Welcome back! I totally didn't realize the Medical Monday link-up was on vacation for the summer but here I am anyway!  Today I'm sharing my must-have resources for your first two years of medical school! 

Because of our systems-based curriculum, I found that the books & resources I use typically carry over to each system. Our school provided many "required" textbooks on our iPads but unless the reading was mandatory, I rarely used them. Textbooks tend to be dense and provide way more information that you really need. You don't have time for all that! 

Below are the resources I found to be most helpful during my first year. I will continue to edit this list based on your suggestions!

Anatomy: 
For anatomy, we followed along with a dissector and also had a class textbook or two. When it comes to anatomy, the key is repetition. The best way to study is to grab a classmate or two and quiz each other in the lab. Don't just ask each other what something. Think, "What would go wrong if I injured this nerve?" "What would be injured if a patient experienced trauma here?" etc. Anticipate exam questions - chances are they will not be straight forward but rather higher level thinking questions.  

• Netter's Flashcards
• These are great for on-the-go anatomy quizzing. I used to carry mine around where ever I went so I had something to study at all times. They are just like the Netter's Atlas and contain an excellent amount of information beyond identification questions.
• Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy
• Beautifully illustrated and very accurate with everything you need and many different views of the anatomy. It's a book of art!
• Rohen Color Atlas of Anatomy
• I actually preferred this book when I didn't want to head to the anatomy lab - it contains real photos of cadavers which is helpful because the anatomy is not colorful and pretty like in the Netter Atlas. I suggest starting with Netter's and then once you get more familiar with the material, start quizzing yourself with Rohen's.

Systems-Courses:

• ***First Aid for the USMLE Step 1
• If ever there was a Bible for medical school, this would be it. Step 1 is the go-to book for board prep. I received my copy for "free" by signing up for an AMA membership. While I'm not studying for boards quite yet, it's a great resource that sums up topics and organizes information easily. 

• BRS Physiology
• I haven't purchased this yet (will be doing so before classes start) but I've heard great things. It summarizes everything and give you the high points you need for board review.

• Goljan Rapid Review of Pathology
• Basically a book of outlines. It's nice to refer to if I have a quick question but it can be kind of dense for everyday study. I don't think I will use it much for board prep but it helps me organize my thoughts and compare/contrast similar conditions.

• Rapid Interpretation of EKGs
• I used this book for our Cardiology/Clinical Medicine courses when we were learning to read EKGs (go figure, right?). It's idiot proof - literally has fill-in-the-blanks and walks you through basic EKG readings. It helped me a lot and contributed to my love of EKG interpretation!

• Lange Pharmacology Flashcards
• Pharmacology is not my strength. Probably because it requires rote memorization and not very much understanding. These cards are great - I annotate them as necessary but they usually contain all the information I need and more. Making your own flashcards takes way too long - these are a great shortcut! 

Osteopathic Specific:

• OMT Review

• The Bible for every Osteopathic Medical student. Unfortunately there aren't very many quality resources when it comes to OMM but this one really has everything you need. I didn't find it to be "enough" for my OMM class exams but I've heard it is completely adequate for board review. It isn't fancy or as nice as any of the other books so don't be alarmed by the austere nature of this text...you will hug it and love it and sleep with it under your pillow.

Websites:

• CV Physiology
• For Cardiology/Cardio physio - my professor is the author of this website and the accompanying textbook. Very comprehensive and easy to understand. Lots of quiz questions, too!
• Learn The Heart - EKG Practice
• Another Cardio site - great for learning/practicing EKGs
• Easy Auscultation 
• Learn heart sounds - good for a beginner's understanding!
• University of Michigan Anatomy 
• I used this to quiz myself before exams when I was done in the lab. An awesome resource that was very similar to my Anatomy course exams (minus identifications - those are a little weak and hard to tell what is being tagged).
• UpToDate
• You will need free access through your school but as the name suggests, this is the perfect source for finding the most up-to-date, evidence-based medicine. Sorry but your professions won't be impressed if you reference Wikipedia in the middle of a small group session - go for a credible source like UpToDate.
• The Cochrane Library
• Another subscription service available through your school. This is a database of meta-analysis and other reviews of the most current medical research. 

Apps:

• Firecracker
• A new app I just dowloaded - you select topics you wish to review and it provides all sorts of questions to quiz your knowledge. You can keep track of how well you know each topic - keep reviewing until you know it!
• Resuscitation
• A fun GAME, especially for anyone interested in Emergency Medicine. A "patient" presents to the ED, you decide what kind of physical exam to conduct, what labs, treatments, imaging, etc. to do. Then you create your differential diagnosis and narrow down to your official diagnosis. A very comprehensive app - it's edutainment! 
• Figure 1
• Instagram for health professionals! It's a great way to interact with fellow professionals while learning about rare/cool/interesting diseases and patient presentations. 

Beyond spending your monopoly money on review books & resources, I strongly urge you to find a mentor that is ahead of you in school to pull information from - preferably a 2nd year who can help you excel at your specific school. Some schools will provide access to old exams, quizzes, and certain school-specific resources like note sets. Sadly, we don't have many of these resources at my school just yet so I rely heavily on blogs, Twitter friends, physician mentors, and strangers for my information (SDN, anyone?). 

I certainly do not think it's necessary to have all of these resources - you run the huge risk of overwhelming yourself and going broke. Pick a few things that work for YOU and go with it. In the end, you are being texted on a specific set of information and not how you acquired it. Studying is very individualized so don't feel pressure to do what everyone else is doing!

I will continue to update this list. What do you think? Any other resources I should add?

Hi Everyone! Today I wanted to share with you the story of "another" Heather who has beaten the odds and overcome a major obstacle in her life - cancer. Cancer is something we hear a lot about but not necessarily something people like to discuss. I'm a big supporter of health education and having a personal investment in your health so when Heather approach me, I was thrilled to help spread the word!

I encourage you to take a few seconds to read her short description below and then check out the great campaign she has put together to raise awareness for mesothelioma. 

Without further ado, meet Heather - a true survivor in every sense of the word.

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Today is not just any Thursday, it’s Mesothelioma Awareness Day! Seven years ago I was diagnosed with this deadly disease and given 15 months to live. My diagnosis came just three months after giving birth to my only daughter, Lily. I refused to take my diagnosis as a death sentence and fought for my life. Now, I am here today, a survivor, and I need your help!

I have started an awareness campaign to help get the word out about this terrible disease. Please help me by visiting my page and donating your social status today! Thank you so much for your help – awareness is the first step to survival.

My campaign : http://www.mesothelioma.com/heather/awareness/#.UkLjeWTXhEI

More information about mesothelioma: www.mesothelioma.com

Time for another installment of Medical Monday with two of my favorite bloggers! I'm so excited to have the opportunity to co-host this blog hop today (especially since I totally spaced and didn't write a post last month).

With classes starting, I thought it would be the perfect time to (briefly) explain the difference between osteopathic and allopathic medicine. 

If you had no idea there were two branches of medicine in this country, you aren't alone. I had almost no idea about allopathic vs. osteopathic until I was already applying to medical school. The funny part? You might already see a DO physician and not even know it. My primary care physician as well as my OB/Gyn are both DOs!

First of all, I attend an osteopathic medical school which means at the end of my four years I will (hopefully) have "D.O." or "Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine" (not osteopathy) after my name instead of "MD" or "Doctor of Medicine." So what's the difference? Not much.

Way back in the day a guy named Andrew Taylor Still set out to radically change the practice of medicine by rejecting the traditional methods in the 19th Century. Medicine was a lot different in these days. Popular practices included blood letting, dangerous drug use, and risky procedures that often did more harm than good. There was also not a lot of formal medical education - often an apprenticeship lasting a non-standard period of time with no official curriculum was the norm.

One area that sets osteopathic medicine apart from an MD is Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM). OMM can be described as manipulations of the musculoskeletal system to detect, treat, and cure disease or abnormalities of the body. He imagined the future of medicine to incorporate these manipulations while limiting surgical intervention and drug use. While DOs often reject this comparison, OMM can be compared to the skills a Chiropractor might use. One professor explained it to me this way: Chiropractors put you in normal alignment. DOs put you in YOUR normal alignment. It's all about finding your personal balance and achieving optimum health.

Another notable area of osteopathic medicine is an emphasis on holistic care of patients. A.T.Still emphasized the importance of considering the body as a whole unit - mind, body, and spirit - instead of seeing a person as a set of symptoms or a particular disease. Holistic healthcare and preventative medicine are both concepts that MDs accept and address so there is very little difference between the two now.

So what does this all mean? It means that in addition to all the classes MDs take, I also spend a few hours a week learning OMM in lecture and lab. (AKA getting REALLY close with your classmates quickly - hello palpation skills. We're already walking around in sports bras and shorts). Other than that, I learn EVERYTHING that MDs do. I have the opportunity to take the same board exams, apply for the same residencies, perform surgery, prescribe meds, etc. Nearly everything is that same - I just have the choice to use an additional tool for the treatment of my patients.

...and that's my mini spiel about Osteopathic Medicine! If you have ANY questions at all, please email me or leave a comment! I may turn your questions into a new post or two because it's impossible to explain the history succinctly. I love my school and I'm so proud to be studying osteopathic medicine. Now for the blog hop!

Are you confused if you qualify for the party?


If you have a pager interrupting your life... you DEFINITELY qualify!
Do you work in healthcare?

Doctor? Nurse? EMT? Chiropractor? Vet? Dentist? Therapist?

MA? NA? PA? DA?

Are you the spouse or SO of a healthcare worker/student?

Are you a nursing student? Medical student?

Intern? Resident? Fellow?

You get the picture, right? Come on, now... don't be shy! Let's keep growing and meeting new bloggers, so we can build a community of support and friendship, learn from one another, and share our stories.

LINK UP YOUR POST!

Here are the rules:

1. Follow your co-hosts via Bloglovin, GFC (if you are Blogger), FB, email or Twitter.
2. Link up you medical/med life blog. If your blog name does not clearly state how you fit in to the med/med life world, please write a little intro or link up a specific post which clearly demonstrates your connection.
3. Visit at least 3 other link ups, comment, introduce yourself, and tell the your stopping by or following from MM!
4. Help spread the word by using our button on your post or sidebar, tweet about Medical Monday, or spread the word on Facebook! The more the merrier for all of us.

Complete step one by following your co-hosts:

• Emma at Your Doctor's Wife
• Jane at From A Doctor's Wife
• Heather at Pretty Strong Medicine

Want to be awesome?
Post our button on you post or sidebar and help spread the word:

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Want to co-host next month? Shoot Emma an email at yourdoctorswife@gmail.com and be sure to write "Medical Monday Co-host Request" in the subject field.

Now, link up below and have fun! The link up is open through Friday, so be sure to come back during the week to check some great reads!

Hi everyone! I decided to try out vlogging today since I'm short on time and it's been something I wanted to do for awhile! I'm super awkward and nervous so don't expect an Oscar worthy performance. Let me know what you think!

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Hi everyone! Thanks for being patient as I get used to this being a student thing again - this has been the LONGEST week of my life. My brain has been in sleep mode for the last 15 months so the adjustment has been...well...interesting. I find myself coming home from class ready to fall asleep at 6pm. Sadly, that's just not an option! 

Our College of Osteopathic Medicine - Inaugural Class!

Medical school feels like finals week every single day. I feel like I've been here for a month already - it's nuts! 

I'd like to give a little recap of what classes have been like and my expectations of what a typical week will be like for the rest of the semester.

First of all, I have 4 "classes" going on at one time for the next several months: a Scientific Foundations, Introduction to Clinical Medicine, Osteopathic Principles & Practice, and Gross Anatomy & Development.

Scientific Foundations: For the first few months of class, SF will be a review of all my basic sciences from college - basically 4 years of material compressed into 12 weeks or so. After that, I'll start my systems-based course. The good news about medical school is that you aren't expected to know the basic sciences at a detailed level like a biologist or biochemist would. The bad news is the AMOUNT of material is immense. Conceptually the material in medical school isn't any harder than college but putting all your knowledge together and being able to apply it in different situations is the tough part.

This class might be my saving grace since I've already learned this information multiple times in undergrad. That said, I never learned or relearned this much material in such a short period of time. And there is no white space on my lecture notes - where am I supposed to write?

Introduction to Clinical Medicine: This is our "learning to be a doctor" course which seems like it will be a lot of fun! ICM is where I will learn how to take a history, do a physical, and explore topics like professionalism, ethics, and diversity. Once we have some basic skills we will have the opportunity to work with standardized patients, simulations, and early clinical exposure.

Osteopathic Principles & Practice: OPP is what marks the difference between the medical education of my MD and DO colleagues (I'm doing DO). The most identifiable thing we learn in OPP is OMM or osteopathic manipulative medicine. OMM/OMT focuses on the palpation and manipulation of bones, joints, fascia, and muscles to diagnose and treat dysfunctions and disease. This class goes hand in hand with anatomy. In order to succeed in OPP, you have to know your anatomy. Period. 

( Not my class but this is what it looks like)

We are already practicing our palpatory skills which means we were all walking about shirtless (girls in sports bras) feeling each others ribs and vertebrae from day one. Talk about getting comfortable with people quickly (and having tremendous motivation to go to the gym). 

Gross Anatomy & Development: Anatomy is going to be rough. It's largely about memorization and it's the foundation for EVERYTHING I'm going to be learning in the future. Anatomy runs almost until the end of the first semester - I think it's 16 weeks long which is not much time to learn every nook and cranny of the body - you and I are made of a lot of STUFF! 

I first want to start off by saying how grateful I am that so many people out there are willing to donate their bodies to science to further my education. I believe we will be having a memorial/thank you service for these individuals and their families once our lab is complete. We started our first cadaver dissection last Wednesday and will be in the lab three times a week until Thanksgiving. So basically I will have a permanent anatomy student smell until Christmas. The embalming fluid...it smells awful but you get used to it until you're eating lunch and still smell it on your hands. 

As for the actual dissection, I was pretty nervous when I first walked into the lab. I've been in anatomy labs before when I interviewed at various schools but I wasn't sure how I would respond once we actually "met" our cadaver and started our dissection. I was a little tentative at first but quickly got my hands dirty (literally) and grew more comfortable with the process in a short period of time. It's so interesting to see how much human variation there is - nothing looks like the textbooks!  If you have any questions about anatomy lab or this process, please email me! 

Let's just say these are my new best friends!

Wrap Up: 
So week one is over! I survived but I was pretty lax on myself and didn't try to over do it the first week with anything. I met some of my college friends for dinner one night, I went out with my new med school friends this weekend, and I spent a lot of time just getting organized and figuring out how to attack the material properly. 

Medical Student or just Jaundiced?

Now I know what to expect, I'm going hard this week with my workouts and my studying. Nick is coming to visit and I want to make sure I can devote as much of my weekend as possible to hanging out with him.

That's all folks! Here goes Week 2!

I'm writing this blog post as a way to avoid the 70 pages of Anatomy I should be reading (I have it on good authority that the reading is terribly exciting!)

So. Here I am. A medical student. An OMS1 (that's osteopathic medical student year 1). 

I had orientation last week, Wednesday through Friday which was a whirlwind of technology training, meeting a million different people, getting acclimated to our brand new building, and trying to get organized! 

There are many reasons why I love my school - I love the location, my fellow classmates, our outstanding faculty, the community-wide support, etc. I could go on and on. I was even excited when they decided to provide us with iPads for studying and class but the technology aspect of medical school is going to be the BIGGEST adjustment ever. That's right - not the volume of material or changing my study habits - it's the dang computer stuff.

I'm a paper and pen type girl. I never took my laptop to class in college and I thoroughly enjoy the sight of new school supplies waiting to be christened by hours upon hours of rewriting notes. I love the smell of books. I love being able to turn pages, highlight important points, and write all over the margins. Most of all, I like that books don't have apps like Facebook or Twitter to tempt me from my reading assignment.

This is me in lecture trying to make my iPad notes work.

This iPad business is going to be messy for all involved. All our books are electronic, all our tests are electronic, all our notes and communications are electronic. I guess that's the way the world works now...pray that the wifi remains speedy and uninhibited.

Now for the fun parts! I've already had the privilege of meeting some outstanding people in the short time that I've been here in Indy. Everyone is very friendly and willing to work with others - so far, so good! Wait until the stress starts adding up! After orientation on Friday, a big group of us girls went out to dinner in Broadripple and ended up going back out later that night with another group of classmates! That's probably the last time any of us will be going out until after our first exam on September 16th! (Ok, maybe this weekend too. We need to celebrate surviving our first week!)

Saturday was a chill day. Nick came up to visit me and help we get a few things for my apartment. He even ironed my white coat for me! 

On Sunday, it was time for my White Coat Ceremony! This is basically when we get to officially call ourselves "student doctors" and wear our short white coats. For those that don't know, the long coats are reserved for doctors. (Kind of like cowboys and the size of their cowboy hat).

The ceremony was short and sweet and was held at an awesome venue in downtown Indy. Several of my family members attended and it was a lot of fun to kick off this journey in style! 

As for today, I started my first day of medical school! My school does block scheduling and an integrated systems course which is a little different than the "traditional" view of medicine. 

Just as an overview: the first two years are my pre-clinical years which basically consist of my basic sciences. The last two years are my clinical years or clerkships where I rotate through all the different specialities. During my pre-clinical years, instead of having classes called "Biochemistry," "Pharmacology," "Histology," etc., we have blocks. My first block is a basic review of all the my undergrad science (that's four years into about 2-3 months). Then we will start with Hematology (the blood and related tissues/structures) and this will include all the courses I listed above for that particular system. We continue with this block system with skeletal muscle, renal system, respiratory system, etc. I will do a post in the future explaining this set up more in depth soon!

So the first day wasn't too bad actually. Thank goodness I took an excellent physiology course in college! I think I learned and retained more from that course than any of my others combined so thank you, IU! The morning material was all review and not very hard to integrate back into my brain. I really can't imagine what will happen when I don't recognize the material and have to sit through 4 hours of lecture. UGH!

My bear gets a white coat too!

In the afternoon, we had OPP lab or Osteopathic Principles & Practice. This deserves its own post but for now if you have questions, feel free to email me or wikipedia osteopathic medicine! This was unlike anything I've ever done before - everyone is a little lost and confused after our lab!

So that's been the past few days!  I'm really going to try to keep up with this blog - as usual I'm a little behind on emails and comments but I'll get there! I'm trying to develop a routine and a groove so I will do everything possible to keep up with things here!

How was your weekend?

What are some topics you'd like me to write about? (Medical school or anything!)

 

Today I'm linking up for Medical Mondays with one of my favorite bloggers - Emma @ Your Doctor's Wife! She always has hilarious stories about life a physician's wife. I'm also linking up with Postcards from Rachel and Northern Belle Diaries for I <3 Bloglovin' so please go check out some new blogs if you have a chance.

If you've been following me for the last two months, you probably know I'm spending my gap year between college and medical school working as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or a glorified butt wiper/adult babysitter. I'm sorry, but that's just how it is.

I've learned a lot of things along the way, which you can read here and one of them is that I do not want to be a Geriatrician - an old people doctor. 

This post is highly appropriate since one of my friends who has always wanted to be a Geri doc just told me this weekend she no longer wants to do that either. I was shocked but thoroughly amused! (Sidenote: I'm making her guest post  soon about her first year of medical school so keep a look out for that!).

Just like when I talked about not wanting kids anytime soon (although all these weddings and cute babies on Instagram are making me giddy), I promise I actually do LOVE the elderly population. I love the stories they share about their families, growing up, getting married, their careers, etc. It's fascinating - especially because I've been blessed to know and work with so many veterans and members of the "Greatest Generation." 

With that said, I have the inescapable feeling that I'm simply not cut out for this sub-specialty of medicine. Here's why:

1. Elderly people have even less of a filter than I do.

I learned early on from my great-grandma that the older you get, the less time you waste filtering what you have to say (I can't wait to get old!). Granted all the women in my family already lack this trait so I thought it was just a woman thing for a while.  

Elderly people comment on everything; especially your appearance which can go one of two ways.  Something like, "You look like you've gained weight...in your butt especially," can really put a damper on things (and cause you to cry in a linen closet). On the flip side, an impromptu marriage proposal can totally make your day. Regardless you never know what comment is going to fly out of their mouths and unlike children, they aren't always cute when they say it.


2. Everyone is kicking the bucket.
Let's face it, no one is getting any younger. While this can be argued for all patients, geriatrics are knocking on death's door. One false move and an innocent fall turns into a week in the hospital and a fatal case of pneumonia. 

Here's the thing - I get attached easily. I've already lost a number of patients this year and death is hard - even when you know they are at peace and no longer suffering. While I know death will be present in any specialty I choose, OB-Gyn is looking really attractive right now - it's the business of creating life!


3. Too many medications.

Via

When I look at the amount of pills my patients take in a day, my throat closes up and I panic. How can you take all those medications and not feel like a zombie? I already take any vitamin or pill bigger than an aspirin with applesauce and tons of water - how do they do it?

Management of disease and the aging process usually includes medication for things like chronic pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. Keeping side effects and drug interactions at bay is certainly an important role of a doctor but it's not something I'm too terribly excited by.

4. Too much of their day revolves around their bodily functions.
You haven't seen a grumpy old person until they can't have a bowel movement. Some of us judge a good or bad day by our interactions with others, the length of our work commute, or the quality of The Bachelorette and accompanying twitter discussion but the elderly have but one benchmark - bodily functions.

It seems like most old people have a heavily regimented bathroom routine and will not hesitate to describe in detail the actions or inactions within that routine. Up until recently, I denied that such bodily functions even existed for the female population so a job spent catering to these concerns isn't my cup of tea. (Might as well cross Gastro off my list, too).

5. They are like children, only adults.
People say that as we get older, we start to revert back to our childhood which seems to be true a lot of the time. We start to lose our ability to function independently and start to rely on others to perform many daily living activities - this is where I come in. Families get involved and start making personal decisions for their loved ones.

This is all well and good except elderly people aren't children - you have to respect their autonomy. Sure you can suggest changes to their diet or personal schedule but unlike children, they don't have to do what you say and they probably won't. What could be more frustrating? 

*********************************************************************************

Before I forget again, Saturday was my two month blogaversary! I can't believe how quickly June went and how crazy this adventure in blogging has been! Thank you all for your support and positivity!

A few weeks ago, I was approached by the lovely people at Accepted.com to do an interview for their bloggers in medical school series. One of my very favorite bloggers and fellow Hoosier, Andrea @ A Doctor in the House was also featured on there a while ago.  If you enjoy fitness, eating healthy, medicine, or science, go check her out!  She is the sweetest girl ever - so nice and inspiring!

You can check out the interview here if you'd like to learn more about applying to medical school and my personal experiences! I would love to answer any questions you all have if anything comes to mind.  In the future, I will be talking more about being pre-med, application preparation, and more! 

Do you like my glasses?  I found them in someone else's kitchen

Over and out!

You know them, you probably went to school with them, you might even be one: Pre-Meds. A totally different breed of college student. (Like ones that enjoy science jokes...)

Not all pre-meds are created equal, though. Here are just some of the "types" of pre-meds I encountered in college...I'm sure I'm a good mix of some of these!

1. The "Maybe, but..." Pre-Med
You ask this person if they are going into medicine since they are getting Biology degree and they say, "maybe, but...I want to go to culinary school too." or "...I want to deworm Russian orphans," or the popular, "...I just want to take a few years off to find myself."  You can't decide if this person actually wants to go into medicine and just wants to procure interesting experiences before applying or if they've been punking you along.

2. The "Work Hard, Play Hard" Pre-Med (Type I)
A type of pre-med that will leave you aggravated and pissed off every time (unless you happen to be them).  That rare person who kills their classes and still has time to party harder than anyone else.  You don't necessarily see them study or know what methods they employ to excel but you do know it seems like it takes way less effort than whatever you're doing.  They seem to have it all together - looks, brains, social life, and personality.  They represent the ideal most pre-meds aspire to but can hardly ever obtain.

3. The "Work Hard, Play Hard" Pre-Med (Type II)
This is your typical, run of the mill pre-med. Most pre-meds would probably describe themselves as a work hard, play hard type of person but they cannot reach the same level of perfection as Type I WHPH.  They try to juggle it all but some area of their life always ends up suffering.  They don't have all the answers but they do the best they can and usually end up matriculating somewhere.  Just keep swimming, little pre-med. 

Via

4. The Weasel
This is the kid who looks good on paper.  Awesome MCAT, stellar GPA, good extracurriculars, and they even managed to fool their professors into getting a good recommendation.  So far, so good until you realize that their personality is so abrasive or their people skills are so lacking that you wonder how they will ever communicate with the sick and dying, let alone their families.  They can't even get along with their fellow classmates. There are bound to be a few Weasels in every class - tread lightly.

5. The Classic Gunner
"Gunner" is a word pre-meds and med students like to throw around all the time.  "That kid is such a gunner," or "You're totally gunning for ortho."

A gunner will stop at nothing to get to the top and won't hesitate to take out others along the way.  You'll hear horror stories of people tearing pages out of books, giving people the wrong notes or notes with tons of errors, and refusing to help classmates with anything academic. Basically, a big jerk. The gunner can be quiet in his gunning or obvious but eventually he will alienate so many people, the only thing to keep him company will be his Orgo textbook.

6. The Overachiever
This kid has been overachieving since diapers and has probably been study for the MCAT since high school. They spend every free moment studying when they aren't volunteering or working, of course. They've participated in 5 medical missions, they volunteer every night of the week, and they have TAed 10 classes. In their spare time they run ultra-marathons and work on a cure for cancer. Only Top 15 schools for them...

7. The Faux Pre-Med
From the beginning of college they told their family and friends they were pre-med but now it's senior year and they've taken a total of two science classes - maybe less.  Whatever their reasoning, they never really intended to go to medical school.  Maybe they just said it to keep their parents in check or to pick up chicks.  Whatever the reason, come application time you won't have to worry about this pre-med...they won't be applying.

8. The "Different" Pre-Med
They might major in 4th Century Basketweaving or Dead Languages of European Tribes but they actually want to go into medicine. They thought about being Pre-Law but changed their mind after watching a documentary about public health in third world countries. Their strong command of the humanities will certainly show how well-rounded they are as will their summer spent backpacking through South America.  Definitely not a cookie-cutter pre-med, their unique experiences might help them come application time - at the very least it will keep their interviews interesting.

9. The Egotistical Pre-Med
Could go hand-in-hand with the gunner. If you don't know this person is pre-med by now then you've been living under a rock. Every Facebook post, tweet, Blog post (haha...kidding!), and Instagram is about being a doctor, studying, medical school, or a disease they think they have. They find ways to bring these topics up in every day conversation, especially at parties or bars.  They make a habit of pointing out how hard their classes are, how much they study (or didn't study), and are usually the ones asking how you did on the last test. Smart or not, they will never let you forget that they are going to medical school and are totally getting a 35+ on the MCAT.
  

10. The Quiet Pre-Med
The opposite of an egotistical pre-med, she was in all your pre-req classes or always at the library but you were never quite sure if she was planning on med school, dental school, or maybe research. She's well-rounded and fun to be around but never flaunts all her hardwork or accomplishments. You are excited when you hear she got accepted to medical school (through friends because she didn't post on Facebook) but also puzzled because you had no clue she was graduating a year early.  Hopefully she'll help you out and review your personal statement.

So what do you all think? Any others I left out?  Can these apply to pre-law, pre-dent, etc?  

I've been waiting for this for a month - my first Medical Mondays link up!  So far, I haven't done a lot of blogging about medical school or college or being pre-med which is pretty strange since it's been a huge part of my life.  

I don't think I have many pre-meds or med students that read this but I'm confident that a lot of my experiences can be shared by those in graduate school or any professional school.  I would love to hear how your experiences compare and contrast!  We're all in this fun, educational boat together.

I'm also linking up with Postcards from Rachel & Northern Belle Diaries for I <3 Bloglovin' - because I do indeed love it.  It's wayyyy more convenient and user friendly than GFC - plus I can follow all my favorite medical blogs and news sources.  You can follow me, too!

Now for the purpose of this post. There is A LOT I wish I would’ve known before I decided to apply to medical school the first time (I was a reapplicant this year).  Even though I've wanted to be a physician for most of my life, I didn't feel adequately prepared for the huge task of applying.  

It's really easy to lose sight of your goals when they seem so far off.  Eventually one day you wake up and realize it’s finally time to start submitting applications.  Here are the top 5 things I wish I would have known as a high school and college student!

1. Save Your Money
It's all about the $$$. Applying to medical school is e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e.  As if your college tuition wasn’t bad enough, time to tack on another couple thousand dollars for the MCAT, application fees, interviews, and deposits. 

People will tell you it’s all “a drop in the bucket” compared to the cost of attending med school but what they really mean to say is “there is no justifiable reason for this and it sucks.”  Bottom line, accept the fact that you will need to save your money, have super cool (or rich) parents to help you out, or get some credit cards. 

Via

2. Keep Your Eye On the Prize
My biggest problem was that applying to med school crept up on me.  One minute I was a freshman taking Intro Chemistry and the next I was a junior studying for the MCAT (while working & taking a full course load - bad idea!).  

If you have a bad semester, it’s easy to think, “Oh...I’ll do better next semester." or "Next semester I’m totally getting a 4.0.”  Guess how many times I said that compared to how many times it happened? 

You NEED to put the work in each and every semester even if you are just starting out at college.  College is a huge adjustment especially if you are like most pre-meds and didn't really have to study much in high school. One semester isn’t going to wreck your chances but eventually that attitude catches up with you.  

Via

3. Hurry Up and Wait

Start working on your applications as soon as the new application becomes available in May.  You won’t be able to submit until early June but you should have everything ready to go so you can submit right away.  

There is some lag time between app submission and release to the schools but by submitting as early as possible, you increase your odds of being some of the first applications the schools see.  This can only work to your advantage since most schools are on rolling admissions.  Many qualified applicants have been rejected just because they submitted way too late (think Oct/Nov).

I actually submitted pretty early in the process - around mid-June.  I was verified by the end of June and started getting secondaries in July.  What I didn't anticipate was all the waiting after my secondary apps were submitted.

Like all good things in life, you are going to spend the majority of your time waiting.  You will have all your applications ready to go, proofread, and sealed with hearts and kisses...then you will submit and often hear crickets.  

In this situation, you should toe the line between being enthusiastic and being a PITA.  Call admissions and check on your application status - this is something I should have done more often.  Make sure all your materials are submitted but also realize that the office staff has a ton of applications to deal with.  Be patient but be proactive.  Most of all, keep yourself busy.

Via

4. Be Realistic (Apply Broadly)
This was my second biggest problem applying the first time.  I chose schools I had no business applying to just because I wanted to be close to home. More than likely, you will have to move at some point in your medical education.  

You should apply to a variety of schools - reach schools, safety schools, and schools you have a reasonable chance of getting into. Purchase the MSAR for MD schools!  It will save your life.  I wish there was a better equivalent for DO schools but because there are significantly few schools of this kind, you should be able to find admission stats a little easier.

Only about 52% of applicants get accepted to medical school each year.  Maximize your chances by applying to a good selection of schools without sacrificing the quality of your secondary applications. You need to be able to write several quality essays within two weeks or less of receiving the secondary app for each school.  

5. Know Thy Self
Before you can start writing your personal statement and preparing for your interviews, you need to have a good grasp of who you are as a person and what makes you tick. Take a personality test or two, talk to your family and friends, chat with professors, volunteer/work in a clinical setting, and do some journaling - figure out who you are and if you truly want to go into medicine.

Believe it or not it was really hard for me to talk about myself constantly, let alone do so in about 15 different essays.  (For whatever reason, it was much easier in interviews.) I answered everything from why medicine, to strengths and weaknesses, to describe your interests in XYZ. 

Don't discount the importance of the personal statement and essays. You never know who is going to read them so make sure they really convey who you are and why you should be a future physician at that school.

Via

I could go on and on about all the things I wish I would've known or things that I knew but didn't prepare for.  The biggest piece of advice I have is to realize that medical school admission is a game. You have to do everything in your power to tip the odds in your favor and put your best foot forward.