oz. (480 mL)	125 mg
Starbucks Latte	16 oz. (480 mL)	150 mg
Starbucks Pike Place brewed	16 oz. (480 mL)	330 mg
Starbucks Pike Place brewed, decaffeinated	16 oz. (480 mL)	25 mg

Tea:

Brewed tea
Black tea	8 oz. (240 mL)	14-61 mg
Black tea, decaffeinated	8 oz. (240 mL)	0-12 mg
Green tea	8 oz. (240 mL)	24-40 mg
Iced tea
AriZona Iced Tea, lemon-flavored	8 oz. (240 mL)	11 mg
Generic instant, unsweetened	8 oz. (240 mL)	26 mg
Lipton Brisk Lemon Iced Tea	8 oz. (240 mL)	5-7 mg

Soda:

Soft drink	Size*	Caffeine**
7UP	12 oz. (355 mL)	0 mg
A & W Root Beer	12 oz. (355 mL)	0 mg
Barq's Root Beer	12 oz. (355 mL)	18 mg
Coca-Cola Classic	12 oz. (355 mL)	30-35 mg
Coca-Cola Zero	12 oz. (355 mL)	35 mg
Diet Coke	12 oz. (355 mL)	38-47 mg
Diet Pepsi	12 oz. (355 mL)	27-37 mg
Dr Pepper	12 oz. (355 mL)	36 mg
Mountain Dew	12 oz. (355 mL)	46-55 mg
Pepsi	12 oz. (355 mL)	32-39 mg
Sprite	12 oz. (355 mL)	0 mg

Energy Drinks

Energy drink	Size*	Caffeine**
5-Hour Energy	2 oz. (60 mL)	207 mg
AMP, regular or sugar-free	8 oz. (240 mL)	72-74 mg
Cran-Energy	8 oz. (240 mL)	70 mg
Full Throttle	8 oz. (240 mL)	70-72 mg
Monster	8 oz. (240 mL)	80 mg
Red Bull	8.4 oz (250 mL)	76-80 mg
Rockstar, regular or sugar-free	8 oz. (240 mL)	79-80 mg
Vault, regular or sugar-free	8 oz. (240 mL)	47 mg

From MayoClinic Site

Take Care!

2012 Match

2011-10-04T10:32:00.003-04:00

Well it has happened after a long fight with money problems, family problems and test anxiety, I have passed step 2.

I started this journey in 2003, I was 39 and wanted to change my life as an RN. I wanted to either go to be an NP or MD.

MD won out but it was not without heartache and sacrifice.

Loans, to get the loans needed, I needed to fix my credit. Fixing my credit took a year.

I then sold my house.

I prepared and left for studies in England late 2004. Student loans, medical school, wife and child in tow.

After a year at that school had broken promises and the school was falling apart so I applied and was accepted at another Caribbean school. I started from beginning day one MD 1 at St. James.

2006 looked up new school new student loan (Sallie Mae) future looked bright.

Passed ever course and test for basic science white coat April 2007 then back to states for step 1 study and clinical science.

Summer of 2007, Sallie Mae and the whole home mortgage system crashed, they sent a letter: no more student loans after this year. I was panicked! I started looking for Caribbean school loans. Found out the only good solid sources was big Caribbean 3 AUC, SGU and Ross due to grandfather clause and US student loans.

With the stress of no money, a daughter and son teenagers needing lots of attention and the USMLE to pass I was overwhelmed.

During nursing school and medical school my heart always raced and I panicked some during tests but I always did ok.
I did not study for step 1 well and I had terrible test anxiety during the test. I had to restudy and retake step 1 a few times to pass. I passed only after a lot of question practice and controlling my anxiety better.

I had more and more problems with my school, I ended up transferring to All Saints (Aureus now) so my cores were done properly. (2009)

More problems with my youngest son and financial problems mounting, I again had mounting pressures and anxiety.
Step 2 proved to be harder than I thought but I found a way to pass it.

Since mid 2008 I have only found money to help with one semester, my wonderful mother in law paid tuition and most fees.
We lived very poor not being able to pay rent some months to get me through.

Now passed step 1, step 2 and I need a residency. I would prefer Family medicine but internal would be fine too.

My dream is to practice in an area of the US where doctors are needed. How much I make is not important.
My wife supports this. Children are now on own, my daughter is having a baby any day now and youngest son married and going in the Navy.

With ECMFG having verified my diploma and transcripts I'm ready.

I know some of you may be able to help, if so then please email me

drbillh41@yahoo.com

Thank you

I care about people, people deserve good caring practitioners

Dr. Bill

WHO school List

2011-09-14T21:23:00.002-04:00

A few years ago Several schools around the world had questionable credentials and WHO had listed them. Countries around the world depend on the WHO list to be of legitimate medical schools.

This List of schools is at times enough to ensure you can attend one of these schools and then practice in the USA or other countries; yet some schools can still be banned in some US states or countries.

The Current list is the

Avicenna Directory for medicine

Please be aware that even though the school may be listed on the list that it does not speak for the quality of the education of the school.

Please research the school before attending

In the USA the school must be on the IMED list as well.

Do the research avoid spending thousands on a school and degree you cannot practice with.

Good Luck

Off topic but important

2011-08-27T14:50:00.002-04:00

Hi, I participated in the HP touchpad madness this past week

I have a

16GB for my wife

and a

32gb for myself

total output of $250 with tax ( yeah I got some deals)

I have been spending time Tweaking them and patching them

( Go to Pre Central for support)

OK the CEO of HP

What in the heck are thinking?

He's loosing Billions on this

His plan:

Dump Touch Pads
Sell off PC division

Printers? Are they gone too? Some are the best in the world!

He wants to do "Software only"

Uh Microsoft is Software only and as big as they are they are now behind Apple

It seems to me the Touchpad was the right direction

the ones I have are pretty good and are 80% of an Ipad, with just a little effort they could be a true Ipad equal but

a Multi Billion dollar company run by a CEO who hates Hardware

Puts out an unfinished and unpolished product then the big plan is to take WebOS ( part of the unfinished product) and make Billions like Apple off of it?

Can you say "Fantasy"?

I think HP is in a night mare called "Leo Apotheker" he has no real vision IMHO and I hope the Board at HP see's this

I for one will not buying a HP computer in the future in the light they may sell off the division or all of sudden on a Friday announce its being dumped.

HP Good Luck

State of Caribbean Medical schools as a Choice Fall 2011

2011-08-22T12:28:00.005-04:00

As promised here are my thoughts on Caribbean medical schools All schools I mention on this page are click-able links to the school's home page. I am not affiliated with any of them.

I did Graduate from Aureus University of Medicine now I'm an Alumnus.

The Big 3 who have US federal Loans are

Saint Georges University (SGU)

Ross

American University of the Caribbean (AUC)

These are equals, the top 3 in a choice

the 4th is SABA

all 4 of these schools have the California Approval so getting a medical license in all US 50 States is possible

Education at all 4 of these is comparable to US Medical Schools

I see them as a 3rd choice after US MD and DO schools

You will need

GPA 2.8 or better
MCAT of 22 or better

At times all 4 are known to make exceptions but fewer these days.

Match rates have been between 60 and 70% for those who make it that far but know this:

The failure rate for those who go to Caribbean schools is around 30 to 40%

A Lot of people do not understand why its so high and blame the school.

My thought is awesome! I'm glad its so high! Why? Think on it. If a student is so poor and has a low GPA and MCAT gets a shot at medical school and still screws it up and fails out, then great! We need a system that works to weed out people meant to be physicians. Its a tough road!

Other schools

this is my opinion based on cost,education and WHO / Imed listing.

You will not need an MCAT to apply to these
You will need a GPA 2.5 to 2.7 at least.

My top six others:

1. University of Medicine and Health Sciences

2. Medical University of the Americas

3. Aureus University of Medicine

4. St. James School of Medicine

5. American University of Antigua

6. St. Matthews University

There are more than 30 Caribbean schools this is not a comprehensive list but, if you are not accepted into one of these 10 then I have no real hope for you anyway.

The six others above all are WHO listed and IMED listed and some have loan programs and others do not.

The average medical student will need to borrow between 150 and 250,000 USD to pay for education.

I caution you on several points here.

Match rate at best is 70% but somewhere in the 50 to 60% range, It may go lower with the new 20 or so medical schools in the US since 2005
Student loans unless US Federal can and do stop lending without warning, happened to me twice.
Clinical rotations are very important
I know the top three have decent Clinical rotations
after those three other schools have trouble placing students at times but you can arrange your own, I did on a few.

The US is always a better choice

All this said, I'm trying to give you clear advice and clear information on the Caribbean.

Its been tough for me not sure I would do it again but I will not give in or give up and if you go to the Caribbean you too need this attitude.

Good Luck!

Caribbean as an option past and present

2011-08-04T13:02:00.004-04:00

I have had a lot of comments so far about my story and the current situation. One person who I talked to years ago posted.

Of the reasons I blog, one of the most important to me is to tell the real story of the FMG and Caribbean schools.

Most of us attended undergrad in the USA and then desired to go to medical school but found the US schools out of reach. We are qualified but in reality only 40% of qualified people get accepted in US schools due to limited seats each year.

It costs thousands and time to apply to US schools.

The Caribbean has been the savior for many of us and the crucifier for others.

Years ago when I spoke with people ( before 2007) I had a loan and a few schools had the same loan program and I expected, as others did, for the US economy to pick up and loans to be available for Medical students again.

It did not happen, and now I feel it will never happen. I think you prepare to pay for this with loans from relatives or go to one of the big three or forget medical school. This is hard and a struggle and if it was easy many more would do it.

I have had extraordinary struggles in the last few years but I will succeed one way or another.

I was one of the lucky ones who could finish and get my Degree, many do not and many that go today will not, the Caribbean is not "Pay and you shall receive"

It's "Pay and you shall work your butt off to Pass" you get your degree same as in the USA, you pass your classes and you pass the USMLE.

The Caribbean uses the same material
You have review material and courses like Kaplan
You have time
You do the same US clinicals with US doctors

In the end people pass or fail due to themselves, nothing will be handed to you.

To those in the past I have given my opinions, I believed what I said and if my opinion is different in 2011 its because things change and we must change with them.

I will be posting Part two of the Caribbean by the end of August after my Board exam.

I will discuss the Big 3 ( AUC, SGU and Ross) plus Saba and then 10 other schools that are worth looking into in the Caribbean.

As always your comments are welcomed.

Good Luck!

You keep your focus and you will succeed!

Caribbean medical schools as an Option in 2011

2011-07-31T09:14:00.004-04:00

Caribbean medical schools as an Option in 2011

As in the title of this blog spot I'm a doctor who went to a Caribbean school.
I went through really tough times in the past 5 years and learned many lessons I would like to pass on.

In 2005 when I went abroad to medical school I had researched the whole concept for 2 previous years. I learned that in precious years Students who went abroad came back to the USA as FMG (foreign medical graduates) but they were able to match into a residency at about 70 to 80% since there was outside the match contracts given and residencies outside the match.

There were major loans, Key Bank, Sallie Mae and Wells Fargo plus a few others, all loaned money to attend these medical schools.

So everything I looked at made me believe it was a decent option. I discussed it with my wife and since I would have loan money to help us live and she would work we decided if accepted we would sell our house and go for it.

I was accepted and we did sell our house and moved to England. The school was chartered outside of England but had loans and was a WHO listed school. One could sit for the USMLE in the US. Then within a year everything changed. The regime in the country the school was chartered in changed and denied the schools charter at first. It looked like we were out of luck now and the school would close. I was promised a lot of thing also, I had taken some medical school courses and some undergrad there since nursing school did not provide 100% of my needed premed. I was just short one premed class but the school wanted me to do another year of premed even though I had a high GPA and others were in MD 1 with much less. Then the bomb shell hit, Key Bank was pulling out, so there was no money to attend.
This was truly a crisis. I applied to a Caribbean school and was accepted that week for transfer, but because of all the issues I asked to just start fresh. I started MD 1 in 2006 at St. James School of medicine with a Sallie Mae loan. I was on top of the world. Sallie Mae was the same as US Federal student loans, or so I thought. I left England going to Bonaire 50k in debt and my wife going to NY.

From Jan 2006 to April 2007 I enjoyed 4 semesters of student loans and medical school. My wife flew into Bonaire to enjoy white coat. During the year and half I research the situation and found that FMG was still fine and I would be OK. Match rates seemed to be around 70 to 80% and there are many FMG's in the work force and in residencies. The USA was going down a dark road though. The economy and job situation was getting worse and homes were being foreclosed on. New medical schools in the US were opening up too, this may change everything.

I returned home to the US in April 2007. Ready to study for the USMLE step one and tackle the next 2 years enjoying and studying medicine. It still looked good. Then another bomb hit, Sallie Mae was going to stop lending to schools out side the US at the end of May 2007. OMG what am I going to do? I found out I could get my loan approved for another year. I did that, well sort of, Sallie Mae was abandoning me after 2 more semesters. Not the whole 2 years left of medical school but 2 more semesters. I was devastated. I had borrowed what would end up to be 125k from them. They were now going to abandon me mid way and expect me to pay back when I did not finish medical school yet.

Then the family changes happened as well, my son was graduating high school, my daughter needed help, she was 14 and dating 20 year olds, my ex had no idea what to do anymore. The stress of no money for medical school and 2 of our children needing help was very intense ( we have three Chris, Elizabeth and Matthew) I helped my oldest Chris get into college, My daughter Elizabeth came to live with me, Matthew was always with me and he went through some trials as well. Having 3 teenagers like this put a lot of stress on me since I had no student loans and my wife made less than 25k a year.

I spent the previous 3 years looking for loans until I was in a bad situation with Credit Cards, we ran out of money to pay for them. So I could not find a loan and even if I did my credit score was at the bottom. My mother inlaw and others helped me pay tuition. But there was no extra money. I graduated medical school in April 2011 and plan on being in the up coming residency match.

During this time new US medical schools opened up so this would mean more US grads to compete with for the residency match in future Here is a Wiki list of US medical schools in the US WIKI List since 2005 12 new DO and MD schools have opened up. Yet Residencies have not been increased.

There is a new policy going into effect "All IN"

"NRMP TO IMPLEMENT "ALL-IN" POLICY

At its May 16, 2011 meeting, the NRMP Board of Directors voted unanimously to require programs participating in the Main Residency Match to place all positions in the Match. The so-called "All-In" Policy will become effective for the 2013 Match that opens for registration on September 1, 2012. The policy will affect all PGY-1 positions and PGY-2 positions in advanced programs.

The NRMP will continue to accept comments on implementation of the policy, especially as it relates to possible exceptions for residents who enter training off-cycle, GME programs in rural and geographically underserved areas, combined http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifclinical-research programs, and accelerated programs. Final implementation rules will be adopted in May 2012. Read how to submit comments to the NRMP."

NRMP

These two factors alone will greatly reduce the numbers of FMG matching and prematching will decrease.

So is the Caribbean out?

No there are 3 schools I heavily recommend if you want to consider the Caribbean.

Saint Georges University (SGU)
American University of the Caribbean (AUC)
Ross

Match rates are still decent and I suspect will continue to be ( 70% )
there are a lot of graduates in current US residencies and some are involved in resideny programs and even program directors now.

These three enjoy US federal student loans. (Only these three were grandfathered in)
You can be licensed in all 50 US states (California Approved).

As far as other Caribbean schools be careful, some you cannot sit for the USMLE, a school must be listed with WHO and IMED to sit for the USMLE.
Some you cannot be licensed in some US states. Since they are not approved by California, the only state that does these kind of approvals, you can never practice in California. (SABA is the only other California approved school other than the "Big three" ) States that will license a non-California approved school is between 35 and 45 you will have to check with the states interested in. Some schools are banned. I have not had the time to update myself on which schools but getting the latest information is best.
Understand as I have learned, a school who has a private loan can lose that loan at any time.
It will cost most at least 100k to attend medical school.

I still think the Caribbean is a decent option for some. It’s a Risk but if you do well, your ability and who you are weigh heavily into this.

I see the match rates being 60 to 70% for 2012. (officially it’s been around 50% but prematches - outside the match are not included )

FMG/IMG make up 40% of the US doctors today.

Good Luck and do your research before you commit. Know the risks and you will succeed.

I will post more on individual schools not a big three that I consider on the “A” list.

Dr. Bill

Quote of the Day

2011-07-29T20:26:00.002-04:00

.....and what are you allergic to?

Benadryl, Prednisone, steroids, insulin.............

I see.........................

Next post I will start on the Current state of the Caribbean medical schools as a choice for medical school.

I may surprise some of you.

Dr. Bill

My hobby Watches

2011-07-25T15:38:00.002-04:00

I have several Hobbies, Camping, Computers and Watches to name my top three.

Watches have a following on the net my favorite place is PMWF

Where we talk about different Japanese and Swiss watches and all in between.

I began collecting back in 2005 when I saw the black Seiko 5 on ebay while in the UK. I could not believe I could get a Seiko for under 50 USD let alone an automatic.

I then bought all my children and wife each an automatic watch I thought they were so cool and "Green" since they never need a battery.

This is my Sandoz Swiss Made watch:

These watches all cost between 50 and 200 USD but all were under 200 USD so its not too expensive to collect them

Here is the Black Seiko monster and the Seiko "Pepsi" 009 both are real divers 200 meter watches

I treat myself to a Watch at Christmas, Birthdays and when something special happens ( Like graduation)

Here's my Orient Multieye I have for passing step one

And here is my Birthday watch from Last year:

All my watches are Automatics and Stainless steel ( except for the digital Casio and the Waltham Vintage is SS with base metal).

Here's a Vintage Swiss made automatic Waltham I picked up for under $20

These are fun to wear and useful in medicine, all of these are WR (Except for the Waltham) so I can wash my hands and not worry

US MD medical schools Tiers

2011-07-21T11:30:00.002-04:00

Tiers, this is a sore spot for me,

Its mythical, its made up and does not truly exist.

US medical schools are just about equal to each other as far as preparing the average US medical student.

These "Tiers" are made up by US Pre Meds and magazines to sell.

Except for Ivy league schools there is no real difference between the schools and as far as Ivy league medical schools I argue its all reputation anyway. An awesome great Doctor can come from the smallest Caribbean medical school or come from John's Hopkins, its not the name but the individual.

When applying to US medical schools keep your real goal in mind, becoming a Doctor.

Any US MD or DO school will help you reach your goal.

Caribbean schools can also fulfill your dreams but they are a tougher road, I will be posting and updating on the Caribbean school experience in the next month for 2011.

Good Luck.

Iphone 4.3.3 Help

2011-07-11T11:31:00.003-04:00

As some of you know I'm a Geek!

I updated my Iphone 4 to 4.3.3 from 4.2.1 because I had a verification problem with Itunes.

Of course I Jailbreak!

OK, 4.3.3 has a Wifi problem and I could not find a fix for it.

I played with it and found the fix

If like me you need to have password on your WIFI 4.3.3 will not remember the password and disconnects.

Solution
Settings:
Forget this network
Then choose other
And manually put in the info for you network.

It will then be remembered

Gotta love Apple they break what they try to fix too fast

On a side note

I'm Done with Apple products, I'm tired of the company continuing to make me sign agreements, force updates, and mess with Jailbreak.

Apple is too controlling and is not as good product as many believe.

Android and PC's are better all around when you want control over your tech.

Good Day!

USMLE step one

2011-07-06T10:32:00.005-04:00

Hi, been awhile since I posted.

I'm busy studying for my next board exam and I'm working.

I've been writing and editing USMLE step one questions.

If you ever have the pleasure to go through my questions they will be tough!

Step one is tough!

An average question is now very long

Ex.

A 23 year old Caucasian woman presents to your office for a health maintenance examination. She admits to having occasional headaches, but otherwise has no complaints. Review of systems is notable for irregular menses. She smokes one pack of cigarettes per day and consumes alcohol a few times per month. Her BMI is 25.6 kg/m2. Physical exam reveals enlarged and firm parotid glands bilaterally. Examination of her teeth reveals eroded enamel. The remainder of her exam, including a pelvic exam, is unremarkable. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient’s condition?

This example is a medium length there are longer ones. The days of short questions are over. The USMLE has become a game of cleaver questions and diseases you will be lucky to ever see in your lifetime.

Even though you need to know the day to day diseases and health care you are expected to know diseases that are 1 to 3% or less so 97 to 99% of the patients will have the common problems.

So you may not have been taught these diseases in medical school, its only 2 years, there is not enough time to teach you the 97% of what you need to know with the 1 to 3% it would be nice to know, yet this exam is testing that 1-3%.

People say why do I need a review? Simple to learn the material you yet do not know.

First aid for USMLE step one is a great guide to the material you will need to know for step one.

Use it in your preparation, I use it as a guide for questions myself.

Get First Aid for USMLE step one when you go to medical school MD1!

Good Luck

Happy Fathers day!

2011-06-19T09:24:00.003-04:00

My life?
Daughter is 6 months pregnant
Son just accepted into the Navy right after getting married
Son about to graduate University
I'm studying for boards

So all is good

Then my Daughter, who is still in college wants a new phone.
I look and an upgrade is available in Aug good? No
Apparently At&t went from improving to now going to the bottom again.

Yes what has happened in 2011

1. Wirefly and Lets Talk and some others have stopped offering At&t service, Why? Because of At&t not cooperating.

2. At&t has, in all its wisdom, Made the wireless website so difficult to navigate that it took me 5 minutes to find the phones in the long list they have. It seems the 4 phones they show you they expect you to order only.

3. Military personnel used to be able to suspend the service while on deployment. No longer they now have to cancel the service and At&t may just take them back if they feel like it!

At&t is buying T mobile for huge sums of money, I believe this has prompted At&t to find money anywhere it can to support this purchase.

Yes yes screw the customers.

Happy Father's Day!

I have a new thought for premeds..........

2011-06-12T08:30:00.008-04:00

Of late I have had to read "I found out I have a learning disability so this is the reason for my low GPA". OK so this person may not have the Ability to become a Physician.

We have been lied to by our elders. They have told us that all we need to do is "Work Hard and we will Succeed". No you have to have the ability to perform the Job at hand to succeed.

Being a physician is getting it right and understanding the problem almost all the time, not just 50% of the time.

Edit: Add these definitions:

Ability means, you have the intellectual ability to succeed.
Desire is wanting to succeed and wanting to do something.

Ability in this case is not being accepted or money, its your ability to learn, capacity to learn.

No everyone can learn anything and everything. Many people have limits.

This post sums it up:

"OK my thoughts.............

2.9 half way is a problem

Solutions

Pull up to the 3.2 GPA area if possible then have a shot at DO schools
Get at least 3.0 and have a shot at Post bac to prove yourself

Alternative will have to be Caribbean if you cannot do these or do something else.

If it seems tough, its because it is.

Is it doable? Yes
Can you do it? That is what proving yourself is all about.

No magic
No easy
No Hard work will get you there,

WHAT? yes no hard work will lead to success, Ability is what you need.
While College and classes and Medicine all share hard work, ability is success.
Failure does not equal lazy for many people, failure at times shows the lack of ability.

If you have the ability then you can succeed."

You can increase your ability to learn in some cases.

For instance, if your poor in biochemistry you can go back and review the concepts in organic chemistry, this builds the foundation for biochemistry in medical school.

I review all the time to increase my ability to learn and understand complex problems in medicine.

But if you are unable to learn the foundation concepts then you will never really understand the more complex. So you will not have the ability.

When in undergrad, premed one may find they are unable to succeed at the science courses despite desire and "Hard Work" if this is the case then they may find they do not have the ability to be a physician. Its not for everyone.

FMG IMG Need Residencies

2011-05-31T16:42:00.007-04:00

Many US students go over seas for medical school.

No matter Europe or Caribbean all are the same, they are FMG/IMG's.

This makes them less competitive for residencies.

Its hard to understand since we all take the same USMLE.

Caribbean students spend 2 years of clinical and class time in the USA just like the US grads.

Yet biases run rampant in some circles and Caribbean grads have a tougher time getting a residency.

Caribbean grad like me:

2 years on the island studying Basic science
Shelf exams
Review course
USMLE step 1 Passed
2 years in CLinicals, US Hospitals and US Doctors teaching the Caribbean and US students.
2 years of the same lectures and projects with the US students.
USMLE step 2.

Why the big deal about Basic science?

WHY?

Give us a chance!

Primary care training and international medical graduates

2011-05-21T12:39:00.003-04:00

Last week a colleague I went to medical school with and graduated with posted an article on KevinMD

Primary care training and international medical graduates

by Sajeet Sohi, MD

I have had the pleasure as a medical student to complete my clinical clerkships in the Baltimore area community hospitals, the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the National Institutes of Health.

I will forever cherish these experiences and lessons as I progress through my career. With an educated and wealthy suburban population and a large disadvantaged urban population; Baltimore is symbolic of the challenges and opportunities the healthcare field faces.

There are different measures that can be used to assess the strength of a nation from economic, educational, to standard of living indicators. The common variable is that the citizens must be healthy to have a positive effect on the well-being of the nation. For the nation to remain competitive in this increasingly globalized world the health of the American people is of significant national interest. Increasing residency training positions would help improve the health of the nation.

After I completed my undergraduate training at the University of Toronto I continued my studies by attending Aureus University School of Medicine in Aruba. I am part of a growing trend of individuals who attend medical schools based in the Caribbean. The growth of these schools is due to the fact that traditional medical schools have been unable to accommodate all qualified individuals who desire to be patient care providers.

Caribbean students are unique members of the International Medical Graduate community as our basic sciences are conducted outside the U.S. but our clinical experiences are conducted within the same healthcare systems as U.S. graduates. Thus, we are all well integrated into the U.S. medical system. It is well established that IMGs now represent 25% of practising physicians and they are more likely to train in primary care and rural medicine than U.S. counterparts.

From what I have seen, key to the promotion of primary care training is further integration of the IMG community. Many individuals regardless of their medical school origin will be attracted to speciality training because of market forces and ‘lifestyle’ issues. I feel that promoting primary care training through incentive programs may not be the best method, rather we should focus on the issue of the residency training shortage. 11,577 individuals went unmatched this year I am sure if given the opportunity a large majority of these individuals would be delighted to be in a residency position this July.

The future of medicine is bright as we enter this new era. The reforms promise a move away from the era of defensive medicine and towards increased patient care with the next generation of physicians leading the way.

Sajeet Sohi is a graduate of Aureus University School of Medicine in Aruba and author of International Medical Graduates – A Possible Solution to the Expected Physician Shortage. This piece originally appeared on Primary Care Progress Notes.

Many of us have to participate in the Match multiple years and hope to prematch or match that year. Instead of Residencies picking the best, they will pick any US graduate over IMG/FMG first many times. Medicare has limited the number of residencies for training despite the huge shortage of Primary physicians.

Dr. Bill

Application time for Medical schools

2011-05-15T11:41:00.001-04:00

I have posted many times before on premed applications but here in the nutshell are the main points to follow.

Apply to no less then 10 schools
Consider a DO school in the Mix and if your GPA is lower then 3.4 then consider applying to more DO then MD.

Do not let state lines keep you from applying.

MCAT will not out weight a poor GPA and vice versa

GPA ( what you did over time)
MCAT ( how well you tested in one day)
Volunteering ( your willingness to give your time freely)
Patient experience ( your experience with real life patients)
Shadowing ( your understanding of what a physician does, this should be over a week and following most of the day)
Your personal statement ( a snapshot of who you are)

Have a good package and you should get interviews and Accepted.

Good Luck.

Too Old For Medical School? Not Dead yet!

2011-05-10T11:39:00.003-04:00

Many people worry about how old they are when they are past 20 for some reason.

All of a sudden we reach 20 and we think OK we should be making lots of money and married next, not school.

LOL yeah, my generation and those after are taking longer to settle down and have a career.

The days of graduating highschool and getting married, working a career are long gone.

Medical students are entering college for undergrad between the ages of 17 and 30 now on an average.

From what I see a large percentage are taking 5 years to get accepted into medical school.

This increases the average age of medical students some from what used to be 21-22 to 23 and older. In fact many students are between 25 and 30 now.

So you did a major and you are 27 or 30 and think its crazy to go back do the pre reqs and apply to medical school in 1 or 2 years? Your too old?

No your not, in fact I argue your crazy for listening to others and not pursuing your true dream and desire.

Go for it!

At 47 I have my MD degree now, sure it was hard, sure I have more to go, but I accomplished what few people can do.

I'm a physician.

A web site that has others like me and a good place to learn and discuss this process is

Old Premeds

The oldest medical student I know was 68.

In my 9 years as a Hospice Nurse no one ever said "I'm glad I didn't become a .....(Physician)"

Graduation?

2011-05-08T09:02:00.002-04:00

OK So last week I Graduated. I have my Diploma "Doctor of Medicine"

But

I need to take and Pass Step 2 still

Then try to get a residency.

That is what is Ahead of me.

Its a road, Long road and until I obtain that Residency I do not feel its over or successful.

So Medical School Down and more to go.

OB whats an Emergency?

2011-04-03T13:24:00.002-04:00

A nurse asked this once. A 38 wk pregnant patient came in bleeding and the nurse was not sure if it was a bad sign or not. We were finally called to the OB floor after the patient had hemorrhaged 1000cc on the bed and some on the floor and still was hemorrhaging.

Uh Placenta Previa? I remarked, I asked the Patient if they were in pain and the answer was "YES, I told the nurse". I then asked the nurse about the fetal heart rate, she said they were not able to get one.

Painful bleeding ........ Placenta Previa. Fetal distress.

I was told the reason we were called was because they could not get a fetal heart rate.

Hmm they massive bleeding didn't disturb them?

So we went on to a C section and the Baby sis not do well, in fact it was resuscitated and went on to the NICU where later unfortunately the baby died.

Everything was done as it should of been, but the nurse clearly was not aware of the Placenta Previa and real danger, good thing they checked fetal heart tones and then called us ASAP.

But the Massive bleeding should of caused them to call that second.

This has taught me to not take OB lightly.

Dr. Bill

Last Day of OB

2011-03-13T08:13:00.000-04:00

OB my last day of clerkship:
2 GYN patients, Amenorhea work up with one.

38 3/7 NST

12 3/7 bleeding , was spotting really

2 Lab results visits

Went to hospital to check on labor progression then lunch

saw a couple more patients and then called back and assisted with delivery with complications, Cord around Neonate's neck, retained placental segments we had to manually remove, almost a D&C but not quite.

Learned a lot about how you have to be really attentive to details in OB, really impressed the importance of good assessment on me.

I'll Post more about the rotation and other things while studying for boards.

Since I have to retake, I'm taking the Summer to revise, study and take the tests.

Glad OB is over.

Cell Phones

2011-03-12T07:47:00.006-05:00

Cell phones have evolved so much in the last 5 years

From just making calls to the newest Android and Iphones of today.

In 2011 3 platforms are used in medicine

Black Berry, RIM
Android, Google
Iphone, Apple

I have the Apple Iphone,

the most Apps ( 350,000 still growing)
The most Medical apps
Can be jailbreaked to use other functions
Easy to use

Average 16 to 32 GB of storage.

Android
Many apps ( around 150,000 growing every week)
many phones all different with different versions of Google OS
Almost as much Medical Apps
Easy to use
Can be Rooted to open it up completely

Black Berry
The least number of Apps ( only 30 to 50,000 not growing as much as the above 2)
Limited phone choices like the Iphone
Many business use RIM due to security.

these three are the most used with a 4th, Palm, HP bought webOS and Palm, but the focus for HP is not phones but computers for webOS, the future of the Palm phone is uncertain.

For medical students and Residents the new Smart phones provide a possibility of caring a library on your phone.

MEDICAL APPS IPHONE

For free you can download these Apps to begin:
Epocrates
Medscape
Merck medicus

these alone are worth the price of the phone.

Click the link and read on all the titles you could have ready to use on your phone.

Besides books, these phones are both wireless internet and WIFI enabled so you can surf the net as well, all in your pocket.

I use it all the time to research Diagnoses and drugs and treatments.

I have participated on an Iphone site (Forums) and like Android there are too many "FanBoys" for each phone. Its hard to get objective information about each phone from these forums since each group tends to promote these phones as the best and the other phone not worth the money.

When one objectively considers the phones by Features, Functionality, and Availability of medical software, Iphone was ahead to date, March 2011, but Android is catching up and may be equal in the coming year. I've had an Iphone and thus had many programs and references already so I stuck with Iphone, before Iphone I had a Palm.

At Android 29% of the market and Iphone 27% the market both these phones are over Half of the smart phone market together and since they share so many apps I feel you cannot go wrong with either. I have however, seen a larger medical library with Iphone then Android.

In my family we have more Androids then Iphones ( I'm the only Iphone) and so far the Androids are just as useful and functional and have plenty of apps to be well worth the price.

Iphones are well made, does have the most apps and its available on Verizon and AT&T, but the current is 3G ( no 4G- LTE) You cannot add memory to an Iphone so if you buy the 16GB ( like I did) your stuck with 16GB unless you sell it and buy the 32GB model. Iphone updates every 12 months now, once you buy the Current one its countdown till Apple push's its users to upgrade.
Apple users call this "Refresh". The rumored Iphone 5 will have a dual core processor, bigger screen and 4G ( LTE) possibly, may be worth the upgrade.

Android are well made, has many of the same apps as Iphone and is available with just about everybody. it comes in 4G, the memory is anywhere from 1GB MicroSD only to internal 16GB with expandable MicroSD. All Android phones memory can be upgraded. There are so many phones that you will have to decide the phone thats right for you.

We have Samsung galaxy Captivates. 16GB internal, 1ghz processor and expandable by 16gbMicroSD to total 32GB.

These phones are small computing devices and very powerful.

I have no real preference, I like both phones.

LINKS:

IPHONE HTC Samsung Motorola

OB

2011-03-08T23:42:00.003-05:00

Whats OB?

Pap smears, Hysterectomies, Hot flashes, STD,Teenage pregnancy, ASCUS,Hyperemesis gravidarum,
Abruptio Placenta and all in one day!

Yes I have done some pelvic exams ( not my favorite thing for sure)
Done the checks for dilation and effacement.

Yes been there for a few births....... vaginal and C section.

Lets just say, its a very important rotation for all of us, and since I want Family Med, very important but so far not my favorite, the learning curve is high.

Tomorrow I have to go in first and assess the patient and present to my attending...... Gotta get up early and read over some stuff for sure.

Havent Blogged much of Late

2011-03-05T08:39:00.002-05:00

OK been really busy, IM rotation, now OB rotation so whats new?

I have to retake step 2 CK and CS so I'm out of the Match this year and will try to get an Off cycle Residency or Match in 2012.

I'm taking 3 months to restudy and do questions for step 2 CK

My stats

Passed step one
extra Clinical time, ( about 9 months worth)
RN for 15 years prior to medical school
9 years volunteer work
US citizen
Want a residency in Family Medicine ( anywhere is fine)

Will graduate a Caribbean School this year

I do not know what will happen but I will stick it out and work hard and I know studying like this makes me a Better Doctor.

My advice to those who think about a Caribbean school? Its a harder road then I ever imagined, be prepared! I'm paying for these last months 100% out of pocket, and my pockets are below empty!

Giving up is failure and failure is not an option.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T16:38:00.002-05:00

Well its a Holiday and if I get my Residency this coming year these may be my last for awhile.

So wanted to post about a TV show I have watched some and was following for break time.

Caprica on SYFY.

A while back SciFi became SYFY for some stupid reason, and slowly they have been changing the content they air. Now they have programed Wrestling and Canceled Caprica. Here are some quotes:

are you fracking kidding me put caprica back on!!!!!!! its the best show on planet earth!! i wait for Tuesdays i even sit there and watch SGU just so i can watch Caprica afterwords! if anything cancel wrestling its not even science fiction!!

Why does “Reality TV” have any place on Sci-Fi television, let alone Wrestling??? I am so tired of tuning in to find fake ghost hunters, wrestling, and now my god a “grandma knows best psychic”???? What are they thinking. Give us back true (old fashioned) Science Fiction! not “SyFy” it is Sci-Fi!
SAVE CAPRICA!

One other thing I am doing a search on this show Caprica and get the main office numbers and thier addresses and emails to write and call them. This is one show I will fight for to get back but the others shows, I dont care what happens to them. But this show is special and different. I am a big fan of fantasys science fiction.

I know this a blog about Medical school but its important to take breaks and have a little fun.

This show was fun for me, fantasy.

SYFY claims its ratings, Uh ratings are so yesterday and out of touch its not funny, if the show did not have viewers and a fan base then when you google this subject not much would come up, do for yourself and you will find a lot of comments and sites about this.

Paying for TV is becoming a joke, the channels change content so much and repeat shows over and over, sometimes for years, that they insult us. We are insulted because we are getting nothing in return for our money. The channels get paid by advertising and us and then they turn around and try to find the cheapest way to provide what they think will make the views watch.

LOL yeah wrestling is what science fiction followers want to watch.

Sorry SyFy I give you a big fat F for failing your audience

2010-11-22T20:34:00.004-05:00

US Medical Schools and Foreign Medical Schools

I had to read this today:

“do the world a favor and don't go to med school in the Caribbean... my doctor went to SABA and the medical misdiagnosis took me two years to recover from.

The fact is, if you can't get into a good US school, you have no business practicing in the US (unless you went a real school in Germany, Japan, Britain, etc). Do the world a favor, get off your ego trip, and realize that you are not as smart as you want to be.”

This an excerpt from a message posted today from a Blog article I posted over 2 years ago.

While I may have matured in my opinions about the Caribbean and Foreign medical schools, I do not contend that when a physician attends a US Medical School all of them are perfect and the Best, while those who attend Foreign schools are rejects and not competent physicians.

The world is not “Black and White” “Good and Bad”, this is called splitting and is a psychiatric disorder.

Lets put it in perspective:

The Caribbean schools are full of competent professors who teach medicine. The students must Pass the USMLE not an easy test. The same test the US students must take and pass.

Here’s a typical Caribbean student Joe:

Joe attends grade school and highschool in the USA
Then attends a college and earns a degree in the USA
Then takes the MCAT in the USA
He has trouble gaining access to US medical schools because of the competition
He decided to go to a Caribbean school.
He attends for 2 years in basic science, mostly classroom time just like the US students
He then takes and passes the USMLE same test the US students must pass
Then he is in US clinicals along side and taught with the US students.

The only time a Caribbean student is not in the USA is during the classroom time for the first 2 years.

Years 3 and 4 are taught by the same US doctors who teach the US students.

I argue that Caribbean students are better prepared to take care of people in the US then doctors from other countries who have not been trained in the US at all.

After medical school everyone is in US Residencies.

Before people make such broad statements know how things are done.

Many fail the USMLE from the Caribbean and from other countries its not an easy forgiving test, I know I have taken and passed it.

The USMLE is the standard held to all Medical graduates in the USA.

Would I suggest the Caribbean over US medical schools? No I would not, I think one should attend a US school if possible. Do I think all US students who went to US medical schools are superior to Caribbean students? No I do not, it’s like anything else, there are some who are and some who are not.

Its easy to put forth an opinion based on emotion, but when the facts can be examined it proves to be a different story many times. This is one of them.

One last thought "good US (medical) school?" What does this mean? that there are inferior US medical schools? Would that not be bad as well? ( I contend there are no "bad" US medical schools all are good)

Good luck all.

My step 2 CS prep

2010-10-07T13:47:00.002-04:00

Many have wondered? What are you doing? Studying of course. ( dreaded OB is next rotation)

How I have prepared for Step 2 CS
First off I have been in US clinicals for years.

So I have spent 3 weeks in this order:

1st week orientation materials from the USMLE and reading over the minicases in First Aid CS

2nd week writing out Differentials and tests 5 for each case ( about 30 of them) then transitioning to writing full write up. Reviewing the practical exam.

3rd spent Writing Cases in full and then Practicing the whole thing last half of the week.

I have 3 days to practice before my test on Thurs Next week, will continue to practice the whole thing.

I used the example from the USMLE itself to practice the written format and this is my examples and tip:
Take a legal pad, make the marks with a permanent marker on the side to approximate the
Area for writing on the real note, it will bleed a little and you will see it as you write, print out the example note provided by the USMLE to use a guide.

GL

My Example Bullet style

Yes My hand writing is not the best, for the real thing I will take more time to write, I was going for correct form and thought.

Step 2 CS

2010-10-05T11:20:00.001-04:00

Still don't know the CK score I felt like "I passed ?" The way the USMLE is now that you end up guessing the answer because what you know and have studied is not an answer choice.

I'm studying for CS the practical part of Step two. I take it next week.

This is a test of your ability to communicate and US students must pass it as well.

Later

Step 2

2010-09-17T15:50:00.001-04:00

What do you do Friday before Usmle Step 2 ck?
Study
Panic
Open the review book
do 500 Questions now since you have done 50?
postpone?

Well I have studied for 3 months now, over 1100 Questions, NBME exam and read review Material 3 times.

I pray I'm ready!

USMLE has changed!

2010-09-07T08:25:00.002-04:00

Hi, 2 for one today,
Been studying for step 2 and have heard over and over that Step 1 and step 2 share content.

If the questions I have been doing are any indication then this is true.

Biochem, genetics and physio have not been part of the over 1000 practice questions I have done but the rest seems to be fair game.

I tell those not in the USA now to study and take step one first, do not take step two then step one.
For some reason people think its better to take the easier of the two first, yet its called step one.

Step one is a monster, its the foundation to study for, step two is easier because during study for it you have already studied a lot of the covered material for step one.

Take step 1 then 2 always and forever.............but that may change, there is talk of step 1 and 2 being one test. There are no dates for this......................yet.

Changes, the number of questions have decreased, the length of the questions have increased.

The passing score has increased.

Keep up with the changes about the USMLE at the official USMLE site, not my blog or some internet forum, know the changes and understand them.

When doing practice questions its easy to know if you pass the USMLE, when you are finishing a block with 70% or more correct. There is no magic, its that simple.

GL

Medical School Application Piles

2010-09-07T08:21:00.002-04:00

Quote from the Forum by an MD:

.............I should caution against numbered ranking of schools in general. I know the USNR likes numbers but my experience with admissions suggests strongly that one does not discriminate between perceived similar quality schools. Students for example from such schools as Haverford, Princeton, Smith, Stanford, Pomona, Berkley etc would be seen in similar light. One medical school admissions committee I know used to divide up undergraduate institutions by perceived quality into top/middle/bottom. My medical school had no such policy but students were evaluated by the strength of their academic record in context of the personal/committee opinion of the undergraduate school.
The undergraduate school you attend may also affect your possibilities as you go on through the academic climb. The interview circuit for competitive residencies in medicine seem to be heavy with those whose pedigree tends to come from the "usual" suspect schools. A journal article in my specialty recently even noted that undergraduate school and grades were almost as important as your Medical school Dean's letter in predicting residency performance.
IMHO the undergraduate school you attend may have an impact on your medical career aspirations.

I have had many heated debates about applications being sorted into "Piles" by stats. Many people believe the Medical school ADCOM's take hours to read each and every application and as a committee then decided the fate of each and every application. I know for a fact that most ADCOM's do not do this, if your app fits the criteria they have set then it goes into a pile for further review, if it does not then it gets the dreaded rejection letter sent out. I have no idea why people think ADCOM's, made up of people working in other areas and one or so in Admissions, have all this time to review thousands of applications without sorting them? Sorting is common sense, being fair has nothing to do with this process.

It was fair when you started College, everyone is equal till the grades................

Those not yet in College or just started take notice, now is your greatest chance to do well.

Apple wants to take your Picture and record you on Iphone without you knowing

2010-08-29T23:48:00.002-04:00

Yes yes I just read the shocking news, So many of us in the medical profession use the Iphone.
Maybe we should throw them in the trash if this new Apple idea gets approval

In July they lost a ruling on Jailbreaking phones, its legal now:

In July 2010 they lost and Jail breaking is legal

CNET
July 27, 2010 2:20 PM PDT On Call: Go ahead and jailbreak, it's legal now

And this past week Apple is trying to take your picture and record your voice! OMG!

CNET
August 22, 2010 10:46 AM PDT Apple applies for patent to kill jailbroken devices

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20014356-37.html

So this is still America Steve right? Is it not illegal to take my picture and record me because you "Think" I'm doing something wrong even though its legal? WOWSee More

On Call: Go ahead and jailbreak, it's legal now | Dialed In - CNET Blogs

www.cnet.com

Thanks to a recent U.S. Copyright Office decision, iPhone owners can legally jailbreak their iPhones. CNET's cell phone reviews editor welcomes the news. Read this blog post by Kent German on Dialed In.

The application also describes a variety of measures that could be used to help identify the unauthorized user, including the activation of a camera that could capture and geotag the device's surroundings, and perhaps current user, and transmit that information to a remote device:

In some embodiments, an unauthorized user can be detected by comparing the identity of the current user to the identities of authorized users of the electronic device. For example, a photograph of the current user can be taken, a recording of the current user's voice can be recorded, the heartbeat of the current user can be recorded, or any combination of the above. The photograph, recording, or heartbeat can be compared, respectively, to a photograph, recording, or heartbeat of authorized users of the electronic device to determine whether they match. If they do not match, the current user can be detected as an unauthorized user.

When unauthorized use has been detected, "access to particular applications can be restricted, access to sensitive information can be restricted, sensitive information can be erased from the electronic device...," the application states, effectively wiping and bricking the device.

So tell me, whos evil here? Someone like me who legally Jailbreaks the Iphone or Apple who is going to destroy my Iphone anytime it wants secretly?

Makes me feel sick everytime I think of the hours and money I sank into the Apple product.

Makes me really love Microsoft even more!

Free EKG Reference sheets

2010-08-29T11:47:00.002-04:00

Yep studying for Clerkships and Boards

here is a site that has free EKG reference sheets in PDF

Web site here

http://www.themdsite.com/personal_reference.cfm

Dr. Dale Dubin - The MD Site -

www.themdsite.com

At the end of Rapid Interpretation of EKG's there is a section containing a step-by-step, reference summary for EKG interpretation, including important EKG examples. The section, called the "Personal Quick Reference Sheets" is updated with each printing (updated May, 2007). This entire reference sum...

Eggs/ Butter and Fats

2010-08-28T09:37:00.005-04:00

Something I have concluded from my years of study is that moderation is always the key to enjoying foods.

Eggs are not "Bad for you". Its taken to too much to the extreme.

This is from the Harvard school of Medicine:

"Common misconceptions keep many people, especially those worried about heart disease, from eating eggs. The July issue of the Harvard Heart Letter unscrambles the dietary facts and myths about the egg.

Fact: Eggs are a good source of nutrients. One egg contains 6 grams of protein and some healthful unsaturated fats. Eggs are also a good source of choline, which has been linked with preserving memory, and lutein and zeaxanthin, which may protect against vision loss.

Fact: Eggs have a lot of cholesterol. The average large egg contains 212 milligrams of cholesterol. As foods go, that’s quite a bit, rivaled only by single servings of liver, shrimp, and duck meat.

Myth: All that cholesterol goes straight to your bloodstream and then into your arteries. Not so. For most people, only a small amount of the cholesterol in food passes into the blood. Saturated and trans fats have much bigger effects on blood cholesterol levels.

Myth: Eating eggs is bad for your heart. The only large study to look at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease—not on cholesterol levels or other intermediaries—found no connection between the two. In people with diabetes, though, egg-a-day eaters were a bit more likely to have developed heart disease than those who rarely ate eggs.

If you like eggs, eating one a day should be okay, especially if you cut back on saturated and trans fats. Other ways to enjoy eggs without worrying about cholesterol include not eating the yolk, which contains all the cholesterol, or using pourable egg whites or yolk-free egg substitutes."

So does this mean go ahead and eat 4, 10 eggs a day and your OK? No 1 to 2 a day is normal.

This is interesting: " Eating eggs is bad for your heart. The only large study to look at the impact of egg consumption on heart disease—not on cholesterol levels or other intermediaries—found no connection between the two."

The whole point in not eating the yolks is to avoid heart disease. These myths are hard to break when "Know it all's" run around and continue to ignore the studies. Even physicians continue to continue to spread information that has been disputed by new studies because they never took the time to read the latest info.

Butter vs Margarine

I love this one because there is some risks with Butter, but Margarine is not as ok as most think.

This is from The Cleavland Clinic:

"Overall, it is recommended that healthy persons consume no more than 200 milligrams cholesterol each day. Butter has 33 milligrams of cholesterol in one tablespoon alone!"

"A healthy range of saturated fat is 10 – 15 grams each day. Just one tablespoon of butter contains over 7 grams of saturated fat!"

Bad Bad butter but look at Margarine:

"Margarine is by no means void of artery clogging fat. The controversy with margarine lies with its level of trans fat, largely a man-made fat. Trans fats are formed when hydrogen is added to vegetable oils, making the oil more solid and less likely to spoil. This process is called hydrogenation or partial hydrogenation and allows stick margarine to be firm at room temperature. Trans fats have been shown to increase the "bad" cholesterol (LDL) similarly to saturated fats, and they tend to lower the "healthy" (HDL) cholesterol when eaten in large amounts. What's more – trans fats may make our blood platelets stickier. While no standard intakes of trans fat have been set, one tablespoon of stick margarine packs a whopping 3 grams of trans fat and 2 grams saturated fat."

". For example, stick margarine contains the most trans fat, 3 grams in one tablespoon. Switch to tub or liquid margarine and you've cut that by almost 2/3, from 1 – 2 grams trans fat. And the good news is margarine manufacturers are now cutting their trans fat levels even further, to less than 0.5 grams per serving! This low level is allowed to carry the claim "trans fat free or zero-trans fat". How do they do it? They switched their first ingredient from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil to water or liquid vegetable oil. It's best to keep the total trans fat as close to zero as possible and saturated fat under 2 grams per serving. "

Butter = 7 grams Saturated Fat and some trans fat

Margarine = 2-3 grams of Saturated Fat and (some of them) almost 0 trans fat

Love this NY times Article:

"The culinary battle between butter and margarine has raged for decades, but, it turns out, for the wrong reason. We now know that the partly hydrogenated fatty acids in margarine and many processed foods are harmful to health — more harmful, in fact, than the saturated fat in butter."

The bad news is that some substitutions — to tropical oils like palm, palm kernel and coconut — are reintroducing more heart-damaging saturated fats to American diets and causing environmental devastation in several countries where palm and coconut trees grow.

Furthermore, consumers who use the “no trans fats” label proclamation as their buying guide can still end up buying a lot of what nutritionists call junk foods. And the F.D.A. ruling does not apply to foods sold in restaurants, bakeries, takeout and other retail food outlets where unsuspecting consumers could be loading up on harmful trans fats.

That prompted the New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in March to ask the city’s 20,000 restaurants and 14,000 food suppliers to eliminate partly hydrogenated oils from kitchens and provide foods and food products free of industrially produced trans fatty acids.

What Trans Fats Do

The health concerns about trans fats go far beyond the effects on blood cholesterol. In a report in the June issue of The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers led by Katherine M. Phillips, a biochemist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, reviewed what is known about trans fats and their alternatives.

The “trans” in trans fatty acids refers to the biochemical configuration of the fat molecule. Natural polyunsaturated fatty acids in vegetable oils have a “cis” conformation: the hydrogen atoms in each double bond are on the same side. But the processes used in partial hydrogenation results in some double bonds with a “trans” conformation: hydrogen atoms on opposite sides of each double bond.

This little biochemical switch turns out to have potentially devastating health effects. In addition to raising bad cholesterol (especially the small L.D.L. particles that stick to blood vessels) and lowering good cholesterol, trans fatty acids raise blood levels of triglycerides and lipoprotein (a), which raise cardiovascular risk."

So yes eating butter can increase your Cardiac risk, but so can eating Margarine.

My take is you can eat Butter if its in moderation. But you are increasing risk.

When you eat out and the foods are cooked with some kind of fat, is it healthy fat or bad fats that is being used? Hmm, you truly want control over your intake then you have to eat at home more.

And I think that's one of the lessons, if you eat out a lot you may be be doing more harm then when I eat fry two eggs in the morning with one teaspoon of butter, ad eat them with a slice of ham. I know what I'm eating, what are you eating from a fast food place in the AM?

Conclusion:

Eggs may be OK enjoy them

Margarine is better then Butter

Stay healthy

Premed Rule of three

2010-08-15T00:28:00.003-04:00

No more then

3 W's
3 Repeats
3 MCAT's

Its like a 3 strikes policy. It seems that after 3 times the ADCOM has a red flag.

It has been said before and seems to hold true.

So if you are starting College in a few weeks keep this in mind and good Luck!

For me, I'm in a Family Medicine Clerkship in the Big City. I'm finding out that, as I suspected, I will be able to do more in a rural setting so I'm looking forward to the country!

Later on this clerkship!

Bill.

Boston Med

2010-08-06T08:15:00.002-04:00

Boston Med

Been watching a few episodes:

WOW that Mom last night what an Unreasonable B!

Yes I have had many families like this as an RN. Expect it!

That episode was real and some of the worse stuff the Mother did was not seen, believe me.
Don't have to see it to know.

Love the part where the Mother stated that she needed time to consult the internet before ANY PROCEDURES on the girl......... LOL like reading the internet, sources at times that are unverified, is more reliable then the Doctors at the Hospital. WOW

This is typical now, many patients and families look up procedures and information on the internet. The sources range from very good to down right awful.

If you will be a Doctor or nurse get used to this idea. You will be confronted with people like this mother and treated with disrespect and like you know nothing.
It's your job to be calm and not take it personal, while its frustrating that someone who is in front of you seeking help is treating you like an idiot understand they are scared.

Like a scared animal they are lashing out you and any information they see that says you are wrong or may be wrong will be used, right or wrong you must calmly explain why the procedure or Treatment is the correct course to take, if you cannot then live with the fact it will be refused and that is the patient's right.

Have Fun.

Finished Psych

2010-08-03T08:38:00.002-04:00

If surgery was Hell then Psych is "crazy" easy lol.

I found psych interesting and I did learn useful information. The thing is you need psych in everyday practice in just about all specialties. You need to understand treatments and how to deal with people. Not only patients but sometimes coworkers as well. Yes they walk among us!

Next family Medicine. and I plan on taking step Two CK during that time, pray for me!

Ability and Desire

2010-08-01T11:06:00.003-04:00

Many have desire but not the grades for medical school, hence the academic ability they truly need.

So many people post "what are my chances" then I see a GPA below 3.1. Where did they get the idea all this time they where in a place where they had a good chance of acceptance?

GPA= a record of one's ability to study and succeed over time.
MCAT= a one day test that shows one's ability to think and solve problems at one point in time.

Edit 8/3/2010: It seemed that the MCAT is a one day test is disputed by some so here is my take on GPA and MCAT:

When you have a class Grade it reflects study and several tests over time. Each test measures a snapshot of your ability and knowledge that day. The grades and GPA over the course of 3 to 4 years are a measure of many days of study and the "Snapshots" of your knowledge and ability. You studied over these years and proved how much knowledge you have achieved during that time.

MCAT is a measure of the ability to solve problems with the accumulated during undergrad study.
Few people are successful with a high score with less then 4 weeks prep, most will prep 2 or more months, I suggest 3 at least, since few will spend the time only prepping for the MCAT most will take class work along with the prep.

to sum up my thoughts:
MCAT is a one day test, is measures your ability at one snapshot of time.
GPA is made up of many tests, many snapshots of time.

You have to make a case for both for US MD and DO schools. You have to compete against all others who want to study medicine.

Its a package:
GPA
MCAT
Volunteering
Patient experience
other

GPA=MCAT this means that both are equally important in the application and I have read you want a balanced MCAT 9-9-9 may beat a 15-10-6 a great MCAT then is a 12-12-12

Honestly look at your "Package" see how balanced you are. Getting into medical school is
Numbers ( GPA and MCAT)
What you did ( volunteer/patient experience)
What you write ( personal statement)
What you say ( interview)

Take the time you need and you will succeed
MD
DO
Post Bac
MS
Caribbean

do the things you need to do to succeed to your goals

With the caribbean I'm always asked "Whats the USMLE Pass rate" and Residency %" to tell you the truth only 60 to 70% make it to the USMLE and then about 60% pass it after that. Why is this? simple they do not have the ability only the desire.

So consider what your goals are.
Do you have both desire and ability?

Good Luck

New IPhone Freebie

2010-07-30T11:01:00.001-04:00

Merk Medicus
has Harrisons, Merk manual and lab tests
for free!

You have to register but this is one of favorite freebies along with Epocrates!

enjoy

Xtranormal funny

2010-07-21T07:34:00.003-04:00

Saw this on Xtranormal pretty freaking funny

Orthopaedics vs Anaesthesia

Orthopaedic consult

Going to Medical school in the Caribbean next Month? My advice

2010-07-13T22:45:00.002-04:00

OK Psych is boring for me and sucks so lets talk about Caribbean Medical school.

I have 186 days myself left so here's some advice for those of you taking the plunge this August:

1. Take the clothes you truly want, dress is casual.
2. Take all the electronics or have it shipped to you, the islands are expensive for computers ( if they even sell them)
3. Take a laptop with you
4. Skype is a good way to call home and cheap ( do a Google if do not know what I'm talking about)
5. By a USB hard drive 320gb or bigger there will be a lots of stuff passed around and you will then have the storage space for it.
6. Get First Aid for step one
7. Get "Passing Basic Science"
8. Do not get Kaplan Q bank until after you have 2 semesters under your belt, your not ready.
9. You can attempt to solve Wiki Test prep early on its free
10. Plan to take a Kaplan review course after Basic Science it will cost 2 to 7k depending on the course.
11. Be prepared, the passing score for the USMLE will get raised by the time you take it, it has been raised 2 x since I started.

12...............You are the most important part in this, your study habits and what you learn is not the school BUT YOU.

Good luck!

The AAMC data on acceptance is true and flawed

2010-07-02T10:47:00.006-04:00

On the forums I keep debating that a 3.0 gpa undergrad does not stand a chance of acceptance at a US medical school unless the person goes to Post Bac.

There are people who argue to no end it does stand chance.

OK per this data below from the AAMC it does but at 7% at best. You have a 7% chance of acceptance and 93% at rejection

Really its simple Show me conclusive evidence that lets say 2500 premeds were accepted with a 3.0 at a US MD school in the last 4 years WITHOUT a post Bac or Masters. Just a 3.0 undergrad.
(http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table24-mcatgpagridall2007-09.pdf),

Look at all applied this equals 123,992 ( this is the number of applicants from 2007 to 09) which is 41,300 a year roughly for the 3 year period.
Now the number accepted equals 55,402 ( in the three year period ) which is about 18,467 a year

now two facts can be derived here:
2007 to 2009 the chart says over all acceptance is 44.7% or lets say 48%
If you then take the average year with ( I made a simple extraction dividing the numbers by 3 ) then 18,467/41,300 equals accepted about 45% in any given year are accepted.
So even if you take the bigger number of 48% acceptances that is what it is over 50% of who apply do not get accepted.

Now , lets take the 3.0 to 3.19 range on the chart 11,250 applied in that 3 years, ( roughly 3750 a year)
then (per the chart) 2164 were accepted (721 accepted a year) over 3 years (over all looking at MCATs does not help since its subjective data I'm looking for objective data, in other words ADCOMs may accept a 28 MCAT or may Not). The chart says the rate is 19.2%, this is bogus, this number % comes from each MCAT and acceptance averaged. Its Bogus

are we to believe and take as valid that 19.2% out of 48% of all people accepted have a 3.0 to 3.19 GPA?

Please we know this already
2164 people were accepted, it tells us that
over all 55,402 were accepted
the 19.2% has no real meaning or purpose for us, the true number is 4% accepted (0.039)

OK how about all those under 3.19, I'm game

3.0-3.19 = 2164
2.8-2.99 = 788
2.6-2.79 = 274
2.4-2.59 = 96 ( are these real schools? have to wonder)
2.2-2.39 = 20
2.0-2.19 = 6
1.47-1.99 = 3 ( you trust this number? I think its a lie of stats)

total = 3351

55,402 were accepted over 3 years 3351 (1117 a year) / 55402 (18467 a year) = 6 to 7% (0.0648) So at best each year you have a 7% of acceptance over all.

Take out the numbers I think are bogus, 2.59 and lower 125 that is
3226 / 55,277 = and the % accepted drops to 6% ( 0.058) so I think the best you can get from this is 7%

As for all those with a 3.8 to 4.0 ( you have to use the chart data) Accepted was 19,783 out of 55,402

So those who have a 3.8 to 4.0 GPA MCAT range 5 to 45 had a 36% acceptance rate......
Trust me the math holds up and makes perfect logical sense you would expect a 3.0 to have a 7% chance and a 3.8 a 36% chance, when you look at the MCAT scores, the ones on the higher end had more acceptances............... To me this is all common sense as well.

anyone under 3.2 that stats are 7% chance each year, which supports my posts.

Good Luck

Surgeons not making as much

2010-06-30T12:25:00.002-04:00

"Surgeons, earning an average annual salary of $219,770, top the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates."

Source

So this idea that surgeons make so much is another myth.

IM, OB, even FP can make as much

Derm probably makes more. Do what you like not what you think makes the most money!

Good Luck

Part time Jobs while in Medical school

2010-06-30T12:19:00.002-04:00

Part time jobs while in medical school...............

Let me put it this way............. Ah ha ha ha ha , LOL, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha , lol

Uh no, no way, you are insane to try.

Why? Medical school is intense and the study time is intense, spare time is for enjoyment, family, sanity.

During years 3 to 4 you are expected to be available for your clerkships 24 hours a day, you have tests and projects to do as well.

If you want to be a Doctor you must sacrifice unless you are rich ( I'm not as many of the other students I know)

Good Luck

iPhone 3.1.3 base band 5.12.01 can unlock!

2010-06-22T15:46:00.003-04:00

Yes Iphone3.1.3 base band 5.12.01 can be unlocked use:
spirit
then
on cydia install ultrasnow

jail break and unlock
then sb tools and tether toggle

it works

free tethering again

Finishing Surgical Core

2010-06-15T15:52:00.003-04:00

OK, I'm finishing my Surgical Core.

As of 8am Friday I'm done!

I already know I passed and did well.

What to expect when your time comes:

1. Scut work ( anything the resident wants you to do)
2. Attending surgeries and getting to stand in place for 2 to 4 hours at times holding retractors and when lucky doing more.
3. After up to 4 hours or more on your feet paper work like post op notes,
4. Depending on where you are, 5 or 6AM rounds and you must be there 30min before.
5. Call ( this is when you work 6am day one to 7 - 8 pm day two)
6. Presentations you will be told to do
7. Tests ( we had 2 a week)
8. Days off, we had 1 a week.

Have fun!!!! Time for me to finally and get sleep!

The Study of Medicine

2010-06-15T15:44:00.002-04:00

The study of Medicine:

US students sit in a classroom for 2 years, read chapters and use internet sites for questions and study.

Caribbean and some other schools around the world, students sit in a classroom for 2 years, read chapters and use internet sites for questions and study.

Both then write the USMLE exam with the same standards and then attend clerkships side by side in Hospitals and clinics in the USA. All that attend the US clerkships are graded the same.

All will be equals in residencies.

All will be Licensed the same.

So why do some US premeds continue to say that there is a difference?

In reality there is none.

A Physician is a Physician

Some will be great and some not so great no matter if they went to a US school or abroad.

Its the individual that matters the most.

Be safe

A minute about one of the best new tools Iphone

2010-06-05T20:09:00.002-04:00

Iphone and Ipad are quickly becoming seen all over the Hospital.

Being in Medicine a lot of us are also, well Geeks. But its geek in a good way, you want your Doctor
hard at work studying and keeping up, looking up Diagnosis and new treatments.

Iphone.......... I love and hate it

many many free and low cost useful apps.

But for the love of God, Apple killed my jail break and unlock.

Yes I believe when I pay lots of money for a product and on going monthly service that I have a right to it. I have a right to have it unlocked and "Jail broken to buy and use other apps.

But Apple feels we have no right over this issue. We cannot buy software outside of Itunes on Cydia and Rock. We cannot use a tether if on At&t even though we pay $30 a month extra for internet already, if we tether the internet to our phone we may use a 1gb or 2 a month.

So if you have not updated your Iphone to 3.1.3 then do not ( I did because my 3.1.2 crashed into reboot mode) and do not upgrade to Itunes 9.1.1 stay at 9.0 or lower.

Every time Apple does something like this I have no idea why the Apple lovers ignore it?

It's my phone and service I should have the freedom to use it as I like.

2 more weeks surgery and then 6 in psych.................. how do you feel about that? LOL

My one whole Day off

2010-05-16T17:33:00.002-04:00

My one Whole day off and what do I do?
Surf the net
Study some for Tuesday's Quiz
Email a few people
Do my laundry
I slept in ( till 7:30 !!!!!)
Text my wife ( I do this anyway)
Watched TV ( I find it boring now)
Did some housework for my Sister
Paid some Bills online

So when I get into my next rotation I should have more time for Step two study but to be honest this rotation has made me read through Surgical recall, General Surgery text and Cecil's so honestly I'm studying I just need time to do more overview and Questions and I can do that the next couple of months.
I should have 60 plus days for step two Q's and thats fine.

If at a school outside the USA make sure you do Green book rotations for Cores, I went through more then 34 weeks that included Cores but they were not green book, so I have to redo my Cores, this means I'm done with elective time and doing core rotation until Feb 2011, when I should graduate. (Cores should be done at a hospital with a Residency that covers that rotation focus)

I'm getting there......its getting closer and after step 2 is finally behind me I can smell the Residency! LOL.

Caribbean schools and Accreditation

2010-05-16T09:12:00.004-04:00

Accreditation:
All of the Caribbean schools have a tab at the web site that says "Accreditation"

So the myth "California, NY, FL and TX accredits Caribbean schools"
The truth:
California visits a school ( its costs the school thousands of dollars to do this since there is a Fee and all accommodations must be paid for by the school) and then reviews the school for approval of allowing grads to be licensed in that state. Hence the California list of which only 4 Caribbean schools are on it:
SGU, AUC, Ross and Saba ( the big 4)

NY, TX, Fl: have approved schools to allow students to do more then 12 weeks of core clerkships in that state. This has nothing to with licensing unless you do more then 12 weeks of core clerkship in that state from a non approved school. The myth many schools like is "We are approved by NY, Fl and TX", true but its for core clinicals. This was done because these states have limited clinical spots for the US MD and DO schools.

No school outside the US is accredited by a US body, to be true US accredited school the school must be accredited by LCME, the only non US state who has such schools is PR.

Licensure: Except for California ( your school must be on the list) The rest have a few schools Banned ( see each state for the info) the other 49 states will have various rules but license everyone on a case by case status. This means that even if you went to SGU you could be denied licensure in that state, this is even true for US students from US schools ( but extremely rare. )

So who accredits the schools?
The countries the schools are in just like any other country. The Caribbean schools are not truly American schools, they are international. People from all over the world attend these schools and in some cases Americans only make up 30 to 40% of the students.
CAAM is the only body that is recognized anywhere for an accreditation
http://www.caam-hp.org/

Other then that here is an important checklist:

1. The school has a charter from the Country its in to have a school there
2. The school is listed on IMED https://imed.faimer.org/
3. The school is listed in WHO directory ( this can take up to a year for a new school) http://www.who.int/hrh/wdms/en/index.html ( old WHO list) the newer updated list is at http://avicenna.ku.dk/ , Directories:Link ( but I had trouble accessing it yet again)

If the school is too new for the 2007 list then I think it may be a gamble, yet if its listed in IMED then you can sit for the USMLE

Reasons to not attend a Caribbean school:
1. Few students there
2. New unproven
3. No IMED listing
4. Internet Basic science, meaning you never go to the campus and sit for classes there.
5. Accelerated course work for "Health professionals" meaning you test out or skip course work altogether.

Going to medical school is more then passing the USMLE, its learning medicine.
anyone can take the 9 month Kaplan course and pass the USMLE.
You need to consider that no matter your background you will need months of study and then years of continued study to be a Successful physician.

GL!

Allergies

2010-05-11T18:04:00.001-04:00

Allergies:

Tylenol
Ibuprofen
Codeine
Morphine
Dilaudid
Demerol
Oxycodone
Hydrocodone
Lorazepam
Valium
Benadryl
Statins
Meth
Heroin
Cocaine
Crack
Barbiturates
SSRI’s
Lithium
TCA’s
Marijuana
ASA
PCN
Cephalosporin
Vancomyicin
Macrolides
Quinolones
Wheat
Rice
Pancakes
Milk
Coke Cola
Yeast ( Beer)
Wine
Fish
Beef
Lettuce
Water ( Topical allergy)
Soap ( causes funny pleasant odor)
Tooth paste ( Gums bleed with brushing)
Iodine
Chicken ( and anything that tastes like chicken)

Yep seen this list before.

Pissing Contests

2010-05-10T06:11:00.001-04:00

Many Times I have posted on how there is a war between Nurses and Docs. Its true, not only because I'm a nurse as well but because now I'm living it. Some of the nurses I have come across have displayed less then professional behavior, towards me and the residents. I'm treated as I know nothing, although I'm an RN of 20 years, it assumed I do not know diseases and treatments. Funny how the Nurses tell me stuff that is wrong at times or that has no importance or impact on pt care and treatment.

What I ask is for a cease fire, what is to be gained by such an attitude. The patient is the focus and I see that getting lost in this battle.

We all have things to learn from each other. Check the attitude and lets work better together.

Happy Nurses Day!

2010-05-05T11:31:00.003-04:00

First of all Happy Nurses DaY!!!!!!!!!

But let me ask, could you be a little more nicer to students?
All students Nursing and Medical.

Comments made to me in the last month

1. When concerned about a MVA victim and loose teeth "Why? are you a dentist?"
2. When I was standing gettting ready for the OR, "Could you help me rather then being useless!?" said in a tone.
3. When I commented on a conition "Like you matter"
4. The frustrated "Yes Doctor" when I asked after 5 hours if the blood would be given?
5."SO???" when I ask a simple question
6. "What are you doing?" Or "What do you want?" when I'm doing what I'm supposed to.

Would love it if they would just be nice in a nice tone.

Happy Nurse's day!

Studying and grades are always our fault

2010-05-01T13:24:00.001-04:00

I posted this on a forum but thought it was an important message:

Stop "beating yourself up" also stop saying "roommate" is a problem, both will not help

There are Libraries and 24 hour McDonalds and other places you can go and study. Failing to study is never ever someone else or something's fault, it is yours solely.

When you get as far as I am and about to take a USMLE steps and move on into residency you are expected to work 70 to 90 hours a week and study. You are expected to learn to study with a lot of distractions.

It does nothing but get harder each step.

The reason I post this way is because its true and when ADCOMS at medical schools look at the applications they are looking at students who can do this, who can study no matter what, what proves they can are the grades.

People keep saying things like "Medical schools like to see you are challenged by the courses" " if its hard its ok to get a C" no this is wrong and makes no sense, when you are a Doctor, almost succeeding means the patient Died. Almost succeeding means the patient is harmed. Medical schools are looking for those with higher GPA's no matter if "Its challenging" or not its the GPA that proves you mastered the subject not "How hard".

I want you to take this and understand I want you to proceed succeeding, this is not personal this is about how to proceed and become a Doctor.

WHAT IS Good Advice?

2010-05-01T09:55:00.003-04:00

Sooooooooooooo Many times I hove those with issues with my Blog or posts on forums.

I always respond that I give out advice that is proven by
1. Stats
2. Evidence in real life
3. what sources have stated or told me.
4. what is written in laws and rules

Stats and what is written is the strongest evidence.

for instance:

If a Medical school has 100 seats and has 5000 applications then the stats say that your chances are 100/5000 which is 2% correct? and if the average applicant ( applicant pool ) has a 3.5 GPA and 32 MCAT Then on the average at least 2500 of those applicants have those stats with many better and some lower. Lets say 25% better then when you have a 3.5 GPA then your real chances for that school is 75% of 5000 which is now 100/3750 which is 3%

So when someone whats to argue that a 2.8 GPA because of a good MCAT something like a 36 or 40 will get into a US medical school, wheres the real evidence of that? I pointed to some blog or Dr. people who were lucky 1% or who went to medical school in 1983.

Folks times change and what worked just 5 years ago does not today.

Over all the applicant pool for medical school has been able to get accepted to a US MD or DO school at 40% rate, this is due to the average student applies to 10 or more schools.

Caribbean grads get residencies for the most part, yes the match stats say its 50% but real life and residents in PGY1 ( first year) prove that the match is only a portion of Caribbean matches.

The true number is 70% match, 50% in the match and 20% outside the match (Prematch)

So this is my general advice for premeds and others:

1. read blogs ( like this one) and forums and digest the posts, understand that no one can truly tell you on the internet what will happen but also consider the evidence behind the advice.

2. poor grades in college always affects you, its a reflection of your ability to others who do not know you and must go on the applications and your history to make decisions. Do the best you can.

3. US medical schools pick you. They are looking to reject you, not accept you. There are truly reject piles made each year based on GPA and MCAT no matter what the schools say and others.
The schools cannot admit to this in the open but they truly do it.

4. Of course tell your story about how you overcame upbringing and fighting diseases and disadvantages but understand out of 5000 applications 50% have these stories as well. So its better to have decent grades and MCAT with these stories then its a positive, as an excuse for poor stats, it gets overlooked.

5. The Magic formula:

A. Get out of Highschool
B. (CC with little science work) University with any major
C. study for the MCAT after the preqs are done. Take practice tests get 30 or better in practice.
D. All grades averaged together ( 1st and 2nd on retake, all college grades ever given) better then 3.0 for Caribbean 3.3 for DO and better then 3.4 for MD
E. Volunteering, patient experience, shadow a Doc, ( Optional is research)

6. You have below a 3.0 can you still go to medical school? Yes, US MD probably not, but US DO and Caribbean yes. You will need to do:
1. More college work for US like a post bac
2. Caribbean with like a 2.7 is possible but you need a MCAT 24 or better

So wanna tell people I'm wrong, ok fine but have real evidence that I'm wrong. Not just some guy who said he's a doctor now who went to a US medical school with a 2.5 GPA and 19 MCAT.

Wanna go to medical school then try to do what I advise.

I advise with real stats and research-able evidence. Also these days I have less and less time to blog and post, I do this because as a Physician I care.

Iphone essentials

2010-04-25T11:47:00.004-04:00

I have posted on this before but I wanted to update what I find useful

Free:
Epocrates
MD Ezlabs
Iradiology
WikEM
Immunization
CTX timer
Ausculate

Paid for:
Ianatomy
DXsaurus
ECG guide
Imurmur

These are all great apps you can find them on Itunes.

Call

2010-04-25T11:42:00.002-04:00

Call has been changed for surgery, budget cuts and new ideas together, there is now a Float Surgery person who works only nights, the Interns rotate through this.
Students now are on call from rounds till 11 pm, Since rounds are 5:30 and 6 Am some of us still sleep at the Hospital.

What we do:

Rounds on patients who had surgery that day.

Consults for surgery patients.

Pre op for the ones not done for tomorrow

and anything needed.

Pre Med (premed) and Pre Nursing

2010-04-24T12:31:00.003-04:00

Hi, I wanted to talk about a resource out here for all of you.

Pre Med and Pre Nursing

StudentDoc

Yes I'm a Mod there but there are others who post as well, there is a wealth of opinions and info there for you.

What I like to do is help other succeed. There are so many half truths and myths out there.
This misinformation ends up with people giving up before they even start or after things are not perfect.

Low GPA
Failed classes
Failed or low test scores
Age

All these and more are discussed, no topic is stupid or not important.

Medicine needs us, those who care to care. :)

Update tomorrow on Surgical clerkship, we do 4 weeks in the surgical ICU.

The Rules of Maryland Driving

2010-04-18T09:19:00.002-04:00

These "Rules" seem to be true in Maryland and perhaps elsewhere:

1. Driving is a GOD given right right not a privilege as states believe.
2. You pay taxes so you own the road. Yes others pay too, but the part you are driving on and within 20 square feet of your moving vehicle is yours at that time. So others violating this space are wrong. Aggressive driving aids in defense of this area. You are not rude nor Aggressive since its yours.
3. Never never let anyone get off an exit, when on the right make sure you pull alongside the person on the left and pace your car to theirs, this protects the exit.
4. Speed limits are suggestions and you should drive as fast as possible.
5. The only times you need to stop for a light is when there is a stop light Camera. Other times it may cause another to hit you from behind.
6. Honking the Horn is mandatory, every time you feel the need please do, others are ALWAYS wrong.
7. If you are a pedestrian in Md. You are lucky, you do not have to wait for cross walks or lights, just step out into traffic and cross since pedestrians have the right of way.
8. Remmeber when traffic is heavy remain 2.51 inches from the bumper in front of you. This will keep others from changing lanes.
9. When upon someone going slower its fine to pass them, on the left and right and remember to honk the horn.
10. During rush hour, when able, go as fast as possible and change lanes as much as you can, if you are driving a motorcycle you are lucky the road is wherever you can possibly drive the bike.

Yes I have seen all this in the last 3 weeks! I wanna go home LOL.

Handwashing hysteria

2010-04-16T08:23:00.001-04:00

yes today we were told wash hands when enter room wash when leave when rounding must wash hands for next room even if hands were just washed and we went right to the room.

Is this made up by nurses ? If so its why I went to medschool lets be sane and practical people.

HIPAA Hysteria

2010-04-15T11:42:00.001-04:00

Ok I did it I mentioned a last name of a patient while in the cafe at the Hospital.
We we discussing when cases should go.
The Resident looked at me and said do not mention names. Of course I said sorry.
I find all this HIPAA annoying, while discussing a patients condition should be confidential the mere mention of a name and your worried about the HiPAA police slapping cuffs on you. Bad Bad physicians.

Stupid IMHO

Surgery Lesson of the week

2010-04-03T15:54:00.004-04:00

Ok this is something that keeps coming up, when an Xray is read, read the the reading but read the Xray yourself, see if you agree

We had 2 "normal Xrays" that were so obvious for pathology
we thought Housekeeping read the Xray.

Less questions on Step one now

2010-03-26T09:39:00.001-04:00

Change in number of Questions on Step one

USMLE

Starting on or around May 15, 2010, a transition period will begin in which the number of items in current forms of the Step 1 examination will change from 336 items to 322 items. Although the transition will occur quickly at many test centers, there may be some locations where the changes take slightly longer to complete. The overall transition period will likely last approximately 6 weeks.

322 questions and 60 minutes a block still, 7 blocks

USMLE Rumors

2010-03-15T08:40:00.003-04:00

Two popular rumors keep coming up about the USMLE

1. It's adaptive.

and

2. It will be a combined step 1 and 2 test soon.

Neither one of these are true as of yet. The test is a set time and number of questions, currently 336 questions and 1 hour per block for 7 blocks.

The story of combined test has been around for years, it has been talked about but no date set.

As soon any of these things happen we will be the first to know from the NBME, until then its rumor and not true.

Confirm everything.

USMLE What happens?

2010-03-09T18:03:00.003-05:00

When you go to take USMLE step exam things have changed as if a terrorist has threatened the test.

You have to sign a form to not post remembered Questions.
You have to put everything with you, Wallet, Phone, Watch, Keys and Bracelet into the locker.
You have to turn your Pockets inside out.
Show that there's nothing in your Pocket
Picture taken
Thumb print
ID needed ( US students driver's license ok IMG Passport)

Only thing missing is Body cavity search (OOPS I told them)

If you have a coat or sweater because your cold then you take it off during the test this is violation and they will take it from you.

Don't make any moves like under the table

If the monitor sees anything they think is strange they flag you and you test may get voided.

Smile your on camera the whole time.

I guess the new Body Xray scanners in the Airport is next hooray we are safe from Doctors now!

Regrets of not going to a Caribbean 3 or US school

2010-03-02T09:00:00.002-05:00

Hello as I promised regrets
Money mainly, not the education but money, loans.

What fails me is our US gov allowing billions in loans to some tech schools train people ( teach ) in the US a skill that will not even land them a Job later and the school is fly by night itself and will not allow Medical students to have federal student loans to medical schools that are listed in WHO and even accredited by agencies except for 3 Caribbean schools AUC, SGU and Ross. Despite these schools are decent schools and just need the influx of students to stay open, the US continues to deny its citizens access to not only medical school but the funds to attend medical school outside the USA.

In 2004 there were loans, more then a few for all the schools, but these were private loans and because of the economic collapse of the US these loans have since been dropped leaving some of us without means of paying for school, or enough money to finish.

That is part of my problem, I passed step one, but stuck with begging and borrowing enough to get through my last year. ( My credit is now a mess too)

Its not fair true but I should of done what I needed to get into a school like Ross. But its too late and I have 3 semesters to graduate, I paid up for the current semester and will start my rotation in 2 weeks.

I didn't know when I started but the last loan left ( I had it) in 2006. Basically after lending over 100k they did not grandfather us in ( they still loan medical students money). Our US government allowed this, sure loan 100k then leave you to finish a couple years with no money and no means and ruined credit, this was not the school this was the lenders.

So here we are whats the best advice?

Get into a US school
The big three have slightly lower stats for admission but not much
the Caribbean schools are looking for better then 3.0 GPA and better then 26 MCAT.
US schools better then 3.3 and 28 MCAT

Higher the Better

More to come from the trenches soon

2010-02-28T10:48:00.002-05:00

Ok been on a Sabbatical and during that time lots happened in my personal life.
I transferred to a new school as well.

I'm at All Saints in Aruba now.

I have up coming Surgery Core in Baltimore this March ( about 3 weeks a way) and will be letting you know the new things I love and hate about it.

So far to catch up
What I learned
Try to go to a Caribbean 3 or US school

Loans do not stay unless one of these schools, there is nothing wrong with these schools, but Our US gov is Discriminatory and student loans are only for the Caribbean three.

I would of done this different, yes I have regrets, More to come later.

Bill.

USMLE step One passing score raised

2010-01-06T11:22:00.003-05:00

Its gone up from 185 to 188

As a result of its review, the Step 1 Committee decided to raise the three-digit score recommended to pass Step 1 from 185 to 188. The new minimum passing score will be applied to Step 1 examinations for which the first day of testing is on or after January 1, 2010.

Source

Study Hard!
Bill

Getting accepted to Medical school wisdom

2010-01-06T11:21:00.002-05:00

OK my pet project all the time on my blog is to tell you the secretes of Medical school admissions so here we go:

The school picks you you do not pick the school. You need this understanding, when the schools accept you in the end you have a choice, some will have no acceptances others 1 and yet some 3 or more..........out of 100% that apply about 40% get accepted and this is for over all, when applying to 20 schools that means 60% get 20 rejections and 40% 19 rejections or less.

Something I think undergrad premeds still do not get

You have a certain GPA and SAT or ACT in Highschool and great Yale will accept you

Medical school certain GPA and MCAT great Yale will accept you? WRONG its not about the GPA and MCAT alone that is why Min GPA and SAT are published for undergrad but GPA and MCAT is not published for medical school, there is selection factors weighed as well, THEY PICK YOU.

Understand these things and you will succeed.

Bill.

I Phone freebies for Medical Students and Nurses

2009-12-31T12:07:00.003-05:00

Hi, been awhile since I posted, I've been on Sabatical due to family and Board study, I will be back in Jan 2010 in full force ( Wanted to warn you LOL)

Here is a list I came up with for Free Iphone Apps I have found useful:

1. Epocrates
2. UMMS Encyclopedia
3. Medcalc
4, CPR drugs
5. Psych Drugs
6. Shot records
7. OB outline
8. OMM guide
9. Auscultation
10. iradiology

Enjoy and Have A Safe Holiday

PS do not forget to stop by Student Doc where I'm a Moderator and we have open discussion on any of these topics.

Time line premed

2009-10-07T09:31:00.003-04:00

So many ask this question and get a stock answer but I say the truth is:

No time line,

Time line that people post on web sites like:
HS, College 3rd year take MCAT apply to medschools, Start medschool right after graduation.
is for the benefit of those asking a question and giving a stock answer. "its lazy" really.

People read all my posts ( on the forum studentdoc ) and say I'm not consistent, they are right I'm not because each person is different and I give out part of the advice that is asked, I stick to what I believe is true for the stats and those that have been successful in the last few years of getting accepted into medical school.
Then I weigh the human factor which is based purely on opinion.

But

No time line is the truth. You can take time to get to medical school and until you are over 50 Age makes little difference. ( After 40 I believe it starts to make some but 50 seems to be the magic number)

Take the MCAT when you are truly ready not because of the "time line"

Do the volunteering and Patient contact time too, this is very important.

Bill.

NonTraditional Premeds

2009-09-13T10:32:00.002-04:00

From time to time I open up a discussion and this time I wanted to give my thoughts that are general on being older and getting into medical school.

First step how old is too old? Are you dead? Good!
I would say realistically over 60 will make a really tough case for a Medical school to accept you. the oldest I have seen is 66 so far but that was in the Caribbean.

Second your College in the past, all grades on any College transcripts will count towards a GPA calculated by the Medical schools. Many GPAs fall when this is done because if you fail or get a D in a class and retake both grades are averaged, An A is then not an A anymore.

MD schools, some do not like older students, its not personal, it has to do with the applicant pool being younger and the feeling that the younger applicants will practice longer and be able to do the longer residencies, but the shortage is in primary care where the residencies are less then 5 years.

DO schools tend to be way more forgiving of GPA and Age.

So get the transcripts go over them.

Life experience and Maturity does count

You need to Volunteer and get Patient contact experience these are essential.

Time, the longer you have been out of school you can can make a case you have changed and if your GPA was low back then, a new degree, Masters/Post Bac / or BS degree depends on each case, when and if you do another Degree that GPA must be high, above 3.5 if possible.

OK schools

MD and DO are equal as far as being a Physician so apply where you can get accepted. Remember you will have to apply to no less then 10 schools when the time comes, you may get into the one or two you really want but then again you need the others in case, only 40% get accepted who apply.

Caribbean is also a possibility, I always say stick with the big 3 AUC, SGU and Ross they have good track records and Federal Student Loans. 18 to 24 months on the island then 2 years in the USA along side US students.

Just get your goals in order and a good plan.

you will succeed .

Carribean and US school truths

2009-09-11T19:30:00.002-04:00

Its time revisit the Medical school myths.

A post I read many times is " I do not want to go to a Caribbean school"

I always say to myself "Why?" no reason is ever given and if it is, it's based on myths and lies.

Lets start with US schools:

Lie: you can get accepted at US schools with a Low GPA, I know many that have gotten accepted with a 2.9 or 2.8 and a good MCAT.

Truth: Those with a low GPA went to Post Bac or Grad school and proved they had a good GPA ( usually around 3.5 in grad school) without Grad School a good MCAT will not help a low GPA.

Myth: There are tiers of US medical schools.

Truth: except for schools like Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Yale and a few others all the rest of medical schools will really give you the same education and outcomes.

Lie: DO and MD are different levels of Doctors and DO's are paid less and cannot do everything an MD can do.

Truth: DO and MD are both Licensed to practice medicine in the USA as physicians, same in every way ( every important way).

OK lets move to the Caribbean:

Lie: You cannot get a residency if you go to a Caribbean school.

Truth: You do clinicals (Years 3 and 4) in the USA along side US students and you prove your self doing that, get recommendations from these US Doctors who are attendings and that helps with your Board scores in getting a residency. Also check out the residencies SGU, Ross and AUC grads get on the schools web sites you would be surprised just about all specialties.
(Of course I expect some US students to say I'm wrong, they will say Caribbean grads only match at 50% or less, but there are contracts outside the match that = 10 to 20% more that match so the real Number is closer to 70%)

Lie: You will learn Medicine in huts and its backwards not modern.

Truth: Same books, same material, same tests. No Huts, internet and power points, projectors.

Lie: 4 years in a third world country OMG!

Truth: 18 to 24 months on an island that is in the 21st century and most are tourist pleasure islands, they have everything you need.

Lie: Caribbean Doctors are different then other Doctors in the USA, the license is different.

Truth: Yes I have read this crap, to begin, these are medical schools chartered by the countries they are in, same if you went to a school in country around the world. You are an Foreign Medical school Graduate, FMG, same as anyone who went to Medical school outside the USA.
You will have the same license as every other Doctor in the USA, a licensed Physician and the pay is the same.

Who are the "Top" Caribbean schools?
SGU AUC Ross these have Federal Student loans
others I know of?
All saints, St. James, AUA, Windsor, Xavier, St. Eustatius, St. Matthews ( there are 20 more but these schools I know are ECMFG and IMED and WHO listed)

Final on this US school always better then Caribbean (MD or DO), but you can still do well from a Caribbean school.

I'm sure there are so many more lies for me to address but these are the main ones.
Enjoy and know the truth.

Bill

Problems

2009-09-05T07:44:00.004-04:00

OK wanted to to update you, as you know I have been attending a Caribbean school, they lost funding for loans like most schools almost 2 years ago, the last year My mother inlaw was able to help me with tuition. Now I have about 24 weeks left ( works out to be 2 semesters) left and I'm out on sabbatical this semester ( personal reasons) but want to finish in Jan. I found out there may be no money for me to finish. Because of the loans I took out before for medical school and the cost of living I'm at a point at the end of not being able to secure a good loan for the coming semesters.
The cost is about 20K, not huge to finish, but I have no idea how I will find the money now.

This is why I urge people to go to a US school or one of the Big 3 SGU/Ross/AUC they have Federal student loans.

I may be able to find someone to back me for the rest , but its very stressful.

I will update you all as I know.

Good Luck.

From the trenches

2009-08-15T09:33:00.003-04:00

Staph skin infections.

They run rampant in some some families here in the south.

What we have been doing has been prescribing Bactroban for the infections topical, another Antibiotic oral for 10 days, Bactroban in Nose (Staph lives there) and Clorox bath, a couple Table spoons of bleach in a full tub of water ( no under water with head of course).
( do not do this unless a Doctor tells you). This has helped to get rid of the staph in the family since besides the bath we also give a prescription for Bactroban to be put in the nostrils of everyone in the family for 10 days too.

Have fun.

My thoughts and stats on getting accepted into a Medical school

2009-08-05T09:23:00.003-04:00

About posting stats

They are my own,What I have come up with for a Good chance,

To me there is a difference between a chance and a very poor chance,

If the Average MD applicant has 3.5 or 3.6 GPA, this is the middle of course but since the percentage accepted out of all that apply is around 40% this 50% becomes very strong in your chances.

for people to think as long as you have above a 3.0 your fine is misleading,

I like to give real numbers and real advice based on what works

in the USA any GPA below 3.1 has an extremely difficult time getting accepted at any MD school, DO school is a long shot.

when below this GPA I just do not see acceptance.

There are always exceptions and circumstances but understand GPA under 3.1 is not a good place for US schools.

But this is my thoughts and belief and it is just advice, you have to decide what to do.

my suggestion is to read the advice we give and do the research yourself then decide what to do.

Knowledge and choices are greater then just advice......Know the subject and you will succeed.

Had to post this, will hit the wards this week.

2009-08-04T22:56:00.002-04:00

After a short time off I go to my Internal medicine clinicals tomorrow......

But here is a funny video I came across:

APPLE Wheel Book

What I'm doing

2009-07-24T12:23:00.003-04:00

I'm still in study mode and have little time for anything else. My daughter is moving to college today ( can't be there) and my son put our car in the swamp! That was a problem since the car was submerged!

So been really busy with life problems.

Warning to anyone reading my blog, I'm not the best writer and I like to use colorful Southern US words and phrases, so if this bothers you sorry, it will not change. (Some of the best Docs I know have trouble with writing and some with English big time as the comment remarked)

This is real life Medical School, study study, then short break and study more, it's like this until out of residency and even then you have to do CE's. Just the life I guess. I only mind sometimes like when these other things happen.

You all have a good one and Geterdone!

Quick tip USMLE study

2009-07-11T14:31:00.002-04:00

Kaplan and USMLE world are the gold standard but you can for free do Questions here

WikiTestPrep

I found the questions not as hard but they are good for review and correct.

Happy 4th!

2009-07-04T13:20:00.003-04:00

Happy 4th everyone,

What am I doing? Studying that is what!

My family is enjoying a lot of things without me but yet I'm happy, in years to come I will enjoy call and or days off without such studying.

This is the life of studying medicine.

Know that its full of times you must stay the course and work.

Its worth it if you love it the way I do.

I will get back to you with more Stories of clinicals, of late I've been preoccupied with studies, this proves the point of how hard you must work.

Enjoy!

Windows 7 Upgrade offer!!!

2009-06-26T00:56:00.002-04:00

Go here AMAZON and you can get rid of Vista for only $49 USD!

I hated Vista and been using Win 7 RC 7137 for some time now.

Win 7 has everything Vista has but it does everything 100 times better and uses less Ram!

Enjoy!

Don't Miss out! I would get it soon!

From Paul Thurott:

Clean install with Windows 7 Upgrade media? What about x64 upgrades?

I've gotten a ton of questions about the Windows 7 retail pricing stuff, as expected. But the number one question, by far, is an oldie but goodie:

"Can I use a Windows 7 Upgrade version to perform a clean install of the OS?"

This is becoming particularly antsy for people because they want to take advantage of the time-limited Windows 7 presale, which starts tomorrow.

So, what the heck, I asked.

The answer, I'm told, is ... Yes. You can perform a clean install of Windows 7 with the Upgrade media, as you could with Windows Vista.

The second most common questions regards "upgrading" from Windows Vista or XP (32-bit) to a 64-bit version of Windows 7. (You cannot do an in-place upgrade between 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows.)

Yes, it's possible. The key is to purchase the Windows 7 Upgrade version electronically (preferably through the presale and directly from Microsoft). If you do so, you're given the choice to download the x64 bits. So if you qualify for a Windows 7 upgrade--i.e. you own Windows XP or Vista--you can buy the Windows 7 Upgrade version of your choice, download the x64 version, burn it to disc, and do a clean install. (Per the previous question.)

Hope this helps.

Published Jun 25 2009, 01:29 PM by pthurrott Filed under: Windows 7