A Michigan wolverine has moved eastward to leave jagged teethmarks in the Big Apple. Watch out New York.
That rabid animal is me, WolverineDoc, a brand new first-year medical student who has lived the Manhattan life for a total of 10 days. I moved here from Ann Arbor to embark on a rugged journey filled with self-discovery, learning, maturity, and challenge.
I created this blog to chronicle my experiences and give myself some cathartic personal space. Hopefully, it'll bestow meaningful advice to future colleagues who are in medical school or on their way to medical school.
The name WolverineDoc has many meanings, the first being an effigy to the mascot of my alma mater, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I, however, also value wolverines for their brute, exponential strength. They are about the size of a medium dog -- measuring 17-25 inches in length and weighing anywhere between 22 and 55 pounds; however, they've been known to hunt large moose and successfully fight off bears to defend their food. The wolverine has been described as "the fiercest creature on earth" and "a dangerous, fearless fighter."
Health care workers of today must also be fighters, especially in the United States. Daily, we're mauled by the jaws of insurance companies, new diseases, long lines, increasing costs, public policy issues, malpractice suits, etc. Future health professionals, like myself, must prepare to inherit this and continue to fight disease within a broken health care system that shows little promise of improvement.
I also consider myself a fighter. Everyone's journey to medical school involves challenges (coursework, MCAT, applications, interviews, etc.). My path to medical school, however, has been paved with hardships that venture beyond the scope of our organic chemistry lecture hall. As I post, I will spend more time to share those personal experiences. For the future, however, that fighter spirit must continue to ensure my success.
Hence, I must channel the wolverine's spirit and sinew to survive.
I've typed enough for now. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Books I read to get into medical school (both the good and the bad)
For substance. In order of importance (top being most important)
Med School Confidential (2006) -- If I could recommend only one book for pre-meds, this would be it. Written by Robert Miller, author of Law School Confidential, and Daniel Bissell, MD, the book has something for pre-med or med students at any phase of their career. It first discusses the thought process involved with choosing a medical career and finishes by discussing how to apply for and survive for medical residencies. I already used this book to help me select and apply to med schools and I intend to use it to help me study for the USMLE and apply to residencies in the future. you get more bang for your buck, for sure. There's even a chapter for spouses of medical students. Buy this book!
Kaplan's Get Into Medical School (2006) -- Though this may appear to be a selling gimmic for Kaplan, I enjoyed this book. Unlike Med School Confidential, this book focuses on the application process. It takes you step by step though the process and gives you good advice along the way. My favorite sections included the financial aid information (which is better than Med School Confidential's in my opinion) and especially the chapters focusing on special student populations: nontraditional students, underrepresented minorities, students with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. That impressed me immensely.
Complications by Atul Gwande (2002) -- Realistic stories from a surgical resident who went to Harvard Medical School. I enjoy his writing style. I first encountered him in an essay writing class one summer, and I fell in love with the book ever since. I learned a lot about the subjective and philosophical sides of medicine.
U.S. News and World Report's Ulimate Guide to Medical Schools (2004) -- I considered this book helpful, but not because of the schools' profiles. I enjoyed the articles at the beginning of the book, which described how to pick a school that is right for me and my personality. I love how the articles encourage students to stay away from the idea of rankings or prestige and lean toward more personal factors (like location, curriculum, or environment).
Medical School Essays that made a difference (2006) -- This book freaked me out about medical school (and not in a good way). Not only does this book consist of sample personal statements, it included the students' GPA and MCAT scores and the list of schools they applied to. Seeing others' scores immediately make me nervous. In the back it shows where they were admitted (or waitlisted or rejected). Though every student was admitted somewhere, I considered the results to be very depressing. I enjoyed having the opportunity to read others' personal statements; however, I was able to find good (sometimes better) personal statements online for free.
Med School Confidential (2006) -- If I could recommend only one book for pre-meds, this would be it. Written by Robert Miller, author of Law School Confidential, and Daniel Bissell, MD, the book has something for pre-med or med students at any phase of their career. It first discusses the thought process involved with choosing a medical career and finishes by discussing how to apply for and survive for medical residencies. I already used this book to help me select and apply to med schools and I intend to use it to help me study for the USMLE and apply to residencies in the future. you get more bang for your buck, for sure. There's even a chapter for spouses of medical students. Buy this book!
Kaplan's Get Into Medical School (2006) -- Though this may appear to be a selling gimmic for Kaplan, I enjoyed this book. Unlike Med School Confidential, this book focuses on the application process. It takes you step by step though the process and gives you good advice along the way. My favorite sections included the financial aid information (which is better than Med School Confidential's in my opinion) and especially the chapters focusing on special student populations: nontraditional students, underrepresented minorities, students with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. That impressed me immensely.
Complications by Atul Gwande (2002) -- Realistic stories from a surgical resident who went to Harvard Medical School. I enjoy his writing style. I first encountered him in an essay writing class one summer, and I fell in love with the book ever since. I learned a lot about the subjective and philosophical sides of medicine.
U.S. News and World Report's Ulimate Guide to Medical Schools (2004) -- I considered this book helpful, but not because of the schools' profiles. I enjoyed the articles at the beginning of the book, which described how to pick a school that is right for me and my personality. I love how the articles encourage students to stay away from the idea of rankings or prestige and lean toward more personal factors (like location, curriculum, or environment).
Medical School Essays that made a difference (2006) -- This book freaked me out about medical school (and not in a good way). Not only does this book consist of sample personal statements, it included the students' GPA and MCAT scores and the list of schools they applied to. Seeing others' scores immediately make me nervous. In the back it shows where they were admitted (or waitlisted or rejected). Though every student was admitted somewhere, I considered the results to be very depressing. I enjoyed having the opportunity to read others' personal statements; however, I was able to find good (sometimes better) personal statements online for free.
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