http://medicalmastery.com Realize your lifelong dreams - starting RIGHT NOW! Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:16:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 The Pre-Med Podcast from Doctor Dan is a unique resource for premedical students. Learn what it's REALLY like to go through medical school and beyond, always tempered with real life, practical applications for Pre-Meds today - even if you're just starting out! Dr. Daniel Williams takes the listener through the entire medical education process, from his book Diary of a Pre-Med Student: Guiding Pre-Med Student Through An Amazing Process. You can get this E-book for FREE, as well as the Speed Reading For Medical School course by registering at www.Medical-Mastermind-Community.com. Who can complain when they get exactly what they want? This is a listener-driven lecture series on how to get into and survive medical school. Consider Doctor Dan your own personal online academic adviser. From choosing medicine as a career, to the details of getting strong letters of recommendation, you will find everything you want! Take a listen... Daniel Williams, M.D. clean Daniel Williams, M.D. drdanielwilliams@gmail.com drdanielwilliams@gmail.com (Daniel Williams, M.D.) 2010 Premedical Solutions, LLC Realize your lifelong dreams - starting NOW! medical school, medicine, premed, pre-med, mcat, usmle, be a doctor, become a doctor http://medicalmastery.com/photos/MM-Logo-300.jpg http://medicalmastery.com http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/time-sensitive-announcements/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/time-sensitive-announcements/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:16:19 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=244 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/time-sensitive-announcements/feed/ 0 facebook doctor dan,medical school conference,medical school exams,physician burnout 3rd Annual Medical School LIFE Conference will be May 29-30, 2010. The first one was a weekend series for the American Medical Student Association chapter at the University of Houston. Out of those conferences, * 3rd Annual Medical School LIFE Conference will be May 29-30, 2010. The first one was a weekend series for the American Medical Student Association chapter at the University of Houston. Out of those conferences, the Pre-Med DVD Course was build as a sort of basic training. The following year charter members of the Medical Mastermind Community met for a weekend conference in which we led a Service Learning Project. The result was a grant proposal submitted to the National Institutes of Health to enrich students' medical education journey and encourage service to the medically underserved. * All 200 of the peer-reviewed, scientific journal articles were posted inside the web site for members only. They outline every facet of the medical education journey and correspond to the 5 Phases in the Evolution of a Physician in Training, which is my Physician Wellness Initiative. The idea is to increase awareness, receive validation, and try suggestions from others to find relief. So, just read the articles as you face the different ups and downs along the way. * All of the medical school exams were also uploaded to the website. Previously they were only available as part of the CD of the Month Club, but we found it was inconvenient not knowing which tests covered specific material. The web outline breaks down each block exam by the topics covered on each set of tests. You can check out the navigation without logging in. * Facebook 30-day challenge. If you'll make a video about the Medical School Podcast or Speed Reading for Medical School course, I'll give you a free, 30-day account tot he Medical Mastermind Community online - a $27.99 value. This includes our biweekly conference calls, from which video archives are now all updated. Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 9:28 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/the-pre-med-blues/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/the-pre-med-blues/#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:11:51 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=220 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/the-pre-med-blues/feed/ 0 life as a premed,mcat prep,premed stress,the premedical experience Episode 23: Doctor Dan outlines Phase 1 in the Evolution Of A Physician-In-Training, part of his work/life balance initiative that seeks to prevent burnout among medical students and doctors. - SEE THE FULL REPORT HERE: Evolution of a Physician In Trai... Episode 23: Doctor Dan outlines Phase 1 in the Evolution Of A Physician-In-Training, part of his work/life balance initiative that seeks to prevent burnout among medical students and doctors. SEE THE FULL REPORT HERE: Evolution of a Physician In Training: Effects of the medical education pipeline on personal and professional development. Daniel M. Williams, MD The 5 phases of a physician in training are general categories that describe the professional and psychological changes that students can expect to face. These have been organized into a Medical School Mindmap full of 179 peer-reviewed, scientific articles that describe the processes necessary to become the consummate physician. The Phases are as follows: * Standing At The Precipice: The Premed Syndrome * Adaptation * Assimilation * The Let-Down * Reemergence This area of research is meant to provide the foundation for a Health and Wellness Initiative among physicians. Physician Health is a top priority with Dr. Daniel Williams and each area is broken down inside the Medical Mastermind Community that has grown up around this ideal. Here is an excerpt from the original draft: Phase 1: Standing at the Precipice Premedical students engaged in the early medical education pipeline frequently share similar goals and ambitions. The most commonly described premedical student traits are hard working, competitive, motivated, goal-oriented, altruism, and prestige-seeking (22-24). Fairly early in their premedical experience they begin to learn of the imperfection in the system. A number of frustrations faced by these bright, enthusiastic students begin before even entering medical school. The challenges face by these future physicians can be categorized as follows: * Selection Bias. Learning that affirmative action exists without understanding the need for diversity can be a shock (143,145,156). * Academic Preparation. Realizing their undergraduate premedical and M.C.A.T. preparation may not actually predict how competent they will be as physicians can be disheartening (46,45,48). * Premedical Advising. Many students encounter premedical advisers, though wonderful guidance has been published for decades (11,15,17). * Admissions Criteria. The paradigm shift being birthed in premedical curriculum, which seeks to broaden one’s humanities background and foster empathetic relationships, is taking a surprisingly long time (4,6,27,28,30,31). The transition period as more medical schools are changing their admissions criteria and interview process can leave the premedical student confused about what is important in their preparation (184). Because these sytstem-wide messages that contradict their altruistic nature, it is not surprising that the majority of students matriculating into medical school already have a well established ethical framework that is difficult to mold (26). Further, two of the most historically trusted sources of information flat fail the premedical student attempting to learn about medical education. First, institutions of higher learning remain hyper-focused on grade point average though is associated with mere surface learning in medical school and the “MCAT Myth” of requisite rote memorization had been debunked by the mathematical application of Bloom’s Taxonomy (46). Second, nationally syndicated journalists yield influence in the ranking of “top medical schools”, but their method are ill-conceived; are unscientific; are conducted poorly; ignore the value of school accreditation; judge medical school quality from a narrow, elitist perspective; do not consider social and professional outcomes in program quality calculations; and fail to meet basic standards of journalistic ethics (32). Sadly, the more idealistic and altruistic the nature of the unsuspecting premedical student, the greater the expectations in their career, and the greater the disappointment that comes in later phases in their evolution. Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 15:56 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/speed-reading-for-medical-school/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/speed-reading-for-medical-school/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:36:32 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=205 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/speed-reading-for-medical-school/feed/ 0 doctor dan,MCAT,medical school,medical school podcast,speed reading,study techniques,usmle Episode 22: Save time, learn different study techniques, relax with a system that you trust will work for you - Dr. Dan explains how you can get his Speed Reading Course for Medical School absolutely free. - Hi there! Episode 22: Save time, learn different study techniques, relax with a system that you trust will work for you - Dr. Dan explains how you can get his Speed Reading Course for Medical School absolutely free. Hi there! I apologize for taking so long to announce my new Medical School Podcast formally. There have already been a lot of episodes posted there - not to mention the FREE Speed Reading Course for Medical School! Here are the topics that have been posted at the new podcast: www.Medical-Mastermind-Community.com * Medical School Admissions Committees - an expert interview with Dr. Wayne Shelton * Test Anxiety - an expert interview with Bara Sapir of Test Prep New York * Two additional episodes with Dr. Brett Ferdinand, author of Gold Standard MCAT: MCAT Study Techniques and AAMC MCAT Practice Tests * PreMedical Program - a grant-funded initiative to deliver MCAT, USMLE, and PreMed DVD Courses to students regardless of discrimination on the basis of gender, age, race, or socioeconomic status * Sources of Stress in Medical School and Residency * Surviving the Third Year of Medical School * USMLE Prep And to come... * The MCAT Myth * Speed Reading for Medical School Enjoy. This marks the end of the majority of podcasts on this channel. Visit the Medical School Podcast to keep up with me. Doctor Dan Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 17:09 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat-verbal-reasoning/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat-verbal-reasoning/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:42:59 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=203 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat-verbal-reasoning/feed/ 0 MCAT,mcat verbal reasoning,test prep new york Episode 21: Interview with neurolinguistic programming expert Karen van Hook and test anxiety expert, and founder of Test Prep New York, Bara sapir. - Because no two people read the same MCAT passage exactly the same, Episode 21: Interview with neurolinguistic programming expert Karen van Hook and test anxiety expert, and founder of Test Prep New York, Bara sapir. Because no two people read the same MCAT passage exactly the same, it's important to harness your internal dialogue to interpret passages, stay calm, and score higher - all at the same time. To learn more, visit www.testprepny.com (http://www.testprepny.com). There are only a few more episodes of expert interviews that will appear on this site. The continuation will be on www.Medical-Mastermind-Community.com Enjoy, Dr. Dan Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 36:37 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat-prep/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat-prep/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:15:11 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=198 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat-prep/feed/ 0 aamc,dr. ferdinand,gold standard mcat,mcat prep,PreMed,premedical Episode 20: MCAT Prep like you've never heard before. Dr. Ferdinand and Dr. Dan discuss the MCAT from a physician's point of view. With both doctors actively coaching premedical students, their synergy on this subject is nothing short of a Mastermind! Episode 20: MCAT Prep like you've never heard before. Dr. Ferdinand and Dr. Dan discuss the MCAT from a physician's point of view. With both doctors actively coaching premedical students, their synergy on this subject is nothing short of a Mastermind! Dr. Ferdinand’s tells us about his not-so-secret performance on the MCAT and about his fatal error during planning his MCAT that caused him to not be able to even take the exam! [More...] The Association of American Medical Colleges administers the MCAT, accredits allopathic medical schools in the U.S., and manages the medical school application service. The trend over the past 2 decades has been to emphasize thinking, organizing information, and problem solving rather than rote memorization. In this episode, we two physicians discuss exactly why that is, what you can do to prepare, and ultimately whom you can trust when it comes to such an important exam – yourself! Future episodes will cover * Dr. Ferdinand’s 6 Steps to MCAT Preparation, which is remarkably similar to my 5-Step study method. * Dr. Ferdinant’s interview with the "Father of MCAT Books" (Dr. Flowers) * How a mastermind community can help premeds AND medical students Listen in to learn more... Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 24:16 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/be-a-doctor/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/be-a-doctor/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:00:30 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=195 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/be-a-doctor/feed/ 0 Episode 19: Premedical Solutions that work, changing priorities as a physician, levels of Pre-Med commitment, and how to get the "I'm going to be a doctor" mentality. - In this interview with Randy Freeman, Episode 19: Premedical Solutions that work, changing priorities as a physician, levels of Pre-Med commitment, and how to get the "I'm going to be a doctor" mentality. In this interview with Randy Freeman, a Premedical University DVD Home Study Course graduate, we delve into 4 major areas: * How to get the "I'm GOING TO be a doctor" mentality * Levels of Pre-Med sophistication and commitment * Can you change your priorities later down the road, as a physician? * Premedical Solutions that work - study for the MCAT while in undergrad! The American Medical Student Association will again promote my next live, 2-day conference on July 18-19, 2009. Several things will happen at this Medical School LIFE Conference: * The new Medical Mastermind Community site will be launched and detailed sign-up instructions will be explained * 60,000+ Medical Students and Pre-Med Students are invited to watch the conference via live-streaming or phone in Finally 3 major topics will be covered at this Burnout Prevention seminar: * How To Survive And Thrive In Medical School * Advanced Pre-Med Seminar * Single Payer Solution For Health Care Reform. Registration includes the Pre-Med DVD Home Study course and residency/med school application homework is required prior to the conference date in order to maximize you individualized coaching sessions. This conference is sure to be hoot! Thanks for your support, Doctor Dan Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 1:08:48 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/pre-med-help/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/pre-med-help/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:43:04 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=191 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/pre-med-help/feed/ 0 getting organized for medical school,pre-med journal,pre-med questions,what med school is really like Episode 18: Over 6 years of Pre-Med Advising put online in one place! Doctor Dan organizes all of it and thoroughly describes how you can use this information to gain advantage over your competition. Episode 18: Over 6 years of Pre-Med Advising put online in one place! Doctor Dan organizes all of it and thoroughly describes how you can use this information to gain advantage over your competition. ************************************** [blip.tv ?posts_id=2295076&dest=-1] Ever feel lost in the Pre-Med grind, not knowing what to do next? Have specific questions about the medical education process and get mixed answers all over the web that leave you feeling more confused and alone? Chances are one of the hundreds of people I've coached since 2004 have asked me the same questions! This podcast explores my new website's organization. It will be released soon, don't worry - and you can join for only $12 ! I took all of the how-to video tutorials, email questions and survey responses and organized them all into the 15 Sections below. The only way to access this information for the time being is to sign up for the email list in the upper right. You will be notified the moment the site is ready. (DVD's are limited, but online access is immediate.) 1 Getting Started ARTICLES: •    Overview of the medical education process •    16 Step PreMed Guide •    Daniel Williams’ story •    Importance of journaling •    SAMPLE interview journal AUDIO: •    The medical education process •    What med school is really like 2 Premedical Decision Making ARTICLES: •    Admission requirements •    Canadian med student career choices •    Deciding on a career in medicine •    ECFMG certification fact sheet •    ECFMG information booklet •    Four reasons to avoid medical school •    Med school affects undergrad choices •    Seven osteopathic competencies •    UK med student career choices •    US med student career choices AUDIO: •    Admission rates •    Admission requirements •    Deciding on a career in medicine •    Four reasons to avoid medical school •    Osteopathic medical training 3 Organizing Your Experiences ARTICLES: •    Address label templates •    Checklist for getting organized •    Email accounts •    Legal documents •    Master application binder •    References •    Transcript checklist •    Transcript request template •    Work history template 4 Building Character Into Physician Training ARTICLES: •    Arrogant doctors hurt patients •    I DON’T KNOW – The three most important words in medical education •    Six habits of highly respectful physicians •    Words as scalpels •    Ethics •    Euthenasia •    Human subjects research training •    Medical futility •    Neurenberg •    Suicide •    Ethics Movement •    Tarasoff case VIDEO: •    Becoming the genuine article 5 Components of the Application ARTICLES: •    Academic honors •    SAMPLE Application summary sheet •    Certifications •    Extracurricular activities •    Letters of recommendation •    Composing a letter of recommendation that captures the applicant as an individual •    Dr Williams’ medical school application •    Military experience •    Research •    Research commentary •    Student organizations •    Volunteer activities AUDIO: •    Letters of recommendation 6 Writing Your Memorable Application ARTICLES: •    Checklist for the personal essay •    How to write personal essays •    SAMPLE personal essay •    Practice vision essay •    SAMPLE research description •    SAMPLE MD PhD interest letter •    SAMPLE Secondary application questions VIDEO: •    Packaging your story •    Essay tips 7 Choosing Your Top Medical Schools ARTICLES: •    100 years after the Flexner report •    Admissions – insider report •    Allopathic medical school – US and Canada •    Caribbean medical schools •    Feedback in clinical medical education •    Hot topics in medical education •    Impact of formal continuing medical education •    Learner-centered approaches in medical education •    Osteopathic medical schools •    Systematic review of physician performance Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 41:02 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat-scores/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat-scores/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 21:45:42 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=188 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat-scores/feed/ 0 doctor dan,get into medical school,MCAT,mcat prep,mcat preparation,mcat sample scores,mcat score,mcat scores,medical college admissions test,practice mcat tests,pre-med Episode 17: What do people really score? And, how to interpret practice tests so you can accurately predict your score on the real MCAT. - [blip.tv ?posts_id=2212060&dest=-1] - ******************************************************* Announcements: - ... Episode 17: What do people really score? And, how to interpret practice tests so you can accurately predict your score on the real MCAT. [blip.tv ?posts_id=2212060&dest=-1] ******************************************************* Announcements: ... Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 29:05 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/meet-doctor-dan-the-first-pre-med-internet-adviser-in-residency/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/meet-doctor-dan-the-first-pre-med-internet-adviser-in-residency/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 23:12:32 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=163 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/meet-doctor-dan-the-first-pre-med-internet-adviser-in-residency/feed/ 2 doctor dan,MCAT,medical school,premed adviser,usmle Episode 15: PreMed Video Blog - watch in "Video Podcasts" on your iPod. - [blip.tv ?posts_id=2133240&dest=-1] - Hi! - I hope you enjoy the fact that I'm switching to video. You can still just listen on your iPod if you prefer, Episode 15: PreMed Video Blog - watch in "Video Podcasts" on your iPod. [blip.tv ?posts_id=2133240&dest=-1] Hi! I hope you enjoy the fact that I'm switching to video. You can still just listen on your iPod if you prefer, but I'll be showing you tons of on-screen tutorials. You can see the video version by looking in the Video Podcasts section of your iPod directory (scroll through the videos...). The MCAT questions, DVD course and FREE E-book are no longer available. I'm getting ready to launch a community website for all the fans that have built up around this movement in the last year and a half. If you want Early Notification to get exclusive access to the upcoming subsciptrion-based site, enter you name and email on medicalmastery.com. NOTE: This is an entirely different list - you'll need to sign up again if you already have. All other lists are being migrated to this one, as this is my only ongoing PreMed and Medical student (JOINT now!!) project I have time for... Cheers, Dr Dan Daniel Williams, M.D. clean http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/find-pre-med-support/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/find-pre-med-support/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 17:21:52 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=145 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/find-pre-med-support/feed/ 0 doctor,MCAT,med school suppport,medical education process,medical school,physician,pre-med,PreMed,premedical,undergraduate stress,usmle While there are many reasons for this, the only thing that matters to the motivated pre-med and medical student is getting through it - sanely! - Well, that my friend is exactly what the Medical Mastermind Community is all about. Episode 16: New medical mastermind community starting. Also volunteering, premed clubs  and committees may help you. [blip.tv ?posts_id=2139067&dest=-1] The "medical education process" covers the whole gamut from thinking about becoming a doctor, through the prerequisites, MCAT, and application, and never really ends in residency, fellowship and with continuing medical education as a practicing physician. Do you have what it takes to be a lifelong learner? Better yet, how many people really encourage you to follow that dream? My guess is that you're like the hundreds of students I have coached, and that you've had some degree of discouragement along the way. While there are many reasons for this, the only thing that matters to the motivated pre-med and medical student is getting through it - sanely! Well, that my friend is exactly what the Medical Mastermind Community is all about. This video describes a hint of what the upcoming community is all about. If you want to learn more, sign up at MedicalMastery.com on the Early Notification List and be included. In the meantime, seek out existing pre-med clubs, medical student organizations, Healer's Art courses or hospital volunteer offices for support. If someone brings you down, stresses you out, or discourages you from accomplishing your dreams - get away from them! Yes, this may mean friends and family. They'll come around later when you're successful, believe me. You need new friends. Just like the saying "you are what you eat", you think like those with which you spend your time. Hope this was an encouragement and sparks some self-care interest. The medical education process is a substantial percentage of your adult life - don't forget to live! Doctor Dan Daniel Williams, M.D. clean http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/after-the-medical-school-application/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/after-the-medical-school-application/#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:12:04 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=109 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/after-the-medical-school-application/feed/ 2 interviewing,medical school application,welcome weekend Episode 14: Life after the medical school application? How to preempt the unexpected with a surprising amount of foresight! - ==================================================== - The medical school application is only one phase of your life. Episode 14: Life after the medical school application? How to preempt the unexpected with a surprising amount of foresight! ==================================================== The medical school application is only one phase of your life. In thi... Daniel Williams, M.D. clean http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/medical-school-life-lessons-what-i-would-different-if-i-could/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/medical-school-life-lessons-what-i-would-different-if-i-could/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 22:08:11 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=102 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/medical-school-life-lessons-what-i-would-different-if-i-could/feed/ 0 choosing medical residency,life as a doctor,medical life lessons,medical school life,planning for medical school Episode 13: Steps you can take NOW for balance in your medical career. You decide what's important and implement a plan to keep it that way... ==================================================== - Announcements: Dropping a hint about my big project... Episode 13: Steps you can take NOW for balance in your medical career. You decide what's important and implement a plan to keep it that way... ==================================================== Announcements: Dropping a hint about my big project...got a hish speed internet connection? Also, for simplicity all CD's will be mailed out during the last week of the month. ==================================================== Podcast topic "If you had it to do all over again, what would you do different?" This is a question I get a lot, in different forms. In fact my new big project I'm coming out with in the next few months is exactly geared toward answering this question - in all it's detail. See, feedback from my podcasting has made me realize that my experience with the premed obstacles you face is fodder for you cannon! I get just as excited with you as I coach students and reawaken their dreams of becoming a physician. The biggest tips I can think of to answer this question with brevity are the following: 1. As an undergrad, write out what my life's priorities are. Establish from the beginning and keep the document handy for editing as time passes. 2. Identify what you are and are NOT willing to sacrifice in persuit of your goals. The "I'll do anything" mentality won't be reliable forever. 3. The first year of medical school and then test weeks will clearly have to be priority during medical school. It's four years, but many students schedule easier months during the last year. 4. Much further down the road, do the same thing when considering which residency specialty interests you. Many people change their minds about this over time so stay flexible as you learn new information. 5. Keep your "Life Priorities List" handy as you investigate your career options. Note: you really don't have to do this until the end of the third year of medical school, when you schedule your electives for the fourth year. Biggest tips for residency: 1. Choose something you are passionate about. 2. If possible, don't make any BIG life changes. Of course, who can really plan these things? There's never a "perfect" time to have a family.. 3. Outline reservations you'll have - that is, things you WON'T compromise clearly identified at the outset. As you progress through residency, which can be all-consuming, an indicator that you may need a career change is when you find yourself compromising your life's priorities. ==================================================== QUICK TIP: Sign up for the next Live Premed Advising Webinar when you enroll for the 7-day email course. Limited number of people available for the Tele-Clinic and I may offer this to you for a short while. QUICK REFERENCE: http://premedicaluniversity.com ==================================================== Charity of the Month for March 2009: Habitat for Humanity will receive all donations made in the upper left hand corner of www.MedicalMastery.com. Charity Mission Statement: Decent Housing For All "Through the work of Habitat, thousands of low-income families have found new hope in the form of affordable housing. Churches, community groups and others have joined together to successfully tackle a significant social problem – decent housing for all. Today, Habitat for Humanity has built more than 300,000 houses, sheltering more than 1.5 million people in more than 3,000 communities worldwide." "Since its founding in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, Habitat for Humanity International has built and rehabilitated more than 300,000 houses with partner families, helping house more than 1.5 million people and becoming a true world leader in addressing the issues of poverty housing." ==================================================== Mission Statement: “Medical Mastery seeks to podcast meaning into medical education by combining faith, high-quality lectures, and charity.” Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 14:38 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/osteopathic-medical-training/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/osteopathic-medical-training/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:46:42 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=96 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/osteopathic-medical-training/feed/ 1 doctor_of_osteopathic,doctor_of_osteopathic_medicine,infectious_disease,infectious_disease_specialists,medicine_training,musculoskeletal_system,osteopathic_physician,osteopathic_physicians,residency_programs - Episode 12: Ostopathic Medicine Training: What's so special about it? - ==================================================== - There is more than one way to become a physician: Allopathic and Osteopathic. Episode 12: Ostopathic Medicine Training: What's so special about it? ==================================================== There is more than one way to become a physician: Allopathic and Osteopathic. Today's discussion is about the pathway to doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.) In addition to all of the traditional aspects of physician work that you're familiar with, osteopathic physicians theoretically have a few other tenants that they emphasize: 1. The human body systems need to be in correct relationship with one another (really just normal physiology) 2. The musculoskeletal system gets some special attention. I'd like to add a third: the osteopathic physician is taught to take care of the "whole patient". Holistic medicine refers to the taking care of the whole person, i.e., mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Really the only difference is that they can pop your back! They get all the same jobs, direct hospital departments, and go to all the same residency programs. So, why are we talking about them? Because some people don't apply to these programs as a first choice, leaving opportunities on the table for you. In 2007, the average allopathic applicant had a MCAT score of 28 and a GPA of 3.5. An average osteopathic applicant had a MCAT of 25 and a GPA of 3.5. Many residency programs accept the COMLEX exam, but some may also require the USMLE. ==================================================== MEDICAL SPECIALTY SPOTLIGHT: Infectious Disease 4 years of medical school 3 years of internal medicine residency 2-3 years of fellowship training in Infectious Disease Traditionally, Infectious Disease specialists operate as a consult service in the hospital. The main activity is in clinics. The approach is not that the ID doctor is there when someone has an infection, but they are there to help when the treating physician confronts a complicated patient outside his or her expertise. They also hold the purse strings for the hospital's pharmacy by serving on committees that decide which drugs can be dispensed and which ones the hospital will and will not provide. The newer, expensive antibiotics often need special approval from the committee on an individual basis. They're not being mean, their slowing down the evolutionary resistance mechanisms of the microorganisms trying to kill our patients. ==================================================== QUICK TIP: Apply to them first so that you don't forget to do it. Remember, there is nothing second rate about being a D.O. QUICK REFERENCE: National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners http://www.nbome.org/ List of Osteopathic Medical Colleges: http://www.nbome.org/colleges-list.asp Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 23:27 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:29:02 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=93 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/mcat/feed/ 2 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/medical-education-proces/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/medical-education-proces/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:16:07 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=88 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/medical-education-proces/feed/ 0 MCAT,medical college admissions test,medical education process,medical school,PreMed,united states medical licensing examination,usmle Episode 11: From MCAT to licensing - Overview of the entire medical education process. MCAT, First Year of Medical School, USMLE - and beyond... - ==================================================== - Announcements: Happy New Year! Episode 11: From MCAT to licensing - Overview of the entire medical education process. MCAT, First Year of Medical School, USMLE - and beyond... ==================================================== Announcements: Happy New Year! It's now been 9... Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 30:19 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/what-is-medical-school-really-like-is-it-like-the-tv-shows-such-as-greys-anatomy-er-and-scrubs/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/what-is-medical-school-really-like-is-it-like-the-tv-shows-such-as-greys-anatomy-er-and-scrubs/#comments Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:21:07 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=81 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/what-is-medical-school-really-like-is-it-like-the-tv-shows-such-as-greys-anatomy-er-and-scrubs/feed/ 0 Episode 10: Part 2 of the interview with the second year medical student Celeste Whisenant. She answers all your questions from the Grill The Guru survey. ==================================================== - This is Part 2 of a telephone interview w... Episode 10: Part 2 of the interview with the second year medical student Celeste Whisenant. She answers all your questions from the Grill The Guru survey. ==================================================== This is Part 2 of a telephone interview with Celeste Whisenant, a second year medical student. She answers all the tough questions about what each year of medical school is like (at least year 1 & 2 that she knows about) and compares them to TV shows in some surprising ways. This interview is part of the Grill the Guru series, in which I ask questions directly from the survey on medicalmastery.com. Here is the rough outline of the questions I put together for this interview: ***Tell us about your self. "What school are you attending? How did you decide to attend that school over the other schools at which you were accepted?" (we'll have to explain the rank here) ***“What is med school really like? (as an ms1, ms2 etc.)” "What is the daily workload like? How much sleep do you get?" ***Is med school similar to what is shown on TV shows? (humor, the dating, drama, characters, hours, stress, family/home life) ***What do you know about D.O. schools, if anything? Enjoy and email me if you have any questions! ==================================================== Mission Statement “Medical Mastery seeks to podcast meaning into medical education by combining faith, high-quality lectures, and charity.” Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 27:32 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/drastic-changes-in-the-med-school-matching-process/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/drastic-changes-in-the-med-school-matching-process/#comments Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:21:32 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=66 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/drastic-changes-in-the-med-school-matching-process/feed/ 0 career in medicine,coaching course,eras,match,medical education,medical school,medical student,medical training,nrmp,physician education,physician training,PreMed Episode 9: Major changes to the way Texas medical schools accept their students. You have to know this or you could be missed! Interview with Celeste Whisenant, a second year medical student who almost learned this lesson the hard way! Episode 9: Major changes to the way Texas medical schools accept their students. You have to know this or you could be missed! Interview with Celeste Whisenant, a second year medical student who almost learned this lesson the hard way! =============... Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 28:07 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/time-sensitive-announcement/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/time-sensitive-announcement/#comments Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:02:18 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=59 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/time-sensitive-announcement/feed/ 0 career in medicine,coaching course,financial aid,health professions scholarship program,how-to-ask-for-a-letter-of-recommendation,hpsp,letter of recommendation,medical loan repayment,medical school,medical school debt,medical student,medical training Live Teleseminar FREE! The PreMed event of the year! - ==================================================== - This is a time sensitive announcement from MedicalMastery.com. - On December 2nd at 6:00PM Central time in the USA, Live Teleseminar FREE! The PreMed event of the year! ==================================================== This is a time sensitive announcement from MedicalMastery.com. On December 2nd at 6:00PM Central time in the USA, I will be hosting a live teleconference. Hosted by the American Medical Student Association, the lecture topics will include: Overview Of Medical Education Process Myths About Getting Into Medical School Differences Between College & Med School Your Pre-Med Committee How-To Study: Preparation, Whole Mind, etc. Different Types Of Questions And Exams Professional Review Courses Attitude For Success How-To Stand Out Among Competition Overcoming Deficiencies In Your Application Only a limited number of people can watch the live video feed of my slides during the presentation. So, the way to get invited is to visit MedicalMastery.com and sign up for the Free eBook. Starting now, this puts you on a special email list to receive the FREE login instructions for the teleconference 1 week before the event. Also, will also get videos, PreMed calendars, lecture handouts, portfolio label sheets for organizing, welcome letter from me. Finally, I'll demo the first ever PreMed Home Study Course: How-To PreMed. This is a 7 DVD, 2 CD, 1 Data DVD 3 Books with a 4-Year PreMed Calendar! The person with the most number of useful comments after the podcast posts on MedicalMastery.com by New Years will get this course FREE! ==================================================== Mission Statement “Medical Mastery seeks to podcast meaning into medical education by combining faith, high-quality lectures, and charity.” Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 3:31 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/four-reasons-to-not-go-to-medical-school/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/four-reasons-to-not-go-to-medical-school/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:23:09 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/?p=56 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/four-reasons-to-not-go-to-medical-school/feed/ 1 be a doctor,career choices,getting into med school,is medicine right for me,medical school,medicine,physician education,physician training Episode 8: Interview with Tyler Relph, a former PreMed, covering the meat and potaoes of medical career decisions that all of us face. The interesting twist is that he chose to go to Chiropractic school. Explore your options and listen now! Episode 8: Interview with Tyler Relph, a former PreMed, covering the meat and potaoes of medical career decisions that all of us face. The interesting twist is that he chose to go to Chiropractic school. Explore your options and listen now! ========... Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 45:44 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/50-listener-questions-and-special-requests-the-power-of-exploiting-your-competition/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/50-listener-questions-and-special-requests-the-power-of-exploiting-your-competition/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:03:19 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/50-listener-questions-and-special-requests-the-power-of-exploiting-your-competition http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/50-listener-questions-and-special-requests-the-power-of-exploiting-your-competition/feed/ 0 career in medicine,coaching course,financial assistance,letter of recommendation,medical education,medical student,medical training,physician education,physician training,PreMed,premedical Episode 7: 50 Listener Questions and Special Requests: The Power Of Exploiting Your Competition! - ==================================================== - In this episode: - ANNOUNCEMENTS PODCAST UPDATE Pre-Med E-book now a 17-week FREE course $0. Episode 7: 50 Listener Questions and Special Requests: The Power Of Exploiting Your Competition! ==================================================== In this episode: ANNOUNCEMENTS PODCAST UPDATE Pre-Med E-book now a 17-week FREE course $0... Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 1:08:59 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/financial-assistance-for-medical-school-an-oxymoron/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/financial-assistance-for-medical-school-an-oxymoron/#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:28:55 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/financial-assistance-for-medical-school-an-oxymoron http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/financial-assistance-for-medical-school-an-oxymoron/feed/ 2 career in medicine,coaching course,dave ramsey,financial aid,financial assistance,health professions scholarship program,hpsp,medical education,medical loan repayment,medical scholarships,medical school debt,medical student Episode 6: Medical school scholarships, tuition-for-hire, and military exchange programs. Get real quotes and understand the financial burdens of getting a medical education in the United States. - ==================================================== ... Episode 6: Medical school scholarships, tuition-for-hire, and military exchange programs. Get real quotes and understand the financial burdens of getting a medical education in the United States. ==================================================== In this episode, ANNOUNCEMENTS AVERAGE DEBTS AND INTEREST SCENARIOS THE RULE OF THUMB FOR MED SCHOOL MONEY MINORITY SCHOLARSHIPS UNDERSERVED AREA & SPECIALTY SCHOLARSHIPS PAYING DOWN YOUR DEBT EARLY BENEFITS FOR JOINING THE MILITARY BENEFITS FOR PRIOR MILITARY QUICK REFERENCES: Vanderbilt, AAMC, NSLDS, Dave Ramsey ==================================================== Announcements: * I have been getting requests to provide critical appraisals and feedback  on personal statements by multiple people outside of the CD of the Month  Club. While had originally not planned to do this, some of them are making  attractive offers - paying even more than would cost them through the $17 CD  Club. Therefore, I'm temporarily agreeing to do this on an individual basis.  The reason for the discretion is the volume of questions I receive and sheer  number of listeners that only a few months of podcasting has brought. The  demand on a resident's time makes it impossible to help everyone. I hope you  understand. Financial Assistance For Medical School: An Oxymoron?     Nothing in life is free. Most people want to know if there is a scholarship available for medical school. Let’s discuss an overriding principle first, before we get into the details of money-saving strategies.   Society doesn’t feel sorry enough for the medical student’s plight to pay for their education. A lot of people perceive physicians as making a lot of money so they feel like medical students will eventually be able to pay their loan debts. The loan companies make a fortune off of us and love to give us as many loans as possible, though it’s not always enough. Remember this rule of thumb as you read further about tuition help that does exist.   At the time of this writing, the average cost of medical school at state-supported institutions is $12,000 - $20,000 per year and $35,000 - $42,000 for private schools. You can do the math and see that after you calculate living expenses the average debt at the end of 4 years of medical school is $120,000 - $200,000. If you’re carrying over undergraduate debt, it’s possible to max out at $250,000. Unfortunately, that’s not all. Compounding interest during residency, while you can only afford the minimum payments or the loan is on deferment, can add more than $50,000.   Have I gotten your attention?   There are a number of ways to mitigate this debt. Let’s take some of the most common ways and discuss them each in turn. The most common way to get financial help      Minority Scholarships. Very few of these exist but I  found a few when I was searching diligently online as a PreMed.   Underserved Area Contracts. Some states offer tuition  payments for an agreement that you’ll work as a physician in their  underserved areas for some length of time. Commonly, they’ll pay you  competitively while you work there and trade one year of tuition for one  year of service. Sometimes there are specialty-specific offers, such as  Texas’ Family Practice program that is heavily promoted. This, then,  specifies the specialty and location you have to work in to pay back the  “debt”. Watch for the fine print. You may have to pay back the money if you  don’t fulfill the contract. This is also true of military monies, but are  easier to back out of.   International bank of dad. You’re fortunate if you can  have family help. If so, use it. The key is to get your debt down early  after your education or you’ll wind up paying 200-300% more than you  borrowed!     Benefits for joining the military:     *   Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP): Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 46:34 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/the-perfect-gpa-no-matter-what-your-grades-sound-ridiculous/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/the-perfect-gpa-no-matter-what-your-grades-sound-ridiculous/#comments Tue, 27 May 2008 18:19:51 +0000 Doctor Dan 694962524 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/the-perfect-gpa-no-matter-what-your-grades-sound-ridiculous/feed/ 4 career in medicine,GPA,grade point average,how-to-ask-for-a-letter-of-recommendation,letter of recommendation,medical education,medical school,medical student,medical training,physician education,physician training,PreMed Episode 5: Retaking and dropping classes? Learn when and how to objectively assess your undergraduate academic record to determine what, if anything, you can do to have the best medical school application possible! Episode 5: Retaking and dropping classes? Learn when and how to objectively assess your undergraduate academic record to determine what, if anything, you can do to have the best medical school application possible! ==================================================== In this episode: ANNOUNCEMENTS YOUR PATTERN OF GRADES COMMON PROBLEMS COMMON SOLUTIONS DROPPING & REPEATING CLASSES TO SAVE THE GPA CHANGING MAJORS LISTENER Q & A'S QUICK TIP: When to assess your academic record! ==================================================== ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1. I'm now on the Admissions Committee of my alma mater. 2. Over 1,000 listeners and growing! 3. The FREE email series has been revised, so sign up with your new, professional-sounding email address and archive the content. 4. The CD of the Month Club is exciting and fun. I'm enjoying the private, one-on-one PreMed consulting and application advising and am surprised with the collection of the MindMap materials. Visit www.MedicalMastery.com/lectureseries (http://www.MedicalMastery.com/lectureseries) to learn more. ==================================================== YOUR PATTERN OF GRADES I have received a substantial percentage of listener questions about their academic record. It makes sense that I spend most of my academic advising doing counseling on that very subject - people with 4.0 GPA's don't have that to worry about. They have other problems that need equal attention so let's not be jealous. From here on, we will discuss the subject of PreMed GPA and your medical school application in the context of your overall application. The Perfect GPA is your GPA that is nestled within a succinct description (application) that tells your story. The goal of the Perfect Application and GPA is really to say in one sentence exactly who your are and what you want in life (and a career). If you can do that, they you only have to tweak a few details in your application to let that shine through. The numbers only substantiate who you say you are! Well, I'm going to help you do just that... There are patterns to everything, and human behavior is no different. Let's start by a series of questions that you should write down as brainstorming ideas for your personal essay and prepared statements for the interview: 1. When did you decide to pursue a career in medicine? 2. What is the overall pattern of your college grades? (spiraling up, solid throughout, unpredictable) 3. What excites you? (In general and in specific terms - don't just mention career aspirations - use hobbies, interests, etc.) 4. Do you like a fast-paced life or slower, country-style? 5. Where do you want to work when your training is complete? 6. Can you put all of these answers together into one sentence that summarizes you and where you are going in your life? If so, put it in writing. Once you have done this objective assessment of your academic record, you are beginning to get insight into how the admissions committee sees your application. There are almost infinite patters of grades and reasons for them. Is there a drop in your grades for a period of time? Did you take time off from school? Do your grades suddenly get better at a point in time? I hope so, because you can explain it as you weave together the overall medical school application. I was fortunate to have a string of 2 years of straight A's while in the Army, beginning right as I decided to pursue medicine. See if there's a point in time that you can point to that matches up with major event or decision in your life. If so, use that subtly in your personal essay. Don't exaggerate it, but it is important and often overlooked. See, the admissions committee looks for this trend, but not everyone knows to explain it. This takes out guesswork and makes you more transparent - all good things that support you being the genuine article. COMMON PROBLEMS Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 49:08 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/letters-of-recommendation-getting-strong-and-plentiful-letters/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/letters-of-recommendation-getting-strong-and-plentiful-letters/#comments Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:13:50 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/letters-of-recommendation-getting-strong-and-plentiful-letters http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/letters-of-recommendation-getting-strong-and-plentiful-letters/feed/ 0 acceptance letter,apply to medical school,be a doctor,become a doctor,letter of recommendation,MCAT,medical school,medical school interview,personal statement,premed application Episode 4: Who and how to ask for a STRONG letter, FREE 16-Step guide, & upcoming coaching course! - ==================================================== - In this episode: - ANNOUNCEMENTS - PREPARING: What is my competition doing? Episode 4: Who and how to ask for a STRONG letter, FREE 16-Step guide, & upcoming coaching course! ==================================================== In this episode: ANNOUNCEMENTS PREPARING: What is my competition doing? HOW TO GET A STRONG LETTER TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE: There is no question. WHEN TO ASK QUICK TIP: Questions to ask in order to choose the right letter writer. QUICK REFERENCES   I am your host, Daniel Williams, MD. ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1. MICU month - hanging in there... 2. The PreMed Lecture Series. It's going well and I now have an entire system for premed students to compile their entire medical school application 1-3 years in advance! Why wait? Write it now. Have it reviewed by me and faculty over a longer period of time greatly increases the power of the application, demonstrates a motivated, clearly goal-oriented candidate, and will increase your chances of getting accepted into medical school. Many have expressed concerns about weaknesses in their application, such as failing or close-to-failing grades, or poor MCAT scores.Folks I overcame these obstacles and you can too! These questions are all being addressed in my coaching course and I want to personally review your application contests. From your personal essay, to the way you describe your work history - I want to see it. Sign up for the automatic updates on www.MedicalMastery.com (http://www.medicalmastery.com/) and you will be on the early notification list for the details about this coaching course as the next course approaches. This year I'm automating the coaching coarse complete with audio/video how-to tutorials, checklists for every step of the way, my entire medical school application to be used as a template, personalized feedback on your application and much more! Sign up today! 3. Diary of a Pre-Med: A 16-Step Guide. This book is available for free and emailed to you immediatly after you sign up for automatic updates on www.MedicalMastery.com (http://www.medicalmastery.com/). This is the first edition book that I wrote as a 4th year medical student as a result of my collaboration with premedical students. Of course, the coaching course that you'll hear about through that email newsletter is the steroid-version! Sign up free right now!4. Get my favorite 2,500 MCAT questions on CD-ROM for only $27. Get your MCAT Questions by clicking "BUY NOW" in the upper left of this website! Satisfaction GUARANTEED or your money back! Send it back if you don't like it and get a full refund...NO RISK. ==================================================== PREPARING: What is my competition doing? Getting any letter of recommendation (LOR) from a physician or undergraduate faculty can by daunting. With limited face-time, busy schedules, and such high expectations for a LOR, how in the world are you supposed to get 3, very solid, letters from reputable doctors?Let’s start with a discussion about the “PreMed Committee”. This is actually an official entity that medical schools care about (not necessarily anyone else). It is made up of a (somewhat) official Premedical Academic Advisor and 2 underlings, which are often other faculty. In the late ‘90’s and early ‘00’s, this was still a robust entity found in all but the smallest colleges.There have been massive cutbacks in funding nationally and the result has been fewer and fewer committees that actually know the real scoop. Some of them are registered members of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions. This organization attempts to educate non-physicians about the premedical application process. While this is better than nothing, they don’t know what they’re talking about from first-hand experience.In short, get your letters of recommendation from members of your PreMed Committee if you have one PLUS one from a physician.You typically want one from your advisor and 2 from faculty ( the standard carte blance answer). Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 30:15 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/is-medicine-right-for-me-secrets-of-physician-training-exposed/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/is-medicine-right-for-me-secrets-of-physician-training-exposed/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:15:15 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/is-medicine-right-for-me-secrets-of-physician-training-exposed http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/is-medicine-right-for-me-secrets-of-physician-training-exposed/feed/ 1 career in medicine,medical education,medical school,medical student,medical training,physician education,physician training,PreMed Episode 3: Take the premed quiz, formulate notes for your personal essay, learn the factors that affect medical student choices This material comes directly from my book, Diary of a Pre-Med Student which you can get emailed to you for FREE. Episode 3: Take the premed quiz, formulate notes for your personal essay, learn the factors that affect medical student choices This material comes directly from my book, Diary of a Pre-Med Student which you can get emailed to you for FREE. Simply sign up for automatic updates in the upper right corner of www.MedicalMastery.com (http://www.medicalmastery.com/) Contents of this episode: Words of advice Questions that identify your preparedness for a career in medicine Importance of life experiences QUICK TIP: Things you can do right now do help you decide if medicine is right for you QUICK REFERENCE: Stimulating research papers on US, UK, and Canadian medical students’ career choices 3 career questionnaires Let me preface my remarks by saying that from now on you should avoid career advice from anyone that has no experience with medical school. This includes family, friends, professors, and sometimes Pre-Med Advisors. What many notice is that people often project their own impression and reasons that they chickened out and didn’t follow their dreams onto the enthusiastic Pre-Med student. Word of advice: Ignore the crotchety old doctor that tells you not to do it because of the influence of insurance and governmental regulations of recent decades. Not that you would listen to them, but if you educate yourself on the market you’re entering and still want to do it, you won’t have to. When you account for the diversity of people entering into the medical profession, the reasons that they site for becoming interested vary widely. Some have people have always known they wanted to practice medicine, others are not so sure, and still others decided a little (or a lot) later in life. Whatever your background, I support you! None of these approaches will hinder you from reaching your goals. So consider your sources carefully! This is all the more reason to plug into Medical Mastery.com and read our insiders advice and get automatic email updates! So, how in the world are you supposed to know if medicine is right for you? Open a new text document or grab a pen and answer these questions: Are you the type of person that gives of yourself to help others? Do you receive satisfaction in helping someone when they're down? How do you really know? Have you done it? Would you consider yourself a concrete, logical thinker or an abstract thinker? Have you had any exposure to the medical field, either through family or volunteering? Do you complain a lot when you're tired? Have you ever really worked hard before? Have you ever been challenged academically? To the point that you weren't sure if you could survive? Have you ever had a life challenge that lasted months or longer? (financial, stress, family illness...) Have you ever been financially challenged, or have you always had a stable life? Do you know what it feels like to be a helpless patient? These questions should stimulate your mind and, if so, take notes! How did you react when you read them? Did you have quick, pat answers for every one? Did you think that some of them were irrelevant? Your reaction is important, no matter what it is because you can learn something about yourself! You may notice that many of these important factors don't illicit the warm and fuzzy feeling that you may have had when thinking about the nobility of the medical profession. That is because the practice of medicine, though it is noble, focuses on helping people in their greatest need. If you haven't had any of the down-and-dirty experiences of life, you're at a disadvantage to knowing how well you'll like medicine. You have no way of knowing either how to relate to the patients or how you'll react when you're around them all the time. That doesn't mean that it's not right for you, only that your ability to know how well you'll like it ahead of time is impaired. The best you can do is volunteer in shelters, emergency rooms, shadow doctors, Daniel Williams, M.D. clean 38:31 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/17/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/17/#comments Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:27:24 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/17 http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/17/feed/ 4 admission requirements,MCAT,mcats,medical school entrance requirements,personal essay,personal statement,undergraduate prerequisites Episode 2:  Know the medical school entrance requirements and 4 different electronic application services. ==================================================== This topic is covered in Chapter 3 of my book, Diary of a Pre-Med Student. Episode 2:  Know the medical school entrance requirements and 4 different electronic application services. ==================================================== This topic is covered in Chapter 3 of my book, Diary of a Pre-Med Student. You can get the entire book emailed to you automatically by signing up for FREE updates in the upper right corner of www.MedicalMastery.com (http://www.medicalmastery.com/)! Now, reading the lists of medical school entrance requirements is dry. As much as I have tried to avoid using boring lists, they simply can not be avoided when discussing the subject of entrance requirements for medical school. COMPONENTS OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION: * Demographic Data (some of it is optional) * MCAT - submitted indirectly by the New MCAT Testing History (THx) Report System. * Official DAT/MCAT/GRE/ACT/SAT Score Reports * Personal References * Letters of Recommendation/Evaluation - provided by application service * Personal Essay * Volunteer, Research, Work Experience * Application Fee * Certification Page * Photos * Copy of Visa or Permanent Resident Card (if applicable) * Secondary Applications Undergraduate Prerequisites: * 30 credit hours minimum (unwritten requirement for a bachelor’s degree) * 1 academic year of Physics * 1 academic year of Biology * 1 academic year of General Chemistry * 1 academic year of Organic Chemistry * 1 academic year of English Additional courses are sometimes required. The most recent statistics are from 2005 (yes I know it's 2008) and they show some medical schools requiring college mathematics, calculus, humanities, biochemistry, and behavioral sciences. Other helpful courses are computer science, genetics, and statistics.  For the MCAT itself, advanced courses in literature interpretation and critical reading will help science major perform better in the Verbal Reasoning section. Unfortunately, the list of undergraduate courses required varies among the schools themselves. It doesn't pay to memorize these lists. We recommend that you obtain hard copies of the school catalogues from the institutions that interest you. You can search a specific medical school for its entrance requirements here: http://services.aamc.org/currdir/section2/courses.cfm (http://services.aamc.org/currdir/section2/courses.cfm). Personal attributes are increasingly important and medical school applicants are under intense scrutiny in this area. Here's a list of more intangible qualities that medical school admissions committees are looking for in a candidate: * Altruism * Compassion * Humility * Practical application of knowlege: wisdom * Life Experience * Demonstration that you know what you're getting yourself into * Knowlede of our nation's health care crisis * An idea of what you want your life to be like - take a wild, but honest guess. ==================================================== QUICK TIP: You'll need these too: * Access to a computer that is able to connect to the internet * An e-mail address is required * Applicants must use only Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator exclusively to complete the application . Do NOT use Mozilla/Firefox (TMDSAS)   * A laser or ink-jet printer is required to print the Certification Page, Health Professions Evaluation Forms and Transcript Request Forms QUICK REFERENCE: Application Services Investigate information about medical school application services: * American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) (http://www.aamc.org/students/amcas/start.htm) * Texas Medical and Dental Schools Application Service (TMDSAS) (http://www.utsystem.edu/) * Ontario Medical School Application Service (OMSAS) (http://www.ouac.on.ca/) * American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) (http://www.aacom.org/) * American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) (https://aacomas.aacom.org/) Daniel Williams, M.D. clean http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/you-want-to-be-a-doctor-so-did-i-heres-what-went-wrong/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/you-want-to-be-a-doctor-so-did-i-heres-what-went-wrong/#comments Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:27:08 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/you-want-to-be-a-doctor-so-did-i-heres-what-went-wrong http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/you-want-to-be-a-doctor-so-did-i-heres-what-went-wrong/feed/ 0 coaching course,college degree,faith,medical school,medical school podcast,pre med entrance guide,pre-med advisor Episode 1: Learn recent statistics on medical school acceptance, Hear Dr. Daniel Williams candidly describe his experience and introduction you to Medical Mastery.com charity model. - Depending on your source, Episode 1: Learn recent statistics on medical school acceptance, Hear Dr. Daniel Williams candidly describe his experience and introduction you to Medical Mastery.com charity model. Depending on your source, statistics will tell you that only one in ten premed students in college will actually become physicians. According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, 42% of you will actually get accepted. That number is actually high because so many people change their mind and don't follow through with the application process. There are many reasons for this. In this lecture series, we will explore all of the ones that I get emails about. Hello, I'm your host Daniel Williams, MD. Disclaimer * Raw and uncensored * Good, bad, and ugly * No offense intended * Only my experience Preview * I am an Emergency Medicine resident * I love my job and wouldn’t want to be doing anything else * What I do is nothing like the movies * You can’t make up the things I see * You wouldn’t want to Who is this guy, anyway? I come from a family without college degrees. I knew no one closely that had been through medical school. If I can do it, you can do it! I partied a bit much in high school. Then I Worked in a warehouse. Later, I joined the Army with NO college, as an E1. Those of you that have been in the military know what that experience is like. On a medical mission to Benin, Africa I got interested in medicine. Specifically, helping the world's truly needy people. Later I discovered ways that needy populations are served by…THE INTERNET! I got out of the Army and attended a undergraduate university that had a certified pre-med advisor that attended the state-wide conferences. My MCAT was pretty bad - 26/35. When I got the score in the mail I was depressed for 3 days and didn't want to talk to anyone or get out of the bed. What had I done? I left the Army for this? Took less money for this? Got a degree in Biology that I couldn't use to mount a decent career, at least not compared to being a physician. I had taken a big risk (on myself), poored in a lot of money and time into extra, "Pre-Med Prerequisite" courses, not to mention the pain of actually trying to do well in them. Then, the worst blow...my advisor told me to consider another career because of the predictive nature of the MCAT. Obviously the story doesn't end here. What happened that changed the course of my career? That's exactly the point of this article! My Pre-Med club was active and we toured 4 medical schools in 5 days! Getting to speak with current medical schools was entirely different than anything I had heard. Hearing the insider information changed EVERYTHING! So, I prayed a lot, then gathered my strength. I decided not to listen to anyone but an MD or a medical student. I even ignored my own father's misgivings and speeches about how difficult the years of training would be. He just didn't get it. I'm doing what I love! Without exception, the people that had negative things to say about my choice to be Pre-Med were people that were not fulfilled in their own lives. I had grasped the life lesson I needed to succeed! My mindset was finally right. I learned everything I’m about to teach you in this course. As time went on, I began to wonder if others had my experience. I was fortunate to be in an active Pre-Med club with an concerned, participating advisor! What’s happening in other places? Well, in the Army I learned to take care of my subordinates’ needs. In medical school, I naturally spent 4 years working on the student web site. Pre-Med student from in and outside the U.S. contacted me through Google searches and asked for advice. That's when I wrote the Pre-Med Entrance Guide I email to those that get automatic email updates to MedicalMastery.com. This blog post podcast marks the first of my years of experience and tremendous collection of electronic notes. Nowadays, Daniel Williams, M.D. clean http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/how-to-listen-to-podcasts-within-blog-posts/ http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/how-to-listen-to-podcasts-within-blog-posts/#comments Mon, 03 Mar 2008 03:15:57 +0000 Doctor Dan http://medicalmastery.com/how-to-listen-to-podcasts-within-blog-posts http://medicalmastery.com/http:/medicalmastery.com/how-to-listen-to-podcasts-within-blog-posts/feed/ 0