PreMedLife Magazine - July/August 2012 Issue

PREMEDLIFE ESPECIALLY THIS SPECIALITY: A CLOSER LOOK INTO THE CAREER OF AN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON

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THE MAGAZINE FOR PREMEDICAL STUDENTS

6

FAST-GROWING

CAREERS FOR

MEDICAL SCHOOL

GRADUATES Several non-clinical career options are becoming more popular among doctors

JULY/AUGUST 2012

+ How to Retake the MCAT the Smart Way Tips From a Student Who Mastered the MCAT the Second Time Around

Life After Medical School in the Caribbean A Closer Look at What Happens Post Graduation

PLUS...

WHAT THE HECK DO I SAY? Advice on Tackling the Personal Statement

The Medical School Admissions Guide An Excerpt from a Harvard MD’s Week-by-Week Handbook

New med school begins recruitment p.10|AAMC offers new MCAT tool p.10|Space medicine anyone?p.11

©Depositphotos/adam_r

exclusive cont giveaways, rea ent, contests & der polls, & m ore...

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CONTENTS

July/August 2012

www.premedlife.com

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FEATURES 6 Fast-Growing (Non-Clinical) Careers For Medical School Graduates | 14 An increasing number of medical school graduates are choosing an alternate to traditional medicine

What the Heck Do I Say?| 36 Tips and advice for tackling the personal statement

Life After Attending Medical School in the Caribbean| 40 Ever wonder what life is like after attending and graduating from medical school in the Caribbean?

DEPARTMENTS

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School Spotlight| 35 The University of Illinois at Chicago offers a unique program for students interested in urban medicine Especially This Specialty | 45 Find out what being an Orthopaedic Surgeon is all about and what it will take to become one

IN EVERY ISSUE Newsbites| 8 Relevant news & information for students applying to medical school The Goods| 46 Gadgets & gizmos to keep you entertained.

Check out our picks for this issue

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In The Stacks| 49 Books to inspire you or provide you with advice along your journey to medical school

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS - Check out The Goods where you’ll find Warm or Cool Face Mugs and more!

p.45

Better Life, Better You| 50 Advice & tips for taking care of yourself to make it through your hectic pre-med life

IN THIS ISSUE

Medical School: The Third Year| 26

What to expect in the third year of medical school and how to excel during this time

‘LIKE’ US

PreMedLife magazine provides a host of features, everything from getting into medical school to tips for acing the MCAT. Visit our facebook page often to get online exclusive articles covering topics that pre-med students care about most.

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Book Excerpt: The Medical School Admissions Guide | 30 A Harvard MD’s week-by-week admission’s handbook for preparing and getting into medical school

Retaking the MCAT the Smart Way | 39 A student who retook the MCAT shares strategies for acing the MCAT the second time around

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 3

publisher from the

PREMEDLIFE the lifestyle magazine for premedical students www.premedlife.com

Publisher/CEO | Sheema Prince Executive Director/COO | Jonathan Pearson EVP, Operations | Monique Terc Executive Editor | Njeri McKenzie Managing Editor | Monica Lee Digital Editor | Donald Gibbons Contributing Writers | Mike Frazier, MD, Bonnie Mason, MD, Jeffery Mazique, MD, Sahil Mehta, MD, Suzanne M. Miller Production Coordinator | Shawn Klein Social Media Manager | Tammy Li

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Interns | Gonathan J. Breedlove, Nancy Buckley, Diana Kozak, Natalia Prieto, Seantasia Twiggs Find us on Twitter @premedlife Find us on Facebook.com/premedlife

HERE’S HOW TO REACH US...

One of the most satisfying aspects of working as the publisher of PreMedLife magazine is hearing from premeds about what they’re doing to fulfill their dreams of becoming a doctor. The determination and passion in their voices when they speak about wanting to practice medicine makes me at times want go to medical school. The point is - in the name of becoming a doctor, these premeds are making the choice to be successful.

It is always a choice to be successful or not and not everyone will reach their goals.The ones that do make it though are the ones who will reap the rewards of their hard labor. The road to getting into medical school is not easy, but the decisions you make along the way can make the journey a little easier. From the decisions you make in your personal life to the decisions you make in your academic life, it all boils down to the choices that you’ll make along the way.

It may sound so cliche but the power is truly all in your hands. You can’t blame anyone else for your failures or mistakes - you have to take ownership of what happens in your life. So as you make your way through this think called your premed life, let your end goal motivate your to keep pushing forward. A single bad decision can jeopardize your dream so stay focused and make sure every decision you make is the best one!

Sheema

Sheema Prince

Publisher tprince@premedlife.com

4 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

Kisho Media, LLC P.O. Box 7049 New York, NY 10116 Main Office (347) 231 - 6429

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INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING OR PARTNERING WITH PREMEDLIFE? Email us at info@premedlife.com PreMedLife magazine is published six times per year by Kisho Media, LLC. and copies are provided to select colleges and universities free of charge. The information in PreMedLife magazine is believed to be accurate, but in some instances, may represent opinion or judgment. Consult your pre-med advisor with any questions you may have about the medical school admissions process and related topics. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs, artwork, and images may not be duplicated or reprinted without express written permission from Kisho Media, LLC. PreMedLife magazine and Kisho Media, LLC. are not liable for typographical or production errors or the accuracy of information provided by advertisers. PreMedLife Magazine reserves the right to refuse any advertising. All inquires may be sent to: Kisho Media, LLC. P.O. Box 7049, New York, NY 10116. To reach us by phone call (347) 231-6429 or email us at info@premedlife.com.

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student advisor y board THE PREMEDLIFE MAGAZINE STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD IS AN EXEMPLARY GROUP OF PREMED STUDENTS from a variety of backgrounds who have a wide range of accomplishments. They will help keep us informed about what we need to know to make PreMedLife magazine the go-to resource for aspiring doctors. If you have any questions for any of our board members email us at info@premedlife.com >>>

Diana Altamirano

Alexandra Massa Neuroscience @ Stonehill College Alexandra is currently a volunteer at her local hospital’s emergency department. She is interested in providing care to third-world countries where access to medical supplies are limited.

Linda Mukumbuta

Post Baccalaureate @ Georgia Gwinnett College Diana is a non-traditional student with a business degree. She is currently taking science classes as a pre-med post-baccalaureate student.

Biology & Public Health @ University of Texas, San Antonio Linda is a 19-year-old junior who is currently affiliated with 4 pre-med organizations. She says a career in medicine is truly her calling in life.

Tamara Edgin

Tiffany Que-Smith

Biology @ University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville Tamara is currently working towards an associates degree and plans to transfer to Lyon College, a four-year university.

Art & Design @ San Jose State University Tiffany is a non-traditional student who translates her thoughts into art which luckily for her, is extremely helpful when studying.

Jaime Garcia

Touria Rguig

International Economics @ University of Washington Jamie is the first in his family to attend college. He has gained experience in the medical field and is currently an emergency room volunteer.

Biochemistry @ University of Texas, Austin Touria is a honors student who speaks 6 languages. She’s also an author on a research paper published in Synthetic Metals Journal.

Ola Hadaya

Will Smith

Middle Eastern Studies @ Rutgers University, New Brunswick Ola is a 17-year-old student who is in the process of applying to medical school. She speaks 3 languages.

Post Baccalaureate @ California State University, Sacramento Will is a non-traditional pre-med student with a degree in comparative religion. He has worked as an ER tech.

Chesha Hayter

Chandler Stisher

Biomedical @ Southern Oregon University Chesha is a non-traditional student and a mother, who after starting her education later in life has learned many things.

Biology @ University of Texas, Austin Chandler is the first in his family to attend a 4-year university and has had aspirations of becoming a doctor since he was 11 years old.

Hillary Lee

Marina Zeledon

Neural Science @ New York University Hillary will start on the pre-med tract in Fall 2012. She says her transition from Missouri is an experience she can share to help others like herself.

Biology @ Potsdam State University Marina likes to read, research, and talk about medical school journeys with current doctors. She is on her school’s equestrian team and has a strong passion to become a doctor.

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THE TWEET PEEK FOLLOW US ON TWITTER.COM @PREMEDLIFE FOR DAILY UPDATES LIKE THESE GOOD READS Are Osteopathic (DOs) Physicians Real Doctors? http://huff.to/Jv4lCf via @docmalerba for HuffPost INFO ALERT Are Osteopathic (DOs) Physicians Real Doctors? http://huff.to/Jv4lCf via @docmalerba for HuffPost MCAT NEWS What if new MDs were required to work for free?

Starting next year NY will require unpaid work from new lawyers http://nyti.ms/KFgTK6 VICTORY CLIMB Premed ask @salon's @carytennis for advice "I sometimes wonder if medicine is my plan B pretending to be my plan A" http://bit.ly/IGRxcJ AMERICA’S DOCTORS Harvard and MIT to Offer Free Online Courses http://bit.ly/IzMv0T PERSEVERANCE Applying to #medschool this year? You be in a stronger position if you submit your application early! #premed RE-APPLICANT FILES Filling out the coursework section of your #AMCAS app? Watch our video on entering basic coursework: http://ow.ly/aEXfq (More videos too!)

PREMEDLIFE

CAMPUS EDITION Want a unique leadership opportunity to add to your medical school application?

Now you can apply to be CEO/Editor-in-Chief of the PreMedLife Campus Edition at your school.

WHO: You WHAT: As CEO/Editor-in-Chief, you are talked with putting together a staff, producing content, and publicizing your edition on campus - running your own online magazine that is a part of the PreMedLife network.

WHERE: Your high school, college, or university.

WHEN: The application deadline for Fall 2012 launches is August 6 WHY: Running your own campus edition of PreMedLife magazine will provide you with a unique leadership opportunity that will surly help you stand out from the rest of the crowd.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.premedlife.com ‘Start Campus Edition’ Deadline for our FALL 2012 LAUNCH

AUGUST 6TH

NEWSBITES

>>> Recent news & information relevant to students applying to medical school

'Lecture-less' Medical School Classes?

Two professors from Stanford say that it is time to change the way doctors are taught, according to an article published in the May 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Since the hours available in a day have not increased to accommodate the expanded medical canon, we have only one realistic alternative: make better use of our students' time," the authors wrote. "We believe that medical education can be improved without increasing the time it takes to earn a medical degree, if we make lessons "stickier" (more comprehensible and memorable) and embrace a learning strategy that is self-paced and mastery-based and boosts engagement."

The professors make a radical suggestion to move traditional lectures outside of the classroom and use class time for more "active" learning.

They believe that in an era with a perfect videodelivery platform students would be wasting their class time sitting through a lecture. Instead, they say that the classroom model should be flipped to where students absorb an instructor's lecture in a digital format as homework, which would free up class time for a focus on applications, including emotion-provoking simulation exercises.

"Students would welcome more opportunities for case-based, problem-based, and team-based exercises - strategies that activate prior knowledge," they wrote. "Teachers would be able to actually teach, rather than merely make speeches.

The professors use the example of the Khan Academy to make the case that a 'lecture-less" model would indeed be effective. The Khan Academy, a non-profit organization that offers online video lessons and exercises on elementary and high school topics, allows students to gain proficiency in core academic concepts at their own pace. The professors say that if such a model like one that the Khan Academy uses were applied to medical school, class time would be freed up for what they call "higher-order" and more interactive lessons.

One school already trying out this model is Stanford Medical school where the core biochemistry course did away with the standard lecturebased format and adopted one similar to the Khan Academy. Under this structure, class time was used for interactive discussions of clinical vignettes highlighting the biochemical bases of various diseases. According to the authors, the results were significant. Not only did the proportion of student course reviews that were positive increases substantially from the previous year, the percentage of students who attended class shot

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©Creative Commons/Genista

Two Stanford University professors say that it is time to change the way future doctors are taught and they say getting rid of traditional medical school lectures will make lessons “stickier” for students

up from about 30% to 80% - even though class attendance was optional.

In their article the professors present a scenario: Imagine first-year medical students learning critical biochemical pathways by watching short videos as many times as necessary in the comfort of their personal learning space. Knowledge acquisition is verified by repeated low-stakes quizzes. Then, in

class, the students participate in a discussion that includes a child with a metabolic disease, his or her parents, the treating clinicians, and the biochemistry professor. The relevant biochemistry - so dry on the page of a textbook - comes to life. The lesson sticks. "That's the vision we want to chase: education that wrings more value out of the unyielding asset of time," the authors concluded.

NEWSBITES

©Marian University

©Shawnee The University of the South

New Tool Helps Premeds Assess, Improve MCAT Performance

Recruitment Underway at Brand New Medical School For students in the market for a DO degree, Marian University's College of Osteopathic Medicine (MU-COM) has received the official okay to begin recruiting students for its fall 2012 inaugural class.

The school will be Indiana's first new medical school in more than 100 years. According to the press release announcing the news, until now, prospective medical students in Indiana could either choose Indiana University's School of Medicine or relocate out of state to pursue their education. The opening of the new school will now give local premedical students the option to

stay close to home. The new school will enroll 150 students per year and is establishing affiliation agreements with multiple hospitals throughout Indiana, a move that will also address the doctor shortage in the area.

"We weren't content to sit on the sidelines and observe Indiana's brain drain and growing doctor shortage," said President Daniel J. Elsener. "We took action, and today we have an important confirmation that our action was correct. We have conquered another peak on our way to the ultimate summit - opening the MU-COM doors in the fall of 2013."

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has announced the launch of a new online study tool for students planning to take the MCAT that allows them to evaluate how well they know MCAT content to better prepare for the exam. The Official MCAT Self-Assessment Package is designed to let examinees answer questions from previous MCAT exams and then receive feedback in an analytic summary outlining their strengths and weaknesses in the content and skills tested on the exam. The cost - $104 to pursue the tool as a package of three or an option to purchase sections individually, the Physical and Biological Sciences sections are $45 each, and the Verbal Reasoning section is $40.

For more information about the tool, visit www.aamc.org/mcatsap.

Younger Docs Not Too Happy With Health Care System, Study Finds face, uncertainty about their future and the lack of opportunities they see to practice the way they want to practice - to take care of patients and get the business side out of it."

According to the press release announcing the results, the survey gave the respondents the opportunity to answer an open-ended question about what made them feel negatively about the future. When the answers were then grouped into categories, the outcome revealed that government was by far the most commonly cited reason for negative feelings, with 34% of the pessimistic respondents citing "the new health care law or regulations." In addition, 4% said they did not trust the government to "do the right thing," 4% said "patient care may suffer due to government intervention," and 2% said "Medicare is a mess."

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TALK

@premedlife

The majority of physicians younger than 40 years old say they are worried about the direction the medical system is heading in, according to a survey conducted by The Physicians Foundation.

The survey, which included 500 doctors who were all younger than 40 years old, found that most respondents were happy in their practice situation. Specifically, 80% were either "highly satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied," and 52% said they planned to stay at their practice for eight or more years.

Unfortunately, however, more than half (57%) said they were pessimistic about the future of the US health care system.

"The level of pessimism reflected in the survey is very troubling," said Lou Goodman, PhD, president of The Physicians Foundation.

"It's a reflection of the huge debt level they

twitter Can a virtual prep course help you ace the #MCAT? http://bit.ly/O69Pco Doctors Should Borrow Madison Avenue Tactics & Market Themselves - Forbes @ZinaMoukheiber http://onforb.es/MmUDpK Hey premeds! Reading this during your #MCAT study break? Snap a pic of what your desk looks like & tweet or send it to info@premedlife.com Cool professor gives extra credit for @UCLA students who make music videos about organic chemistry http://bit.ly/L7r75V #premed

NEWSBITES School Offers First-Ever Space Medicine Program

MEDICAL SCHOOL PIPELINE Here’s a list of new medical schools that are being developed in the U.S.

©NASA Goddard Photo and Video

CALIFORNIA NORTHSTATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MEDICINE Rancho Cordova, California Opening Summer 2013

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Kalamazoo, Michigan Opening Fall 2014 Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) will offer students who have an interest in space medicine the opportunity to purse the world's first officially recognized space medicine track as they pursue their medical degree.

The program, which includes four courses and an optional field trip to NASA's Johnson Space Center, was approved by the school's curriculum committee in April 2012. First- and second-year medical students can take courses like Introduction to Human Space Exploration and Medicine and Topics in Human Space Exploration and Medicine, courses which feature leading space medicine physicians and space biomedical researchers. In their third and fourth years, the Space Medicine Journal Club is offered to students. Additionally, these students can take what's called Research Opportunities in Space Medicine, an option which allows them to conduct a research project under the guidance of a mentor.

Student

Spotlight

"This elective program though the Center for Space Medicine gives future physicians knowledge about physiological, psychological and medical issues associated with space exploration and the practice of medicine in harsh, remote environments," said Dr. Jeffrey P. Sutton, director of the center. "The tract is very popular among the students, and we are fortunate to have exceptional instructors, including physician-astronauts, flight surgeons and leading scientists from around the country."

According to the press release announcing the new program, the Center for Space Medicine is a one-of-a-kind academic center of excellence where faculty, students, residents, and staff not only work to discover, education and push new frontiers of space biomedical research and education, it also has a focus on translating space advances to benefit health on Earth.

For more information about Baylor College of Medicine, visit www.bcm.edu.

QASIM GHULAM College of Natural Sciences | University of Texas at Austin Qasim is a third year Biochemistry/Business Foundations major. He is highly involved around campus from Pre-med Honor societies to a Professional Business Fraternity. He will be studying abroad this upcoming spring semester. Outside of school he is also very active, beginning his EMT certification and also starting flight school this fall. He hopes to pursue an MD/MBA track after graduation Want to be featured in our Student Spotlight?

Log on to www.premedlife.com and tell us why you should be selected

PALM BEACH MEDICAL COLLEGE Palm Beach, Florida Opening Fall 2015

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Riverside, California Anticipated Fall 2012

CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE Mount Pleasant, Michigan Anticipated Fall 2012

COOPER MEDICAL SCHOOL OF ROWAN UNIVERSITY Camden, New Jersey Anticipated Fall 2012

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, GREENVILLE Greenville, South Carolina Anticipated Fall 2012

QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE North Haven, Connecticut Anticipated Fall 2013 or 2014

UPDATED 6/2012

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 11

NEWSBITES Auto Industry May Serve as Good Model for Health Care Industry Applying techniques used for automotive production in an operating room not only improves efficiency and profitability, it preserves team morale and educational opportunities, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

For the first study of its kind, researchers set out to use an auto industry production practice called lean manufacturing that is essentially centered on preserving value with less work. At the beginning of the study, the normal workflow for each operating room job was mapped out.

Then over a nine-month period, the researchers measured operating room turnover time, defined as the time between the departure of one patient and the arrival of the next patient, and turnaround time, defined as the time between the final dressing on one patient and the first incision on the next patient. The next three months involved observing operating room staff's efficiency before any lean changes were made. This allowed the researchers to determine whether monitoring alone would alter staff efficiency. Equipped with clipboards and stopwatches, the observers weren't actually collecting data, but were there to reinforce to operating room employees that their performance was under scrutiny.

As it turned out, the observers had almost no impact. The mean baseline turnover time was 38.4 minutes. With the observers present, it was 38.3 minutes. Turnaround time rose slightly from 89.5 minutes to 92.5 minutes.

The results of the study revealed that after the lean changes were implemented a significant improvement was seen in both measurements.

@ creative commons/wikipedia

A new study suggests that the production methods used in the automotive industry can be used by those working in the the health care industry for lessons on improving operating room performance

Specifically, turnover time fell by nearly one third to 29 minutes while turnaround time dropped by 20 percent to 69 minutes.

"What is really interesting and important is that the amount of time devoted to performing the actual surgery remained almost unchanged," says lead author Ryan M. Collar, M.D. "The efficien-

cies we found were in other areas." For example, Collar explained, staff identified a wasteful delay between prepping the OR for the next patient and transporting them there. "We found it made more sense to do preparation and transport at the same time, rather than waiting for one to be done before starting the other," Collar added.„

New Study Finds Medical School Grading Not Fair A research team from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) has revealed that after reviewing grading systems at US medical schools, institutes vary dramatically in grading practices. The findings, published in the journal Academic Medicine, suggest the grading system among medical schools in the country is imprecise and may contribute to grade inflation.

The study, led by Erik Alexander, MD, director of medical student education at BWH, looked at final course grades from 119 of 123 medical schools accredited by the

Association of American Medical Colleges and found that eight different types of grading systems were in place at schools across the country. Moreover, 27 unique sets of descriptive grading terminology was used. For example, grading terms such as "honors," "satisfactory" and "good" have different meanings at different institutions.

"Our research shows that there are no standardized requirements for evaluation and grading at accredited medical schools across the United States. This has led to a confusing

12 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

national picture of what individual grades really mean and how physicians in training should be judged when applying for residency training or their medical license," Dr. Alexander said.

"I hope that this study will prompt medical schools to take action and adopt a national standard," said Dr. Alexander. "A consistent, transparent and reliable grading system is needed to improve the student evaluation process. This will lead to a better assessment of each student's individual performance and benefit all involved." „

NEWSBITES Fatigue, Impairment Prevalent Among Doctors In Training, New Study Shows Surgical residents are fatigued during almost half of their time awake, according to a new study published in the Archives of Surgery. The results of the study add to the growing body of literature which indicates that fatigue may have a substantial role in medical error.

The study, led by Frank McCormick, MD of Harvard's Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, was designed to use a novel approach in a clinical setting to measure how often and the severity of resident fatigue and the potential risk of medical error. For a period of two weeks, researchers continuously monitored 33 surgical residents, including five women and 28 men, undergoing rotations at 2 large academic care centers. Specific attention was given to enrolling residents on rotations involving inpatients, heavy workloads, and variable schedules. Rotations were categorized as night float (6PM to 8AM) or as day shift (6AM to 6PM). In addition, weekend call was included in both schedules, which consisted of weekend coverage every other weekend for two 12-hour shifts or one 24-hour shift.

Residents' sleep and wake periods were recorded and a daily questionnaire was used to analyze mental fatigue. Prior to beginning, residents were screened for sleep disorders, depression, and overall general good to excellent health and no residents were excluded on the basis of the results of the screening.

Researchers found that surgical residents were fatigued during almost half of their time awake and were critically impaired during more than one-quarter of their time awake - impairment as severe as that expected from a blood alcohol level of 0.08%. A blood alcohol level that falls between 0.06-0.09 is associated with impairment in reasoning, depth perception, and peripheral vision.

"These data indicate that orthopedic surgical residents in this study were at high risk of making medical errors due to fatigue that could injure their patients or themselves," the authors wrote.

BE FEATURED IN PreMedLife!

Want to be in PreMedLife magazine? Here are some stories we’re working on that we’d love your input on!

MEDICAL SCHOOL INTERVIEW STORIES Did you ace your medical school interview and want to share your experience?

We’d love to hear from you.

ENTREPRENEURIAL PREMEDS Calling all premed entrepreneurs!

Have you started your own business?

We want to hear from you!

INSPIRING PHYSICIAN Do you know a physician who is doing amazing things? Tell us how you know that person and what makes them so amazing CALL FOR OP-EDS Are you passionate about something?

Pitch us your idea for an op-ed piece and we’ll let you know if we’re interested in having you write it up for the magazine.

PERSONAL STORIES Do you have a personal story that you think would make an interesting read for premeds?

In the past we’ve featured a medical student juggling school and motherhood and a premed’s internship experience.

We’d love to hear your story.

Email us at info@premedlife.com

FEATURE ARTICLE

6

F AST-GROWING (non-clinical) CAREERS FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL GRADUATES Ever thought about doing something other than practicing medicine in a clinical setting or conducting research once you graduate medical school? These days, it can be an exciting time for students graduating with a degree in medicine. While some options may be for physicians who are looking to make a career change, there are also options suitable for young physicians who are newly certified in a particular specialty. And while all of these positions may not require obtaining a degree in medicine, there are some advantages to having the advanced credentials. The following is a list of fast-growing, non-traditional jobs for medical school graduates to give you a glimpse of alternative careers within the field.>>>

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ŠDepositphotos.com/Adrin

CLINICAL INFORMATICS

Šfindley.edu

In today's modern world, researchers and health professionals are generating ever-increasing amounts of information and doing so in more detail than ever before. Whether in the need for applications in advanced patient care or to help clinicians make use of genomic data, the emerging field of clinical informatics will need well-trained professionals who deal with the resources, devices, and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information for outcomes of clinical relevance.

Health informatics tools include not only computers but also clinical guidelines, formal medical terminologies, and information and communication systems.

Last year, clinical informatics was even approved as a subspecialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties. According to the American College of Physicians, there is a growing role of the Chief Medical Informatics Officer (CMIO) and other jobs where a physician draws on his or her expertise at the intersection of medicine and informatics.

16 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

ŠDaniel Fajardo Valenti

MEDICAL WRITING While some people who work are health and medical writers have degrees in Journalism of English, others have scientific or medical degrees (i.e. MD, PharmD, or PhD) and the demand for these medically-trained writers is growing.

Medical writing is a diverse field and the types of work medical writers take on can differ greatly, depending on their area of training, experience, and work setting. From creating content for continuing medical education materials to writing and editing regulatory documents for clinical trial reports, there are many opportunities when it comes to working as a medical writer. According to the Glassdoor.com, the salary for a Senior Writer at a pharmaceutical company was $177,000. Due to the flexible nature of the job, medical school graduates who are completing their residency (and making on average $48-55K/year) can take on freelance jobs as a medical writer to supplement their (not-so-friendly post medical school debt) salary.

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 17

PHYSICIAN ENTREPRENEUR

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ŠMercy Health

While it may seem a little crazy to give up the prestige and income of being a physician, more and more physicians are deciding to start their own business. Although it may not be as lucrative as practicing medicine, physician entrepreneurs are finding it rewarding to turn their ideas into reality. Using the skills and knowledge they acquired from their medical training, physicians who start their own business, whether it is to provide a service or create a product, are using their skills - and passion - to become successfully entrepreneurs.

And for those worried about paying off their medical school loans, while not guaranteed, the payoff can be big.

Aside from the typical ups and downs any entrepreneur may experience, most physician who enter this field say they truly love what they do.

UC DAVIS DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY Pre-Medical Surgical Internship & Mentorship Program

The UC Davis Department of Surgery Pre-Medical Surgical Internship & Mentorship Program is a unique opportunity for pre-medical students to work with and be mentored by surgeons and physicians in the nationally recognized medical center.

This program is not volunteering, but the ability to experience what surgeons do everyday. You will be with the physicians every step of their day when they are working and treating patients in the clinic, by the bedside, in the intensive care unit, Emergency Department, and right next to them in the operating room.

This program is open to all pre-medical students regardless of school attended or grade level (graduates and returning students are welcome as well). This program seeks to foster a relationship between physicians and pre-medical students. There will be 3 cycles throughout the academic year that you can apply and participate.

For more information about the program: www.premedsurgery.org

Don’t just watch Grey’s Anatomy. Be a part of it!

www.premedsurgery.org Become a Fan: premedsurgery.org/facebook

Follow Us: twitter.com/premedsurg

HEALTH CARE IT

20 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

Š IntelFreePress

It goes without saying - the health care industry uses technology. From medical imaging and information technologies to patient monitoring systems, the world of health care information technology is growing. Health information technology provides the umbrella framework to describe the comprehensive management of health information across computerized systems and its secure exchange between consumers, providers, government and quality entities, and insurers. According to one report, the world healthcare IT market is expected to grow from $99.6 billion in 2010 to $162.2 billion in 2015. And for those who are worried about the additional cost of a master's degree in IT, there's a scholarship for that. A total of $119 million in funding from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will support the training of professional health IT workforce to serve in roles that advanced study or master's degrees in health IT.

HEALTH CARE CONSULTANT

Š inlinguaManchester

From health insurance companies and public health departments to education institutions and hospitals, there are endless opportunities for physician consultants in the health care field.

According to one report, "major global demographic, economic, technological, and political factors including aging populations, rising affluence in emerging markets, and advances in medical techniques and technology have buoyed health care consulting through the recessionary period - and will continue to do so over the long term. Health care consultants can advise clients on clinical process flow and operations, provide recommendations for performance improvement, help manage projects, and more. When it comes to complying with the federal government's meaningful use guidelines, large hospitals and health delivery networks are turning to private sector health IT consulting experts for help.

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 21

PHARMACEUTICAL MEDICINE According to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, in 2011 pharmaceutical manufacturers employed approximately 655,025,000 people and spent close to $50 billion on research and development, making the US the world's largest market for pharmaceuticals and the world leader in biopharmaceutical research. With that being the case, pharmaceutical companies often look to medical doctors to explore key areas within drug development. As the pharmaceutical sector booms, there is a growing need for medical doctors with clinical experience to take on various functions where medical competencies are needed. Primarily, physicians are needed by research-based pharmaceutical companies in many areas, ranging from the marketing of newly FDA-approved products to leading a sales force team to help communicate medical concepts and rationales to a sales representative.

22 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 23

ŠDepositphotos/nelka7812

the anti-freshman 15

thafitnessgroup.com

MEDICAL SCHOOL: YEAR THREE A graduate of UCLA Medical School provides an in-depth look at what to expect and how to excel during your third year.of medical school

A

s a premedical student you are inundated with class after class Biology to Biology lab, Orgo lab, and Calculus. And who can forget Biochemistry 101? You may think the constant trudging between large lecture halls never ends. The good news is, it does! Upon entering medical school, your first two years are a lot like your college years. You will take basic science classes, attend lectures and take tests in order to learn what you need to know for your third and fourth year, which are known as the "Ward" years. Everyone looks forward to them - finally, real patients, real procedures! These years are the reason you went into medicine. While you are still in school (and paying for it), you now will be functioning more like a real member of working society.

However, while sitting in Organic Chemistry II, these years may seem far off and even intimidating. But have no fear! Mike Fraizer, a graduate of

26 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

UCLA Medical School, provides an in-depth look at what to expect and how to excel during your third year

WHAT TO EXPECT Probably the biggest change you'll notice will be your schedule. While you used to be whining about getting up for a lecture that started at 8 AM, you'll now be pre-rounding on your surgery patients at around 5 AM. This is probably the earliest you'll need to pre-round since surgery rounds start early (like 6 AM). Sometimes it will be a little later on weekends. Yes, you will be working weekends. You generally get one day off per week on inpatient rotations. Inpatient means that you are taking care of patients who are in the hospital. This article will focus on your inpatient rotations. You'll only need to pre-round on your inpatient rotations.>>>.

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 27

PRE-R ROUNDING Pre-rounding means finding out what happened to your patient since you left the day before.

This includes getting vital signs, examining the patient, and looking up any lab or imaging work done on the patient. Ideally, you're also developing a plan for the patient for the day. What would you like to do for the patient? Would you like to add or change medications? Is the patient going to have a procedure that day? Do you need to add anything to the patient's differential diagnosis? Can you rule anything out based on the tests performed the day before?

Do you want more tests to help narrow down your differential diagnosis?

All of this can seem overwhelming, and it is.

But it helps if you are trying to think: What do I need to do to diagnose and treat this patient so that he/she can leave the hospital?

Throughout this year, you will be placed on a team. Your team will include an "attending" - the doctor in charge of the team, and one or more "residents" - people who are past their first year of residency. You may also have one or more "interns" - people in their first year of residency, and a "Sub-I" - a 4th year medical student. After you pre-round and develop your own plan for the day, it's a good idea to talk with your intern or resident who is following your patient with you. Yes, take a sigh of relief. You won't be the only person responsible for your patients. You will have at least a resident or a resident and an intern following the same patient to make sure your plans are accurate. However, they do rely on you to collect all the information (vitals, physical exam, lab and other test results) so that they can help you make correct treatment decisions for your patient.

After you've run your plan by your intern/resident, you can start getting ready for your "presentation" to the attending. Probably the best way to do this is to have your progress note for the patient ready for the day. The progress note is something that tells the following information: Subjective:. Any events that happened to the patient overnight, how the patient is feeling today, how the patient's symptoms are progressing, etc.

Objective:. Physical exam findings, lab results, imaging and other test results Assessment and Plan:. What you think is going on with the patient and what you plan to do about it.

I recommend using a problem list for this section. State the problem (e.g. chest pain), the differential (angina, pneumonia, etc.), then what points towards or away from things on your differential. Then recommend diagnostic tests and treatments. It will look something like this: #Chest Pain. Pt presented with chest pain radiating to the left arm, worse with exertion. This pain is consistent with angina. Other possible considerations include pneumonia and pneumothorax. However, the patient had no fever or cough and breath sounds were equal on both sides, making these possibilities less likely.

-CXR to rule out pneumonia, pnuemothorax -Trend troponins and CK-MB -Coronary catheterization if troponins and CK-MB positive -Lipid panel

That's abbreviated, but you get the idea. You'll be responsible for writing one of these for your patient each day. If you have this information ready to go for your presentation, it will be a lot smoother.

ROUNDING This is when you go and visit the patients on your service. Your whole team generally goes to see each patient and at that point, you'll have the opportunity to "present" your patient. This means that you tell the whole team essentially what's on your progress note, for example, lab values, imaging and other test results, and most importantly, what you think is going on with the patient and what you plan to do about it.

Take the time to make your presentations great.

This is the main opportunity you have to make an impression on your attending!

What will help you make your presentations great is to begin with the end in mind. As you present your patient, focus on what matters for your differential diagnosis. As you're presenting the patient's symptoms, labs and studies, mention the things that point towards or away from items on your differential. This is the mark of a medical student who is thinking about what she's doing. Often medical students start saying everything about the patient because they don't know what's important and what's not. That's fine and essentially what's expected when you're starting out. However, if you try to focus on things that matter for making decisions for your patient, you are going the extra mile. Not only will the presentations be shorter (which is nice for everyone), but you'll also be developing the critical thinking skills you need as a doctor.

Nevertheless, you should still have all the information available. For example, if you only mention a few lab values that you think are important, you should still have all the lab values on your progress note so they're accessible to you. You might have skipped something important. If you do, your attending will ask you about it. Don't feel bad if this happens - just have the information ready. But, if you're trying to present what you think is important instead of just presenting everything, you'll be making the most of your learning experience, and your team will notice and appreciate your effort.

If you really want to go the extra mile, you can memorize your presentations. That will definitely make you stand out from the crowd and will help you know your patients better.

This is also one time when you'll be exposed to the notorious "pimping". Pimping is the practice of asking medical students difficult questions about medicine. A lot of times you won't know the answer. However, here are a few tips that will hopefully keep you from looking like a total idiot: Start with something you know When they ask you a question you don't know the answer to, such as "what's the rate of coronary artery disease in women?" Say something like "hmmm, well I know that heart disease is the num-

28 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

ber one killer of women..." or other fact related to the question that you may know. This helps buy you time. It also shows the team that you at least know something about heart disease! If you don't know more than that, just end with "‌but I'm not sure the answer to that particular question." The more time you spend on something you know, the better.

Give a range A lot of attendings will ask questions, like "What percent of kidney stones are visible on x-ray?"

Now, you probably don't know the exact rate. You'll have to think: high, medium or low? This one happens to be high. Then you pick a high range of about 15%. Your response: "About 70-85%."

Voila, you are right! A good resource for pimping questions on surgery is Surgical Recall. It's also available on audio so you can listen to it while you drive or work out.

DOING THE WORK Now that you're done rounding on your patients and have fended off your attending's questions, it's time to put those plans into action! You should take responsibility to make sure that the things planned for your patient happen. You should also try to be involved in as much of the work as possible. If you are on surgery, you'll be in surgery with your patients. If you are on internal medicine, you can help with procedures that are planned for your patient, such as lumbar punctures. Take an active role and help those plans become a reality.

A good tip is to arrive early and stay late. Your team will notice if you are around and try to help your patients. They'll also notice if you're taking off to do other things.

GO HOME, STUDY AND SLEEP When your patients are "tucked in", it's time to head home. "Tucked in" means that your plan for the day has been accomplished (at least as much as possible). This will probably be between 5 and 8 PM depending on you, your service, and your team. Some days you might be done early, but plan on putting in long days. Unfortunately, you still have tests at the end of every rotation called "shelf exams." These test your basic knowledge about diagnosis and treatment in the different disciples of medicine (surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, etc.). Get home and study for a few minutes, eat, and go to bed. You've got an early morning tomorrow! „

Brief introduction by SAHIL MEHTA, MD founder of MedSchoolCoach and a graduate of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine.

Article by MIKE FRAZIER, MD a graduate of UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and an advisor at MedSchoolCoach who also runs his own blog at www.medical-student-insider.com, providing information and helpful hints for medical students.

BOOK EXCERPT

THE MEDICAL SCHOOL

ADMISSIONS GUIDE: A HARVARD MD’S WEEK-BY WEEK ADMISSIONS HANDBOOK

BY SUZANNE M. MILLER, MD

THE INTERVIEW TRAIL: SCHEDULING AND STYLE PREP "In matters of style, swim with the current;in matters of principle, stand like a rock."

-Thomas Jefferson Though you still may be swamped with secondaries, interview season has begun. Interviews generally span from September to February. Rolling admissions schools tend to interview earlier than others (and let you know of acceptance earlier as well). The next twelve weeks will be dedicated to mastering the art of interviewing. I suggest reading all twelve weeks before your first interview.

All interviews start with a first impression. This means you need to be well dressed and well groomed. Once you are a physician, your patients will want you to look put together. And so do the interviewers. It may seem cliche and shallow, but you need to look good.

OCTOBER WEEK 1 | Interviews: Scheduling Does time of interview really affect chance of acceptance? Yes and no.

Yes, if the school does rolling admissions. Rolling admissions schools interview a batch of applicants and then offer the best candidates admission within weeks. The later you interview, the less spots are available. Interview timing is less critical for regular admissions schools. You will see pages and pages on medical school admissions blogs discussing the best strategic time to interview. Here's the bottom line: interview when you will be well rested and well prepared. This means avoid making your top choice school your first interview or your last. Be sure to plan for sufficient time off for interview travel, as you want to be fresh and ready to perform your best in each interview. Try to arrive the night before the interview so if you are held up due to transportation problems, you will have adequate time to make secondary plans.

OCTOBER WEEK 2 | Interviews: Suit and Shoes The suit is the wardrobe staple of anyone heading out on the medical school interview trail. Despite popular opinion, it does not have to be black and boring. Yes, doctors tend to be on the more conservative side of

30 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

This guide contains the weekly, step-by-step plan Dr. Miller used to get into Harvard Medical School. She has since utilized the strategy to help hundreds of applicants gain entry into medical school first as a Harvard pre-med tutor and then as CEO of MDadmit, a medical school admissions consulting service. Following this handbook's advice will provide premeds a distinct advantage in the competitive medical school admissions process as it prepares premeds for every step and helps create the best application. Book Highlights include: 1. Weekly, easy-to-follow advice on navigating the complex admissions process. 2. Multiple examples of successful personal statements, AMCAS and TMDSAS work/activities, secondary essays, and letter of intent/update letters. 3. Special sections on reapplicants, non-traditional applicants, DO schools, foreign schools, and military/public health service options.

@ depositphotos/ampyang

the fashion spectrum, but you do not need to give up all style for interviews. I wore a lovely silk deep green suit with black heels that stood out in a good way. The goal should be elegant for the ladies and dapper for the men. Your dad's baby blue tuxedo from the '70s with matching ruffled shirt may be hip,

“The medical school interview season is not the time to experiment with the mohawk you always wanted.” but it's probably a little too stylish. And your sister's four-inch suede miniskirt that looks great with sexy high brown leather boots should probably stay in her closet. I suggest a nice dark (blue, grey, black) tailored suit with cleanly pressed shirt and colorful tie for the gentleman. Ladies, you can pull off either wearing a pantsuit (completely acceptable) or a more traditional suit jacket and skirt combination. Pair the suit with a colorful blouse and simple jewelry, such as stud earrings and a pendant necklace. I know money may be tight, but I do suggest purchasing a nice suit for the interviews. If it is good quality and a classic style, you will use it for the rest of your life. It is acceptable to wear the same suit to every interview. I promise the admissions committees don't compare style notes.

Shoes. You may think it is absurd to dedicate an entire paragraph to interview shoes but I promise you will thank me later. Shoes are probably the most important part of the interview outfit. These shoes need to be incredibly comfortable, work in various climates, and look classy. I can't tell you how many poor interviewing souls have cursed the shoes they bought for the trail.

The Manola Blahnik stilettos will not seem like a good idea after your first three-hour school tour. At some schools, the majority of your interview day will be spent walking. So these shoes need to be comfortable. In addition, if you are interviewing at schools above the Mason Dixon Line in winter, you likely will be walking in snow and ice. Spending the afternoon in the emer-

gency department after cracking your ankle may seem like a good way to get sympathy points, but it will likely just make you look silly. Finally, the shoes need to be easily cleaned or shined so they look new at every interview. An old business interview secret is that shoes are the window to a potential hire's work ethic. Shined, well-kept shoes show a person is detail-oriented and dedicated to an overall polished look. Feel free to scoff, but shoes matter.

OCTOBER WEEK 3 | Interviews: Hair and Accessories The medical school interview season is not the time to experiment with the mohawk you always wanted. Keep hair clean and simple. If you are a man with long hair, you do not need to cut it. Just ensure it is clean and out of your face (same rules apply to women). As for jewelry, earrings in men are always a point of controversy. If your earring is an important part of who you are, leave it in. But if you consider it just a piece of jewelry, I would take it out. There are certainly old-school doctors out there who don't want to accept an applicant that seems like a "punk." Yes, I know this is incredibly out of date, but your interviewer may come from a time when men wearing earrings was less acceptable. Do you really want to throw away your entire application on a piece of jewelry? If you want to make a statement, make sure you get into medical school first. Body piercings that show (nose ring, tongue ring, eyebrow ring, etc.) fall under the same general guidelines as earrings. Wear it if it is a huge part of who you are. Lose it for a day if it isn't.

OCTOBER WEEK 4 | Interviews: First Twelve Inches To help you pull it all together on your interview day, etiquette experts have a simple rule to ensure you are looking your best. It's the first 12 inches of your head, hands, and feet that matter most: Head: Keep the cowlick under control.Be clean-shaven.Check teeth for errant vegetable matter and lipstick.

Hands: Groom nails short and clean. Chipped nail polish is worse than none at all.

Feet: Polish your shoes (yes, I actually mean go out and buy real shoe polish and scrub those puppies 'til they shine). For those color-blind guys out there: make sure your socks match. For the ladies: be sure your panty hose or stockings don't have runs.

CHECKLIST Schedule interviews Prepare interview wardrobe

get published. write for us

If you consider yourself a good writer and would like a chance to have your article published in an issue of PreMedLife Magazine, we’re looking for student writers to submit articles. From your personal experiences as a pre-med student to living everyday life as a college student, we want to share your story with our readers. Or if you need an idea to write about - we’ve got tons of them. For more information about writing for PreMedLife Magazine, visit our Web site at www.premedlife.com or email us at info@premedlife.com.

Premed / Pre-Health / Post Bacc Electives & Study Abroad in Africa

A F R I C A

Our program offers the following: Ø Opportunity for early exposure to medicine Ø A unique way to demonstrate intent and interest in medical school application Ø See healthcare delivery in a different setting Ø Cultural exchange and an appreciation of other cultures, including a Safari to famous Maasai Mara if placed in Kenya

info@electiveafrica.com

www.electiveafrica.com

Elective Africa's Premed / Pre-Health / Post Bacc program offers well structured and well supervised placements for Premed / Pre-Health / Post Bacc students seeking to study abroad, get independent study and be involved in experiential learning or volunteer programs in Africa.

Medical Programs

Safari to Masai Mara

Ø Student electives ð Surgery, Pediatrics, General Medicine, Obstetrics

& Gynecology, Emergency & Critical Care, Dentistry Ø Premed programs Ø Public health research Ø Medical camps Ø Nursing Ø Midwifery Ø Physician Assistant

“Doing a medical elective in Kenya was an eye opening experience. I got to see the developing world health system and range of tropical diseases not normally prevalent in Australia. It was a really hands on experience. I got to learn and perform skills like administering injections, catheters and suturing patients. I was also able to take part in the examining, differentials, diagnosing and formulating treatment plans. The highlight for me would have to be the amazing new friends I have made and the motivation I have taken back home. I would recommend this program to anyone considering it.”

Cassanne Eccleston Charles Sturt University Australia, August 2010

http://www.electiveafrica.com

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SCHOOLSPOTLITE

Get a glimpse into what one medical school in the U.S. has to offer prospective students <<<

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AT CHICAGO

quick facts

Chicago, Illinois To meet the country’s ongoing need for more inner city doctors, the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago is doing its part - and thensome. Aside from already preparing medical students based on a solid curriculum that is rooted in the basic and clinical sciences and early exposure to patients, UIC is preparing tomorrow’s doctors to serve urban communities.

Through a unique four-year medical curriculum called the Urban Medicine (UMed) Curriculum, UIC is preparing the future leaders in urban medicine, regardless of which specialty they enter, to deal with the challenges confronting the urban population. The UMed curriculum takes advantage of UIC’s location and breadth of clinical and community opportunities to prepare physician-leaders for urban communities.

According to the school’s Web site, the UMed curriculum is built on four general themes: Community, Health Disparities, Cross-Cultural Clinical Skills, and Leadership and Advocacy. Each year students participate in six to eight class sessions that develop and enhance their understanding on the general themes. In preparation for each session, students read scholarly articles and reports and work in small groups to interactively address issues. In the first-year students also prepare to begin a longitudinal rotation in local community or social service agencies/organizations that continues through the fourth-year of medical school.

The goal of the rotation is to provide first-hand experience with community program design, implementation and evaluation.

UMed students take the same required courses as their classmates. Whenever possible, students work together as formal groups. For example, in Essentials of Clinical Medicine (ECM), a two-year course sequence, UMed students stay together as “Working Groups” and collaborate on course components — Special Topics mini-courses, projects, service-learning opportunities, etc. — that complement the formal curricular sessions.

In the third year, UMed students participate in all required clerkships and are assigned to specific placements based on availability. They come together throughout the academic year to discuss cross-cultural clinical and other issues they encounter and reflect upon various approaches used at their individual assignment.

Senior UMed students complete the community rotation and are also encouraged to design electives to delve more deeply into cultural issues that impact medical care, or take advantage of opportunities for clinical work outside the US. Finally, UMed students are encouraged (but not required) to complete the Joint MD/MPH degree program. This option can be completed in five years.

A student interested in the joint degree program should consult with the Office of Special Curricular Programs during the first semester in medical school.

If admitted, the student begins course work the following summer.

For more information about UCI’s Urban Medicine Curriculum visit http://chicago.medicine.uic.edu/departments___programs/programs/doctor_of_medicine_/UMED/

DEGREE(S) OFFERED: MD MD/PhD MD/MPH MD/MBA

SCHOOL TYPE Public

GUARANTEED ADMISSION PROGRAM UIC offers a program called the Guaranteed Professional Program which allows a limited number of freshman per year to be admitted to UIC with guaranteed admission to one for several professional degree programs.

Students follow a specific curriculum and meet established performance criteria to maintain guaranteed admission.

MD SPECIAL TRACKS Urban Medicine James Scholar Independent Study Global Medicine

Tuition In-State: $17,000 Out-of-State: $35,500

Wikipedia.com

Unique Feature Urban Medicine Curriculum

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 35

WHAT THE

HECK

DO I SAY? Advice on Tackling the Personal Statement

BY JEFFREY MAZIQUE, MD

I

t had been quite a long day for the members of the admission committee for our esteemed medical school. We were part of the gatekeeper regiment and our function was to review the essays proclaimed "Why I Want to be a Doctor" >>>

36 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

The essay usually fell in two categories-there were the highly polished sheen of those who appeared to have been written by a $300 per hour consultant to those who appeared to burn the midnight oil trying to make their case. Our eyes glazed over when we read yet another story of how my mother, father, aunt, sister, brother etc. was ill when I was a little child and I felt so helpless and decided then and there to save the world. And then he or she proceeded to do first aid on the doll baby, dog, little brother etc. Advancing through school or how they planned on reaching the heights of Paul Farmer or Albert Sweitzer.

Just as our eyes had started to glaze over, one of the essays made us sit up and pay attention. Crisp and well written, the essay had the pathos of Job but the detailed storytelling that was reminiscent of John Steinbeck. She wove a tale of illness that had stuck her family in their southern rural community and how taking care of her ill mother had cut into her school time and how she had to mature at an earlier age. All of us were at the point of tears when the essay was over except for one of our readers who we had nicknamed "Ms Sunshine" a tribute to her dour personality.

She sat there, arms folds, looking cold as a stone. I summoned up my courage and asked "Why the long face?" "Well, it is a great essay, and it was great when I read the same essay last year".

WHAT CATEGORY WILL YOUR STATEMENT FALL INTO? Let's face it, most applicants have not wiped out cholera in Haiti or have discovered novel therapies for leukemia. As a result, the majority of the essays that I have received over the years fall into three main categories.

@ flickr/Ed Yourdon

The Family and/or Personal Health Tragedy Category Usually this involves the tragic illness of a close relative (or applicant) that strikes at an impressionable age (6-12) that shook the applicant to the core and inspired this devotion to the field.

The Love of Mankind Category These essays fall into the category that "I want to save the world, I am a loving, giving person - I would even work for free in order to serve." Well, here is the rub - every year we read hundreds of interviews that are variations of those two themes, so after a point it is difficult to find essays that are different and distinctive or unique. On scenario number one, while it is a touching story, it is about identification and service to a family member.

As an essay reader, how do I know whether the applicant's empathy will extend to the homeless drug addict and not just a blood relative? And in scenario number two, it is not sufficient to tell me how altruistic you are, one must show me examples of your altruism.

One cannot substitute platitudes for effort you cannot just talk a good game. In the essay you must give concrete examples of your

devotion to the field - volunteering at a hospital, providing company for shut ins, tutoring children - these will not win you a Nobel prize, but are significant nonetheless. It is difficult to recommend an applicant who has all the best intentions but no concrete examples of service to the community.

"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." 1984 -- George Orwell

groves or bamboo, walls or structures, to be discovered when the visitor follows the winding path." Lead our reader down that winding path.

Furthermore, the utilization of irony truly can create interest in your essay. How can one do this? What is Irony? Irony is a disagreement or incongruity between what is said and what is understood, or what is expected and what actually occurs. Irony can be used intentionally or can happen unintentionally. Why is it important? Authors can use irony to make their audience stop and think about what has just been said, or to emphasize a central idea.

The audience's role in realizing the difference between what is said and what is normal or expected is essential to the successful use of irony. How do I do it? Create a discrepancy between what is expected and what actually happens, as in these examples. Stories are about change and hopefully maturity. This change is often propelled by a choice one must make as Robert Frost noted "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by. And that has made all the difference." But with the change comes the consequence-- which may be good, bad, tragic unexpected or more but is essential in development of the central character. And this all builds to the climax where one has resolution, or reverberation or perhaps relief.

"Someone must have slandered Josef K., for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested." The Trial -- Joseph Kafka

WRITING HINTS 1) Use the active voice. The active voice is stronger than the passive voice.

HOW WILL YOUR STATEMENT BE STRUCTURED? In telling your story, you must hit the ground running. The first sentence in the story must be the most stellar sentence in the story. Examine the first lines of the novels above and I challenge any reader not be intrigued and anxious to keep reading.

Introduce your character, but don't dwell too long on the inner monologue before starting to tell your story. Something has to happen to someone. Avoid the habitual past, and get right to the direct, moving action.

Next, introduce the concept of conflict.

Conflict is an absolute necessity of fiction short or long. Otherwise, what makes it worth reading? Will your conflict be, differences to reconcile, winners vs. losers, good guys vs. bad guys, inner struggles, existential angst, arguments, or merely difficult decisions?

Whether trivial or magnanimous, the conflict is at the heart of both character and plot. And somewhere in the plot, this conflict often results in a significant shift in the personal universe. Avoid the obvious and the predictable.

The essay should unfold as in entering a Japanese garden in which the concept of concealment is key.

"The Zen Buddhist garden is meant to be seen at all once, but the promenade garden is meant to be seen one landscape at a time, like a scroll of painted landscapes unrolling.

Features are hidden behind hills, trees

2) Every noun does not need an adjective.

The "Hook Them With Curiosity, and Hold Them With Conflict" Category After having read literally hundreds of essays, the personal statement must be entertaining-- if I have twenty essays sitting on my desk, if my attention is not captured almost immediately, then my mind wanders.

As you write your personal statement, think about these lines: "Call me Ismael" Moby Dick -- Herman Melville "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice." One Hundred years of Solitude -- Gabriel Garcia Marquez "I am an invisible man" Invisible Man -- Ralph Ellison

3) Reexamine every adverb and throw away at least half of them, especially those that end in "ly," and almost all of the ones that end in "ly" to modify how a character has just said a line of dialogue.

4) Choose strong words. Choose the right word, as Humpty Dumpty states in Alice in Wonderland "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less". Â&#x201E;

JEFFREY MAZIQUE, MD is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences College of Medicine and Medical Officer at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Mazique is also a board member of the National Youth Leadership Forum

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GOODADVICE

Tips from students who have been there and done that...paying it forward <<<

This issue’s Good Advice comes courtesy of DOMINIC, a Columbia University graduate student who will begin GeorgeWashington University School of Medicine Fall 2012

to get a better score. But I heard statistics that half of all MCAT test takers will retake the test a second time so it was reassuring that I could take it a second time.

WHAT MADE YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD DO BETTER THE SECOND TIME? The second time I took it I was out of school, I was working full time. It was different because at my job I could leave work behind and go home and study without the distraction of having projects and assignments to worry about that I would have had to worry about had I been in school. So the timing the second time around was better for me.

©Flickr/CollegeDegrees360

WHEN IT CAME TO YOUR DECISION TO RETAKE THE MCAT, DID YOU DISCUSS IT WITH ANYBODY LIKE AN ADVISOR? I was really fortunate in that my undergraduate institution was a small school and had a small premed program and my advisor was really involved in my application process pretty much from the moment I entered school as a freshman so I was in regular communication with her about what I was going to do after I had taken it the first time and we discussed whether or not I should take it again so I really relied on her guidance with making that decision.

HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT FOR YOU TO GET A BETTER SCORE ON THE MCAT? I retook it to get into an MD program. I knew that's what I wanted to do. My scores were right around the range that would get me into a DO program. So it was the push of me needing a higher score to get into an MD school that encouraged me to take it a second time.

How to Retake the

MCAT the Smart Way We interviewed one student who has shared his strategy for preparing to retake the MCAT and gives advice for premeds thinking about taking the test for a second time. Dominic is currently completing a 1- Year Master's Program at Columbia University and has been admitted to George Washington University MD program. He is expected to start in August 2012.

AFTER YOU TOOK MCAT FOR THE FIRST TIME DID YOU INITIALLY BELIEVE YOU PERFORMED WELL OUT OF THE TESTING ROOM FEELING UNCERTAIN ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCE? The interesting thing is that I felt good the first time I took it. And it wasn't until the second time that I took it I was more unsure of my performance. So I walked out of the second test really questioning if I did well or not. And I talked to a few friends who had taken the test on the same day and that was sort of the general consensus among the group who thought it was a really hard test. I was normal to question your performance on it and sometimes that meant if you were questioning yourself than you did better than you actually thought you did.

ONCE YOU RECEIVED YOUR SCORES BACK FROM YOU FIRST TEST, DID YOU QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT YOU STILL WANTED TO PURSUE A CAREER IN MEDICINE? I didn't. I knew that medicine was something that I wanted to pursue. I questioned my ability to do it. Because even though medicine was where my passions lie, I didn't know if I'd be able to overcome the subpar score that I got the first time in order

IN ADDITION TO YOUR MCAT SCORE, HOW STRONG WERE THE OTHER COMPONENTS OF YOUR MEDICAL SCHOOL APPLICATION? So one of the things that I'm proud of is that my application to med school was what I consider to be very diversified and strong. I majored in English in undergrad, I did volunteer work at a children's hospital, during the summer I worked at a pharmacy, I took a service trip through my college to Oakland, California. So I think I was in a good position overall in my application the only thing I thought was deficient was my MCAT score.

DID YOU DO ANY BACKGROUND RESEARCH ON HOW THE MEDICAL SCHOOLS YOU WERE APPLYING TO WERE GOING TO TREAT YOUR MULTIPLE SCORES? I didn't. I wasn't exactly sure how they would look at multiple scores. I kind of approached it from the general idea that they would only look at the most recent score and for that reason there was a certain amount of pressure that I put on myself to perform better the second time. I know in general that it doesn't look good to retake the test and not get a higher score the second time.

WHAT WAS YOUR MCAT STUDY STRATEGY THE FIRST TIME AROUND? The first time I took it I enrolled in an MCAT prep course during my junior year in college that met every Saturday for three hours from October through April. I used their materials - in class and online - and they provided textbooks and problems that you could work on, so I utilized their resources but as I mentioned it's difficult trying to balance that and other schoolwork because I was a full-time student at the time. So the course became another class for me but it wasn't necessarily something that got my full attention because I had other schoolwork to take into account at the time.

To read the rest of our interview with Dominic about what he did differently the second time around, how much time he dedicated to studying, and more visit www.premedlife.com.

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 39

©Flickr by photoeverywhere.co.uk

An article courtesy of the staff at the International American University

CARIBBEAN MEDICAL EDUCATION THE AFTERLIFE

©Flickr by d o l f i

©creative commons by wikipedia

A look at what happens after a graduating from a medical school in the Caribbean

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THE DECISION TO DEDICATE ONE'S LIFE IN PURSUIT OF MEDICINE AND BECOME A DOCTOR IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS A PERSON MAKES. IN SPITE OF BEING LABELED THE NOBLEST PROFESSION OF ALL, THE PATH OF MEDICINE IS EXTREMELY DEMANDING AND IS ONE THAT CALLS FOR A LOT OF SACRIFICES, DEDICATION, UNWAVERING FOCUS AND DOGGED HARD WORK. NO ONE CAN DENY THAT BECOMING A DOCTOR IS AN UPHILL TASK. THIS IS WHY THE CHOICE OF WHERE TO PURSUE MEDICINE IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE DECISION ITSELF.

R

ecords show that due to a severe limitation of available seats, only one in four medical aspirants are able to find a spot in a medical school in the US and Canada. This is where the advantage of a Caribbean school like the International American University (IAU) College of Medicine in Saint Lucia, West Indies, comes into play. With a dedicated faculty and low student-to-faculty ratio, medical schools like IAU are able to maximize students' one-on-one time with professors. Also, while most US medical schools have a class strength of 250300 students, IAU and similar schools restrict it to 35-45 students so that no one gets lost in the crowd. Additionally, most Caribbean schools do not exert the same financial pressure that a school in the US and Canada does and in these times of economic instability, everybody knows the importance of saving every dollar you can. With tuition fees that are considerably lower than their US counterparts, Caribbean medical schools often help students become doctors without adding a debt to their name.

Inspite of all the advantages that medical schools like IAU talks about, medical hopefuls still find it difficult to commit to a school outside the US, simply because they worry about what happens after a Caribbean study.

Students often wonder if a Caribbean study, with all its advantages, will nevertheless hold them back when they return to America. Perhaps the fact that approximately 25% of US medical residents are graduates from foreign medical schools, could possibly lay those doubts to rest. In order to further slay these demons of doubt, we spoke to students of IAU who quoted from their experience and helped us paint a larger picture.

All the students from IAU opined that the Caribbean study was only a boon to them; for at the end of it they were working side by side with their peers from US medical schools and the only difference between them and their US peers was the lack of debts saddled on their backs. They felt that what most medical hopefuls don't realize when they consider a Caribbean medical school is that it's only mostly their basic science education that is based on the Islands. Clinical rotation and training is held back in the United States. Manish Nair, a former student of the International American University College of Medicine, explains that with IAU, you only remain on the island for 4 or 5 semesters, after which you return to the US. The educational model followed by IAU is one that is followed by many other medical schools in the Caribbean. He explains that the first four

semesters which contains all of the classroom studies are conducted on the Caribbean Islands. Following the completion of their basic science studies, the students will then move on to the fifth semester which contains three parts, an Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM), a seven week review program and a self study component. IAU students have a choice of three locations available for the completion of their ICM - Jackson Park Hospital, Chicago, IL, Emory Adventist Hospital, Atlanta,GA, and Tapion Hospital in Castries, Saint Lucia. The first step for students after completing semester 5 is to apply and pass the USMLE before they are allowed to begin clinical rotations in the US. Once they have passed Step 1, it will take approximately 3-4 weeks for students to start their first rotation. Rotations are available in the following U.S. cities; Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA, Shreveport, LA, West Allies, WI, Salt Lake City, UT, and Greeley, CO. Students will complete a total of 76 weeks of rotations (48 weeks of cores and 28 weeks of electives) and this rotation completes semesters 6 to 10.

Manish adds that it is the Clinical Department of IAU that is responsible for scheduling student rotations. What is said of IAU is also true for a lot of other schools operating in the Caribbean whose students are largely from the US, Canada and the UK. In fact as a result of the dominance of students from the fore said countries, most often once in school, it's hard to realize that they are in a different country.

Also, the students have only the best memories when quizzed about their experience of clinical rotations. Though the process of clinical rotations can be taxing and stressful to many, it also provides them with great hands-on experience with patients. The preceptors were also extremely helpful in providing them extensive information for each core rotation. The students were exposed to a wide variety of patients and ailments, a factor that helped them immensely in their preparation for Step 2 - Clinical Knowledge and Clinical Skills.

If the students of IAU are representative of their peers, then there is no doubt that there is nothing daunting about a Caribbean Study. The path after it seems straightforward and, like in any other field, it's the effort and hard work you put into it that will help sow the results. So for all of you considering medical schools, thinking outside your box, or your country as the case may be, is not such a bad idea after all. Â&#x201E;

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 41

ŠDepositphotos/nelka7812

the anti-freshman 15

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ESPECIALLY THIS SPECIALTY

Learn more about various specialties and what it will take to pursue a certain specialty<<<

ORTHOPAEDICS Written by Bonnie Mason, MD, Founder and Executive Director of Nth Dimensions

WHAT DOES AN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON DO? Orthopaedic surgeons understand and diagnose the special problem of the musculoskeletal system. Areas include: • Diagnosis of an injury or disorder • Treatment with medication, exercise, surgery or other treatment plans • Rehabilitation by recommending exercises or physical therapy to restore movement strength and function • Prevention with information and treatment plans to prevent injury or slow the progression of diseases

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO BECOME AN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON? Undergraduate (4 Years) (to obtain bachelor's degree)

ORTHOPAEDICS is the medical specialty that focuses on injuries and diseases of your body's musculoskeletal system. This complex system includes your bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves and allows you to move, work, and be active.

Once devoted to the care of children with spine and limb deformities, orthopaedists now care for patients of all ages, from newborns with clubfeet to young athletes requiring arthroscopic surgery to elderly people with arthritis.

And anybody can break a bone.

WHAT UPPER LEVEL COLLEGE COURSES SHOULD YOU TAKE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ORTHOPAEDICS? Bioengineering courses that focus on prosthetics can provide further insight into the profession as many orthopaedists who conduct joint arthroplasty use prosthetic joints to replace the injured or diseased joint.

WHAT DO ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS SAY THEY LOVE ABOUT THEIR SPECIALTY?

They are intrigued by the anatomy and physics behind the musculoskeletal system of the human body and the ability to use their hands to heal. Personally, the prospect to do research in biomechanics and the technical aspects of bone replacement structures greatly appeals to me. I also realize that a career as an orthopaedic surgeon would provide me with an academically challenging and professionally diverse environment that will allow continuous learning and interactions with people that are driven towards excellence.

Medical School (4 Years) (to obtain MD or DO degree)

WHAT ARE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON?

Residency (5-6 Years) The residency generally consist of one year of general surgery training followed by four years of training in orthopedic surgery

Smart, hardworking, and enjoys learning about what makes people move, literally.

Fellowship (1-2 Years) Fellowship training in an orthopedic subspecialty is typically one year in duration (sometimes two) and sometimes a research component involved with the clinical and operative training.

WHAT DOES AN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON EARN? The annual median salary for an orthopaedic surgeon is $411,936.

HOW CAN I GET MORE INVOLVED?

Start early by speaking with orthopaedic surgeons and getting involved in organizations for orthopaedic surgeons. Nth Dimensions is a great nonprofit organization whose mission is to address health care disparities, and improve cultural competency and access to health care for the increasingly diversified U.S. population. To attain this mission, the organization increases the pipeline of medical students from gender and ethnic minority groups seeking to become orthopaedic surgeons.

© United States Department of Defense

Wilford Hall Medical Center's orthopedic spine surgery team at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas perform the Air Force's first total-disc arthoplasty procedure

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 45

THEGOODS

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>>>Our pick of items that will add some flair to your premedlife and perhaps make you smile

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Skeleton Espresso Cup Stack

Do you feel dead before that cup of coffee or shot of espresso in the morning? This set of 4 espresso mugs that build to make a skeleton are meant to empathize with that mind state.

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a

Molecular Gastronomy Kit-Cuisine What do you get when you combine food, chemistry and art? You get to deconstruct any dish, to change the look and feel of any ingredient, to impress dinner guests, and to take your tastebuds on an adventure --known as molecular gastronomy.

` 46 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

Bamboo Dry Erase Board Not your average white board, this unique desktop dryerase board features a sustainable, patent-pending real bamboo surface, giving any desk an organic, organized look. Keep it nearby to jot down to-do lists or flashes of genius without wasting paper.

` This handy shredder lets you shred your personal documents before trashing them and helps you mind your carbon footprint.

Requiring no electricity, this compact device has two end caps that twist in opposite directions to activate a hand-powered shredding machine. This is a perfect item for the dorm.

These portable self-powered speakers are made from recycled cardboard. All you have to do to start listening is fold them into shape and plug them into any audio device that has a headphone jack for music on the go.

Warm or Cool Face Mugs These mugs hold beverages up top and have a special cubby for your favorite nibbles. The perfect snack-time companion, wake up to coffee and a bagel or settle in for late-night milk and cookies.

a

a

Hand-Powered Paper Shredder

Fold and Play Speakers

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 47

PreMedLife Magazine

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IN THE STACKS

Books we thought that aspiring doctors might be interested in reading<<<

ALFALFA TO IVY: MEMOIR OF A HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL DEAN

by Joseph B. Martin In his personal perspective on academic politics and health care in the U.S., Jospeh Martin shares with readers the story of his humble beginnings to becoming a Harvard Medical School dean. Martin’s memoir is an opportunity for pre-med and medical students to gain an inside view of what makes medical institutions tick and what it takes to make one truly successful.

Readers will learn about the ups and downs of Martin’s career and how he confronted issues of medicine and health care that came his way. The memoir is considered a compelling narrative for non-specialists as well as academics and professionals.

LIFE AFTER COLLEGE: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO GETTING WHAT YOU WANT

by Jenny Blake In her post-college guide, Jenny Blake offers the lessons she has learned. She talks about the steps she took to figure out what she wanted and who she really was under her great accolades and achievements - she finished college in three years with a double major and honors, while working full-time beginning at age 20. Although life after college for pre-med students won’t reflect the typical life for a student graduating from school and entering the workforce, Blakes book offers advice and guidance that can be applied to your life in general. From managing money and your relationship to friends and family to dating and relationships to personal growth, pre-meds and medical students are sure to find some useful tidbits.

COUNTY: LIFE, DEATH AND POLITICS AT CHICAGO’S PUBLIC HOSPITAL

by David Ansell, MD To tell the story of one of America’s oldest and “most unusual” urban hospitals, Dr. David Ansell shares his tale of being a young, idealistic physician from the East Coast who experiences many ups and downs as a young doctor. As he tells his story, Dr. Ansell delves into brief discussions of health care issues and how they pertain to race, socio-economics and even medicine today. For those of you thinking about practicing urban medicine, this book will give you a peek into the life of a doctor who never loses his concern for the health of the underserved and is determined to do whatever it takes to fix the problems he sees.

INVASION OF THE BODY: REVOLUTIONS IN SURGERY

by Nicholas Tilney For all of the future surgeons out there, Nicholas Tilney writes to give readers an understanding of the surgical profession and illustrate the interrelatedness among the discipline of surgery and the rest of medicine. He also does a good job at describing what surgeons actually do when they are operating, why they do it and why it sometimes ends in failure. Overall, Tilney tells the story of modern surgery and the revolutions that have transformed the field: anesthesia, prevention of infection, professional standards of competency, pharmaceutical advances, and the turmoil in medical education and health care reform.

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 49

BETTERLIFEBETTERYOU

>>> Information on taking care of yourself as a student living a busy pre-med life

newstouse

Health | Wellness | Fitness | Nutrition | Mind & Body

Certain Internet behaviors, like switching back and forth from one application to another, have been linked with depression, according to a study conducted by researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

When researchers observed how 216 undergraduate students surfed the web for a month, they reported that about 30%of the students had depression.

The researchers who reported the results say that this may be the first study relating depression and Internet use.

“The study shows depressed students are also connected to the Internet more frequently than their healthy peers,” the authors wrote. “Depressed students also visit more health-related websites, chatrooms, social networks and gambling canters more often.

©flickr by Santiago Rodriguez

Web Surfing Habits May Be Sign of Depression

According to a recent study, resistance training improves brain function in older women.

The study, which involved 86 women, 70 to 80 years old with mild cognitive impairment and memory problems. Researchers found that when the women lifted weights or did other forms of resistance training it slowed their decline to full-blown dementia. Specifically, after six months, compared to those only taking balance and tone classes, the strength-training group showed “significant” cognitive improvement.

“What our results show is that resistance training can indeed improve both your cognitive performance and your brain function, said Professor Teresa Liu-Ambrose, who led the study at the University of British Columbia. “What is key is that it will improve two processes that are highly sensitive to the effects of aging and neurodegeneration: executive function and associative memory.”

The study was published in the April issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

50 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

©Creative Commons / Wikipedia

Exercise Can Help Protect Memory

>>> See upcoming health and fitness events at thafitnessgroup.com

Coffee’s Extra Kick Effect Only Works on People Who Are Lazy avoided challenges worked significantly harder when given amphetamines, while ‘worker’ rats that typically embraced challenges were less motivated by caffeine.

“These findings suggest that some stimulants may actually have an opposite effect for people who naturally favor the difficult tasks of life that come with greater rewards,” said Jay Hosking, who led the study. “The study also suggest that the amount of mental attention people devote to achieving their goals may play a role in determining how stimulants affect them.”

©flickr by Sugar Daze

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of British Columbia concludes that coffee’s ‘stimulant’ effect only works on lazy people. What happens is that caffeine does not raise one motivation level.

“Every day, millions of people use stimulants to wake up, stay alert and increase their productivity -- from truckers driving all night to students cramming for exams.”

The study, published in Nature’s Neuropsychopharmacology, looked at the impacts of stimulants on rats. When given stimulants, the ‘slacker’ rats that typically

A diet steadily high in fructose slows the brain, hampering memory and learning, according to a new study published in the Journal of Physiology.

“Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think,” said Feranado Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a professor of integrative biology and physiology in the UCLA College of Letters and Science. “Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain’s ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage.”

For the study, researchers studied two groups of rats that each consumed a fructose solution as drinking water for six weeks. The second group also received omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and DHA, which protects against damage to the synapses - the chemical connections between the brain cells that enable memory and learning. The animals were fed standard rat food and trained on a maze twice daily for five days before starting the experimental diet. Then the study team tested how well the rats were able to navigate the maze, which contained numerous holes but only one exit. The researchers place visual landmarks in the maze to help the rats learn and remember the way.

© flickr by Phil Monger

Consuming Sugary Foods Slows the Brain

July/August 2012 | PreMedLife Magazine | 51

COLLEGE101

>>> Tips and advice for getting through your days as a student in college

SIX

Things To Do Before Summer Ends (and College Begins) As the end of the summer draws to a close and the beginning of a brand new semester presents itself, there are just some things that you should do before the summer ends to make sure that you kick of the opening of the academic year in the right way.

DO NOTHING. That’s right, if you haven’t been doing this already, it is important that you give yourself a break and some time to relax before the Fall semester starts and your schedule starts getting hectic.

READ A BOOK Starting in August, the time you have for reading a book that is not “required” reading may no longer exist. You still have a few weeks to find and finish a book of your choice. Whether it’s The Happiness Project or Friends Forever, stop by Barnes and Nobel or your local library and find yourself something to read.

HANGOUT WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY Because who knows when you’ll get a chance to do that once the semester begins (that is depending on how studious you are of course).

GET ORGANIZED From cleaning out your email inbox to sorting through your personal documents, it is very important to be in a state of organization once the new semester rolls around. You’ll be able to spend the time you need on what’s most important rather than trying to get things done in a whole mess of confusion.

CHECK YOUR TRANSCRIPT For any student other than a freshman, it will be quite helpful to review your transcript before the semester begins. By doing this, you’ll be able to see clearly what your game plan needs to be moving forward. Looking at your transcript and your academic performance at the beginning of the semester should push you to make goals for yourself - whether it’s a goal to maintain your 4.0 gpa or improving your academic credentials.

CHECK OUT COURSERA From courses in Humanities to Biology, Coursera has partnered with top universities to offer free courses online for anyone to take. If you aren’t already taking one of these courses you should. For you all, we’ve got our eyes on the following courses: Organic Chemistry courtesy of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Statistic One courtesy of Princeton University, Modern and Contemporary American Poetry courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania, Bioelectricity: A Quantitative Approach courtesy of Duke University, Intro to Logic courtesy of Stanford University, Community Change in Public Health courtesy of Johns Hopkins University, Drugs and the Brain courtesy of the California Institute of Technology, and Think Again: How to Reason and Argue courtesy of Duke University. Hey you’ve got nothing to lose - you watch lectures taught by top professors, learn at your own pace, test your knowledge, and reinforce concepts through interactive exercise.

52 | PreMedLife Magazine | July/August 2012

THE STRENGTH TO HEAL

and learn lessons in courage.

We’ll pay you $2,062 a month while you are in a residency program. This monthly living expense will help you gain the strength to heal. In addition, you’ll gain experience with top medical professionals and the most advanced technology.

You’ll be able to practice in your community and serve when needed. You’ll be helping our Soldiers, your country and your career.

To learn more, call 877-406-5863 or visit healthcare.goarmy.com/info/n474.

©2011. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

After graduation, take a stand against poverty by joining AmeriCorps VISTA— Volunteers in Service to America.

You’ll put your passion to work to help those in need, and you’ll gain experience you can’t find in other kinds of entry-level jobs. You’ll also receive:

H H H H

Living allowance $4,725 for tuition or student loans Health care Moving expenses

37 million Americans live in poverty.

Take a stand. Join AmeriCorps VISTA.

800-942-2677

(TTY 800-833-3722)