Too Busy To Care

Here's an interesting article by Sandeep Jauhar, MD, who was an American Association for the Advancement of Science Mass Media Fellow with me in 1995.

Secondary Essays: Why Our School?

I receive a lot of questions from medical school applicants regarding the "why our school" secondary essay prompt. Although it's work, the goal is to research each institution and then link your qualities and interests with the school's.

Be very specific. Look into what makes the institution distinctive, including electives, curriculum, awards, international opportunities, and research.

The mistake I see is that candidates tend to use generalities, a tactic which doesn't afford the admissions committee members a sense that the applicant is really interested in their institution.

If your interests and accomplishments are linked to the underserved, for example, look into the school's commitment to that community (a free clinic at which students volunteer, a medical student program to teach sex ed in a struggling high school). Then, in your essay, specifically review your achievements and the school's associated opportunities.

Gap Year

I'd recommend purusing this brief piece by Varsity Tutors' Dr. Anubodh “Sunny” Varshney regarding the benefits and drawbacks of taking a gap year before medical school. I should note that Dr. Varshney does not mention a gap year's financial drawbacks, which can be significant.

I took an extra year (although it was during medical school, part of HMS's 5-year plan) that grounded me and made me a more competitive emergency medicine applicant. If feasible, it's a great opportunity.

Same Hospital, Different Worlds

This is an interesting NPR piece (in text) about the discrepancy between a patient’s and his doctors’ perceptions of good care. I would strongly suspect that the patient was consented for the catheterization, which makes the story that much more striking.