When applying for medical school, you should consider the student-teacher ratio in an institution. Though a certain med school may boast of a large number of students that enroll in their classes every year, a skeletal faculty might not be enough to properly handle the student body. As a result, learning is compromised; the quality of education may not be at par anymore. Luckily, there are notable medical schools that pay attention to campus population. Most medical schools with low student-teacher ratios fare well in the national rankings. Not only are classes made convenient, but the learning and experience students get from attentive mentors hone them to be th best medical practitioners as well. Here are some medical schools with low student-teacher ratio:
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri is one those renowned med school with a low student-teacher ratio. Washington University of Medicine limits the number of students that are admitted per term to preserve the quality of education. Faculty are not as harried and stressed, while students are given equal access to facilities, education, and opportunities to develop their craft in medicine.
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School, on the other hand, has up to 10,000 faculty members to handle its student body. The administration and faculty of Harvard ensure the quality and excellence of education by making sure that each student’s academic needs are met. With a faculty that’s able to supervise and educate students more attentively, these medical students go on to become the best medical practitioners the country has ever seen. Harvard Medical School also holds the top spot for being the best medical school in the US.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
John Hopkins University School of Medicine prides itself with the implementation of the “Hopkins Model” of teaching. This method of teaching consolidates conventional classroom education and hands-on intensive clinical experience. A low student-teacher ratio ensures that students are getting the best education and experience in medical training.
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The field of medicine also has venues for publishing articles, scientific papers, and other resource material that can be used to advance knowledge on medical conditions and treatments. To regulate and standardize formats, the American Medical Association has developed a set of guidelines for the proper citation of references that are used in the text of research papers. These research papers can be about the latest developments in the fields of medicine, science, and even health care. The AMA style is used by medical practitioners, journalists, professors, and even students in the medical field when citing references in their papers.
General guidelines in AMA style
When writing scientific papers to be published in medical journals and reviews, proper citation should be used. All of the sources are listed at the end of the article according to their order of use or appearance in the paper. Making use of numbers instead of bullets, each source must be listed at the end of the text. The elements such as book title, author’s name, date it was published, among others, should be separated by periods.
Book citations
Include page numbers if the specific pages are quoted in the article. Use the <last name>,<first name>, <middle initial> format when citing the author of the book. Below is the order or chronology of the items when citing from book sources.
Chronology for book citations:
* author’s name
* chapter title
* editor’s name/translator’s name
* book title
* volume number
* book edition
* place of publication
* book publisher
* copyright year
* page numbers
Journal citations
If book citations require you to mention the full first name of the writer, journal citations only require the last name to be spelled out in full. The format for writing author’s name would then be <last name>,<first name initial>,<middle initial>.
Chronology for journal articles:
* article title and subtitle
* abbreviated name of journal
* year of publication
* volume number
* supplement number
* page numbers
Internet citations
Internet sources are now credited by the AMA; just be sure to use information from reputable sources. Cite what kind of Internet material was used as a reference and enclose it in brackets.
Chronology for Internet sources:
* author’s name
* article or webpage name
* URL source
* date accessed
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Studying for med school is no easy feat to accomplish all by your self. Fortunately, you can join or even start a study group where you can make studying a social event as well. Read on to know why joining study group sessions are worth your time and effort.
No room for procrastination
Procrastination hits everybody at some point, and it strikes hard when you’re alone. Alone you’ll probably have more tendency to put off what you should do, worrying only about yourself. With a study group, you learn to be codependent with other students as each of you may be assigned topics to read on and discuss with others. Being part of a study group gives you a certain responsibility of studying not only for yourself, but also for others.
Enough collection of ideas
A study group is a great venue for exchange of ideas. Though each person is assigned to study and discuss a certain topic for the session, other members can air out their comments and opinions. When studying alone, you’re only exposed to your own interpretation or understanding of the topic, whereas with a study group, you may cover different aspects on the subject. Some may be good, others may be points for further discussion, but all the same, a study group session can leave you enlightened about the topic.
More chances for self-improvement
Facts and figures aren’t the only things that you can get from joining a study group. Here, you also get to pick up new ways and methods for studying. Or, you can share what you find most effective for you. Discussions in study group sessions help make you get used to speaking, explaining, and listening to people. The development of interpersonal skills prepares medical students for the profession that they are studying for. Study groups also provide venues for socialization.
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You may have your plans set on stone the moment you enter medical school. But through the course of your studies, you begin to see other aspects of your would-be profession. Finally, you do get awarded the degree, the title, the responsibility to practice medicine, and another dilemma – what kind of practice should you go into? There are a lot of factors to consider before deciding whether you’d go into private practice or work in a government hospital.
Government vs. private hospitals
Public hospitals are government-run medical institutions, which make healthcare also accessible to indigents. These medical institutions are dependent on the national budget for the supply of medical equipment, the maintenance of the facilities, and for the fees paid to the medical professionals employed in such. Private hospitals, on the other hand, are owned and run by private individuals or entities such as healthcare insurers. Funding comes from the hospital fees that these institutions charge to patients.
Medical facilities and equipment
Excellent medical equipment and facilities are often hard to come by in public hospitals. Usually, the funds allotted for a year of service is very limited. Private hospitals, meanwhile, have enough funds from the fees charged to patients to continually update and develop their facilities and services. If you prefer to work in a hospital that would foster research and development in the field of medicine, as well as easy access to facilities and equipment, practicing in privately run hospital might be good for you.
Salaries and debts
Admittedly, the salary for doctors in public hospitals are not as high as those that doctors in private hospitals. The workload is not the same as well, because more patients flock to public hospitals for the cheap or even free medical services. Private practice allows you to attend to a limited number of patients, as private hospitals usually charge higher fees.
Repaying your debts and loans, however, can be remedied immediately when you work for government hospitals. There are some student loan programs that ask students to perform public service for a certain period of time as a form of payment. But if the salary you get from practicing in a private hospital is enough, you can also repay your debts easily. With a little financial management, you can pay off your loans in just a short while.
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Just because you received your medical school diploma while wearing a graduation cap and gown, it doesn’t mean that you have to forget about your student loans. Yes, your student loans – the mere reason you were able to make it all the way to graduation. You don’t need to be earning a lot just to pay off your debt; all you need is this set of tips on how to pay off your student loans.
* Calculate your debt
At the risk of getting an ulcer attack, take it upon yourself to compute how much you really owe for your education. It’s best if you have compiled all of the loan notices that have been sent to you so you could easily track down how much credit you’ve accumulated. You can also check with your school’s billing or registration department as to the costs of your education and can even ask for computations. However, do a double check on the costs to you won’t end up paying for more or less.
* Contact your lender
Contact the person or entity with whom you got your loan from. If your finances are not looking good at the moment, try to ask for a payment option that will be easy for you both. You can ask for an extension to the payment period or a lowering in the interest. Do explain what your current situation is and do communicate across that you are willing to fulfill your end of the agreement.
* Consolidate your loans
Simply put, try to see of you can lump your existing loans together. Though this might save on the costs of interest rates incurred by each loan, consolidating your debts might produce a large fee that you have to commit to paying on a regular basis. This may work for fresh graduates who still have very limited financial resources to pay off various interest rates from different loans.
* Save your money
Though money is more easily spent than saved, with a debt in mind, you’ll surely find enough motivation and reason to fill up your piggy bank. Curb your appetite for luxuries for a few months in order to save enough to pay off your debts. Spend only on the basic items that allow you to get by. Once you’ve paid off your student loan, you’ll be able to sleep well and not worry about being thrown to debtor’s prison (though the practice has been outmoded for a century already)
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Despite everybody’s expectations, including yours, it just dawns on you that you don’t want to be a doctor anymore. However, you don’t need to put those four years of medical school training to waste as there are other occupations where a medical degree sans the M.D. suffix can fare well in.
Be a science teacher.
Sure. Rocks and other igneous forms may be the least favorite subjects of kids in high school but biology, anatomy and some other icky subjects can be the areas of specialty of medical degree holders in the classroom. Having a medical degree makes you a person credible enough to explain body parts and processes to students ranging from the curious middle schooler to a bright-eyed freshie in med school. Zoology can also be another point of excellence for the medical degreeholder, having practiced on animals and animal parts in your undergraduate years.
Be a medical journalist.
Not all doctors write well (case in point: prescription notes) and sometimes, some of those impressive papers and dissertations you see in medical journals are actually the works of medical journalists. A passion and knack for writing can be put to good use when you embark on a career as a medical journalist. One can work closely with medical professionals and experts to produce scientific papers that are of importance to the scientific world. A medical background will help you understand and make sense of medical jargon and terminology.
Be a biomedical scientist.
Research can be the next venue for you if you want to hang up the scrub suit and stethoscope. Doctors and medical professionals go into biomedical research to develop cures for certain illnesses and other stuff that can help improve medical science. Experiments and studies are conducted in almost all areas of biological development of humans and animals alike. The results and breakthroughs that biomedical scientists come up with can be published in medical journals as well and help other doctors and researchers in their studies as well.
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You will get to a point after medical school when you will ask yourself if you should be a medical specialist or a general practitioner. Making a choice can be difficult especially if you lack information about both practices. So, to help you decide well, below are the advantages and disadvantages of being a medical specialist and why you choose to become one instead of being a general practitioner.
Advantages
Whether you choose to become an internist, surgeon, or neurologist or someone who focuses on diagnostic specialties, you will learn more about a particular field in medicine when you choose to be a medical specialist. Studying more about a branch of medicine such as cardiology or surgery gives you professional leverage and more credibility than if you are a general practitioner.
Another advantage is, as a medical specialist, you will enjoy a prestigious name. Years of further study as an internist, for example, earns you the benefit of being highly regarded and respected in the medical field. Your colleagues will consult you about matters they cannot solve or recommend you to patients with rare conditions. More than that, you get to solve more challenging cases and become more renowned when you succeed.
Finally, because of the specialized work you do, you earn more than your colleagues. An internist, a neurologist, a surgeon and a diagnostic specialist earn at least $20,000 more than general practitioners. In addition, you are considered as a better candidate for higher job positions in a hospital when you choose to specialize after medical school.
Disadvantages
Of course, before you earn the prestigious name and the money, you have to go through a lot of hard work. After graduating from medical school, you practice working in a hospital for a few years and spend several years more as a resident. As a resident, you learn about the area you want to specialize in, take tests and even be urged by superiors to study further.
Another disadvantage is you only handle medical cases related to your specialization. If you choose to be a cardiologist, you only take care of patients who have disorders of the cardiovascular system. Rarely will you be allowed to handle patients having different disorders. One of the reasons why a good number of doctors choose to become general practitioners is that they look forward to helping many people.
Being a medical specialist may be a more appealing option for you. But as you decide, consider your interests and your life in the long run. Remember that in any profession, financial stability, personal fulfillment and work-life balance are also important.
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You may be under the impression that being a foreigner in the US would diminish your chances of getting accepted into medical schools. However, medical schools are actually welcoming many qualified foreign students because doing so increases diversity within the campus. The process for application to medical schools is almost the same for both foreign and American students, the only difference being that foreign students have more requirements to submit. Below is a guide for applying to medical schools in the US if you’re a foreign student.
1. Choosing between medical schools
Before applying to medical schools, it’s important for you to determine first which schools you’d like to apply to. As a foreign student, you should take into account the possibility that you will be separated from your family. It’s advisable to apply to schools that are near the homes of friends and relatives. Aside from that, you also have to consider your financial status and how much you would need to cover your tuition fees and other expenditures for medical school. The US government does not grant financial aid to foreign students so it’s important that you apply to schools offering financial aid programs to foreign students.
2. Preparing the requirements
Foreign students have to submit requirements that are the same as that of American students. These requirements include the personal statement essay, Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores, recommendation letters, and resume and transcripts.
When you apply to medical schools, it’s important that you’ve already completed a bachelor’s degree. When writing your personal statement essay, you should mention why you chose to study in a US medical schools. You can read some sample medical school personal statements to get more ideas on how you’re going to write your own personal statement.
3. Completing additional requirements
Although many of the requirements for application to medical schools are common to both American and foreign students, there are still some additional requirements you have to submit, so you have to get information from various schools about these requirements. There are some schools that will require you to submit your scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Keep in mind that proficiency in the English language is a must, even for schools that do not require you to submit your TOEFL scores. US medical schools usually require applicants to have undergone a minimum of one year of education in schools within the US or Canada. Find out about required courses and take these up before applying to US medical schools.
You also have to provide schools with a proof of how you’re going to be able to shoulder the financial expenses that studying in a US medical school will entail. There are various medical schools that charge higher rates to foreign students. It’s also important that you have a complete documentation with the immigration services of the US.
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Preparing for medical school applications can be an overwhelming task. There are many deadlines and different requirements that you have to fulfill. There are also various medical schools that have a different set of requirements that are unique to their institution, and they may even have different deadlines for every requirement they seek. Below are some steps that you can follow when applying to medical schools.
Step 1: Select schools and prepare.
Before applying to medical schools, you should first know which schools you want to apply to. To get more information about various schools, you can browse through the Internet and read information about medical schools. You can also find out about their rankings and curriculum. You can prepare for the application process by getting information regarding the requirements and deadlines set by each school. Prepare around 35 to 100 dollars for your application fees for each school.
Step 2: Gather and complete the requirements.
Once you’ve decided which schools to apply to and you know their requirements already, you should then prepare to gather and complete these requirements. Medical schools usually require you to give them your official college transcripts, resumes and other documents, recommendation letters, personal statement for medical school, and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores. When preparing your personal statements, it would be good to read some sample medical school personal statements so that you can get ideas from these. By reading these, it would be easier for you to see what other applicants usually write about, and because of this, you can think about what you can write that will set you apart from others.
Step 3: Submit application forms and requirements on time.
There are different ways to submit your application to medical schools. You might want to make use of the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), a service provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). When you submit your applications to AMCAS, these will be submitted to the schools you list down. Schools will then contact you regarding your supplemental application, which are requirements specific to the school itself.
Step 4: Wait and do follow ups.
Once you’ve sent all of your applications already, you then have to wait for feedback from these institutions. Typically, interested schools will contact you to schedule an interview. Make sure that you set the interview on a convenient time. You can then prepare for the interview by asking medical professionals for their advice. Once the interview is over, it would be good for you to follow up on your status, especially if you’re put on the waiting list of schools.
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The road to becoming a doctor is long and difficult. You have to start by preparing for medical school because going to medical school presents many challenges. You need to be passionate, determined, and persevering to succeed in medical school. Below are some ways to prepare for medical school.
Be motivated and disciplined.
Perhaps the most important thing you should do when preparing for medical school is to motive and inspire yourself. You have to practice self-discipline. Make it a point to study and learn more information about what it takes and how it is to be in the medical field. You can start by talking to other doctors, interviewing students in medical schools, and getting the real deal from those in the medical field. You have to learn about both the advantages and disadvantages of going to medical school and becoming a doctor.
Plan carefully.
Planning gives you more time to prepare for all that you have to do. When you plan on entering medical school, you have to take the MCAT and it’s always good to plan your classes and extra-curricular activities in a way that will help you with the test. Taking up additional courses or getting internships and work experience in hospitals and clinics are just some of the ways to increase your chances of passing the MCAT. You should also have much knowledge in subject areas such as biology, chemistry, anatomy, and physics.
Take the MCAT.
Once you take the MCAT, you’ve done one of the first steps in entering medical school. Exam fees are approximately $500, which means that it would be such a waste of your time, effort, and money if you take the exam unprepared. As early as your junior year, you should be studying for the MCAT already. It would even serve you well to attend review classes while doing some studying on your own.
Apply for medical school.
When applying for medical school, you need to pass certain requirements such as your transcript of records, recommendations, and personal statement for medical school. It’s easy to get the transcripts and ask for recommendations from professors, so you might want to start thinking of what you’re going to write on your personal statement essay. Looking at samples of personal statement for medical school can give you ideas on how you can write your own personal statement and make it truly unique.
Prepare for the interview.
To prepare for your interview, you have to get information about the medical school you’re applying to. You can also talk to doctors and other medical professionals so that you can get their advice. When you need to go to various medical schools to get information, you might want to try going to those medical schools you’ve applied to in one or two days, especially those that are near to each other. This way, you will save time and money.
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