Nursing Home Life for Medical Students

There's a charming article in the NYT on University of New England medical students who temporarily live in a nursing home to experience what their patients do. About three-quarters down the first page there are statistics on geriatric fellowships. (Please see my other blog entry on this topic.) Geriatrics is a field that has traditionally been unpopular; but I think that will change as the population continues to age.

Contact me now for help with your fellowship application.

Appropriate Letters of Recommendation

For residency applicants, remember that beyond getting strong letters of recommendation, you want to get appropriate ones. You need at the very least one letter in your field and other letters from associated specialties; a psychiatry letter for a general surgery residency is going to be almost worthless.

For help with your residency application please contact me as soon as possible.

Personal Statement for the Preliminary Year

Candidates who apply to certain fields - Radiology, Dermatology, in some case Emergency Medicine - need a preliminary year of training before initiating their specialty residency. I've been asked about submitting the same personal statement for both the desired specialty and the prelim year.

It is appropriate to use the same essay with modifications. Ensure you explicitly address why a prelim year in - let's say Internal Medicine - will advance the rest of your career. Of course, you can be honest about what your professional goals are; the reader knows you are applying for a one -year position, but it is important to include a paragraph that focuses on how the prelim program will help you.

The season is in full swing. Contact me asap if you would like editing services.

Personal Statement: Avoiding Writers' Block

A few years ago a client told me she had more trepidation about writing her residency personal statement than taking her USMLE boards. Writers' block - experienced either before starting the essay or before working on a revision - is normal but aggravating.

I recommend two tactics:

1. Make an outline. This advice might sound like something your fourth-grade teacher would tell you, but it works. Start with a five-paragraph template (which can be changed but is a nice place to begin) and jot down each paragraph's thesis (or main point).

2. Give yourself enough time to work on the PS. The season is already progressing, so this is something to note. Writing an excellent essay in a few days is difficult. Sometimes you'll need a few days' break between revisions just to get yourself back on track.

Please contact me for help with your medical school, residency, fellowship or post bacc essays. The sooner the better. Here are updated comments about my work.

The Early Bird

Most medical school admissions are rolling, and there is an advantage to early application to residency and fellowship programs as well. If you are interested in my editing services, please consider submitting your written materials to me as soon as possible. The season has heated up already and will get even busier.