Wow! In the time since my last post, a lot has changed. Here's a quick overview:
-- February: Started dating my now husband, Matthew Dahlke
-- April: Took the MCAT
-- May: Started a summer cancer research fellowship; got my MCAT score -- 94th percentile!!
-- June: Submitted AMCAS application
-- July: Submitted some secondary applications
-- August: Finished secondaries; got married!!!
-- October: Interview invite for UUSOM! Rejection from Boston University SOM.
-- November: Wrote honors thesis; interview at UUSOM!
I'm sure any pre-meds reading this are particularly wondering how I studied for the MCAT, approached my applications, handled rejection, and prepared for my interview. Hopefully this will answer some of your questions!
MCAT
So....honestly.....I should have studied A LOT more for the MCAT. I do not recommend that anyone study as little as I did. That being said.....the MCAT is designed to test your critical thinking skills. While I used the Kaplan MCAT prep books and the Altius Practice Tests to help me review concepts and get used to the format of the test respectively, I would say that my cell biology class is actually what helped me the most. In my cell biology class we were required to read a journal article every week, and then answer questions relating to experiment design and study results. This class taught me how to quickly understand complicated figures, and how to relate an experiment to concepts I had learned. Ultimately, while I do recommend a review of basic concepts to prepare for the MCAT, this is not enough to guarantee a high score. Rather, I recommend reading at least one scientific article a week, and figuring out how it relates to concepts learned in class. Again, the MCAT is not so much a test of scientific knowledge as it is of critical thinking.
PRIMARY APPLICATION
As most (hopefully all!) pre-meds know, the AMCAS application can be SUBMITTED on June 1st. What some may not know, however, is that the application actually OPENS a month earlier, on May 1st. I HIGHLY recommend starting to complete the application as soon as it opens. I did that, and I still didn't have my application submitted until June 6th. Why, you may ask? The personal statement. I don't think I actually had a complete draft of it until June 1st, and then I had 2-3 people look over it, then revised it before I actually submitted it. Honestly, I think this was slightly better than submitting it on the first day. By the time I did submit it, I knew that I had a solid personal statement, that there were no grammatical errors, and that I would still have my application in "early".
Now, why is it so important to get the AMCAS in early? The short answer? AMCAS verification. After you submit your primary application, it doesn't go directly to the med schools you decided to apply to. Rather, it first has to be 'verified' by AMCAS. Essentially, AMCAS employees take the official transcript you had your university send in, and compares it to the list of classes you listed on the application. They want to make sure that any classes you listed under your BCPM (biology, chemistry, physics, and math) GPA actually belong there, and that you didn't *accidentally* omit some BCPM courses that you didn't do so well in. :P.
So -- how can you make the verification process go as smoothly as possible? First -- request your transcripts as soon as possible, so you know AMCAS will have them by the time you submit your application. Second -- submit your application as close to June 1st as possible! Approximately 50,000 students apply to medical school each year, and most of them submit their application during the first two weeks of June. As you may imagine, this means that AMCAS can take quite a while to process applications that they receive later, because they have A LOT of applications to get through first. Applications are processed in the order that they're received - so even a second can change when your application gets processed. (Okay, probably not a SECOND, but you get the picture). SO - SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION ASAP!!!
SECONDARY APPLICATION
Another reason to get your primary application in early relates to secondary applications. AMCAS doesn't send any primary applications on to medical schools until ~July 1st. If you got your primary application in early, and have your application verified by then - -great! You'll be in the first wave of students who receive secondaries. If, however, you waited until June 21st to submit your primary, you might not get secondaries until August or September, when most applicants have already submitted them and may already have interview invites. This can put you at a disadvantage if you applied to schools that have rolling admissions.
So - how did I approach secondary applications? I first looked up the application questions from last year. I don't remember the exact website I found them on, but if you just search "secondary application questions for ______ (med school of interest)" you should find them pretty easily. Now...most websites suggest "pre-writing" your application essays -- i.e. finding the questions from last year, and writing up what you would say. This might seem unnecessary, but the prompts for most schools don't tend to change a whole lot year to year. Thus, if you pre-write your essays, you can potentially get your secondary in the same day you receive it. Again, this can provide an advantage when it comes to schools with rolling admissions.
I say most places recommend pre-writing. I did not do this. I was planning a wedding at the same time as I received my secondaries, and so I didn't really follow the ideal process. Still, I managed to get all of my secondaries back within ~1 month of receiving them. I recommend getting them in sooner, however. Most websites I looked at recommend sending in the secondary application within 2 weeks of receiving it.
WAITING....
After your primary and secondary applications are in, all you can really do is wait. I don't really know how med schools review secondary applications -- it might be based on when they were received, it might be based on MCAT score...I honestly have no clue. What I do know though, is that the weeks/months after you submit the secondary applications will try your patience. Again, another reason to get your application in early -- though I don't know the process, odds are the sooner you get your secondaries in, the sooner schools will review them. And I truly believe that waiting an extra week or two can make a huge difference. I had all of my secondaries in by the first week of august, and I've only heard from 2 out of the 7 I applied to. And....this leads me to my next point.
REJECTION
I was fortunate in that my first (and only, so far) rejection came after my first (and only, so far) interview invitation. I was rejected from Boston University in the beginning of October. I don't have too many tips for dealing with rejection...I had an interview at one of my top schools, so I wasn't overly disappointed. It helps to be familiar with the MSAR stats for the schools you apply. I knew that Boston receives somewhere in the neighborhood of 11,000 applications per year, and my MCAT was slightly below their average. So...I applied knowing my odds weren't great, but still wanting to apply. Ultimately, I would say -- know the MSAR stats for each school, and apply to enough schools so that when that first rejection comes (and it will) you're not too disappointed.
INTERVIEW
Okay, on to happier topics! I got an interview invitation from the University of Utah school of Medicine (UUSOM) in the first week of October. Word of advice: pick your interview date as soon as you get the interview invite! When I first received the invite, interviews were available during the first week of October; by the time I actually picked my interview date a few hours later they only had dates available for the middle of November. I ended up choosing November 17th as my interview date.
So...as you may have noticed, my approach to the medical school application process hasn't necessarily been...conventional. Again, follow recommendations, not what I've done. I highly recommend a practice interview -- ESPECIALLY if you interview at a school with traditional (i.e. one-on-one) interview format. There are a lot of resources that have sample interview questions, and pre-medical advisement centers tend to offer practice interviews. I....did not do a practice interview. I was planning to, but by the time I got to my advisement center, there were no time slots available before my interview date. Fortunately, UUSOM uses the multiple-mini-interview format (MMI), NOT traditional interviews. Honestly, I'm not sure how useful a practice interview would have been, given this fact.
If you don't know: an MMI consists of about 8-10 stations, where you typically have 1-2 minutes to prepare your response to an ethical question before spending 6-10 minutes with an interviewer. Because most, if not all, of the questions will be ethical in nature, I HIGHLY recommend a bioethics class. I am in bioethics at the moment, and was SOOO grateful for that class -- most of the issues presented in my MMI had been previously discussed in class. If you can't get into a bioethics class...search for current issues in healthcare, and decide where you stand on the issue. Decide how you would respond if someone challenged that position. Practice defending your point of view.
SUMMARY
So...that's a lot of info. Here's a quick summary.
1. Study for the MCAT, but don't sweat the small stuff. Focus on building up critical thinking skills.
2. Start your primary application as soon as it opens, and submit it as close to June 1st as possible.
3. Get your secondary applications in early!
4. Be realistic about your shots at a particular school (use the MSAR!). This can help you avoid disappointment when the inevitable first rejection comes.
5. Do a practice interview! But don't stress about it if you have an MMI. Instead, focus on deciding where you stand on ethical issues in healthcare.
Thanks for reading this long post! If you're a pre-med applying this cycle...good luck! Maybe we'll interview somewhere together! If you're pre-med and applying next cycle....you've got this!! Prepare early, and don't stress! If you're just reading this because you want to....thanks for reading!
Saturday, November 18, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Don't Do Pre-med
This weekend someone asked if I'd talk to her son, one of my friends, about what it's like to be a pre-med. I won't have a chance to talk to him until tomorrow, but I figured I'd go ahead and share my thoughts with everyone.
As I've researched medical schools, requirements, internships, etc, I've discovered that many doctors say that they wouldn't automatically recommend pursuing a career in medicine. For a while, I couldn't understand it. Now, however, I do.
Don't get me wrong: I love being a pre-med. I've had so many opportunities open up that wouldn't have had I continued with a psychology major. I got to go to Europe; I got to shadow doctors in Spain; I'm in an amazing lab with an AMAZING mentor. I just submitted an application for a grant that would let me work in the lab this entire summer. I wouldn't change a thing.
That being said....being a pre-med has been the hardest thing I've ever done. It's been stressful. Sometimes what I call the "pre-med monster" has come out. I haven't been able to be as social as I would've liked to be over the last few semesters. My GPA isn't as high as it used to be. Sometimes I've wondered if pre-med really is the best thing for me.
So, after all that, why do I still stick with it? Why do I love it? The answer is simple. Pre-med isn't something that I simply 'do'. I am pre-med. I am a person who gets excited by cadavers, and surgeries, and bacteria, not because I think being a doctor is the best way to have a good salary, or because it makes financial sense, but because it excites me. There is a thrill in learning about anatomy, in learning about the crazy connections between biochemistry cycles, and in learning the intricacies of the cerebellar systems.
While we're on the topic of finding thrills in pre-med stuff....Dr. Wisco, a member of the admissions committee at the University of Utah School of Medicine, told a group of my fellow premeds at BYU that fulfilling pre-med requirements just so you can 'check the box' is absolutely the worst thing you can do. Yes, fulfill the requirements, but fulfill them in ways that you want to. I wanted to travel the world so I shadowed doctors in Spain. I fulfill the patient exposure requirement by volunteering in the ER because I like the random nights when there's a woman in labor, and another, psychiatric patient, who tries to run out the doors -- all within an hour.
So -- my advice to my friend and to all aspiring pre-meds is -- don't just do premed. BE premed. Because if you don't love being pre-med with all your heart, you'll fail, get discouraged, and maybe even be one of the many medical students who commit suicide every year. BE pre-med, or look elsewhere and find what you're truly passionate about.
As I've researched medical schools, requirements, internships, etc, I've discovered that many doctors say that they wouldn't automatically recommend pursuing a career in medicine. For a while, I couldn't understand it. Now, however, I do.
Don't get me wrong: I love being a pre-med. I've had so many opportunities open up that wouldn't have had I continued with a psychology major. I got to go to Europe; I got to shadow doctors in Spain; I'm in an amazing lab with an AMAZING mentor. I just submitted an application for a grant that would let me work in the lab this entire summer. I wouldn't change a thing.
That being said....being a pre-med has been the hardest thing I've ever done. It's been stressful. Sometimes what I call the "pre-med monster" has come out. I haven't been able to be as social as I would've liked to be over the last few semesters. My GPA isn't as high as it used to be. Sometimes I've wondered if pre-med really is the best thing for me.
So, after all that, why do I still stick with it? Why do I love it? The answer is simple. Pre-med isn't something that I simply 'do'. I am pre-med. I am a person who gets excited by cadavers, and surgeries, and bacteria, not because I think being a doctor is the best way to have a good salary, or because it makes financial sense, but because it excites me. There is a thrill in learning about anatomy, in learning about the crazy connections between biochemistry cycles, and in learning the intricacies of the cerebellar systems.
While we're on the topic of finding thrills in pre-med stuff....Dr. Wisco, a member of the admissions committee at the University of Utah School of Medicine, told a group of my fellow premeds at BYU that fulfilling pre-med requirements just so you can 'check the box' is absolutely the worst thing you can do. Yes, fulfill the requirements, but fulfill them in ways that you want to. I wanted to travel the world so I shadowed doctors in Spain. I fulfill the patient exposure requirement by volunteering in the ER because I like the random nights when there's a woman in labor, and another, psychiatric patient, who tries to run out the doors -- all within an hour.
So -- my advice to my friend and to all aspiring pre-meds is -- don't just do premed. BE premed. Because if you don't love being pre-med with all your heart, you'll fail, get discouraged, and maybe even be one of the many medical students who commit suicide every year. BE pre-med, or look elsewhere and find what you're truly passionate about.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
A Perfect Week
Hey there!
So, as you might be able to guess from the title, this was a pretty dang good week. It's kinda funny, because I wasn't really looking forward to this week at all. I was assigned to shadow palliative care, which I have no interest in, I was jealous of the person who got to shadow surgery, and I was worried that at the end of the week I wouldn't get good/enough hours in the scheduling meeting. Needless to say, I shouldn't have worried. :P
Last week, I e-mailed Alba and Diego, our coordinators here, to see if I could shadow surgery for even one day this week. They said they'd ask, but by Monday I still hadn't heard anything. Turns out that they asked the chief of surgery that day, and he said I could shadow not one, but TWO days!! Cue happiness. :) Plus, shadowing on Monday wasn't even that bad. I was supposed to be in Palliative care and Megan was supposed to be in Oncology, but I think we inadvertently switched doctors, so I ended up going on rounds with the Oncology residents. Super interesting. :)
Tuesday was hair as interesting, although there were a couple of patients that were clearly nearing the end of their life, so that was hard to see. Like I said on Facebook that day though, I know they're going to a better place, and will have a chance to be resurrected and live again without all that pain and suffering. :) Tuesday was also awesome because in the afternoon I got an e-mail from my professor for Neuro 205, saying that a TA position had opened up. I'd been trying to figure out how on earth I was going to fulfil the leadership experience requirement for med school, so this kinda felt like an answer to prayers. :)
Wednesday was just amazing!!! Every week we have a full day excursion, and this time we went to the Cies Islands. Soooo pretty!! Apparently one of the beaches was named 'best beach in the world' a few years ago. :) I loved it- the water was gorgeous (although quite cold), the views were spectacular... I just wish we could've had more time!!!
Thursday was probably my favorite day this week, except maybe Wednesday... I think they may tie. :P anyway- I woke up around 7:00, and quickly got ready to head to the hospital with Alice (the person in surgery this week). We got there and got to be in a meeting where the doctors reviewed all the surgical patients, and then we each got asks fend a doctor to follow. I got to follow Reuben, and watch a tumor resection. The tumor had invaded a kidney, the adrenal glands, and a few other structures- and was massive! I wish I could post the pictures I took... (But I won't. :D ). Anyway- it was awesome. Then, when I got back, I saw an email from the Neuro 205 professor saying that he had narrowed the list down to seven people and wanted some additional information. I responded to that, and about two hours later got an email saying that he thought I was the best one for the position. So happy!!! Then, we had an amazing group dinner. :) overall, it was just an amazing day!!! :D
Friday was cool too.. I got to watch a surgery where they removed part of the large intestine that was infected with diverticulitis, then watch a thyroidectomy, and catch the last end of a hernia repair. :) That night we had dinner at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant close to the hotel. So good!!! :)
Not much to tell from yesterday... I mostly just relaxed. :) I also had my scheduling meeting, and ended up getting perfect shifts, :) Now I just need to get them covered for next week... :P anyway- this week was awesome! This afternoon we get to visit Allariz, and I'm super excited. :) I'll probably post about that next week once I get back. :) I can't believe I only have one more week left' :'( the time has gone by so fast! I'll miss Europe/Spain, but I'm excited to start classes again!
Until next time!
So, as you might be able to guess from the title, this was a pretty dang good week. It's kinda funny, because I wasn't really looking forward to this week at all. I was assigned to shadow palliative care, which I have no interest in, I was jealous of the person who got to shadow surgery, and I was worried that at the end of the week I wouldn't get good/enough hours in the scheduling meeting. Needless to say, I shouldn't have worried. :P
Last week, I e-mailed Alba and Diego, our coordinators here, to see if I could shadow surgery for even one day this week. They said they'd ask, but by Monday I still hadn't heard anything. Turns out that they asked the chief of surgery that day, and he said I could shadow not one, but TWO days!! Cue happiness. :) Plus, shadowing on Monday wasn't even that bad. I was supposed to be in Palliative care and Megan was supposed to be in Oncology, but I think we inadvertently switched doctors, so I ended up going on rounds with the Oncology residents. Super interesting. :)
Tuesday was hair as interesting, although there were a couple of patients that were clearly nearing the end of their life, so that was hard to see. Like I said on Facebook that day though, I know they're going to a better place, and will have a chance to be resurrected and live again without all that pain and suffering. :) Tuesday was also awesome because in the afternoon I got an e-mail from my professor for Neuro 205, saying that a TA position had opened up. I'd been trying to figure out how on earth I was going to fulfil the leadership experience requirement for med school, so this kinda felt like an answer to prayers. :)
Wednesday was just amazing!!! Every week we have a full day excursion, and this time we went to the Cies Islands. Soooo pretty!! Apparently one of the beaches was named 'best beach in the world' a few years ago. :) I loved it- the water was gorgeous (although quite cold), the views were spectacular... I just wish we could've had more time!!!
Thursday was probably my favorite day this week, except maybe Wednesday... I think they may tie. :P anyway- I woke up around 7:00, and quickly got ready to head to the hospital with Alice (the person in surgery this week). We got there and got to be in a meeting where the doctors reviewed all the surgical patients, and then we each got asks fend a doctor to follow. I got to follow Reuben, and watch a tumor resection. The tumor had invaded a kidney, the adrenal glands, and a few other structures- and was massive! I wish I could post the pictures I took... (But I won't. :D ). Anyway- it was awesome. Then, when I got back, I saw an email from the Neuro 205 professor saying that he had narrowed the list down to seven people and wanted some additional information. I responded to that, and about two hours later got an email saying that he thought I was the best one for the position. So happy!!! Then, we had an amazing group dinner. :) overall, it was just an amazing day!!! :D
Friday was cool too.. I got to watch a surgery where they removed part of the large intestine that was infected with diverticulitis, then watch a thyroidectomy, and catch the last end of a hernia repair. :) That night we had dinner at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant close to the hotel. So good!!! :)
Not much to tell from yesterday... I mostly just relaxed. :) I also had my scheduling meeting, and ended up getting perfect shifts, :) Now I just need to get them covered for next week... :P anyway- this week was awesome! This afternoon we get to visit Allariz, and I'm super excited. :) I'll probably post about that next week once I get back. :) I can't believe I only have one more week left' :'( the time has gone by so fast! I'll miss Europe/Spain, but I'm excited to start classes again!
Until next time!
A Perfect Week
Hey there!
So, as you might be able to guess from the title, this was a pretty dang good week. It's kinda funny, because I wasn't really looking forward to this week at all. I was assigned to shadow palliative care, which I have no interest in, I was jealous of the person who got to shadow surgery, and I was worried that at the end of the week I wouldn't get good/enough hours in the scheduling meeting. Needless to say, I shouldn't have worried. :P
Last week, I e-mailed Alba and Diego, our coordinators here, to see if I could shadow surgery for even one day this week. They said they'd ask, but by Monday I still hadn't heard anything. Turns out that they asked the chief of surgery that day, and he said I could shadow not one, but TWO days!! Cue happiness. :) Plus, shadowing on Monday wasn't even that bad. I was supposed to be in Palliative care and Megan was supposed to be in Oncology, but I think we inadvertently switched doctors, so I ended up going on rounds with the Oncology residents. Super interesting. :)
Tuesday was hair as interesting, although there were a couple of patients that were clearly nearing the end of their life, so that was hard to see. Like I said on Facebook that day though, I know they're going to a better place, and will have a chance to be resurrected and live again without all that pain and suffering. :) Tuesday was also awesome because in the afternoon I got an e-mail from my professor for Neuro 205, saying that a TA position had opened up. I'd been trying to figure out how on earth I was going to fulfil the leadership experience requirement for med school, so this kinda felt like an answer to prayers. :)
Wednesday was just amazing!!! Every week we have a full day excursion, and this time we went to the Cies Islands. Soooo pretty!! Apparently one of the beaches was named 'best beach in the world' a few years ago. :) I loved it- the water was gorgeous (although quite cold), the views were spectacular... I just wish we could've had more time!!!
Thursday was probably my favorite day this week, except maybe Wednesday... I think they may tie. :P anyway- I woke up around 7:00, and quickly got ready to head to the hospital with Alice (the person in surgery this week). We got there and got to be in a meeting where the doctors reviewed all the surgical patients, and then we each got asks fend a doctor to follow. I got to follow Reuben, and watch a tumor resection. The tumor had invaded a kidney, the adrenal glands, and a few other structures- and was massive! I wish I could post the pictures I took... (But I won't. :D ). Anyway- it was awesome. Then, when I got back, I saw an email from the Neuro 205 professor saying that he had narrowed the list down to seven people and wanted some additional information. I responded to that, and about two hours later got an email saying that he thought I was the best one for the position. So happy!!! Then, we had an amazing group dinner. :) overall, it was just an amazing day!!! :D
Friday was cool too.. I got to watch a surgery where they removed part of the large intestine that was infected with diverticulitis, then watch a thyroidectomy, and catch the last end of a hernia repair. :) That night we had dinner at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant close to the hotel. So good!!! :)
Not much to tell from yesterday... I mostly just relaxed. :) I also had my scheduling meeting, and ended up getting perfect shifts, :) Now I just need to get them covered for next week... :P anyway- this week was awesome! This afternoon we get to visit Allariz, and I'm super excited. :) I'll probably post about that next week once I get back. :) I can't believe I only have one more week left' :'( the time has gone by so fast! I'll miss Europe/Spain, but I'm excited to start classes again!
Until next time!
So, as you might be able to guess from the title, this was a pretty dang good week. It's kinda funny, because I wasn't really looking forward to this week at all. I was assigned to shadow palliative care, which I have no interest in, I was jealous of the person who got to shadow surgery, and I was worried that at the end of the week I wouldn't get good/enough hours in the scheduling meeting. Needless to say, I shouldn't have worried. :P
Last week, I e-mailed Alba and Diego, our coordinators here, to see if I could shadow surgery for even one day this week. They said they'd ask, but by Monday I still hadn't heard anything. Turns out that they asked the chief of surgery that day, and he said I could shadow not one, but TWO days!! Cue happiness. :) Plus, shadowing on Monday wasn't even that bad. I was supposed to be in Palliative care and Megan was supposed to be in Oncology, but I think we inadvertently switched doctors, so I ended up going on rounds with the Oncology residents. Super interesting. :)
Tuesday was hair as interesting, although there were a couple of patients that were clearly nearing the end of their life, so that was hard to see. Like I said on Facebook that day though, I know they're going to a better place, and will have a chance to be resurrected and live again without all that pain and suffering. :) Tuesday was also awesome because in the afternoon I got an e-mail from my professor for Neuro 205, saying that a TA position had opened up. I'd been trying to figure out how on earth I was going to fulfil the leadership experience requirement for med school, so this kinda felt like an answer to prayers. :)
Wednesday was just amazing!!! Every week we have a full day excursion, and this time we went to the Cies Islands. Soooo pretty!! Apparently one of the beaches was named 'best beach in the world' a few years ago. :) I loved it- the water was gorgeous (although quite cold), the views were spectacular... I just wish we could've had more time!!!
Thursday was probably my favorite day this week, except maybe Wednesday... I think they may tie. :P anyway- I woke up around 7:00, and quickly got ready to head to the hospital with Alice (the person in surgery this week). We got there and got to be in a meeting where the doctors reviewed all the surgical patients, and then we each got asks fend a doctor to follow. I got to follow Reuben, and watch a tumor resection. The tumor had invaded a kidney, the adrenal glands, and a few other structures- and was massive! I wish I could post the pictures I took... (But I won't. :D ). Anyway- it was awesome. Then, when I got back, I saw an email from the Neuro 205 professor saying that he had narrowed the list down to seven people and wanted some additional information. I responded to that, and about two hours later got an email saying that he thought I was the best one for the position. So happy!!! Then, we had an amazing group dinner. :) overall, it was just an amazing day!!! :D
Friday was cool too.. I got to watch a surgery where they removed part of the large intestine that was infected with diverticulitis, then watch a thyroidectomy, and catch the last end of a hernia repair. :) That night we had dinner at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant close to the hotel. So good!!! :)
Not much to tell from yesterday... I mostly just relaxed. :) I also had my scheduling meeting, and ended up getting perfect shifts, :) Now I just need to get them covered for next week... :P anyway- this week was awesome! This afternoon we get to visit Allariz, and I'm super excited. :) I'll probably post about that next week once I get back. :) I can't believe I only have one more week left' :'( the time has gone by so fast! I'll miss Europe/Spain, but I'm excited to start classes again!
Until next time!
A Perfect Week
Hey there!
So, as you might be able to guess from the title, this was a pretty dang good week. It's kinda funny, because I wasn't really looking forward to this week at all. I was assigned to shadow palliative care, which I have no interest in, I was jealous of the person who got to shadow surgery, and I was worried that at the end of the week I wouldn't get good/enough hours in the scheduling meeting. Needless to say, I shouldn't have worried. :P
Last week, I e-mailed Alba and Diego, our coordinators here, to see if I could shadow surgery for even one day this week. They said they'd ask, but by Monday I still hadn't heard anything. Turns out that they asked the chief of surgery that day, and he said I could shadow not one, but TWO days!! Cue happiness. :) Plus, shadowing on Monday wasn't even that bad. I was supposed to be in Palliative care and Megan was supposed to be in Oncology, but I think we inadvertently switched doctors, so I ended up going on rounds with the Oncology residents. Super interesting. :)
Tuesday was hair as interesting, although there were a couple of patients that were clearly nearing the end of their life, so that was hard to see. Like I said on Facebook that day though, I know they're going to a better place, and will have a chance to be resurrected and live again without all that pain and suffering. :) Tuesday was also awesome because in the afternoon I got an e-mail from my professor for Neuro 205, saying that a TA position had opened up. I'd been trying to figure out how on earth I was going to fulfil the leadership experience requirement for med school, so this kinda felt like an answer to prayers. :)
Wednesday was just amazing!!! Every week we have a full day excursion, and this time we went to the Cies Islands. Soooo pretty!! Apparently one of the beaches was named 'best beach in the world' a few years ago. :) I loved it- the water was gorgeous (although quite cold), the views were spectacular... I just wish we could've had more time!!!
Thursday was probably my favorite day this week, except maybe Wednesday... I think they may tie. :P anyway- I woke up around 7:00, and quickly got ready to head to the hospital with Alice (the person in surgery this week). We got there and got to be in a meeting where the doctors reviewed all the surgical patients, and then we each got asks fend a doctor to follow. I got to follow Reuben, and watch a tumor resection. The tumor had invaded a kidney, the adrenal glands, and a few other structures- and was massive! I wish I could post the pictures I took... (But I won't. :D ). Anyway- it was awesome. Then, when I got back, I saw an email from the Neuro 205 professor saying that he had narrowed the list down to seven people and wanted some additional information. I responded to that, and about two hours later got an email saying that he thought I was the best one for the position. So happy!!! Then, we had an amazing group dinner. :) overall, it was just an amazing day!!! :D
Friday was cool too.. I got to watch a surgery where they removed part of the large intestine that was infected with diverticulitis, then watch a thyroidectomy, and catch the last end of a hernia repair. :) That night we had dinner at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant close to the hotel. So good!!! :)
Not much to tell from yesterday... I mostly just relaxed. :) I also had my scheduling meeting, and ended up getting perfect shifts, :) Now I just need to get them covered for next week... :P anyway- this week was awesome! This afternoon we get to visit Allariz, and I'm super excited. :) I'll probably post about that next week once I get back. :) I can't believe I only have one more week left' :'( the time has gone by so fast! I'll miss Europe/Spain, but I'm excited to start classes again!
Until next time!
So, as you might be able to guess from the title, this was a pretty dang good week. It's kinda funny, because I wasn't really looking forward to this week at all. I was assigned to shadow palliative care, which I have no interest in, I was jealous of the person who got to shadow surgery, and I was worried that at the end of the week I wouldn't get good/enough hours in the scheduling meeting. Needless to say, I shouldn't have worried. :P
Last week, I e-mailed Alba and Diego, our coordinators here, to see if I could shadow surgery for even one day this week. They said they'd ask, but by Monday I still hadn't heard anything. Turns out that they asked the chief of surgery that day, and he said I could shadow not one, but TWO days!! Cue happiness. :) Plus, shadowing on Monday wasn't even that bad. I was supposed to be in Palliative care and Megan was supposed to be in Oncology, but I think we inadvertently switched doctors, so I ended up going on rounds with the Oncology residents. Super interesting. :)
Tuesday was hair as interesting, although there were a couple of patients that were clearly nearing the end of their life, so that was hard to see. Like I said on Facebook that day though, I know they're going to a better place, and will have a chance to be resurrected and live again without all that pain and suffering. :) Tuesday was also awesome because in the afternoon I got an e-mail from my professor for Neuro 205, saying that a TA position had opened up. I'd been trying to figure out how on earth I was going to fulfil the leadership experience requirement for med school, so this kinda felt like an answer to prayers. :)
Wednesday was just amazing!!! Every week we have a full day excursion, and this time we went to the Cies Islands. Soooo pretty!! Apparently one of the beaches was named 'best beach in the world' a few years ago. :) I loved it- the water was gorgeous (although quite cold), the views were spectacular... I just wish we could've had more time!!!
Thursday was probably my favorite day this week, except maybe Wednesday... I think they may tie. :P anyway- I woke up around 7:00, and quickly got ready to head to the hospital with Alice (the person in surgery this week). We got there and got to be in a meeting where the doctors reviewed all the surgical patients, and then we each got asks fend a doctor to follow. I got to follow Reuben, and watch a tumor resection. The tumor had invaded a kidney, the adrenal glands, and a few other structures- and was massive! I wish I could post the pictures I took... (But I won't. :D ). Anyway- it was awesome. Then, when I got back, I saw an email from the Neuro 205 professor saying that he had narrowed the list down to seven people and wanted some additional information. I responded to that, and about two hours later got an email saying that he thought I was the best one for the position. So happy!!! Then, we had an amazing group dinner. :) overall, it was just an amazing day!!! :D
Friday was cool too.. I got to watch a surgery where they removed part of the large intestine that was infected with diverticulitis, then watch a thyroidectomy, and catch the last end of a hernia repair. :) That night we had dinner at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant close to the hotel. So good!!! :)
Not much to tell from yesterday... I mostly just relaxed. :) I also had my scheduling meeting, and ended up getting perfect shifts, :) Now I just need to get them covered for next week... :P anyway- this week was awesome! This afternoon we get to visit Allariz, and I'm super excited. :) I'll probably post about that next week once I get back. :) I can't believe I only have one more week left' :'( the time has gone by so fast! I'll miss Europe/Spain, but I'm excited to start classes again!
Until next time!
A Perfect Week
Hey there!
So, as you might be able to guess from the title, this was a pretty dang good week. It's kinda funny, because I wasn't really looking forward to this week at all. I was assigned to shadow palliative care, which I have no interest in, I was jealous of the person who got to shadow surgery, and I was worried that at the end of the week I wouldn't get good/enough hours in the scheduling meeting. Needless to say, I shouldn't have worried. :P
Last week, I e-mailed Alba and Diego, our coordinators here, to see if I could shadow surgery for even one day this week. They said they'd ask, but by Monday I still hadn't heard anything. Turns out that they asked the chief of surgery that day, and he said I could shadow not one, but TWO days!! Cue happiness. :) Plus, shadowing on Monday wasn't even that bad. I was supposed to be in Palliative care and Megan was supposed to be in Oncology, but I think we inadvertently switched doctors, so I ended up going on rounds with the Oncology residents. Super interesting. :)
Tuesday was hair as interesting, although there were a couple of patients that were clearly nearing the end of their life, so that was hard to see. Like I said on Facebook that day though, I know they're going to a better place, and will have a chance to be resurrected and live again without all that pain and suffering. :) Tuesday was also awesome because in the afternoon I got an e-mail from my professor for Neuro 205, saying that a TA position had opened up. I'd been trying to figure out how on earth I was going to fulfil the leadership experience requirement for med school, so this kinda felt like an answer to prayers. :)
Wednesday was just amazing!!! Every week we have a full day excursion, and this time we went to the Cies Islands. Soooo pretty!! Apparently one of the beaches was named 'best beach in the world' a few years ago. :) I loved it- the water was gorgeous (although quite cold), the views were spectacular... I just wish we could've had more time!!!
Thursday was probably my favorite day this week, except maybe Wednesday... I think they may tie. :P anyway- I woke up around 7:00, and quickly got ready to head to the hospital with Alice (the person in surgery this week). We got there and got to be in a meeting where the doctors reviewed all the surgical patients, and then we each got asks fend a doctor to follow. I got to follow Reuben, and watch a tumor resection. The tumor had invaded a kidney, the adrenal glands, and a few other structures- and was massive! I wish I could post the pictures I took... (But I won't. :D ). Anyway- it was awesome. Then, when I got back, I saw an email from the Neuro 205 professor saying that he had narrowed the list down to seven people and wanted some additional information. I responded to that, and about two hours later got an email saying that he thought I was the best one for the position. So happy!!! Then, we had an amazing group dinner. :) overall, it was just an amazing day!!! :D
Friday was cool too.. I got to watch a surgery where they removed part of the large intestine that was infected with diverticulitis, then watch a thyroidectomy, and catch the last end of a hernia repair. :) That night we had dinner at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant close to the hotel. So good!!! :)
Not much to tell from yesterday... I mostly just relaxed. :) I also had my scheduling meeting, and ended up getting perfect shifts, :) Now I just need to get them covered for next week... :P anyway- this week was awesome! This afternoon we get to visit Allariz, and I'm super excited. :) I'll probably post about that next week once I get back. :) I can't believe I only have one more week left' :'( the time has gone by so fast! I'll miss Europe/Spain, but I'm excited to start classes again!
Until next time!
So, as you might be able to guess from the title, this was a pretty dang good week. It's kinda funny, because I wasn't really looking forward to this week at all. I was assigned to shadow palliative care, which I have no interest in, I was jealous of the person who got to shadow surgery, and I was worried that at the end of the week I wouldn't get good/enough hours in the scheduling meeting. Needless to say, I shouldn't have worried. :P
Last week, I e-mailed Alba and Diego, our coordinators here, to see if I could shadow surgery for even one day this week. They said they'd ask, but by Monday I still hadn't heard anything. Turns out that they asked the chief of surgery that day, and he said I could shadow not one, but TWO days!! Cue happiness. :) Plus, shadowing on Monday wasn't even that bad. I was supposed to be in Palliative care and Megan was supposed to be in Oncology, but I think we inadvertently switched doctors, so I ended up going on rounds with the Oncology residents. Super interesting. :)
Tuesday was hair as interesting, although there were a couple of patients that were clearly nearing the end of their life, so that was hard to see. Like I said on Facebook that day though, I know they're going to a better place, and will have a chance to be resurrected and live again without all that pain and suffering. :) Tuesday was also awesome because in the afternoon I got an e-mail from my professor for Neuro 205, saying that a TA position had opened up. I'd been trying to figure out how on earth I was going to fulfil the leadership experience requirement for med school, so this kinda felt like an answer to prayers. :)
Wednesday was just amazing!!! Every week we have a full day excursion, and this time we went to the Cies Islands. Soooo pretty!! Apparently one of the beaches was named 'best beach in the world' a few years ago. :) I loved it- the water was gorgeous (although quite cold), the views were spectacular... I just wish we could've had more time!!!
Thursday was probably my favorite day this week, except maybe Wednesday... I think they may tie. :P anyway- I woke up around 7:00, and quickly got ready to head to the hospital with Alice (the person in surgery this week). We got there and got to be in a meeting where the doctors reviewed all the surgical patients, and then we each got asks fend a doctor to follow. I got to follow Reuben, and watch a tumor resection. The tumor had invaded a kidney, the adrenal glands, and a few other structures- and was massive! I wish I could post the pictures I took... (But I won't. :D ). Anyway- it was awesome. Then, when I got back, I saw an email from the Neuro 205 professor saying that he had narrowed the list down to seven people and wanted some additional information. I responded to that, and about two hours later got an email saying that he thought I was the best one for the position. So happy!!! Then, we had an amazing group dinner. :) overall, it was just an amazing day!!! :D
Friday was cool too.. I got to watch a surgery where they removed part of the large intestine that was infected with diverticulitis, then watch a thyroidectomy, and catch the last end of a hernia repair. :) That night we had dinner at a DELICIOUS Italian restaurant close to the hotel. So good!!! :)
Not much to tell from yesterday... I mostly just relaxed. :) I also had my scheduling meeting, and ended up getting perfect shifts, :) Now I just need to get them covered for next week... :P anyway- this week was awesome! This afternoon we get to visit Allariz, and I'm super excited. :) I'll probably post about that next week once I get back. :) I can't believe I only have one more week left' :'( the time has gone by so fast! I'll miss Europe/Spain, but I'm excited to start classes again!
Until next time!
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Urology: A Hidden Gem
Hey there!
So my dad just e-mailed me telling me that he can't wait til my next blog post, so I decided to take the hint and write a new one. :P
This week has been amazing! I got to Madrid late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning, and immediately went to sleep once I got to my hostel. In the morning, I took advantage of the free breakfast/maps they provide, and started to plan my day. They offer a free tour in Madrid, so I headed out, with the goal of making it to the 2:00pm one. I had about two hours, so I took the long way around, and saw some super cool stuff! Madrid doesn't have as many obvious attractions as places such as Italy or London, but it was still awesome. My favorite is probably a tie between the El Prado museum and Parque del Retiro. The next day I got up and went back to the airport to wait for the Atlantis Project representative (the hotel we stayed at was a ways away from the Madrid city center, so the Atlantis Project coordinator said that that would be the easiest/cheapest way to find my way to the hotel). Three other girls (Lucy, Maycee, and Sarah) arrived at the same time I did, and we had a fun time getting to know each other on the right to Hotel Alcala Plaza.
Once we got to the hotel, we dropped our things off, and headed out to see Madrid. Another girl, Christina, who got there around the same time also joined us. We had a fun time wandering around -- mostly to places I'd seen the day before. Once we got back, we relaxed, and didn't do much the rest of the night. I also met my roommate, Alice. She goes to UCLA, and is pretty cool. :) The next day we had orientation - it was super fun!! We all found out where we're shadowing - -I got Urology, Palliative Care, and Intensive Care. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but they all sound super interesting.
After orientation we had lunch, and then some people went out to Madrid, while I stayed at the hotel. The next day we had a few hours before our train left, so we explored Alcala de Henares, the suburb of madrid where our hotel was. When we got back, we took a bus to the train station, and then took a train to Ourense. :) It's sooooo beautiful here!!! I was expecting a small town with little to do, but it's amazing - -I love the architecture, and we're right in the middle of the city center so we're close to everything. We got to Ourense pretty late, so we checked into our hotel (a different one than where we are now, because this one was sold out that first night), and called it a night. The next day we had a tour of Ourense, and moved our stuff to the hotel that we'll be in for the rest of the three nights. It's pretty nice, and I was one of about half of us who gets an individual room. :D I love it!
Tuesday was our first day shadowing. I wasn't sure what to expect with Urology, but was definitely excited when Alba (our local coordinator) told me and Sarah (who was also on Urology this week) that we'd be going straight to the OR. That first day we saw two bladder tumor resections. Super cool! They do it endoscopically, so we were able to see everything they did up on a screen. After that, we had lunch, and then went back to the hospital so Alba could show us where volunteering is -- all of us volunteer twice during these three weeks in the children's area of the hospital -- basically we just play with any of the kids who come in. My first day was supposed to be Wednesday, but our group activity got moved to that afternoon, so I just stayed Tuesday and volunteered with Sophie and Alice. We didn't have any kids come in, but we were able to talk with the other volunteer, and the volunteer coordinator - it was super fun!
After that we went to dinner...there are so many amazing places to eat here! We've found an Italian place, a place with great octopus (which Galicia, the province where Ourense is, is known for), etc. I love the food here! Anyway -- we ate dinner, and then went to bed. (Dinner here is at like 8:30-9:00, so we don't get back til around 10:30 and we have to get up early so we don't usually do much after dinner). The next day we got to go back to the OR, and we saw four Botox injections in the urinary sphincter (meant to help with urinary incontinence), and 4 prostate biopsies. It was super cool! It was nice to see so many of the same procedures, because we got to see what aspects stayed the same and what were different. Later that afternoon we went to the hot springs -- sooooo awesome!!! I think we're all planning to go back some time -- probably to different ones (Ourense has a lot of hot springs), but wherever we go it should be awesome.
Thursday we saw four more bladder tumor resections...it was cool to see how each was different. Not too much else to mention from Thursday...we did have a great group dinner though. :) I love our group - -we all get along really well, and have lots of fun together. Friday was probably my favorite day so far -- we got to watch a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. It was amazing!! The other tumors we've seen have involved little blood and have been minimally invasive, so this was my first 'intense' surgery. They made five small incisions; one had a camera in it, and the others had devices with holes through which different instruments could be inserted. It was so cool! we got to see the intestine (at least that's what I think it was) and adipose tissue as they found their way to the prostate. It was a lot bigger than I expected, and I actually originally thought it was the bladder. :P Once they found it, they started the process of identifying the bladder neck, and then started removing the prostate. After the prostate was removed, they started what I think was the coolest part of the procedure -- performing a urethral anastomosis (they took two parts of the urethra, and sutured them together). It was amazing!!! After the surgery was over, we had a bit of a break, and then watched part of a catheter change before heading back to the hotel. Later, Sierra and I went back to the hospital for volunteering. It was super fun!!! After that we had dinner, and went to sleep.
Today's been a pretty relaxing day....we had a late breakfast, and then went to the mall here in Ourense (one way you can tell that we're an all girl group -- we were all excited to find out that there's a nice mall here. :P ) Two of the girls went to Barcelona for the weekend and left last night; the other 8 of us stayed here, and right now 6 went to watch the start of a cycling race. :) Once they get back we'll probably have dinner at the hotel, and call it a day. :)
So yeah - -this week has been awesome. Urology turned out to be a hidden gem. I wasn't sure how I felt about shadowing an area that focuses mostly on the urinary system/male reproductive system, but it's been awesome! I'm sad to leave it, but am looking forward to palliative care next week.
Also, while my laptop was working long enough to write this, it unfortunately didn't work enough for me to post pictures. :/ maybe soon though! :)
So my dad just e-mailed me telling me that he can't wait til my next blog post, so I decided to take the hint and write a new one. :P
This week has been amazing! I got to Madrid late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning, and immediately went to sleep once I got to my hostel. In the morning, I took advantage of the free breakfast/maps they provide, and started to plan my day. They offer a free tour in Madrid, so I headed out, with the goal of making it to the 2:00pm one. I had about two hours, so I took the long way around, and saw some super cool stuff! Madrid doesn't have as many obvious attractions as places such as Italy or London, but it was still awesome. My favorite is probably a tie between the El Prado museum and Parque del Retiro. The next day I got up and went back to the airport to wait for the Atlantis Project representative (the hotel we stayed at was a ways away from the Madrid city center, so the Atlantis Project coordinator said that that would be the easiest/cheapest way to find my way to the hotel). Three other girls (Lucy, Maycee, and Sarah) arrived at the same time I did, and we had a fun time getting to know each other on the right to Hotel Alcala Plaza.
Once we got to the hotel, we dropped our things off, and headed out to see Madrid. Another girl, Christina, who got there around the same time also joined us. We had a fun time wandering around -- mostly to places I'd seen the day before. Once we got back, we relaxed, and didn't do much the rest of the night. I also met my roommate, Alice. She goes to UCLA, and is pretty cool. :) The next day we had orientation - it was super fun!! We all found out where we're shadowing - -I got Urology, Palliative Care, and Intensive Care. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, but they all sound super interesting.
After orientation we had lunch, and then some people went out to Madrid, while I stayed at the hotel. The next day we had a few hours before our train left, so we explored Alcala de Henares, the suburb of madrid where our hotel was. When we got back, we took a bus to the train station, and then took a train to Ourense. :) It's sooooo beautiful here!!! I was expecting a small town with little to do, but it's amazing - -I love the architecture, and we're right in the middle of the city center so we're close to everything. We got to Ourense pretty late, so we checked into our hotel (a different one than where we are now, because this one was sold out that first night), and called it a night. The next day we had a tour of Ourense, and moved our stuff to the hotel that we'll be in for the rest of the three nights. It's pretty nice, and I was one of about half of us who gets an individual room. :D I love it!
Tuesday was our first day shadowing. I wasn't sure what to expect with Urology, but was definitely excited when Alba (our local coordinator) told me and Sarah (who was also on Urology this week) that we'd be going straight to the OR. That first day we saw two bladder tumor resections. Super cool! They do it endoscopically, so we were able to see everything they did up on a screen. After that, we had lunch, and then went back to the hospital so Alba could show us where volunteering is -- all of us volunteer twice during these three weeks in the children's area of the hospital -- basically we just play with any of the kids who come in. My first day was supposed to be Wednesday, but our group activity got moved to that afternoon, so I just stayed Tuesday and volunteered with Sophie and Alice. We didn't have any kids come in, but we were able to talk with the other volunteer, and the volunteer coordinator - it was super fun!
After that we went to dinner...there are so many amazing places to eat here! We've found an Italian place, a place with great octopus (which Galicia, the province where Ourense is, is known for), etc. I love the food here! Anyway -- we ate dinner, and then went to bed. (Dinner here is at like 8:30-9:00, so we don't get back til around 10:30 and we have to get up early so we don't usually do much after dinner). The next day we got to go back to the OR, and we saw four Botox injections in the urinary sphincter (meant to help with urinary incontinence), and 4 prostate biopsies. It was super cool! It was nice to see so many of the same procedures, because we got to see what aspects stayed the same and what were different. Later that afternoon we went to the hot springs -- sooooo awesome!!! I think we're all planning to go back some time -- probably to different ones (Ourense has a lot of hot springs), but wherever we go it should be awesome.
Thursday we saw four more bladder tumor resections...it was cool to see how each was different. Not too much else to mention from Thursday...we did have a great group dinner though. :) I love our group - -we all get along really well, and have lots of fun together. Friday was probably my favorite day so far -- we got to watch a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. It was amazing!! The other tumors we've seen have involved little blood and have been minimally invasive, so this was my first 'intense' surgery. They made five small incisions; one had a camera in it, and the others had devices with holes through which different instruments could be inserted. It was so cool! we got to see the intestine (at least that's what I think it was) and adipose tissue as they found their way to the prostate. It was a lot bigger than I expected, and I actually originally thought it was the bladder. :P Once they found it, they started the process of identifying the bladder neck, and then started removing the prostate. After the prostate was removed, they started what I think was the coolest part of the procedure -- performing a urethral anastomosis (they took two parts of the urethra, and sutured them together). It was amazing!!! After the surgery was over, we had a bit of a break, and then watched part of a catheter change before heading back to the hotel. Later, Sierra and I went back to the hospital for volunteering. It was super fun!!! After that we had dinner, and went to sleep.
Today's been a pretty relaxing day....we had a late breakfast, and then went to the mall here in Ourense (one way you can tell that we're an all girl group -- we were all excited to find out that there's a nice mall here. :P ) Two of the girls went to Barcelona for the weekend and left last night; the other 8 of us stayed here, and right now 6 went to watch the start of a cycling race. :) Once they get back we'll probably have dinner at the hotel, and call it a day. :)
So yeah - -this week has been awesome. Urology turned out to be a hidden gem. I wasn't sure how I felt about shadowing an area that focuses mostly on the urinary system/male reproductive system, but it's been awesome! I'm sad to leave it, but am looking forward to palliative care next week.
Also, while my laptop was working long enough to write this, it unfortunately didn't work enough for me to post pictures. :/ maybe soon though! :)
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