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/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/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/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/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/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/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