Not Quite What I Was Planning

Years ago, I read a beautiful book called Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure edited by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser. The premise, based on Ernest Hemingway's short story, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn," is that contributors summed up their lives in six words. Famous participants include Margaret Atwood and Stephen Colbert, among others.

I thought about the book last year when I was at my medical school reunion. A dozen of us sat around a round table and talked about what we had been up to for the last 30 years. After we finished, we concluded that the overriding theme was that all of us were doing something different than what we thought we would be doing. I found that concept refreshing, and I suspect it might reassure current students who feel burdened with big decisions. This year, "Not Quite What I Was Planning" is the theme for my college reunion's Class Panel. 

Check out the book!

Check out these MMI Quick Tips

Although many medical and dental school interviews remain traditional, some institutions utilize a multiple mini interview (MMI) format. The MMI leverages several timed stations to assess applicants' interpersonal skills and judgment.

A few things to note about MMI interview questions:

1) First, read the school's description of its format: How many minutes do you have to prepare with the prompt? How long are the stations in total and how many are there?  Should you expect role-play scenarios? Understanding the structure will help decrease stress and improve performance.

2) MMI questions are not always medically-related. You may be asked to manage an everyday problem (e.g. a disagreement at the supermarket). 

3) Schools try to assess whether you can skillfully employ important techniques and demonstrate professionalism. Underlying topics may include your ability to offer effective counseling, understand patient-doctor confidentiality, diffuse a heated situation, or admit wrongdoing.

4) Perhaps most importantly, many MMI queries overlap with "traditional" interview questions. You need to be highly prepared for conventional questions (e.g., What are your three greatest strengths?).

It's important that you practice thoroughly before your medical or dental school interview. Even if you have excellent social skills, there are techniques you should hone to expertly manage the challenging MMI format. Contact me for personalized practice and guidance.

Grit is Not Enough

University of Pennsylvania professor Angela Duckworth wrote the best-selling book Grit about the power of passion and persistence in predicting success (her TED talk on grit has over 18 million views), but to her credit, she admits to being nearsighted in her new book Situated, which I'm reading now. 

MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient Duckworth asserts in Situated that your environment – workspace, geographic location, mentors, friends, and even the culture you immerse yourself in— counts as much as (or more than) grit in determining success, and she offers many compelling studies to support her point.

According to Duckworth, instead of focusing on sheer willpower, you should situate yourself among people and in places that make your goals easier and temptations harder.

The book is a good read, and its thesis is worth serious contemplation when deciding where to go to medical school, train, and start your career.

Get y'ERAS in Gear :)

Here's a quick reminder for residency candidates: Programs can start reviewing ERASes, ResidencyCAS, and MSPEs at 9am EST on September 23. There's an advantage to submitting your application so it's in the first batch program directors (PD) see: As one of my PD friends wrote to me, since the residency application is arguably one of the biggest steps in one's medical career, getting the application in as early as possible should be a given.

(On the other hand, if your application is not in its optimal form, waiting a few days is preferable to submitting an inferior ERAS that will be tossed into the "do not invite" pile.)

Please contact me ASAP for help.