personal statement for medical school

Hospital dramas and shows have engrossed many viewers and made notable personalities such as Dr. McDreamy of Grey’s Anatomy and Dr. House of House, M.D. a household name. Audiences are entertained and educated with various medical conditions, diagnoses, and treatments that are  featured in the captivating scenes of these medical shows. Despite the entertainment they provide, some viewers may be left in the dark when it comes to the hierarchy of the characters or hospital staff, say in ER or in Scrubs. Here’s a quick rundown of the titles carried by medical practitioners::

Chief attending

Dr. Richard Webber of Grey’s Anatomy carries the title of big honcho. As chief attending, he is responsible for keeping the entire hospital department running smoothly. The chief attending is considered the boss who makes big decisions or confers with the other big bosses (such as the private owners) for running the hospital.

Attending physicians

Attending physicians are doctors who have gained some experience in their field of specialization. This title may be assigned after finishing a certain period of training for the said specialization. Attending physicians may also head or hold officership positions in their sub-departments. They are responsible for heading a team of residents and interns as well. Attending physicians may conduct courses to interns in teaching hospitals.

Medical residents

Newly-proclaimed doctors, fresh from board and internship exams, are proclaimed medical residents in a hospital. They are doctors who can practice medicine under the watch of their supervisors, the attending physicians, and can now legally attend to patients. Medical residents do their fare share of teaching through medical interns.

Medical interns

After graduating from med school, you can start working in a hospital under the title of medical intern. Medical interns, though, are not yet licensed to practice medicine but are only allowed to observe and participate or “scrub in” for medical and surgical procedures.

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So what makes a doctor good? Is it the brains? Is it the people skills? Or, is it because one came  from a reputable medical academic institution such as Harvard Medical School? Read on for a list of some of the qualities that help doctors become successful in the field despite the erratic schedules and the heavy caseloads.

Doctors must be people persons

Aside from being a medical maverick and genius, good doctors also need to have people skills, especially when interacting with a lot of patients, who may be confused or emotionally befuddled about their conditions.  Breaking the bad news is also never easy for most doctors. Though this part of the job is also described as one of the hardest tasks doctors do, learning how to tell family members the right way takes time and experience.

Doctors must pay attention to detail

Dr. House is deemed the medical Sherlock Holmes due to his keen observations skills. In the TV series, House makes use of psychology and take hints his patients’ lives. Real-life doctors, on the other hand, should possess the same dogged interest even in the little things such as lumps that could turn into cancer or a twitch that may actually be a symptom of a life-threatening disease. Attention to detail makes the job of doctors easier, allowing them to diagnose and treat patients more effectively.

Doctors must value time and use it wisely

You don’t outgrow your schedules when you graduate from med school. In fact, doctors are known to lead such scheduled lives to make sense of all the things happening around them. Time management skills could be honed while still studying in med school. Consider making a time table of the things that you need to do such as studying for pharmacology from 8pm to 10pm. Be sure to accomplish your tasks up to 10pm, so you could go to that late dinner, have a night cap with friends, or hit the sack right after. Setting a deadline also encourages doctors to think faster and come up with solutions even in a short time.

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Before getting into med school, many students have set their minds on the specializations they wish to take in their residency. In fact, they may even include their field of interest in their personal statement for medical school. Stating the field of specialization in your personal statement for medical school may show how career-oriented you are. Choosing your specialization, however, can be an arduous task with numerous areas to choose from and different factors to consider.  To aid you in making the right choice, here a few of the most competitive areas of specializations that are popular with medical students at the moment.

Dermatology

Doctors practicing dermatology are raking in profits, as people today are becoming more aware of their skin health and overall appearance. Though dermatologists provide medical advice on skin care and the preservation or enhancement of physical beauty, most skin specialists also make assessments and prescribe treatments that go beyond skin deep. Serious skin conditions such as psoriasis, impetigo, dermatitis, eczema, melanoma, and even the full-blown kind of acne are treated by dermatologists. Many doctors decide to specialize in dermatology for the promise of higher salaries, with patients who are willing to pay large amounts for vanity’s sake and treatment of skin problems.

Neurosurgery

Another complex organ of the body that requires proper care and attention is the brain. Neurosurgery is the new rocket science that many brave medical students are gearing up for. It would be best to think of neurosurgery as the most delicate specialization, as this involves not only the study of the brain, but also performing delicate operations on it. A doctor who aims to specialize in neurosurgery should be well-versed with the symptoms, sicknesses, and treatments that affect the brain. They also need to have good locomotor skills in able to operate on patients. Handling the most powerful yet most delicate organ of the human body entails precision and well-calculated movements, as a slip can already have dire consequences.

Those who wish to specialize in neurosurgery would normally talk passionately about the challenge of this practice in their personal statement for medical school. Medical professionals who are brave enough to face the risks of performing operations may specialize in this field of medicine.

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Getting an MD doesn’t solely rely on memorizing all the medical theories by going over the medical books. In fact, the medical profession is one of the most dynamic industries. That’s why professionals are required to always be updated with the latest treatments for illnesses. To answer the need for development, teaching hospitals have been put up to provide venues for practice for interns and medical students. Here are some of the finest teaching hospitals in the US :

Johns Hopkins Hospital

John Hopkins Hospital sets the bar after 18 years of continuous excellence by being recognized as the best teaching hospital in the country. Success and breakthroughs in the fields of endocrinology, neurosurgery, pediatrics, and urology have brought many doctors and patients relief and hope for various sicknesses. John Hopkins has produced notable medical professionals who are being nurtured with excellent training and enough resources to continue their research and studies.

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

A low mortality data sets Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center apart from others. This teaching hospital provides medical care to patients through its extensive medical services and programs. The advanced medical facilities and brilliant medical practitioners housed in this institution also make it a notable teaching hospital in the US. Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center not only provides excellent clinical education and training for interns but also to its residents.

Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital not only prides itself by being one of the oldest medical institutions of the US, but also because of the number of great medical practitioners it has produced. With its partnership with Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital strives to find new and improved ways of providing excellent medical services to patients. Having an annual budget of over US$400 million definitely allows this hospital to provide quality education to interns and other medical professionals as well.

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