A few months ago I was accepted at the Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine. I was excited, as this was my top choice among DO schools. As I traveled through Peru I waited to hear from the two MD schools I interviewed at, my state school OHSU and Creighton University. I love my home city of Portland and being in Peru made me surprisingly homesick. Therefore I started hoping to get into OHSU.  Unfortunately I was waitlisted at OHSU with a terrible ranking that essentially ensured my fate (only 87 more people need to give up their spot, I got a chance, right? Nope).

So I started getting excited about DMU. They had accepted me, and I really enjoyed the school. Creighton was great too, but as I was still waiting it did not feel like a real option. DMU was real, so I focused on it.

That changed a little over a week ago, when I was accepted at Creighton School of Medicine.

Initially I was torn. I had spent over a month getting excited about DMU. The campus was smaller at DMU and I felt more comfortable there. Tuition is more reasonable. At first I didn’t want to change my mind.

Then I started having conversations with friends and family. I remembered that one of my biggest motivation for becoming a physician is to do international work. I remembered that osteopathic physcians have full practice rights in only 50 countries. I just spent three months learning about medicine in Peru, and if I became an osteopathic physician I would not be able to return and actually practice medicine.

We can debate the MD vs DO thing for a long time (do a search over at SDN if you really want to have some fun) but at the end of the day I don’t want that limitation hanging over me.

Therefore, I’m ecstatic to announce that I will be attending Creighton University School of Medicine. This is certainly a change of plans, but one that I am very excited about. Once I pushed my mind to past that initial block to consider my choices, the right decision was clear.

So what’s the lesson here? Well first, the med school admissions process is crazy. Although I was disappointed at times, ultimately I had options which was a blessed position to be in. Second, when presented with a new option that changes your plans, take some time to really consider it carefully. Talk it over with people who know you well. I’m glad I did.

Go Jays!

I recently finished a three day trek to Machu Picchu. The “Lost City of the Incas” is perched atop an incredible ridge, overlooking the surrounding mountain ranges and a beautiful valley below. It is the definition of impressive.

The trek to Machu Picchu was difficult but exciting. We combined mountain biking, river rafting and a decent amount of hiking (including the final ascent to Machu Picchu at 4AM!). We started on top a 4,300 meter mountain, passed through jungle, hiked old Inca trails, tasted freshly picked coffee beans and swam in an ice cold stream among other adventures. The whole trek, from start to destination was amazing.

I have been thinking about the journey to becoming a physician and what it has to do with my recent trek. I like the concept of a “journey”. It is the reason behind the name of this blog.

Journeys are fun. They take you places you´ve never been before. You see new and wonderful things. And if you make it to the end you are rewarded with the  joy of reaching your destination.

Journeys are also challenging. You may have hardships and setbacks. They may be painful at times. You may have the heartbreak of not reaching your destination.

I wonder if pre med students are enjoying the journey to med school. Is your pre med journey fun? Are you having great experiences and learning? Are you perservering through the hard times and using them as an opportunity for growth?

Or are you just jumping through hoops longing for the destination?

Summer is a great time to explore these questions. There are no right answers. But consider this: if pre med life is constantly miserable for you, what makes you think that will change once you get into medical school?

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As part of my post on 5 powerful goals for pre med students, I recommended finding a mentor. Mentors can help you develop leadership ability, inspire you or help you become a better student. But how do you find a solid mentor?

Here are a few suggestions to help you brainstorm about where to look for a mentor and how to approach a potential mentor.

Where To Look For A Mentor

Your School Mentoring Program. This one is easy. Many schools have a mentoring program set up that will connect you with local professionals in fields you are interested in. At my college the mentoring program is affiliated with the school of business but they had no problem finding a doctor with tons of global health experience to be my mentor. Look into programs at your school.

Leadership positions. If you have participated in any leadership positions in college you most likely had an advisor or supervisor. If this is someone you look up to and have a positive relationship with they can make a great mentor.

Professors. Hopefully you have had some great professors in college. Why not ask one you respect to be a mentor?

Anyone else you look up to. An older fellow employee. Your family doctor. The only requirements are someone you respect and get along with well.

How To Approach A Potential Mentor

The first step is to consider what you´re looking to get out of a mentoring relationship. Are you looking to learn more about being a physician? Is there a particular area you´re looking to grow in? Do you have a personal goal and want someone to hold you accountable for it?

How you ask someone to be a mentor depends on the current relationship you have with them. Face to face interactions are always best. If you feel comfortable, set up a time to share some coffee or meet in their office. If not, an email will suffice. Either way, choose your words carefully.

Ideally you explain why you are looking for a mentor, what you are looking to get out of a mentoring relationship and why you are choosing this specific person. Keep it to the point.

Finally be sure not to corner someone into making a decision on the spot. Make it clear they have time to make a decision.

Here is a brief example of what you could say in an email or in person:

“I understand you are a very busy person but I have a request for you to think about. I highly respect you as a physician and see you as someone I could learn a lot from about medicine. Would you consider meeting once or a twice a month to talk about life in medicine?”

Final Thoughts

I know this may be hard to do. You have to put yourself out there and it may be awkward. If you ask and they say no, it may create some tension for a little while.

Just remember this: It is worth it.

A little time and effort now could result in a influential relationship for a long time. Go for it.

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I thought writing anonymously would give me more freedom but I am only feeling more restricted. So from now on I’ll be writing as me, Steve. Nice to meet you.

My Pre Med Journey

I grew up outside of Portland, Oregon and went to college at Seattle Pacific University. I graduated in 2008 with a degree in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Spanish. I loved SPU.

I went to college with the vague idea of doing missionary or international development work. I changed my sophomore year to pre med. It sucked at first. I was a valedictorian in high school but my first quarter of college Biology I barely scraped by with a B-. My first General Chemistry exam I scored a 64%.

Ugh. Do I really want to do this pre med thing? I pushed through, found a tutor in chemistry, discovered more effective study methods and started to improve. I pulled out a B in Gen Chem I. Gen Chem II, an A-. I made strides in Biology, slowly.

I graduated with a 3.65 overall GPA with a science GPA of about 3.4. In January of 2009 I took the MCAT and scored a 32M. The last two years I have worked as an ER Scribe.

Last summer I started the medical school application process. After 12 secondary applications and 8 interviews I was accepted at 6 medical schools and waitlisted at 2. I’m 99.9% sure I will be attending Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine Creighton University School of Medicine in August. I’ve been in Peru the last two months watching births and dressing newborns in a public health clinic. It’s been amazing.

I’m passionate about global health and living a remarkable life. My faith is a huge part of why I want to be a physician. I am also passionate about helping pre med students navigate the journey to medical school. I believe deeply that you can be a kick-ass pre med student and have an awesome life at the same time.

I’m hoping to be a kick-ass medical student and have an awesome life too.

So that’s my story. Any questions?

Keep up with the blog and I’ll be sharing more personal stories about my pre med journey, research on how to study and take tests effectively and other useful pre med content.

What’s your pre med story?

I started this blog almost two years ago. While I am proud of what I’ve done, I see a lot of room for growth.

Ultimately, I want this blog to be one of the top resources on the internet for pre med students. To this I’m going to need some help from you, my readers.

I need feedback. What can I do to improve the site? What kinds of articles would you like to see more of? Would you find a more consistent posting schedule useful? Use my contact form, email (sam(at)premedjourney.com) or leave some comments on this post.

If you have your own blog, how about trading guest posts with Pre Med Journey? Collaboration is important in medicine (so I hear) why not start on the internet?

Finally, if you find the site useful, tell your friends. More people here will generate more lively discussion and Pre Med Journey will improve.

Thanks for your help.

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“9:44pm friend:
I really am at a loss
let me ask you this
did you have a letter of rec from the head of the scribe program?
9:46pmMe
No. I had one from a doctor I worked with in the scribe program that I was closer with
9:46pm Friend:
damn
that was it
one of my friends on the admissions committee told me there was a guy named “sam” who went to school in “my city” and had done scribe
had a fantastic application
everyone had agreed this kid should be admitted
then Dr. “x” who basically runs the committee says let’s just see what the head of scribe had to say just to dot all the i’s
then they found no letter from the head of scribe
and pushed the application
9:48pmMe
you’ve got to be kidding me
9:49pm friend:
maybe I shouldn’t have told you that
they did some stupid stuff on the admissions committee this year
the stories I’ve been hearing have been ridiculous.”

On one hand, I think that is crazy. On the other hand, it totally makes sense to have a letter of rec from the head of my Scribe program. I didn’t think it would crash my application though.

On the plus side, I really love the DO school I have committed to. But this news was maddening.

Lesson learned: Letters of rec from the heads of relevant programs are good. Take heed.

When procrastination is a problem, the issue may be that the task at hand seems too big to accomplish. The authors suggest that people first envision or “map” the multiple steps necessary for reaching an ultimate goal, and then concentrate on achieving each step.

How many people have had trouble starting a large task? The key is breaking the project down into steps. Whether it´s a huge lab report or studying for a final, this is how to tackle it.

Multitasking — can take a toll on the brain. In a study of 14 participants who underwent fMRI, researchers at Vanderbilt University found that when people try to juggle two tasks at once, a bottleneck occurs in information processing. The posterior lateral prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that is involved in decision making, delayed one task until the other was complete.

This backs up Study Hacks´ idea of hard focus.

The article also notes that sleep, nutrition and exercise are all vital to keeping your brain healthy. Do all of these things! You will be happier, plus you´ll do better in college!

While I realize I rarely post frequently, this is the reason for longer-than-usual hiatus.

As far as med school goes, I’m still waiting to hear from that state MD school. I’ll probably know in May.

For now, I’m enjoying a new adventure in another country, polishing my Spanish skills, watching babies being born (and cleaning them off!) and hiking around some breathtaking mountains. Where am I? Let’s keep it a secret for now.

Good luck in all your pre med journeys, I hope they are as enjoyable as mine has been.

The blog devoted to college success is a wonderful resource for any student, but is especially relevant for pre meds. In the highly competitive, stressed out pre med world, the Study Hacks philosophy towards college offers a refreshing perspective. 

As a pre med can you realistically expect to have a low stress life? Study Hacks that through some careful planning, strategic studying and limiting extracurricular activities, the answer is an emphatic YES. Check out the quick summary post on being a successful pre med student.

I thouroughly enjoyed college and I was a successful student. However I worked hard and was often stressed. I recognize now that much of this stress could have been avoided and I could have even been a stronger candidate for medical school. How? By being disiciplined enough to follow a few simple principles that Study Hacks reccomends. 
 
The blog is full of great ideas, but here are a few of my favorites-

The Straight A Method: How to Ace College Courses. Self explanatory.

 Do fewer things, do them well and know why you’re doing them.

The Interestingness Hypothesis. Here’s a quote from the article, “For these students, extracurricular activities play a different role than for their peers.  They don’t use activities to signal their qualities, they use them instead to transform themselves into more interesting people. In other words, what’s important about an activity is not its impressiveness, but its impact on your personality.”

 The Value of Hard Focus.

 The Power of Context when Studying. In med school (only 3 months away!) I’m looking forward to studying in my favorite pub with a microbrew in hand. This post is my inspiration.
 
Explore Study Hacks on your own, it’s well worth your time. Cal Newport, the author, knows what he is talking about and he is truly passionate about helping students. He’s also written two books which I haven’t read, but if the blog is any indication of the quality of his work I have no problem reccomending them.

How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less

How to Win at College: Surprising Secrets for Success from the Country’s Top Students

“Take Small Bites Every Day”

“Find a Mentor”

Just a few of the nuggets in the article. Enjoy!

Related articles:

• Focus on Spending More Time, Not Money, on Things You Enjoy [Saving Money] (lifehacker.com)
• 15 Things More Important than Money [Money] (consumerist.com)