Congratulations to Christy! Your response was randomly selected by the “And The Winner Is…” plugin for WordPress.

Thank you to people who participated in this giveaway! Your responses were excellent advice for students interested in medicine! Stay tuned because there is another giveaway scheduled for next month!

What is the Prize?

One lucky participant will receive one $50 gift card for Amazon.com. The card can be used on millions of items available on Amazon.com including books, clothes, food (yes!), MCAT materials, USMLE materials, Kindle books, etc.

What is the Deadline?

Start Time: April 18, 2013 at 10:00am (EST)
End Time: April 24, 2013 at 11:59pm (EST)

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The winner will be selected at random using the And The Winner Is… plugin from WordPress.org. This is why the comments must be left on this post.

When & Where Will the Winner Be Announced?

The winner will be announced here on April 25th at 10:00am (EST) and contacted via email with their prize!

Giveaway Rules

1. Leave ONE comment on this post answering this question: What is one piece of advice you would give to someone interested in pursuing medicine?
2. Follow Future M.D. on Feedburner, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, or Twitter for updates about the giveaway

Restrictions

Will you be applying to medical school this cycle? Even though it’s only April and the AMCAS application (medical school’s primary application) does not open until June, there are many actions you can take right now to ensure timely submission of an outstanding application.

1. Download the AMCAS Worksheet

Though the AAMC does not open the AMCAS website until about May, it does publish a very helpful AMCAS worksheet that explains exactly how to fill out the AMCAS application. This a must-read. Download the PDF, grab a cup of joe, and read away to ensure you know exactly what is expected of you on the application.

2. Make a Schedule

It is often daunting to think about how you will ace your courses/work schedule, take the MCAT, continue extracurriculars, and complete the AMCAS application with its time consuming personal statement and work/activities sections.

Instead of procrastinating because you are overwhelmed, make a schedule that breaks up all the tasks into small, achievable parts and allows you to submit the application in June. Be sure to give yourself enough time write the personal statement – it often takes weeks to compose an excellent essay!

3. Find Out if Your school Offers a Pre-Med Committee Letter

Many universities have a pre-med committee that writes each eligible pre-med either a composite or individual recommendation. Medical school admissions committees want to see this letter if it is offered by your undergraduate or post-baccalaureate institution. If your school does offer a pre-med letter, determine how to obtain one. This usually involves filling out a questionnaire and meeting with the pre-med committee.

4. Ask Recommenders to Write Their Letters Now

Recommendations are a crucial part of the medical school application process. Most medical school admissions committees want to see three-five letters that, when taken together, show your well roundedness. It takes time to make contact and ask for recommendations. Further, you should allow each recommender at least a month the write the letter. Get on this now!

5. Obtain Transcripts

You will need all post-secondary school transcripts in order to fill out the AMCAS application. In addition, official transcripts will have to be sent from each post-secondary school directly to AMCAS. Research how to obtain unofficial transcripts now and official transcripts for when the AMCAS opens. This will save you time later in the application process.

6. Update your Résumé

Take a few hours and update your resume using the following categories:

• Education
• Work
• Research
• Volunteer/Community Service
• Extra-Curriculars
• Clinical Experience
• Leadership Activities (not included elsewhere)
• Hobbies/Interests

For each activity: write a brief description, calculate total number of hours and average number of hours per week spent on the activity, and include a supervisor name and contact information. This process will make filling out the AMCAS Work/Activities section a breeze and will be very helpful to your recommenders, who will all want to see an updated resume.

7. Brainstorm your Admissions Story

Getting into medical school requires telling a compelling story. And this story needs to be woven through the entire application through recommendations, work/activity entries, the personal statement, secondary essays, and interview answers. Start work-shopping your story.

If you had a one-minute elevator ride to tell an admissions committee member your story, what would you say? What anecdotes would you use to describe why you want to be a physician and why you will be a great one? What themes do you want to run through your entire application? You likely won’t come up with a great narrative immediately. Think hard on it.

Carry a notebook and jot down ideas as they come to you. Putting considerable thought into your admissions story will certainly facilitate the process of writing the application in general and the personal statement in particular.

8. Research Medical Schools to Decide Where to Apply

Deciding where to apply often stumps pre-meds. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. Start by purchasing the MSAR on the AAMC website and/or a book that provides medical school descriptions.

Read through each school and circle those that you like on gut feeling alone. Then follow these rules to start creating your school list:

1. Apply to all in-state public schools
2. Avoid out-of state public schools unless you are an exceptional candidate
3. Then pick about 15 private schools for stellar candidates, 15-25 for pre-meds with some holes in the application, and 25-40 for applicants with big holes. Most of these schools will be mid-tier private schools. But remember to include a few reach schools in the mix. Bottom line – cast a wide net because there is a lot of luck involved in the process.

9. Read the Newspaper

It’s amazing how easy it is to wall yourself off from the “real” world while in college or post-bac studies, or even while working. Yet, current events will often shape your admissions narrative and serve as fodder for medical school interview questions. Given the abundance of news sources at our fingertips, it is easier than ever to gain access to news. But the quality of these news sources is often lacking.

Take some time every day to read a quality news source, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, or The Economist Magazine. There is no need to read every word of every paper or magazine. But try to read entire articles from time to time instead of just scanning the headlines. You will be a better applicant for knowing what is going on in the world.

10. Gather Financial Aid Documents

If you expect to apply for financial aid, gather your financial documents now and ask your parents to do the same. These include tax documents and records of how you paid for college. Organizing these documents now will save significant time when applying for medical school financial aid.

Get going and good luck!

–Dr. Suzanne M. Miller

More Info on Dr. Miller’s MDAdmit Medical School Admissions Consulting

Can you imagine getting your entire medical school application completed in two days with the personalized help of a Harvard MD and admissions expert?

Dr. Miller’s MDadmit Admissions Bootcamps, the most intensive, efficient, and personalized admissions consulting available, makes this possible. There are only two spots left for the May bootcamps. Sign up at MDadmit.com.

Footnotes

1. “25 Questions to Answer Before Going to Grad School” by Jon Fortenbury (Photo Credit)

Photo Credit: CollegeDegrees360

The personal statement is a central component of your medical school application. Most med school applicants dread writing the personal statement. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to tell your story and convince the med schools that they should meet you. The personal statement should be engaging and compelling, while being simple and straightforward enough that admissions committees can read them very quickly. Let’s face it: admissions committees have thousands of other applications to read so you should do what you can to make yours shine.

As a premedical advisor for the past 20 years, I have read thousands of personal statements and helped students refine their essays. Once you have a draft of your essay, ask yourself if you’ve achieved these five essential elements of an outstanding personal statement.

1.) Motivation

Have you conveyed your motivation and reasons for wanting to be a physician clearly and logically? If not, tweak your draft. It should be abundantly clear to the reader why you’ve chosen this path.

2.) Evidence

Have you showed, with concrete evidence, that you’ve tested your interest in the medical profession through a variety of experiences in the field? If not, consider whether you really know what you’re getting into. Med school admissions committees will want proof that you’ve gotten your hands dirty and know the challenges of the profession.

3.) Altruism

Have you shown through past experiences in community service that you care about others? All of your experiences do not have to be in the medical profession. Experiences in the community—volunteering at a soup kitchen, in a homeless shelter, or a food bank—are highly prized by med school admissions committees. These experiences indicate that you care about others enough to put it into real action. If you’ve done these things consider including them in your statement to build evidence as to your caring nature.

4.) Clarity

Have you used relatively simple words and syntax to get across your main points? Readers spend approximately one minute reading your essay. Yes, that’s right: one minute. Make your essay logical and clear, yet compelling. Don’t make the reader struggle to get your meaning; that’s a losing proposition. The reader will lose interest and move to the next file to read if your essay is confusing. This should be a statement of your interest in medicine, not a philosophical treatise.

5.) Smooth Transitions

Applicants often have complicated stories to tell. Sometimes their path to medicine is not altogether straightforward, as in the case of career-changing post-bacc students. No matter your story, your statement should have logical and smooth transitions from paragraph to paragraph, which when combined create a convincing whole. Check your statement’s transitions to make sure they are seamless, thereby creating a perfect whole.

In the end, what your statement should do is make the reader want to meet you in person. Once you have written your statement ask yourself the final question: have you convinced the reader to invite you for an interview?

In White Coat Culture there is a bit of controversy around who is “allowed” to be called “doctor”. When everyone is wearing a white lab coat, running around in groups, helping out wherever they can, and working as a team, there is opportunity for certain confusion.

What is a Doctorate and Who Has One?

When an individual has reached a certain point in their academic or professional career, but not necessarily the end, they are awarded a degree for completion of a doctoral-level education. This degree enables the individual to teach and share the advanced knowledge that they have acquired. In the United States, a doctorate degree is awarded after a student applies, matriculates, and successfully completes a doctorate program between 3-8+ years in duration. Some students obtain a master’s degree before pursuing a doctorate program, while others obtain their master’s degree while enrolled in their doctorate programs.

The title, “doctor” is used professionally for individuals who have completed doctorate-level degrees. In the United States the following professions require completion of doctorate-level education:

• Physicians: Doctor of Allopathic Medicine (M.D.)
• Physicians: Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.)
• Nurse Practitioners: Doctor of Nursing Practice (N.P.)
• Pharmacists: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
• Chiropractors: Doctorate in Chiropractic (D.C.)
• Researcher/Scientists/Professors: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
• Optometrists: Doctors of Optometry (O.D.)
• Psychologists: Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D)

But who actually uses the title, “doctor”? Academic and professional titles that “require” the title of doctor varies. I say, “require” because when it boils down to the details, it is really how the individual is permitted to be identified. I know physicians who insist that I use their first name, and then some physicians who could make you shrivel in shame if you casually forget to say, Dr. How-Dare-You-Forget–That-I-Have-An-MD-PhD-ABC. Because of the numerous clinical practitioners and medical support staff in medical facilities: doctors, nurses, students, assistants, ecetera–it is important that professionals identify who they are at all times.

Medical Professionals with Doctorates

I try to think about the professionals who have a doctorate (or two) but are required to essentially disregard their earned titles. For example, imagine you were a nurse practitioner with a doctorate in nursing practice, are you and N.P. or are you a “Doctor”?

When the Nurse Wants to Be Called ‘Doctor’

“Dr. Patti McCarver (nurse practitioner) calls herself a doctor because she returned to school to earn a doctorate last year, one of thousands of nurses doing the same recently. Doctorates are popping up all over the health professions, and the result is a quiet battle over not only the title “doctor,” but also the money, power and prestige that often comes with it.”

Article by Gardiner Harris of The New York Times

The concerns with who can be called “doctor” rests in medical ethics. When someone hears the word, “doctor”, there are several assumptions of education and extent of medical knowledge that exist. In some states, nurses and other clinical practioners with doctorates are barred from identifying as doctors in clinical settings.¹

Professional Hierarchies

Dismissing the advanced educational background of medical professionals who do not possess M.D.s or D.O.s is incredibly unfortunate with respect to the holders of doctorate degrees because it is the very dismissal that establishes a professional hierarchy that will consistently shape the way patients perceive their health care providers and how professionals interact in the clinical environment. As a future physician, I have spent years observing how medical professionals interact. I have seen mutual respect and complete disrespect of professionals regardless of education.

Definition of White Coat Culture

Ultimately, I believe that how we utilize the title “doctor” and how we interact with medical professionals and patients is what defines “White Coat Culture”. It is a culture fueled by perceptions, medical ethics, rigid traditions and hierarchies, and most importantly, adaptability of the rapidly changing nature of health care.

Footnotes

1. Harris, Gardiner. “When the Nurse Wants to Be Called ‘Doctor’“. (2011)

Photo Credit: A+ Illinois

I. MCAT: Uneven Score

Though you may believe standardized testing is a money-making monopoly that does not test your ability to be a doctor, it is a necessary evil. And as much as they hate to admit it, medical school admissions committees pay attention to the score. Interestingly, an applicant who scores 6 14 10 is worse off than one who scores a 10 10 10. Admissions committees are looking for consistency and generally want an even score above 30.

II. Recommendations: “Famous” Recommenders

Think of recommendations as a way for the admissions committee to find out what you are really like. But remember that can go both ways. Recommendations are notorious for making or breaking an application; one luke-warm or (cringe) outright negative recommendation can sink your chances of becoming a doctor.

Focus on obtaining recommendations from individuals who know you well as opposed to big-name professors you have met once after class. A glowing recommendation from your advanced biology teaching assistant whose office hours you visited weekly will be much stronger than a two-line recommendation from your dad’s famous researcher friend who you met once at the mall.

III. Personal Statement: Quote Introduction

Many applicants like to start the personal statement with a quote. Quotes feel creative and interesting. Yet, after reading hundreds of personal statements, I can attest that starting with a quote rarely works. Instead of creative, quotes usually appear trite and even a bit cheesy. Skip the quote and use an anecdote instead.

IV. AMCAS Activities: Space Fill

In general, medical school admission committees place more weight on activities that show leadership and dedication over a period of time. Admissions committees look down on repeats and “fluff” activities. Don’t fill the space just to fill the space. It is better to include ten stellar, long-term activities where you held a leadership role than fifteen activities that you performed for a semester.

V. Secondaries: Oops! Wrong School

Let’s face it, secondary essays are a hassle. Who knew you had to write this much to get into medical school? Most applicants wisely create ten secondary essays that answer the most common questions and then cut and paste them into the applications. However, pasting the Harvard answer (with the Harvard name) into the Yale application will not win you any friends in New Haven. Be sure to proof read your essays to avoid such embarrassing mistakes.

VI. Interviews: Check the Suit

When on the interview trail, always carry your suit onto the plane. Luggage can get lost even on direct flights. I once landed in Washington, DC for an interview, and my bag ended up in St. Louis. I didn’t show up to the interview in jeans, but trying to find a new suit in five hours led to incredible stress. Have everything you need in a carry-on bag including shoes, socks/stockings, jewelry, and toiletries/cosmetics.

VII. Waitlist: Contact a No Contact

When you are waitlisted at a school that requests you do not contact them, please do not contact them. No phone calls, e-mails, or letters. No friend of a friend making a call on your behalf. If you would like to be moved from the waitlist to the rejected list, feel free to give the school a call.

The medical school admissions process can certainly be daunting, but it is a necessary hurdle to cross. Avoid these Seven Deadly Sins and you are seven steps closer to getting in.

The application process itself begins in May the year before expected matriculation. This is the time at which the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) opens and the applicant can begin completion of the application. This is also a time that can become stressful because every applicant wants to express him or herself in the best possible way gain admission to medical school. The process requires focused and careful work but do not forget that you can do this!

Although I had access to the pre-medical advising services at my alma mater, I needed a handbook to assist me in my application process. As the first in my family to apply to medical school there is nothing I appreciate more than advice and guidance when it comes to applying. I know that there is no single book that has the secret recipe for applying to medical school and it is crucial to be realistic. The point of any medical school admissions resource is to act as a guide. The applicant is the only person who has what it takes to be successful.

To help me in my medical school admissions process, I purchased “The Medical School Admissions Guide: A Harvard MDs Week-by-Week Admissions Handbook” written by Dr. Suzanne M. Miller, MD.

Dr. Miller is a Harvard Medical School educated physician, Stanford Emergency Medicine Residency graduate, an emergency physician in the Washington, D.C. area, and owner of the admissions consulting and essay editing service, MDAdmit. She wrote the book as an easy to follow guide for applicants and it helps you structure your application process in a timely and organized manner.

Summary/Review:

The book takes you through the year and a half before matriculation to medical school. For example, if you wish to matriculate in 2014, this book is structured from January 2013 to May 2014 with anticipation of matriculating between June-August 2014. The book literally takes you through each week. It discusses your expectations and goals for each week, how to prepare a recommendation packet for those writing your recommendations, a suggestion of the recommended number of schools to submit applications, how to update the medical schools where you are waitlisted, when to thank interviewers, how to answer the most common secondary essay topics, and more.

The book also provides excellent examples of personal statements that are anecdotal, creative, and metaphorical. There are also examples for the different types of applicants–including non-science major applicants (this is a definite plus for those English major pre-med students). My favorite part is how to structure your experience descriptions on the AMCAS. That section was important for me because while I was drafting my responses I wrote my descriptions in a boring, straight to the point manner. That section is a chance for an applicant to enable the admissions committee to learn more about him or herself with 15 different opportunities. Her tips also help with answering the pre-health committee letter questions that some pre-med advisors require!

Overall:

What I appreciate most about this book is the fact that it does not neglect the diversity of medical school applicants. It takes into account that not all applicants are traditional. Traditional applicants are students who begin applying during their spring semester of their junior year of college and submit applications the summer before senior year of college. Non-traditional applicants apply to medical school in a different manner. Some graduate and begin working right out of school, some start families, some travel the world and volunteer, etc. Regardless of when they apply, these potential medical school applicants can use this book as a valuable resource to help them minimize the stress of applying by staying focused and organized.

Overall Rating:

More Info About Dr. Suzanne M. Miller, M.D.

Dr. Suzanne M. Miller, M.D. is also the author of an updated 2^nd edition of The Medical School Admissions Guide, How to be Pre-Med: A Harvard MD’s Medical School Preparation Guide for Students and Parents, and How to Get into Medical School with a Low GPA. She is also the owner of MDAmit, an admissions consulting and essay editing service for medical school admissions, post-baccalureate admissions, and residency programs. You can email Dr. Miller through the MDAdmit website.

Women have made exceptional progress in light of years of oppression. Progress that is only disregarded when we are unable to respect one another not just as women but as human beings. This post serves two purposes because March 3^rd was the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s Suffrage Parade of 2013 in Washington, D.C. and this post is a reaction to an article, “Sexism Between Women in the Surgical Workplace” on OnSurg.com.

As a woman and an African-American, I know what it is like to experience sexism, racism, discrimination, and a lot of other -ism‘s and -tion‘s. I have mentioned my experience with one of the above before but I have not discussed the significance of my sex in the field of medicine.

Sexism between women, in general, manifests itself as competition and jealousy. Women feel quite negative and hostile about other women, successful women in particular.^{4, 5} Women in medicine can be particularly hostile towards one another because of the various degrees of “success” that exists in the workplace. That success could be academic, socioeconomic, or physical. The list is endless but it is no reason to be bitter. I realized that what the author described as her experience was different from my own but it is a phenomenon that has occurred for many years.

Sexism Between Women in the Surgical Workplace

It is surprising to me that women don’t help each other more. If we don’t, how can we expect support and credibility from the other gender? Maybe my perception is an individual case, but until we research the subject we won’t learn if these perceptions are the reflection of something deeper that we as women need to work on.

- Anonymous

I believe that the competition between women is something that is deeper than what can be considered typical cattiness. This competition could arise from many sources. Medicine is a competitive field and it appeals to individuals who thrive off of competition. Our experiences and educational background prepares us for the field and the challenges that we may encounter. As a result, no two students or medical professionals have exactly the same background and will always have different definitions of success.

For example, I may consider someone successful because they obtained a higher score on an exam or the individual has exceptionally accurate knowledge of gross anatomy. However, I also consider someone successful when they can balance their academic and social life. Someone who studies intensely, obtains great scores, and has the time to hang out with family or friends. Neither examples are opportunities for me to behave hostile towards someone.

As I reflect on the progress that women have made since the suffrage, I find it particularly embarrassing that some women find it difficult to support one another in a field that is challenging and stressful. Each moment dedicated to gossip and spiteful remarks sets women back over 100+ years. If we can fall victim to hostility, what would stop us from treating our patients with this mentality?

We are the future of medicine and it is important to be of support to one another regardless of our differences. We know that there are more important concerns than workplace cattiness and I am sure patients would appreciate it if our focus was directed towards their care.

Footnotes & Additional Info

1. 2012 Physician Speciality Data Book. (November 2012) Center for Workforce Studies. Association of American Medical Colleges.
2. Axner, Marya. “Healing from the Effects of Internalized Oppression” (2013). The Community Tool Box. University of Kansas.
3. Chen, Christine. “Minority on Minority Discrimination: Impact of Majority Social Norm Perception” (2010). Dietrich College Honors Theses. Paper 76.
4. Horner, M. S. (1972) Toward An Understanding of Achievement-Related Conflicts in Women. Journal of Social Issues, 28: 157–175. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1972.tb00023.x
5. Joseph, Rhawn. (1985) Competition Between Women. Psychology. Issue 22, pp. 1-11.

Students cannot pick and choose what they want to study based on mental, moral, or physical individual limitations. In medicine, you do not get to choose your patients. Nor do you pick the circumstances by which you encounter your cases. That is the beauty of medical training.

You are expected to learn everything in order to successfully complete your academic and clinical requirements to receive a medical degree. So, if there are accommodations made for students when taking the USMLE¹ or the MCAT² shouldn’t the same accommodations exist for students at all other points in their academic career?

I stumbled across an article on KevinMD.com written by Josh Butler, a second year medical student. It was about the technical standards set by medical schools. I never thought about “technical standards” but with the diversity of students in the nation and the interest in medical school being widespread, shouldn’t there be some positive changes? However, some students feel as though they are being denied acceptance to medical school for being deaf.³

I will be honest, it never crossed my mind that someone who was deaf would be unable to pursue medicine only because I never thought there would be any “serious” limitations. Then I started to think of the small things that I may have overlooked because of my own ability to hear.⁴

Whenever I overlook something, there will always be a student who will find a solution! A student modified their stethoscope with customized headphones⁵, some students become proficient lip readers⁶, and schools like University of California Davis School of Medicine have new technology for deaf students on surgical rotations⁷. What I love about there being many opportunities for students of all abilities is the sky is the limit when it comes to what you’re willing to do to stay on the path to becoming a physician.

The Deaf Medical Student: Why Technical Standards Need Updating

A technical standard is a formal document establishing requirements in several aspects of medical care which all physicians-in-training candidates must possess. Most medical schools require that all candidates meet these requirements in order to receive their doctor of medicine (MD) degree. Some schools require students to sign that document when applying to a program or as a condition to matriculate into medical school.

I took a closer look at different technical standards established by several medical schools in the US. As a deaf medical student, I wanted to look for any discriminatory language in the technical standards document that might exclude individuals who are disabled, but otherwise qualified candidates.

One commonality I noticed in comparing different technical standards, was that the schools require that you possess the ability to hear in order to auscultate, percuss, communicate with your patients or other healthcare professionals. Although, there are some subtle differences in wording in the language used between different schools, almost all seem to have this clause to some extent. Some schools included the Americans with Disability Acts (ADA) clause while others did not.

Josh Butler of DeafMD2Be

Footnotes

1. Guidelines for Accommodations for the USMLE
2. Frequently Asked Questions about MCAT Accommodations: What types of conditions or impairments might need to be accommodated?
   
3. Schwartz, Michael A. “Technical Standards for Admission to Medical School: Deaf Candidates Don’t Get No Respect” (2012). College of Law Faculty Scholarship. Paper 80.
4. Charlie Goldberg, M.D., A Practical Guide to Clinical Medicine: The Ear (2008) University of California: San Diego School of Medicine.
5. Modifications to a Stethoscope for a Deaf Medical Student on Imgur
6. Sara in Medical School: A Case Study on Dealing with Deafness in a Clinical Health Setting from University of Washington, School of Medicine
7. Technology assures deaf student learns surgery at UC Davis School of Medicine
8. Image of physician performing hearing test from NHS Choices
9. Image of Tory Sampson, Boston’s University’s Only Deaf Freshman (in 2012)

Photo Credit: University of Florida Arts in Medicine Program

I shadowed physicians as a pre-medical student but not as a high-school student because I believed that was far too young for me. Plus, in high school I had watched various shows on Discovery Health about physicians or shows starring physicians. It was one of the few means to awareness about the medical profession that I had legal access. However, my grandmother became ill when I was 17 and I took a strong interest in her medical care. Her untimely death was emotionally devastating but the experience confirmed my decision to continue to pursue medicine.

In college, I searched for opportunities to shadow physicians or work in a medical office to simultaneously obtain clinical experience and pay for things like groceries or school supplies. The reason I shadowed/worked for physicians was because I needed “clinical” experience that would be deemed acceptable by a medical admissions committee. What if I said, “Well, my grandma died and I watched hours of Discovery Health television programs and now I want to be a doctor”? If someone told you that during a medical school interview, would you consider that acceptable “clinical experience”? Yes, there are several ways that one can obtain clinical experience but what is the right way? Meaning, what do hopeful students need to do so that they can get a shot at attending medical school?

Today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get clinical experience because of privacy for patients and the level of comfort that physicians have with students tagging along on their day-to-day activities. It is especially difficult if you are a student with zero ties to any medical professions (physicians, nurses, therapists, etc). This is understandable because not everyone has parents or relatives as medical professionals and there are numerous ethical dilemmas that arise from shadowing or talking to your relatives about their patients. But for students looking for clinical experience it is not an excuse that can be used when applying to medical school.

Volunteering in an ER or hospice is probably the most watered down version of clinical experience available. Because of strict adherence to HIPAA and professional guidelines for patient care. For example, I remember being able to take vital signs for both adult and pediatric patients under the supervision of the triage nurse. Then one day, a volunteer who was 16 years old, incorrectly reported the blood pressure and pulse oximetry of a patient and the hospital was in trouble. Ever since then, the volunteers were only allowed to stand against the wall and watch. We were lucky that the program was not dissolved altogether.

Now, the most that a volunteer can do is place a pair of hospital socks and a blanket at a bedside since many patients may be unable/unwilling to speak or they may be with family members who do not want someone who isn’t a medical professional making conversation. This has happened to me as a volunteer and I realized then that I will not have any real clinical experience until I actually become a physician.

For someone who is already a physician, Dr. Kitsis has probably become more far removed from the goals and ambitions of the pre-medical/post-baccalaureate student population. What concerns them when they write their personal statements and submit their various clinical experiences through the AMCAS may not be of concern to her since she receives the students after they have by passed these steps to admissions to medical school. As a whole, the further away we get from where we used to be, the more likely we are to forget the challenges once faced.

I wish that Dr. Kitsis would know that there are students like me how had zero ties to the medical profession but are continually inspired by people like her. For one to discourage the plight of hopeful students who wish to shadow physicians is unfortunate but it is not a deterrent. If you are interested in pursuing medicine, you cannot leave any stone unturned when it comes to learning more about the profession. This means understanding the ethical dilemmas that could arise simply from your interest in seeing physicians interacting with patients.

Footnotes

1. Image of Female Doctor with Student from “How to shadow a doctor? Shadowing a doctor the right way” by Don Osborne