Carleen Eaton

Getting into Medical School For Dummies (eBook, PDF)

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

Your plain-English guide to getting into the medical school of your dreams Getting accepted to medical school is a long and rigorous process and many students find they need help. If you're one of these students, Getting into Medical School For Dummies is the perfect tool to help you through the process and realize your dream. By providing you with concise information about preparing for and applying to medical school, Getting into Medical School For Dummies prepares you for the application process. Written by an industry expert, it gives you a distinct advantage in the competitive medical school admissions process, preparing you for every step and helping you create your best application. * Takes you through the often-overwhelming process of applying to medical school * Explains what medical schools and admissions committees are really looking for * Provides plain-English explanations of complicated medical school admissions processes If you're one of the over 40,000 students who apply to medical school each year and need help sorting through the admissions schedule, writing statements of intent, and preparing to take the MCAT, Getting Into Medical School For Dummies has you covered!

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: For Dummies
• Seitenzahl: 368
• Erscheinungstermin: 30. April 2013
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781118460085
• Artikelnr.: 38401281

Autorenporträt

Carleen Eaton, MD, has used her expertise in admissions and test preparation, as well as her experiences as an applicant who received acceptances to top-ranked medical schools, to guide hundreds of applicants successfully through the medical school admissions process. She is the founder of prehealthadvising.com, a medical school admissions consulting firm.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You're Not to Read 2
Foolish Assumptions 3
How This Book is Organized 3
Part I: Planning the Premedical Years 3
Part II: Applying to Medical School 3
Part III: Osteopathic Medical Schools, Dual-Degree Programs, and More 4
Part IV: Nontraditional Applicants, Reapplicants, and Disadvantaged
Applicants 5
Part V: You're In! Getting Ready to Go 5
Part VI: The Part of Tens 5
Icons Used in This Book 6
Where to Go from Here 6
Part I: Planning the Premedical Years 9
Chapter 1: Turning Your Dream of Going to Medical School into a Reality 11
So You Want to Be a Doctor: Thinking about Medicine as a Career 11
Mapping Out College and Participating in Extracurricular Activities 12
Assessing the Medical School Application Process 13
Looking at the timeline13
Taking the MCAT 14
Selecting schools 15
Submitting primary applications 15
Obtaining letters of recommendation 16
Completing secondary applications 16
Interviewing with schools 16
Hearing whether you're in, out, or waitlisted 17
Considering All Your Options 17
Osteopathic medical schools 18
Dual-degree programs 18
International medical schools 19
Taking Care of Special Situations 19
Nontraditional applicants 20
Reapplicants 20
Minority and disadvantaged applicants and applicants with disabilities 21
Heading to Medical School 21
Confronting the cost 21
Getting off to a good start 22
Chapter 2: Considering a Medical Career 23
Understanding the Pros and Cons of Entering Medicine 23
Evaluating the rewards 24
Assessing the drawbacks and sacrifices 25
Becoming a Physician in a Few Not-So-Easy Steps 25
Starting out: The premedical years 26
Moving closer to your goal: Medical school 26
Preparing to practice medicine: Residency 27
Deciding to go further: Fellowship 28
Finishing at last: Becoming an attending physician 28
Becoming Licensed to Practice Medicine 29
Surveying Practice Types 29
Private solo and group practices 30
Community clinics 30
Academic institutions 30
Practicing as a hospitalist and other options 31
Assessing Your Chances of Acceptance to Medical School 31
Playing the numbers game: Medical school applicants
versus seats in medical schools 32
Gauging grades and test scores: GPA and the MCAT 33
Looking beyond the numbers 34
Deciding Whether Medicine is Right for You 35
Chapter 3: Mapping Out Your College Years 37
Understanding the Role of the Premedical Years 37
Building a foundation for medical school 38
Exploring your interests 38
Choosing an Undergraduate School 39
Recognizing that where you go matters 39
Comparing major research institutions and small liberal arts colleges 40
Finding a school with strong support for premeds 41
Looking at location 42
Selecting a Major 42
Going the traditional route: Science majors 43
Taking a different path: Nonscience majors 43
Planning Your Premedical Course Work 44
The essentials: Familiarizing yourself with the prerequisites for medical
school 45
Reading the fi ne print: Policies about AP credit and community college
courses 45
Going above and beyond: Courses that are recommended but not required 46
Studying Abroad 47
Perusing Premedical Post-Baccalaureate Programs 48
Considering formal post-bac programs 49
Taking post-bac courses independently 50
Chapter 4: Making the Most of Extracurricular Activities 51
Understanding the Role of Extracurricular Activities in Admissions 51
Demonstrating familiarity with the medical field 52
Showing that you have a life outside the library 53
Gaining Clinical Experience 53
Volunteering in clinical settings 54
Shadowing physicians 55
Doing international medical missions 56
Delving into Research 57
Deciding whether to do research 57
Doing basic or clinical research.58
Setting up a research experience 59
Giving Back: Taking Part in Community Service 60
Joining Clubs and Organizations 60
Being part of a premedical club 61
Exploring other clubs and interest groups 61
Having Paid Employment as a Premedical Student 62
Fitting It All In 62
Prioritizing and organizing 63
Balancing depth with breadth 64
Part II: Applying to Medical School 65
Chapter 5: Surveying the Application Process 67
Getting Familiar with the Three Major Steps of the Admissions Process 68
First up: The primary application 68
Next in line: The secondary application 69
Time to talk: The interview 69
Timing Your Application 70
Entering medical school immediately after college 70
Taking a gap year 71
Understanding Rolling Admissions 72
Being Conscious of the Application Timeline 73
Junior year of college 75
Senior year of college 78
Considering Early Decision Programs 80
Getting Help from a Premedical Advisor 81
Using your premedical advising office effectively 82
Finding a premedical advisor if your school doesn't have one 83
Chapter 6: Tackling the MCAT 85
Beginning with a Few MCAT Basics 86
Registering for the test 86
Getting an overview of the test's length and structure 87
Interpreting your test score 87
Understanding the Importance of the MCAT in Admissions 88
Recognizing why schools stress the MCAT in admissions 88
Discovering how schools use the MCAT in admissions 89
Checking Out What's on the MCAT 90
Physical Sciences 90
Verbal Reasoning 91
Biological Sciences 92
Trial section 92
Preparing for the MCAT 92
Examining specific prep approaches 93
Choosing study materials 96
Making a study schedule 97
Preparing for the science sections 98
Mastering the Verbal Reasoning section 99
Perfecting your timing 100
Surviving Test Day 101
Walking through the testing experience 101
Dealing with test-day anxiety 102
Considering the option of voiding your exam 103
Retaking the MCAT 104
Deciding whether you should retake the test 105
Timing your next try 106
Preparing the second time around 107
Applying to Medical School Before You Receive Your MCAT Score 107
Waiting for your scores before you send your application 108
Sending your application to your entire list before you have your score 108
Applying to a few schools without your scores and then adding more 109
Looking to 2015: Major Changes Are Coming to the MCAT 110
Familiarizing yourself with the changes 110
Gearing up for the new test 112
Chapter 7: Choosing Medical Schools 113
Researching Schools 113
Using school websites, admissions offices, and other resources 114
Considering a few factors 115
Determining How Many Schools to Include on Your List 121
When to include fewer than 15 schools 121
When to include more than 15 schools 122
Creating a Balanced List: A Mix of Dreams and Practicality 123
Chapter 8: Putting Together Primary Applications 125
Beginning with the Basics of Primary Applications 126
Sorting out application services 126
Breaking down the primary application 127
Timing your applications 128
Planning your strategy 130
Crafting a Strong Personal Statement 131
Being aware of length limits 131
Using the personal statement effectively 132
Tackling the personal statement step by step 133
Sifting through Personal Statement Examples 140
Example 1: Taking an artistic approach 140
Analyzing why Example 1 works 142
Example 2: Showcasing an adventurous applicant 143
Assessing the intriguing elements of Example 2 144
Example 3: Seeing what not to write 145
Dissecting what went wrong in Example 3 147
Completing the Work and Activities Section 147
Choosing activities and deciding which are most meaningful 148
Writing the descriptions 149
Entering Course Work and Understanding GPAs 151
Wading through course work information 152
Getting a handle on GPA calculations 152
Chapter 9: Looking at Letters of Recommendation and Secondary Applications
155
Using a Premedical Committee Letter versus Seeking Individual Letters 156
In a group: Premedical committee letters 156
Singled out: Individual letters 158
Choosing Evaluators and Requesting Letters 159
The key to great letters: Getting to know your potential evaluators 160
It's time: Deciding when to ask for letters 161
Step by step: Approaching a potential evaluator 162
In all honesty: Handling a less-than-enthusiastic response 164
Discovering the Characteristics of Strong Letters of Recommendation 164
Submitting Your Letters of Recommendation 167
Sending letters to application services 167
Coordinating your letters through your premedical advisor or a letter
service 168
Waiving your right to see your letters 169
Grasping the Basics of Secondary Applications 170
Knowing what to expect from secondaries 170
Surveying the screening process 171
Perusing common secondary prompts 171
Knowing that timing is everything 173
Managing secondaries 174
Chapter 10: Acing the Medical School Interview 177
Looking at the Interview's Role in the Admissions Process 178
Becoming Acquainted with Interview Formats 179
One-on-one and panel interviews 180
Open fi le, closed fi le, and semi-closed fi le interviews 180
The multiple mini-interview 181
Examining the Elements of a Strong Interview 184
Getting Ready for a Traditional Interview 185
Taking a few basic steps 185
Tackling common interview questions 186
Crafting your responses 187
Doing a mock interview 190
Going a Little Further to Prepare for an MMI 191
Taking a few additional steps 192
Checking out examples of MMI stations 193
Dealing with Logistics 194
Scheduling your interview 194
Getting there 195
Staying in a hotel or with a student host 195
Choosing Your Interview Attire 196
Men's attire 197
Women's attire 197
Walking Through a Typical Interview Day Schedule 198
Attending orientation 199
Touring the campus 199
Taking time for lunch 200
Undertaking interviews (finally!) 200
Sending Thank-You Letters 201
Deciding who should get a letter 202
Debating how to deliver the message 202
Compiling a letter 203
Chapter 11: Hearing Back 207
You Did It! Celebrating Acceptances 207
Managing multiple acceptances 208
Going on second look visits 209
Choosing a school 209
Oh No! Suffering Rejections 210
Noting common reasons for rejection 210
Taking the next steps 211
What Now? Working Your Way off Waitlists 212
Distinguishing types of waitlists 212
Knowing what to do if you're waitlisted 213
Part III: Osteopathic Medical Schools, Dual-Degree Programs, and More 217
Chapter 12: Applying to Osteopathic (DO) Medical Schools 219
Understanding What Being an Osteopathic Physician Means 220
Perusing the principles and philosophy of osteopathic medicine 220
Comparing and contrasting allopathic and osteopathic medical educations 221
Exploring osteopathic medicine 221
Getting a license as an osteopathic physician and matching into a residency
222
Making the Decision to Apply to DO Schools 224
Determining whether osteopathic medicine is right for you 224
Becoming a strong DO applicant 225
Undertaking Applications for Osteopathic Medical Schools 226
Getting an overview of the AACOMAS application 227
Creating a compelling personal statement for DO schools 228
Completing the work, volunteer, and extracurricular activities sections 231
Mastering the interview at osteopathic schools 231
Chapter 13: Exploring Dual-Degree Programs 233
Considering a Baccalaureate-MD Program 234
Examining the mechanics of a bacc-MD program 234
Recognizing the advantages 235
Determining the drawbacks 236
Applying to Baccalaureate-MD Programs 237
Discovering how to be a strong contender for bacc-MD programs 237
Surveying the bacc-MD application process 238
Handling supplemental essay questions 239
Interviewing for bacc-MD programs 239
Getting to Know MD-PhD Programs 240
Describing MD-PhD programs 241
Carefully considering MD-PhD programs 242
Navigating the MD-PhD Admissions Process 243
Figuring out whether you're a competitive MD-PhD applicant244
Going through the application process for MD-PhD programs 244
Gearing up for additional application essays 245
Interviewing for MD-PhD programs 246
Eyeing Other Types of Dual-Degree Programs 248
Chapter 14: Investigating International Medical Schools 249
Considering Reasons to Apply Internationally 250
Selecting International Schools 251
Researching international schools 251
Asking the right questions 253
Contemplating Caribbean Medical Schools 253
Courting Canadian Medical Schools 255
Mulling Medical Schools in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia 256
Noting Financial Considerations for International Medical Students 257
Tackling Licensure Guidelines and Residency Training for IMGs 258
Understanding licensure challenges for IMGs 258
Landing a residency 259
Part IV: Nontraditional Applicants, Reapplicants, and Disadvantaged
Applicants 261
Chapter 15: Doing Things Differently: Nontraditional Applicants. 263
Getting an Overview of Nontraditional Applicants 263
Completing or Updating Premedical Course Work 265
Doing the prerequisite course work required for medical school 265
Updating your academic experiences 266
Undertaking the Application Process 267
Telling your story in the personal statement 267
Using the work and activities section effectively 268
Lining up letters of recommendation 269
Looking at interview tips for the nontraditional applicant 270
Considering Challenges Facing Nontraditional Applicants 271
Returning to school 271
Facing stereotypes 272
Lacking a peer group as a medical student 273
Balancing family life with medical school 274
Chapter 16: Try, Try Again: Reapplicants 275
Timing Your Next Application 275
Reapplying immediately 276
Waiting a year or more 277
Improving the Numbers: Applicants with Low GPAs 277
Considering post-baccalaureate programs with undergraduate-level course
work 279
Surveying special master's programs 279
Taking classes independently 280
Taking Action When the MCAT is the Issue 281
Facing the problem 281
Retaking the MCAT 282
Adding to Your Clinical, Research, and Other Experiences 282
Revisiting Your School Options 283
Applying to a broader range of schools 284
Considering osteopathic or international schools 284
Revising Your Personal Statement 285
Updating Your Letters of Recommendation 286
Chapter 17: Minority Applicants, Disadvantaged Applicants, and Applicants
with Disabilities 287
Defining Underrepresented Minorities in Medicine 288
Designating Yourself as Socioeconomically Disadvantaged 288
Surveying Resources for Minority and Disadvantaged Applicants 290
Examining enrichment programs 291
Finding financial resources 292
Applying with a Disability 293
Obtaining accommodations for the MCAT 293
Disclosing a disability 294
Part V: You're In! Getting Ready to Go 295
Chapter 18: Paying for Medical School 297
Confronting the Cost of Medical School 297
Understanding the cost of attendance 298
Putting together a budget 299
Determining your eligibility for aid 301
Exploring Types of Aid 302
Institutional aid 303
Federal Direct Loans303
Other federal loans 305
Private loans 305
Service-based scholarships 306
Applying for Financial Aid 307
Working during Medical School 308
Chapter 19: Starting Medical School 309
Enjoying the Summer Before: A Time of Relaxation and Preparation 309
Nailing Down Logistics and More 311
Housing 311
Transportation 312
Other considerations 313
Getting Off to a Good Start 314
Staying organized 314
Building a support system 315
Redefining Success as You Progress through Medical School 317
Part VI: The Part of Tens 319
Chapter 20: Ten Things to Know about Medical School 321
Your School Wants You to Succeed 321
It's Difficult 322
It's Fun 322
You Start at the Bottom of the Hierarchy 323
Eat and Sleep When You Can 324
Nurses Can Make Your Life Easier - or Harder 324
You Change Your Mind about Your Specialty Many Times 325
Sometimes You Wonder Why You Went 325
You Can Be a Medical Student and Still Have a Life 326
It Goes By Quickly 326
Chapter 21: Ten Terms You Won't Find in Your Medical School Textbooks 327
Zebra 327
Gunner 328
Scut 328
Hit 328
GI Rounds 329
White Cloud 329
Black Cloud 329
404 Error 329
Benign Rotation 330
Malignant Rotation 330
Index 331