Get into Medical School!: A Guide for the Perplexed / Edition 2

by Kenneth V. Iserson

Overview

This comprehensive "must-have" for every pre-med student details every step from high school through MCATs, interviews, and acceptance into medical school.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781883620318
Publisher:	Galen Press, Ltd.
Publication date:	04/28/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	512
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	10 Years

Table of Contents

	List of Figures	ix
	Acknowledgements	xiii
	Feedback Form	xiv
Chapter 1	A Medical Career	1
	Should You Become a Physician?	2
	Why You May Not Want to Be a Physician	4
	What Are the Steps to Become a Doctor?	5
	Medicine: The Potential Future	8
	Basic Rules for Success	12
Chapter 2	Medicine's Scope	13
	Jobs: The Ultimate Goal	14
	Medicine's Future	20
Chapter 3	Specialty Descriptions	21
Chapter 4	Osteopathic Medicine: The Other Degree	51
	Why Are There Two Different Degrees?	51
	Why Choose a D.O.-granting Medical School?	52
	The Osteopathic Curriculum	54
	Impact of an Osteopathic Degree on a Medical Career	54
Chapter 5	Preparation In High School	63
	High School Academics	63
	A Taste of Medicine: Volunteer and Work Opportunities	64
	Information about Medicine: Realism versus Reality	64
	Getting into College	65
Chapter 6	Undergraduate-Medical Degree Programs	67
	Accelerated Programs	67
	Schools with Combined Undergraduate-M.D. Programs	69
Chapter 7	Undergraduate Preparation	75
	"Best" Preparation for Medical School	75
	"Must/Want" Analysis: Undergraduate School	79
	Medical School Requirements	80
	Extracurricular Activities	86
	Interacting with Your Professors	89
	Premedical Advisers: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly	90
	Transferring From a Junior/Community College	95
	Accelerated and Early-Assurance Programs	95
	Early Admission	95
Chapter 8	Women In Medicine	97
	Women as Premeds and Applicants	101
	Women in Medical School and Beyond	101
	Marriage, Pregnancy, and Children	104
Chapter 9	Minority Applicants	107
	Minority Applicants and Acceptance Rates	109
	Successful Minority Applicants	111
	Information for Different Minorities	113
	Special Preparation Programs	118
	Applying to Medical School	122
	Once You Get Into Medical School	123
Chapter 10	Unconventional Premed Students	125
	Physically Challenged/Disabled Applicants	125
	Older Applicants	130
	Postbaccalaureate Premed Students	133
	Other Unconventional Students	135
Chapter 11	The Medical College Admission Test	139
	Description of the MCAT	140
	Preparing for the MCAT	145
	Test-Taking Hints	147
	Test Disruptions	148
	MCAT Scores	149
	Registering for the MCAT	151
	Test Security	153
	How Many Times Should You Take the MCAT?	153
Chapter 12	Applying To Medical School	155
	Medical School Applications	157
	Bad Options: The Desperate Application	164
Chapter 13	Essays, Recommendations, And Secondary Applications	165
	Personal Statements and Essays	165
	Reference Letters	179
	Secondary Applications	185
	Photographs	187
	Assessing Your Chance for Acceptance	188
	Communicating with the Schools	189
Chapter 14	Admission Committees And Procedures	191
	The Screening Process	191
	Selection Criteria	192
	A More Perfect Application System?	194
	The "Perfect" Applicant	196
Chapter 15	Picking The Right Schools	199
	Differences among Medical Schools	199
	Comparison Charts for U.S. and Canadian M.D. and D.O Medical Schools	207
Chapter 16	Which Medical Schools? The "Must/Want" Analysis	229
	"Must/Want" Analysis	229
	Playing the Odds: To How Many Schools Should I Apply?	230
Chapter 17	Foreign Medical Schools	239
	Approved/Nonapproved Schools	239
	Who Should Consider Going to a Foreign School?	240
	Who Attends Foreign Schools?	243
	Useful Safeguards	243
	Choosing a School	244
	Transferring into U.S. Medical Schools	251
	Clerkships in the United States	253
	Fifth Pathway Programs	253
	Returning to the United States for Residency and Practice	254
	ECFMG Certification	256
	Getting a Residency Position	257
	Obtaining a Medical License	258
Chapter 18	Paying For Medical School	261
	Financial Planning/Debt Management	262
	Obtaining Financial Aid	263
	Scholarships with No Payback Obligations	271
	"Scholarships" with Payback Obligations	272
	Loans	274
	Other Funding Sources	280
	Paying It Back	280
	Conclusion	284
Chapter 19	Combined-Degree Programs	285
	Combined M.D./D.O.-Ph.D.	285
	Combined Medicine-Law	287
	Combined M.D.-Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery	287
	Combined Medical-Master's Degrees	287
	Pros and Cons of Combined-Degree Programs	288
	Applying to a Combined-Degree Program	288
Chapter 20	Preparing For The Visit	291
	The Interview	291
	Dressing the Part	292
	Packing for the Interview Trip	296
Chapter 21	The Visit	299
	Travel	299
	A Typical Medical School Visit	303
Chapter 22	Preparing For The Interview	311
	Before You Go	311
	Basic Interview Rules	313
	Interview Materials	315
Chapter 23	The Interview	317
	Why Interview Applicants?	317
	The Interview Day	320
	A Typical Interview	323
	Noninterview Visits	326
Chapter 24	Your Questions	327
	The List: To Ask Faculty	328
	The List: To Ask Medical Students	334
	Confirm Questionable Points	337
	What Not to Ask	337
	What Not to Do	338
	Steering the Interview	339
	Why Interviews Fail	339
	Evaluation of Applicants	343
	Sell Yourself	343
Chapter 25	The Questions--The Answers	345
	Presenting Yourself	346
	Types of Questions	347
	Questions and Answers	348
	Illegal Questions	368
Chapter 26	Waiting For, Choosing, And Accepting An Offer	371
	Waiting: The Hardest Part	371
	Early-Decision Programs (EDPs)	372
	Acceptance Letters	372
	What Else Do You Need to Do?	375
	Have an Alternate Plan	376
	Rejection	376
	Reapplication	377
Chapter 27	Getting Ready For Medical School	379
	Prerequisites	379
	Time Management	379
	Other Considerations	381
	Locate Special Resources at School	382
	Getting Organized at School	383
Chapter 28	Alternatives To Medical School	385
	Physician Assistant	385
	Advance-Practice Nursing	386
	Dentistry	387
	Podiatric Medicine	388
	Optometry	389
	Naturopathic Medicine	389
	Chiropractic	390
	Forensics	390
	Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Nursing	391
	Other Careers in Medicine	391
	Income	392
	Summary	392
Chapter 29	Now You Are A Medical Student	395
Chapter 30	So You Want To Go To A Different Medical School?	399
	Transferring between Medical Schools	399
	"Away" Electives	399
	Merged Medical Schools	400
	Closed Medical Schools	400
Appendix A	Abbreviations And Acronyms	401
Appendix B	Contact Information	403
Appendix C	Postbaccalaureate Premed Programs	405
Appendix D	Medical School-Sponsored Summer Programs	417
Appendix E	Medical Schools	423
	Annotated Bibliography	437
	Index	449