The World As I Know It....

Is totally upsidedown. I love EM. I have always loved EM. And its what I want to do. But.... who knew it? I love family medicine just as much. Enough to switch. Or add. I'm not sure. There are apparently 2 Fam Med/EM dual residency programs. One in Louisiana and one in Delaware. Delaware? Ugh. I'm looking into them. I'm so excited! The last 3 weeks have been BLISS! TONS of procedures. Small rural town. Nice people. OMG. I am so excited about work that I hate the weekends. Seriously. I swear.

Best 2 Days Of Med School Thus Far

I almost didn't write about it because I didn't want to jinx myself... but my first two days in family medicine may have been the best 2 days I've had in medicine thus far. In 2 days I saw 60+ patients. No lie. Me and my attending. Fast paced. Rural. Tons of cool stuff to see. I get to see my own patients. No residents. Its awesome.

Side story... I'm seeing a patient in a room, my attending knocks on the door, and he's like "Can you run in those shoes?" We ended up hauling ass across a huge field to the make it to the hospital to catch a baby from a section.

Incidentally, it also doesn't suck that my attending is 32, single, and uber hot.

Second thoughts....

So I'm having MAJOR doubts about moving. Might call the whole thing off. Yes, one neighbor sucks... but I really hate to leave my place. It's perfect y'all. And if you knew how hard it is to find a "perfect" place here. Ugh. Until I sign a lease aren't I legally entitled to my deposit back?

Things Are Looking Up

I got a new apartment. Which means I'm moving from my lovely, perfect, historic cottage. But which also means there is no more neighbor boy. Which is good. Really good. Sad, however, very sad to leave my place and my other neighbors. And my neighborhood.

Good news is that my new place is pretty kick ass (almost as kick ass as here... but no jacuzzi tub and no gas range... sad face). It is, however almost 3 times the space and architecturally pretty sexy... and only a few blocks away.

Beat that

Got to see a case of Catel Manzke. Only 26 known cases in the world. Which made it a pretty effing cool day, considering my obsession with peds genetics.

Incidentally....

Just 15 more months until I'm a doctor!!!

Heading out...

to rural country for my family medicine clerkship. 50 mile drive each way... but honestly I'm looking forward to it. Coincidentally, its also the same tiny town I've been driving to at nights to work in the ED for fun... so I think I'm going to like it. A little unnerved, however, that my preceptor is younger than I am. Sigh.

PMI WTF

Here's a little convo that took place today between me and my attending in the PICU on rounds today.

Him: Ella, what is the PMI?

Me: The point of maximum impulse?

Him: No

Me: Hmm. The beat of the heart at the apex?

Him: (sigh of frustration) No. Do you even know where it is?

Me: (worried and thinking I'm crazy) I believe that would be the left anterior mid-clavicular line at the fifth intercostal space.

Him: Absolutely not! Ella, you do realize that if you don't know something as elementary as the PMI, BASIC HUMAN ANATOMY (!), that I will have to fail you on this rotation. Its the FOURTH intercostal space!!!!

Me: (gulp holy shit what am I missing????)

Him: Go look it up.

Me: Yes sir.

Him: ( a few minutes later....) Well......? What does it say?

Me: Um, it says the point of maximum impulse is palpated at the left anterior mid-clavicular line at the fifth intercostal space

Him: LET ME SEE THAT!!!

Then, because he was pissed, he pimped me on a bunch of ridiculous shit that nobody in the group knew.

(now to be fair, though the literature does say the 5th intercostal space... I have also seen it as "between the 4th and the 5th")... but for Christ's sake he threatened to fail me over that! And mind you I have no bad history with the guy... it was only my 2nd day working. First day he said "good job"

Decided.

So even though I've known this all along... I'm officially declaring it again. Emergency Medicine is it. It's me. It's final. Its what want more than anything.

Unfortunately, I want to say in the city I'm in just as much as I want to go into EM. If not more. And there is only one program. Which I happen to love. And I know it's a great fit for me.

Which means I REALLY REALLY REALLY have to make it happen. Not yet sure how that will play out. I'll keep you posted.

I don't agree

So something happened today that pissed me off. And the more I think about it, the more it makes me mad. So I'm all for patient comfort. And I'm all about minimizing disruptions so that patients can sleep. And treating people like people. And doing whatever is necessary to make patients happy. Within reason. Even if it means I'm inconvenienced.

But I'm on Heme/Onc Peds right now. Which of course we have many patients on long term chemotherapy, study regimens, experimental drugs, etc. And a few have simply decided that they don't want to be bothered by medical students. They refuse to let them in their rooms or talk to them or whatever. Even to the point where some patients have put up "no med student" signs. Needless to say, this really bugs the shit out of me.

Why? Lets put aside for a second the UNGODLY amount of money I'm paying in order to be exposed to patients and for clinical learning. But these people came to a TEACHING hospital. Meaning they are getting the benefit of having an entire team mull over their case every day. They get to be in a research hospital where new and better treatments are being investigated. And where they get the benefit of having free treatment in many cases. But when it comes to returning the favor.... by letting others learn to potentially benefit others... they refuse. Stating that it's too bothersome to have multiple people in the room or multiple questions asked every day.

And what really pisses me off is that many attendings simply adhere to these requests and refuse to let us in. Which burns me even more.

On second thought

So I'm liking peds. A lot. Especially peds genetics. Which I have always liked. But until now I hadn't really seriously considered going into peds. I have to admit I'm tempted by the chill lifestyle, the nice people, patients that actually get better, and playing with babies all day.

But today all of that changed.

I saw a 3 year old for worsening asthma. And sick he was. Definitely in respiratory distress. Breathing hard but he wasn't dying in the next 5 minutes. Maybe a couple more days like this and he'd be toast. But not this minute. My attending admitted him and they sent an ambulance for transport. Ok, no big deal.

Let me tell you, folks, you'd have thought that aliens attacked the White House. People in the clinic were excited. Like really excited. Including the attendings. So I asked... "is this considered a lot of excitement for y'all?" To which I was told, "Yeah!!! Thats the most excitement we've had in years."

Hmmm. Maybe it isn't the place for me.

The babies

are making my ovaries do jumping jacks. which is sooooooo not what i need to be thinking about right now.

god. i'm going to be too old for babies soon. ugh.

Foot in Mouth Disease

Friday my attending is taking me to work a juvenile detention center clinic. And today we were discussing logistics. Where to meet, what to bring, etc. And then he said this.

"Just don't wear anything cute or sexy. What you are wearing right now is perfect."

Um?

ADD worse than me....

Holy smokes. So today I was on Peds ID. Which was pretty cool. But my attending, whew. I mean, she is smart. Really smart. But she talks a million miles an hour and is an ADHD mess!

Example one...

She is on phone call A. On a land line.

Her cell rings. She looks at it, hands her cell phone to me, and says "Can you just tell her I'll call her back?"... as if she totally knew the person.

I say "sure", pick up the phone and say to the woman, "Hi this is Dr So-n-so's phone. She asked me to tell you that she'll call you right back. Is that ok?"

Twenty minutes later after she gets off the phone, she looks at me and says "Well? Who was it?"

I'm like "uh, duh, I thought you knew who it was.... duh...."

Happy Place on Earth

Peds. Who knew med school could be... gasp... fun? No one yelling at you or pimping you or making you get to work early and stay late. Excuses are accepted. You can get time off for a wedding. Seriously. I swear.

Started out on NICU which admittedly was a little boring. But then moved to Well-Baby where I got to play with dozens of happy, healthy, newborns. Now I'm on a variety of clinics, including genetics clinic... which is really cool. And next Friday I'm heading out with one of my attendings for a rural juvenile detention center to run a clinic day.

Yay!

WMFS?

This totally non-politically correct conversation took place between me and one of my attendings regarding a patient who was being difficult about a special supplement that she needed for her infant but didn't want to pay literally pennies for.

ME: What was that all about? We're talking about $2.99.

Attending: Oh, she has WMFS syndrome.

ME: WMFS?

Attending: Yeah. "Where's my free shit?" syndrome. Its rampant in these parts if you haven't noticed.

Yes, unfortunately. I've noticed.

Update

So like I said. Last 2 months has been awful. And I don't want to blog about it. I think I'm starting to feel a little better. Maybe. Hopefully.

To catch you up on the med school aspect of my life, Step One is over. Passed. Yay! Currently on my Peds rotation, which is overall a fun and happy place. Got to do some ED work in a rural area with my favorite attending recently, so that was fun.

Lately I have been contemplating life. A lot. I love being in medicine. But that is about the only thing in my life that seems to be good or that makes any sense at all. And sometimes I wonder if its enough.

I miss you too

So it's been a pretty rough month in my personal life. As indicated by my non-blogging self. I'll get back with you all in a couple weeks when I sort it all out and get my head straight.

Love, Ella

*non-school related...

Rural Thoughts

A reader sent me this article from the New York Times. Which prompted me to write on a topic I've been thinking about for the last six months or so. Regarding my plan after medical school. Academic medicine. Private practice. Working for a private hospital. Or saying eff the world and packing it up to some rural county with no doctors for 300 miles. I don't know.

Most of the time I think Academic Medicine is not for me. However... unless you are HIGHLY self motivated.... that teaching element is what keeps you current, fresh and sharp. I just hate so much academic political bs and bureaucracy. The turf wars. The unfair decisions made without regard to merit. Not that that doesn't happen everywhere to some extent. But in academic institutions its the worst.

Then there's the idea of private practice. Ok. Not happening, since I want to do EM and I'm not interested in opening some urgent care center somewhere. Not to mention I don't want the pressure of having to run a business.

Private Hospital. Lots of money. Cushy schedule usually. May or may not have residents to alleviate the workload. Patient disease processes are usually less diverse because the population generally has private insurance, and is a more affluent demographic in general. Which in my opinion is a negative. However, this might not matter as much in EM or Anesthesiology. I mean, sedation is sedation and an emergency is an emergency. Right? Maybe.

So that leaves my rural option. I grew up in a tiny town of less than 4,000 people. My entire life all I could focus on was getting the eff out and doing something bigger and better. I've lived in DC, Boston, Phoenix, Miami, San Diego, and LA since then. Maybe it's time to give up the city. I don't know. I know I would love to stay in or at least near the city I am now. That would be my ultimate dream. But what about living an hour or three out? Working a week rurally and three here? Or six months out, six months in. Would I be happy out there? I have absolutely no idea.

Thoughts?

Best Comment From A Reader ....

Anonymous said...

I can’t believe my luck in finding your blog in such a timely manner. I’m a college freshman, dead set on med school, and I’d already adopted the "pre-med mindset" (all work--no play, major in chemistry, 40 on MCAT or DIE, etc) when I read your “advice to pre-meds” section. Screw my major. I hate chemistry and there’s no way I want to spend four years studying it. Screw all the pre health clubs. Screw it all .I’m majoring in political science because I love it, I’m volunteering at medical clinics in Honduras because I’m passionate about helping people in rural and underserved areas. I’m not going to bust my chops to win a research grant that I couldn’t be less interested in. Hell no. I’m going to spend the next four years learning things I’m interested in, helping in ways I feel count, and not worrying about impressing med schools with things I don’t give a damn about.

I still want to be a doctor more than anything, but I refuse to sacrifice my personal joy and sanity.

Thank you for your insights. Thanks for being honest about your journey. Reading your blog has lifted a load I didn’t know was there.

Wolp...

Tomorrow's the big day. Sink or Swim. Hope it goes well. Incidentally, it is also my nephew's 1st birthday so maybe that will be good luck.

Ugh.

Med Student Texting

(from my resident) Hey sorry you didn't get to eat today. Or yesterday.

(from classmate) FUCK I overslept. Just tell them I'll be there asap ok?

(from me) Are you fucking crazy? i'm not telling them anything. just get here. they don't even know you exist. 7th floor.

(from B1) saw my first C-section today.... nurse got sliced. straight up shanked with a blade

(from classmate) shit! what's the blood supply to the thyroid? no time to look it up. text me asap. Dr. X is going to kick my ass.

(from classmate at 9:45am) hurry up let's get breakfast [cafeteria closes for breakfast at 10:00am]

(from me) he freakin' knows I'm hungry and he's keeping me here

(from me at 10:01) he just let me go

(classmate) ass! totally did that on purpose

(from a classmate) ok seriously, my resident is making me babysit the intern. this is a fucking joke

(from me to my resident) hey i just checked Mr K's labs and his glucose is 35

(from my resident) does he look like he's dying?

(me) well no not really

(resident) .......[no answer]

(from me) hey, Mrs N isn't in her bed!

(from the resident) what? she's 93 and in restraints! she better be there

(me) she's not

(resident) find her!!

(from resident) where are you guys?

(me) we're um.... practicing

(resident) jesus. practicing what?

(me) do you really want to know?

(resident) yes

(me) we're giving each other IV's in the pre-op supply room

(resident) don't tell me that shit!

(from resident) if you get me a cheeseburger from the cafeteria you can go home early

(me) done

(from my attending) you think I'm gay??

(from me) huh?

(attending) the resident said you guys think I'm gay

(from me) oh. um, no that was classmate X

(from me) but just FYI, I'll still like you if you are

(from him) god

Guess the Neurocysticercosis Thing Worked

Got honors in Radiology. Yay!

(though I'm guessing they probs give Honors to anyone breathing in rads) lol

For the First Time in My Life

I am so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by friends. Not friends that live far away. Not childhood friends that I barely talk to. Not friends that I see once in a while and are in reality just acquaintances. Real friends. Classmates, girlfriends, neighbors, mentors, boys to date, and those rare few people that you love with every ounce of your soul. I have quite a few here in this city. And I know that makes me incredibly lucky.

Specifically loving Lolo, Rica, Dr J, neighbor boy and his family, MB, B1, B2, and AMH. I love you all very much and this wouldn't be worth it without you guys.

In Stitches by Dr. Anthony Youn ~ a review

Somehow during my surgery rotation I managed to read a book. So it goes without saying that it was a fun read.

The book is written by a Korean-American, Chicago-based plastic surgeon about his journey in medical school and the uncertainties and pressures he faced throughout the process. While his experience was drastically different than mine, it was fascinating to read about the role that pressure from his family played in shaping his medical career... and really his entire life. This is an issue I've been lucky to escape yet I know many many pre-meds and med students out there deal with these outside factors every day.

Regardless... the book is a riot. They guy spends just as much time trying to get ladies as he does studying... and somehow manages to make the entire process of becoming a physician storyteller worthy.

You can find an excerpt on this link In Stitches (an excerpt) . Check it out.

If you don't believe me...

(about the last post).... try this exercise.

Write down every "bad" thing in your life. All of them. Divorces. Arrests. Losing a loved one. Breakups. Failed classes. Financial Ruin. Whatever you got.

Then systematically eliminate every one of them, and how you wouldn't be where you are today. It might not be intuitively obvious. But really think about it.

For example.... (hypothetically)... if you got pregnant at 15, you might feel trapped or at least held back from some of your goals by having a child so early. But delineate it a bit. Were you promiscuous and having a child slowed you down and helped you focus on more productive things? Did having a child at 16 help you develop a better relationship with your parents? Or maybe it got you away from people who weren't healthy for you? Or maybe its something as simple as having a child that early brought you much needed joy and the motivation to do something better?

If you got arrested for drug possession. Maybe it was a turning point. Maybe it saved you from a life of dependent drug use. Maybe it pushed you to help others.

A failed class? Or failed out of college? Maybe you are cosmically supposed to be focusing your talents elsewhere. Or maybe you had a better, more inspiring professor the next time you took the class.

Divorcing the love of your life? Perhaps you developed other friendships that enriched your life more than your marriage. Or you were free to explore the world or a career you couldn't have otherwise managed.

If you really think about it, you can do this. And if you can't think of any good things that came from the bad experiences, my bet is that you haven't yet learned the lesson.

Connecting the Dots

So I've tried to make this point before. But I've never been able to convey it as eloquently or as effectively as Steve Jobs did in his commencement speech at Stanford. If you haven't seen it, do watch it. He discusses how in life you can retrospectively connect the dots and derive meaning from the sequence of your experiences... though the significance of every event is not able to be seen prospectively. Meaning you can't look forward and see how the event in your life will lead you to your ultimate goal. You just have to TRUST.

Certainly thus far this is 100% true in my life, and I would bet yours as well. If my parents had been richer, I would not have had such a circuitous route to college and med school. Possibly I'd have missed out on work experiences that propelled me towards medicine. If I'd not dropped out of college at 19 I may have never worked as a firefighter and never developed my passion for emergency medicine. If I'd have gotten into med school the first time I'd applied I'd have likely gone to a school that didn't fit my personality... and I certainly wouldn't have gotten my masters degree in tropical medicine.... an aspect of medicine I know I want to incorporate into my career somehow. If I'd married a boy that asked me, or if I'd stayed with one that broke my heart... I wouldn't be here today.

Point being? Relax. Just keep going, keep working towards your goal, and trust that the delays, the failures, and the diversions are all part of the big picture.

Hungry?

Pasta, Peas, and Pesto with home-made pesto and home-made mayonnaise

Belgian Endive with Chevre and Turkish Figs

Blueberry Pie

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Broccoli Salad

Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches with Broiled Tomatoes and Feta

My First Patient

Somehow I managed to never write about her...but this story is a must. This happened way back in May on my first day of Internal Medicine.

So....

Scene: 1st day. My resident tells me to go into room 19 in the ED and take a full H&P on Violet. He's smirking a bit to the ER nurse, who (nicely) pulls me aside and gives me a quick heads up on what to expect.

Nurse: (to the side) So she's um sorta naked in there and a bit out of it. Just to warn you.

Me: Ok.

Resident: (laughing)

Me: Ok, seriously, what is the deal?

Resident: Nothing. Just go.

Me : (FML)

So I suck it up and walk in. And I'm met with....

VAGINA. LEGS UP IN THE AIR. NAKED. SPREAD EAGLE.

(and add a few hemorrhoids...)

Add to that she can not even speak.

I mutter an uncomfortable "Oh I forgot something. I'll be right back" to the husband.

Me to my Resident: You know this is my first day, right?

Resident: She's crazy. I'm calling psych. Just go. Do your best.

Round 2: I take the H&P. I do the physical. I ignore the vagina.

After an hour of all that, I actually make my first diagnosis. Which happened to be correct. Hepatic Encephalopathy. The legs up in the air? Posturing. Clinical sign of encephalopathy. She wasn't "crazy" and got better after 2 days of lactulose.

That, folks, was pretty much my one and only day of feeling like a complete rock star. Kinda been downhill from there, lol. But, great none-the-less.

Some VERY nice things my readers have said about my blog. Thank you all for reading and sending me emails! It means a lot!

My one way relationship with your blog has been longer (and arguably better) than my last two serious girlfriends combined. In short, it is a pleasure to read your stories.

I was starting to think that maybe I was getting too old and that it was too late. Thanks for showing me that it can be done with perseverance and strength. I am really excited about the years to come as I continue my goal of getting into medical school.

I just started reading your blog and have managed to read most of it in 1 day...THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'm in the midst of applying to DO schools and I seriously have to hold back vomit when I look at my grades and then compare it to those damn gunners on SDN.

So as I was going through your blog posts, I became more hopeful as I read about your experience and those of the people who shared with you their individual journeys. It reminded me that not all doctors go in with perfect records and applicants who demonstrate substantial life experience will likely be successful once they get accepted.

Thank you for the hard work you put into maintaining a meaninful blog and for helping to re-ignite the spark of hope that was nearly snuffed out by a few early rejections.

I constantly think about the uncertainty and the many failures and successes that will be sprinkled in my path. Sometimes its hard to see past the obstacles. But then reading your blog made me feel less alone in the world. Clearly you are years advanced in your goal then I am, but to know that these struggles are shared throughout the medical community helps ease some of my burden, and I only hope that I can be a medical student in the years to come. I have found your blog insightful, uplifting, truthful and a snapshot into what I will encounter. For that, I deeply thank you.

Well I can officially say....

That the absolute WORST time for a GI virus to kick in is 3 minutes before you are supposed to present to a roomful of soon-to-be and current physicians.

THAT SUCKED! But I toughed it out.

An "oh shit" moment

Me, being proactive and interested (and stupid) in my radiology project when most no one else gives a shit and just steals their shit off the internet for an uber easy presentation.

Ella: Hey Dr. P! I'd like to do my project on Neurocysticercosis. Have you seen any images come through in recent years?

Dr. P: Why Sure! I've got some stuff right here.

Ella: Oh wow, you've got books on the topic!

Ella: Oh wow! You actually (gulp) wrote these books.

Ella (in thought): F&@#ing way to go, dumbass!

Surgery is O-V-E-R

Passed my surgery shelf so there is no effing possible way in hell that I will have to do that ever again for even one minute!!!

Ready for every other wonderful specialty in medicine! (ah-hem... EM)

A few Interesting Things

1) a doc i know told me he took the MCAT 4 times. scoring 19, 20, 24, and 28

2) another (different than #1) doc told me he applied to medical school 12 times. 12????? do they even allow that? granted that was a while back 20+ years

3) a VERY coveted fellowship in a top specialty was recently given to an acquaintance of mine. who also failed step I.

4) a doctor god that I know was actually fired from his first residency. he's now head of an ICU in an Ivy League hospital

Point being?

Almost anything is recoverable.

Kimberly

1) Name (fake or real)

Kimberly

2) Age (real age please)

26

3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god)

med student

4) Briefly describe your career and or academic history. Including your pre-doctor life (if applicable) and bouts of time in between school. What makes you non-trad?

Went to college directly out of high school, was accepted into a joint program between my school and a local medical school. Was on track for the program until the end of my junior year (was required to take the MCAT and score a 24, scored a 20), dropped out of the program. Graduated....studied for the MCAT and took some graduate science classes at a local school. HATED IT. Scored a 20 on the MCAT again. Got frustrated with life, applied to an MPH program and moved to FL. Loved my program, studied for the MCAT AGAIN, went to Ecuador...got scores back... 19. Decided to apply to Caribbean schools...got accepted to Ross University SOM and started January of this year!

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?

I've always been interested in medicine...I just took the excruciating route to finally get here.

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?

Single, no kids!

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights?

3 times is NOT the charm. Looking back, I did not have the correct study habits for the MCAT...I was used to just knowing things by going over it a few times. It wasn't until I got to med school that I finally understood that I had to put in some serious effort. Wish I had understood that back then.

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school

SO MANY!!! MCAT scores and finances probably top my list.

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?

Definately MD. No other reason other than I always practiced writing my name Kimberly, MD, MPH. It looks amazing! :)

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)?

Don't underestimate yourself. Even if you are not a great test taker, limited on funds...whatever, if you are dedicated and truly want this...there is a way. Also, don't turn your nose down to Carribean schools (like I did at first). The Big 4 (SGU, Ross, AUC, Saba) offer you the opportunity to let your dreams come true.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share?

Yes, I have the cutest dog ever... (not biased)

Rhonda (sorry I didn't post this before!)

2) Age (real age please)

29

3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god)

pre-med

4) Briefly describe your career and or academic history. Including your pre-doctor life (if applicable) and bouts of time in between school. What makes you non-trad?

I am a paralegal right now, I got an Associate’s Degree in Legal Studies/Paralegal, and thought I’d follow the path of Law straight into law school, except I don’t like it and I keep being pulled back onto the Pre-Med path. I’ve changed my major about a million times trying to find something that I like and I always end up back on the Pre-Med track. Right now I am like a 8th year Senior at my University majoring in Biology. I’m also getting the credits required to teach Biology, just in case this whole Doctor thing doesn’t work out. My fascination with Biology will probably be helpful in the classroom as well.

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?

I’m in love with the thought of being a doctor. I have always been on the line but finally my fiancé of all people told me to just go for it, but to have a back-up plan…just in case.

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?

Engaged, 1 son he’s 9 (10 this summer)

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights?

No experience yet.

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school

What isn’t a hurdle? Time and money mostly. I have to work full time in order to support our household, so I don’t have a lot of free time to volunteer or do things that I normally would, I volunteer as much as I can. I’m just hoping that it’s enough. The money thing well that’s just that school is expensive and even though I get financial aid and loans eventually I will have to pay all of that back and I’m trying to be smart about it. I would love to find a different more flexible job but I wouldn’t make enough money and I have really good benefits for my son and myself. I also have to overcome some black marks on my transcripts, although since I committed to the Pre-Med route I have nothing below a B, and that’s a rare occasion that it’s below an A.

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?

I’m going to apply to both. There are a few DO schools that I like.

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)?

Focus on one thing at a time.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share?

Just stay positive. And keep moving.

KARA

2) Age (real age please) 29
3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god) pre-med
4) Briefly describe your career and or academic history. Including your pre-doctor life (if applicable) and bouts of time in between school. What makes you non-trad? I was planning to become a doctor when I was in high school, but my dad got cancer and died right before my senior year. I was a little burned out on the medical scene at that point, and I just wanted to survive. So I graduated early and focused on anything BUT science and math. I graduated from college with a degree in English Education and have been working as a teacher since then. Right now, I'm working from home as a full-time online English teacher while caring for my kids and going to school "on the side" for pre-med requirements.
5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field? I just couldn't shake the drive to become a doctor. I've dealt with my grief issues, and I've grown up. It's time. :)
6)Family status... married? children? how old are they? Married to my childhood sweetheart... we've got three amazing kids. Eli is 4, Isaac is 2, and Selah is 8 months. We're busy at our ouse.
7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights? No experience with the MCAT, and I'm not really that scared. Not that I think it will be a breeze... I just know I can do it if I work hard enough.
8)Biggest hurdle getting to med school Biggest hurdle = money. Isn't that always the case?
9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?I'm planning to go MD, but I'm keeping my options open.
10) Um... I don't know if I'm in a position to give advice. But I do always encourage people to get to know themselves and never sell themselves short.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share? In addition to working full time, raising three small kids, and going to school myself, I'm blogging as well. Check us out! ww.fivelittlelives.com

Katie

2) Age (real age please) - 26
3) What's your sign? - med student
4) Briefly describe your career and or academic history. Including your pre-doctor life (if applicable) and bouts of time in between school. What makes you non-trad? - decided in my junior year of college that medical school might be a good idea, and then started taking pre-med classes. I somehow finished them in two years...but after that, I wasn't sure if med school was right for me. I went ahead and applied anyway, and spent a few years working in social services. I did get in, but it was difficult. This was probably because my undergraduate college didn't believe in grades...like at all. We got "narrative evaluations" and so my transcript was 31 pages long...

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field? - Honestly? I didn't think I could do it. So I did.

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they? - married and contemplating children w/in the next year or two.

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights? - MCAT - third time was the charm. Managed to get a 29S (I think)...it might have been 30S...I'm not sure. I spent two years working with special needs youth in the inner city, which affirmed that I do NOT want to be a social worker. Helped to run an indigent medication program at a small community health center for a summer. Did undergraduate research in cognitive neuroscience...it was basically me playing w/ photoshop.

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school - getting in. seriously.

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why? - DO, for a combination of factors. I applied to both simultaneously, because to me, there wasn't really a difference. Both take two years of science classes. Both do two years of rotations. Both do residencies. I basically researched schools and applied to ones that appealed to me for some reason. Either they emphasized community service or they were in a neat location (University of Colorado, I'm looking at you) or my husband liked the area or we had family there. I didn't apply anywhere I wouldn't have wanted to live. I interviewed at both MD and DO schools and liked the DO schools better, so here I am. After nearly two years, I would say that there is little/no difference between the two. I worked at Harvard last summer and easily held my own with the Harvard medical students.

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)? - Don't be annoying. When you interview, don't ask me about treatment of asystole, because chances are I've forgotten or will think you're showboating. Ask about weather, bars, roads, things that matter.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share? - the hardest part is getting in...but make sure you want to do this, because at the end of your first year, you're already crazy in debt and have no marketable skills.

Peter

2) Age (real age please) 28
3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god) Matriculating in 2010...not sure where yet, as I am still waiting to hear about financial aid, but it will likely be Pitt, Case Western or Ohio State (unless a very unlikely waitlist comes through). Also, Virgo.
4) Briefly describe your career and or academic history. Including your pre-doctor life (if applicable) and bouts of time in between school. What makes you non-trad?I graduated from college in 2004 with a degree in Computer Science and went to work in the software industry. I worked there for a few years before quitting my job, going back to school full time (had none of the pre-reqs) and making the switch. In the meantime, I was an EMT and have been working as an aide in a hospital on a med/surg floor.

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?I discovered pretty quickly that I was not a money-motivated person, and therefore didn't feel terribly motivated by the corporate world. Working in computer science wasn't something that would get me out of bed in the morning. It was a good academic interest but not a good professional interest. In making my decision to switch to medicine, I considered a variety of things (education, for example) but ultimately settled on medicine because I felt it would be the most challenging, intellectually stimulating, impacting, etc.

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?Single.

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights? I'm fortunate in that I've always been a good test taker. I only had to take the MCAT once and scored a balanced 37Q (12/12/13). Without a doubt, this is what got me into medical school.

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school My undergraduate GPA was my biggest hurdle. I was one of those people who didn't take undergrad seriously, and while I didn't do horribly, I came out with a 3.35. Fortunately, I hadn't had any science courses, so I had the opportunity to pull my GPA up pretty substantially with my post-bacc work. My cGPA ended up around 3.51 and my sGPA was a 3.79. I had some clinical research which resulted in poster presentations at national medical conferences, and a variety of volunteer work.

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why? I am going MD because I would like to give myself the best chance at the best residency I can get.

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)? For both non-trads and trads, I would say an important part of the medical school application process is coming up with your narrative. What's your story, and how does it relate to why you're going into medicine. Everyone looks pretty much the same on paper. Your story is something that can set you apart. Also, during the application process, give yourself more time than you think is necessary for every part of it. Every part of it takes more time than you think it will. Guaranteed.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share? Not really. Applying to medical school is one of the more obnoxious things I've done in my life, and I hear residency is just as bad. Here's to doing it again in 4 years!