Get
Into Medical School! A Guide for the Perplexed
Kenneth V. Iserson, M.D.
A
step-by-step guide to preparing for, selecting, and obtaining a
medical school position. Numerous figures, detailed charts about
medical and osteopathic schools illustrate the medical school selection
process. The Must/Want Analysis provides a way to rank both undergraduate
and medical schools to meet your individual needs. This unique book
provides invaluable practical tips and information about medical
school admission, preparation during high school and undergraduate
years, the MCAT, applications, interviews, foreign schools, financing
medical education, and what to do when you are accepted.
This
comprehensive companion answers the following questions:
·
Do I want to be a physician? What options does medicine offer?
· How can I prepare during high school? Undergraduate school?
· What are the differences between the M.D. and D.O. schools
and special programs
· Which medical schools should I apply to? Should I consider
foreign schools?
· What is the MCAT exam? How do I prepare for it?
· How do I complete applications? Prepare a résumé?
Write a personal essay?
· How do I prepare for the interview? What questions should
I ask? What shouldn't I ask?
· What questions will they ask me? How should I answer?
· What special problems will I encounter if I am a woman?
Minority? Physically impaired? Older?
· How do I choose between schools that accept me?
· How do I pay for a medical education?
· After I'm accepted, then what?
REVIEWS
A
one-source book for aspiring physicians. It addresses the key issues
that make applicants lose sleep. Rich in details, but fun to read.
A must for the applicant who wants to know the ropes before getting
caught in them.
-Dr. James Tysinger, University of Texas College of Medicine, San
Antonio.
One
of the best books I have read in 29 years of medical student admissions
work.
-Dr. T. John Leppi, Assoc. Dean, Univ. of North Texas Health Sciences
Center
The
book for premed advisers and advisees! A great book!
-Ursula Bishop, Prehealth Advisor, Cal Poly, San Luis Obisbo, CA
A
treasury of useful information for students contemplating a career
in medicine and application to medical school.
-Dr. Donald G. Kassebaum, Vice Pres., Assoc. of American Medical
Colleges
As
a perplexed parent of a student now in the process of choosing a
career path, this book answered every question I had about medical
school admission and many of the questions I hadn't even thought
of yet!
-Esther Berren, Tucson, AZ
ISBN
# 1-883620-23-6
493 pages, bibliography, index
©Galen Press, Ltd. 1996
CATALOG # 012A $34.95
Table
of Contents
Chapter
1: A Medical Career Should You Be A Physician? Why You May Not Want
To Be A Physician What Are the Steps To Take To Become A Doctor?
Medicine-The Promise and the Reality Basic Rules for Success
Chapter 2: Medicine's Scope: The Specialties
Chapter 3: Specialty Descriptions
Chapter 4: Osteopathic Medicine-The Other Degree. What Is A "D.
O."? Why Choose a D.O. Versus An M.D. School? Osteopathic Curriculum.
Osteopathic Medical Practice.
Chapter 5: Preparation in High School A Taste of Medicine: Volunteer
and Work Opportunities. Information about Medicine: Realism versus
Reality.
Chapter 6: Unique Opportunities-Accelerated Programs Positive And
Negative Aspects. Schools With Combined Undergraduate-M.D. Programs.
Chapter 7: Undergraduate Preparation "Best" Preparation
For Medical School. Is There A "Best" College? (Must/Want
Analysis: Undergrad. School). Medical School Requirements. Premedical
Advisers: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly. Transferring From A Junior/Community
College. Accelerated and Early-Assurance Programs.
Chapter 8: Women-No Longer Unusual Women Physicians. Women As Premeds
And Applicants. Women In Medical School And Beyond. Relationships
And Marriage.
Chapter 9: Minority Applicants Project 3000 By 2000. The "Minority
Attitude." Successful Minority Applicants. Unique Information
for Different Minorities. Special Preparation Programs For Minorities
Applying To Medical School. Once You Get Into Medical School.
Chapter 10: Unconventional Premed Students Physically Challenged/Disabled
Applicants. Older Applicants. Postbaccalaureate Premed Programs.
Other Unconventional Students.
Chapter 11: The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) Description
of the MCAT. Preparing For the MCAT. Test-Taking Hints. MCAT Scores.
Registering For The MCAT.
Chapter 12: Applying To Medical School Medical School Applications.
Bad Options-The Desperate Application.
Chapter 13: Essays, Recommendations, & Secondary Applications
Personal Statements And Essays. Reference Letters. Secondary Applications.
Photographs. Assessing Your Chance For Acceptance. Communicating
With The School
Chapter 14: Admission Committees And Procedures Screening Process.
What They Want.: The "Perfect" Applicant.
Chapter 15: Picking The Right Schools M.D. and D.O. Schools In The
United States And Canada. Differences Among Medical Schools.
Chapter 16: Which Medical Schools? The Must/Want'Analysis Must/Want
Analysis. Playing The Odds: To How Many Schools Should I Apply?
Chapter 17: Foreign Medical Schools Approved/Non-Approved Schools.
Who Should Consider Going To A Foreign School? Useful Safeguards.
The Schools Transferring Into U.S. Medical Schools. Clerkships In
The United States. Fifth-Pathway Programs. Getting Back Into the
U.S. For Residency and Practice. ECFMG Certification. Getting A
Residency Position Obtaining A Medical License.
Chapter 18: Financial Information Paying For Medical School. Obtaining
Financial Aid. Useful Financial Terms. Scholarships Without Payback
Obligations. Scholarships With Payback Obligations Loans. Other
Funding Sources. Paying It Back.
Chapter 19: Combined-Degree Programs Combined M.D./D.O.-Ph.D. Combined
Medicine-Law. Combined Medical Degree-Master's Degrees. Pros And
Cons of Combined-Degree Programs. Applying To A Combined-Degree
Program.
Chapter 20: Preparing For The Visit Preparing For The Interview.
Dressing The Part. How To Pack For The Interview Trip.
Chapter 21: The Visit, TraveI. A Typical Medical School Visit.
Chapter 22: Preparing For The Interview Before You Go. Basic Interview
Rules.
Chapter 23: The Interview An Interview Day. A Typical Interview.
Non-Interview Visits.
Chapter 24: Your Questions The List-To Ask Faculty . The List-To
Ask Medical Students. Confirm Questionable Points. Things Not To
Ask! Things Not To Do. Why Interviews Fail. Interviewer's Evaluation
of Applicants. Sell Yourself.
Chapter 25: The Questions-The Answers Presenting Yourself. Types
of Questions. Questions And Answers.Illegal Questions.
Chapter 26: Waiting For, Choosing Among, & Accepting Offers
Early-Decision Programs. Acceptance Letters. Deferred Acceptances.
Changing Your Mind. What Else Do You Need To Do? Rejections And
Reapplications.
Chapter 27: Getting Ready For Medical School Completing Prerequisites.
Preparing Yourself. Locating Special Resources At School. Getting
Organized At School.
Chapter 28: Alternatives To Medical School Physician Assistant Programs.
Advance-Practice Nursing. Dentistry. Podiatric Medicine. Optometry.
Naturopathic Medicine "'...' "' '.' ' :"..."
'..." Chiropractic Other Careers In Medicine Summary : ~ -
Chapter 29: Now You Are A Medical Student
Chapter 30: So You Want To Go To A Different Medical School?
Appendices: Abbreviations & Acronyms; Contact Information For
Premeds; Postbaccalaureate Premed Programs; Medical School-Sponsored
Summer Programs; Medical Schools in the United States, Canada, U.S.
Osteopathic Medical Schools, Some Non-U.S./Canadian Medical Schools.
Annotated Bibliography
Index
LIST OF FIGURES
Chapter
1: Fig. 11.Typical Premed Activities; 1.2 Applicants and Acceptance
Ratios To U.S. (M.D.) Medical Schools; 1.3: Number of Schools &
First-Year Positions at U.S. and Canadian Medical Schools; 1.4:
Anticipated Number of First-Year Positions & Graduates at M.D.
Schools-1995-1996 through 1999-2000; 1.5: Estimated Percentage Increase
in Physician Specialties-1991-2000 & 1991-2010; 1.6: Average
Weekly Work Hours of Specialists Compared to Income.
Chapter 2: Fig. 2.1: Characteristics Associated with Entering a
Primary Care Specialty; 2.2: Approved Specialty Boards, Certification
& Special Qualification Categories; 2.3: Practicing Physicians'
Specialties; 2.4: Specialties where New Residency Graduates Have
Difficulty Getting Full-Time Jobs & Specialties that May Reduce
Residency Positions Fig.
Chapter 4: 4.1: Average Osteopathic Curriculum-Basic Sciences (Preclinical);
4.2: Average Osteopathic Curriculum-Clinical Years; 4.3: Osteopathic
Specialties-Programs & Funded Entry-Level Positions; 4.4: Osteopathic
Graduates in M.D. Programs.
Chapter 7: Fig. 7.1: Average Cost of Undergraduate School Tuition
(Per Year); 7.2: Must/Want Analysis; 7.3: Undergraduate School Must/Want
Analysis-Example 1; 7.4: Undergraduate School Must/Want Analysis-Example
2.
Chapter 8: Fig. 8.1: Number of Women and Men Accepted into Medical
Schools; 8.2: Schools Where Women Compose 50% or More of the First-Year
Class; 8.3: Percentage of Women Residents & Fellows in Selected
Specialties;. 8.4: Gender of Medical School Faculty (By Rank); 8.5:
Women Faculty in Various Specialties; 8.6: Model Family Leave Policy
For Medical Schools; 8.7: Women Physicians' Pregnancy Complications.
Chapter 9: Fig. 9.1: Average MCAT Scores & GPAs of Accepted
Applicants by Race/Ethnicity; 9.2: Average MCAT Scores & GPAs
of Applicants by Race/Ethnicity Who Were Not Accepted.
Chapter 10: Fig. 10.1: Acceptance Rates to First-Year Class by Age;
10.2: Locale of Medical Students' High Schools.
Chapter 11: Fig. 11.1: Typical MCAT Test Schedule; 11.2: Percentages
Correlating to MCAT Raw and Scaled Scores; 11.3: Average MCAT Scores
for Applicants and Matriculants.
Chapter 1: Fig. 12.1: Application Record.
Chapter 13: Fig. 13.1: Requirements for Personal Statements; 13.2:
Rating Sheet for Applicants to Medical School; 13.3: Elements of
a Reference Letter; 13.4: Request for a Reference Letter.
Chapter 14: Fig. 14.1: Positive and Negative Personal Attributes
in Medical School Applicants; 14.2: The "Imperfect" (Real)
Medical School Matriculant; 14.3: The "Perfect" Medical
Sc.hool Matriculant.
Chapter 15: Fig. 15.1: Medical School Admission Requirements-Courses;
15.2: Medical School Admission Requirements-Other; 15.3: Medical
School Specifics; 15.4: Medical School Admission Requirements-Grades,
Etc.; 15.5: Medical School Application Information; 15.6: Weeks
of Required Third- and Fourth-Year Rotations; 15.7: Median Annual
Medical School Tuition and Fees; 15.8: Average Medical School's
Full-Time Facurty in Various Areas.
Chapter 16: Fig. 16.1: Must/Want Analysis for Medical School; 16.2:
Must/Want Analysis-Example 3; 16.3: Must/Want Analysis-Example 4.
Chapter 17: Fig. 17.1: Performance by Foreign Graduates on USMLE
(% Passing); 17.2: Percentage of All Entering Students Who Graduate;
17.3 IMGs Practicing Medicine in Various Specialties; 17.4: Types
of Applicants (Percentages) Filling PGY-1 and Advanced Positions
in Specialties Through NRMP Match; 17.5: Graduate Education Requirements
for Licensure.
Chapter 18: Fig. 18.1: Personal Credit Rating Request Form;, 18.2:
A Budgetary Guide for One Year of Medical School;18.3: How Far Will
My Paycheck Go? 18.4: Median Physician Annual Incomes after Expenses
& Before Taxes; 18.5: Influence of Indebtedness as it Relates
to Medical Students' Career Choices.
Chapter 19: Fig. 19.1: Schools Offering Formal Combined-Degree Programs.
Chapter 2-: Fig. 20 1: Packing a Suitcase.
Chapter 21: Fig. 21.1: Air Travel Made Easier; 21.2: Medical Schools-Interviews
and Visits.
Chapter 22: Fig. 22.1: Interview Notes.
Chapter 23: Fig. 23.1: Typical Interview from the Interviewer's
Viewpoint; 23.2: Elements in the Communication Process.
Chapter 24: Fig. 24.1: Guidelines for Effective Listening; 24.2:
Factors Influencing an Interviewer's Behavior; 24.3: Warning Signs
for Interviewers; 24.4: Interviewer's Rating Form; 24.5: Key Personality
Traits Interviewers Seek.
Chapter 25: Fig. 25.1: Illegal Questions-Sex Discrimination; 25.2:
Other Questions-Legal And Illegal Forms.
Chapter 27: Fig. 27.1: Life Activities During Medical School-Example;
27.2: Prioritized Life Activities During Medical School-Example.
Chapter 28: Fig. 28.1: Other Health Care-Related Careers.
©Galen
Press, Ltd., 1996-2001
Extras:
Can You Spot the Errors?
TEN
TIPS FOR WRITING EXCELLENT RESUMES
FACTOIDS
ABOUT MEDICINE, SPECIALTIES, & RESIDENCY
Get
the Facts About a Medical Career
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