Surgery Without Anesthesia

As we recover from our big Thanksgiving celebrations, I recommend this recent short NYT piece by A.J. Jacobs on gratitude. It’s fun and reflective - just what the doctor ordered.

Top 25!

While I've written before about my (and Malcom Gladwell's) hesitation with school rankings, I do reluctantly use them in listing where my clients have been accepted because they are more illustrative than alphabetic order. Please note that the top 25 schools are all represented on the Insider accepted list (plus many, many more). 

If you are a previous Insider medical school admissions client and you do not see all of the schools that accepted you on the list, email me. 

It’s Not Personal

When I was in my second year of medical school, a third-year student came to speak to our class about being on the wards. He gave an animated talk about how important it was to recognize that when residents, attendings, or nurses hollered at us on on our clinical rotations, 99% of the time, it wasn't personal. He likened the situation to Boston traffic - how drivers lean on their horns for little cause because they are simply frustrated about their days. 

It's not personal, he said.

I am saying the same to my clients. I've had applicants complain that faculty interviewers mixed them up with other candidates or were wholly unprepared - reading their applications for the first time during the interview itself. Remember: It's not personal. This process is arduous and long, and most candidates, faculty, and program coordinators are tired and doing their best. When things are rough, give others the benefit of the doubt. It will help you get through this stressful process with your sanity intact. 

Clinical Medicine: Know What You're Getting Yourself Into

The article I'm about to recommend is not for the faint of heart. 

Alex Mohseni MD wrote a very pointed, compelling piece in a recent Emergency Medicine News called, "Why I Quit Emergency Medicine." It has created quite a buzz in emergency medicine circles.

It's painful, but a really great read. Here it is.