Class of 2019!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jr MD]

Got to start thinking early on how to pay for these med loans. Getting excited nonetheless! This is humorous, but informational. Check out!

Verrrryyyyy truuueee. How are Yall gonna pay???

Also am I crazy for wanting to leave Texas and study medicine oos for like 30000 dollars more a year?? ((

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

My parents told me straight up that they're paying for me no matter what. They were also like, "Just pay us a monthly fee once you're done with residency and it'll be much better than paying off loans because we won't charge you interest!"

 

[sunflower18]

I'm taking out loans for the entire COA for med school.

 

[M12B]

I'm taking out loans for the entire COA for med school.

same

 

[womanofscience]

same

+1

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

My imaginary trust fund will cover everything when the time comes

 

[Sandmeezy]

+1

+2, though my parents said they would help as much as they could, so that works. BTW I enjoyed Penn State WAYYYY more than I was expecting to! And the interviews went well I felt! Sooooooo thankful for not having a bad experience (in my book at least) yet. Only have Drexel left so far!

 

[hellanutella]

My parents told me straight up that they're paying for me no matter what. They were also like, "Just pay us a monthly fee once you're done with residency and it'll be much better than paying off loans because we won't charge you interest!"

Uh, would your parents like to adopt an extra child?

Doing the loan thang over here. Very lucky not to have undergrad debt, but I fully expect to be swimming in loans if I'm accepted to med school.

On a lighter note, here's some Chi-caw-goh pictures:

The weather has been so nice! I sat in Millennium Park for a few hours, rereading Harry Potter, ignoring work emails, and watching people pose with The Bean. 'Twas a good day.

Also went to the Magritte exhibition! Really extensive, but I'm saddened that their new Islamic art exhibition wasn't open yet.

Oh yea, and there's a really purdy med school here.

And that's all that's new in the interview travel life. Lovely, but a little lonely. Hope you folks are enjoying your autumn!

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Doing the loan thang over here. Very lucky not to have undergrad debt, but I fully expect to be swimming in loans if I'm accepted to med school.

And I wonder if LeBron James had any doubts about being drafted back in '03
Love your modesty and the pics!!

 

[claduva94]

Verrrryyyyy truuueee. How are Yall gonna pay???

Also am I crazy for wanting to leave Texas and study medicine oos for like 30000 dollars more a year?? ((

I'm taking out loans for the entire COA for med school.

same

My imaginary trust fund will cover everything when the time comes

+2, though my parents said they would help as much as they could, so that works. BTW I enjoyed Penn State WAYYYY more than I was expecting to! And the interviews went well I felt! Sooooooo thankful for not having a bad experience (in my book at least) yet. Only have Drexel left so far!

I'm planning on winning the lottery.

 

[Jr MD]

Uh, would your parents like to adopt an extra child?

Doing the loan thang over here. Very lucky not to have undergrad debt, but I fully expect to be swimming in loans if I'm accepted to med school.

On a lighter note, here's some Chi-caw-goh pictures:
View attachment 185855
The weather has been so nice! I sat in Millennium Park for a few hours, rereading Harry Potter, ignoring work emails, and watching people pose with The Bean. 'Twas a good day.
View attachment 185856
Also went to the Magritte exhibition! Really extensive, but I'm saddened that their new Islamic art exhibition wasn't open yet.
View attachment 185857
Oh yea, and there's a really purdy med school here.

And that's all that's new in the interview travel life. Lovely, but a little lonely. Hope you folks are enjoying your autumn!

Where is this??

 

[womanofscience]

So flying wasn't too bad! It is actually somewhat enjoyable to fly at night since everything looks so pretty! However, I did find a sticker on the plane that said "Final Destination" so that was unsettling! Thanks for all the support

All this talk about financial aid, yogurt, and desserts....and encouragement!!!... makes me think I have found my people.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

So flying wasn't too bad! It is actually somewhat enjoyable to fly at night since everything looks so pretty! However, I did find a sticker on the plane that said "Final Destination" so that was unsettling! Thanks for all the support

All this talk about financial aid, yogurt, and desserts....and encouragement!!!... makes me think I have found my people.

Final Destination?! Perhaps, you'll matriculate there! I've only flown once in the last decade and the view at night was unforgettable!

 

[womanofscience]

Final Destination?! Perhaps, you'll matriculate there! I've only flown once in the last decade and the view at night was unforgettable!

It was so lovely! I was referencing the Final Destination movie series which is a set of awful horror movies. I think the first one in the series is centered around a plane explosion so the sticker primed me for overreacting to any sort of anomaly-like the ice pellets that were falling from the ceiling...

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

It was so lovely! I was referencing the Final Destination movie series which is a set of awful horror movies. I think the first one in the series is centered around a plane explosion so the sticker primed me for overreacting to any sort of anomaly-like the ice pellets that were falling from the ceiling...

I realized that it was from that movie series-lol. And you're right, they are pretty awful, although a few of them do fall into the "good-bad movie" category. I just do my best to put a positive spin on ominous stuff like that.
I'm happy you had a great trip!

 

[womanofscience]

I realized that it was from that movie series-lol. And you're right, they are pretty awful, although a few of them do fall into the "good-bad movie" category. I just do my best to put a positive spin on ominous stuff like that.
I'm happy you had a great trip!

Haha, sorry about that! I did just try to ameliorate my concerns by comparing the plane ride to a roller coaster! It made it a bit better.

Also, I haven't seen a lot of the popular movies, but I really like watching the awful or good-bad movies. While I've seen all of the parody-based movies, I only recently watched Star Wars and Forrest Gump, etc etc.

And thank you

 

[researchismymiddlename]

I'm taking out loans for the entire COA for med school.

+1 I've got >5 siblings, graduated undergrad debt-free thankfully, but there is no way am I going to be able to expect my parents to cop up the medical school tuition. A couple years ago it seemed possible with my Dad's physician salary but certainly not now I hate being that interviewee who asks if the need based awards take into account family size, makes me look like I come from a family of rabbits LOL I stopped asking after my first interview hahahaha!

On another note, I had my thesis meeting today... the first one in two years. I'm excited to say I will be in the class of 2019 and won't have to defer! I'm gonna graduate next year in the spring or summer!! After my first project failed last year in June and starting a new project in October last year, I feel so blessed to have come this far to convince my committee that I am ready to have my PhD next year. I am so relieved

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

+1 I've got >5 siblings, graduated undergrad debt-free thankfully, but there is no way am I going to be able to expect my parents to cop up the medical school tuition. A couple years ago it seemed possible with my Dad's physician salary but certainly not now I hate being that interviewee who asks if the need based awards take into account family size, makes me look like I come from a family of rabbits LOL I stopped asking after my first interview hahahaha!

On another note, I had my thesis meeting today... the first one in two years. I'm excited to say I will be in the class of 2019 and won't have to defer! I'm gonna graduate next year in the spring or summer!! After my first project failed last year in June and starting a new project in October last year, I feel so blessed to have come this far to convince my committee that I am ready to have my PhD next year. I am so relieved

Wow!! Congratulations!!

 

[No Limits]

+1 I've got >5 siblings, graduated undergrad debt-free thankfully, but there is no way am I going to be able to expect my parents to cop up the medical school tuition. A couple years ago it seemed possible with my Dad's physician salary but certainly not now I hate being that interviewee who asks if the need based awards take into account family size, makes me look like I come from a family of rabbits LOL I stopped asking after my first interview hahahaha!

On another note, I had my thesis meeting today... the first one in two years. I'm excited to say I will be in the class of 2019 and won't have to defer! I'm gonna graduate next year in the spring or summer!! After my first project failed last year in June and starting a new project in October last year, I feel so blessed to have come this far to convince my committee that I am ready to have my PhD next year. I am so relieved

You are a mega rock star... seriously you are amazing. Congrats!! That is awesome news

 

[sunflower18]

On another note, I had my thesis meeting today... the first one in two years. I'm excited to say I will be in the class of 2019 and won't have to defer! I'm gonna graduate next year in the spring or summer!! After my first project failed last year in June and starting a new project in October last year, I feel so blessed to have come this far to convince my committee that I am ready to have my PhD next year. I am so relieved

YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!! Seriously!!!! You're SUCH an inspiration to all of us here. You've accomplished so much, and I'm confident that you are going to be a leader and revolutionary in whatever medical field you go into. You are the type of person who can really make a difference in the world and in the lives of patients due to your dedication, passion, commitment, positivity, energy, talent, and intelligence. I can't wait to see what you end up doing -- I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear about you getting a Nobel Prize in the future You should be SO proud of yourself!!!!!!!

 

[M12B]

On another note, I had my thesis meeting today... the first one in two years. I'm excited to say I will be in the class of 2019 and won't have to defer! I'm gonna graduate next year in the spring or summer!! After my first project failed last year in June and starting a new project in October last year, I feel so blessed to have come this far to convince my committee that I am ready to have my PhD next year. I am so relieved

Congratulations! That is wonderful news!!!

 

[researchismymiddlename]

Wow!! Congratulations!!

You are a mega rock star... seriously you are amazing. Congrats!! That is awesome news

YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!! Seriously!!!! You're SUCH an inspiration to all of us here. You've accomplished so much, and I'm confident that you are going to be a leader and revolutionary in whatever medical field you go into. You are the type of person who can really make a difference in the world and in the lives of patients due to your dedication, passion, commitment, positivity, energy, talent, and intelligence. I can't wait to see what you end up doing -- I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear about you getting a Nobel Prize in the future You should be SO proud of yourself!!!!!!!

Congratulations! That is wonderful news!!!

Wow, words fail me right now. The sheer support from you all is so heartwarming and unprecedented. *sniffs* I am so happy to have found an SDN family, a priviledge really to know you all and share our ups and downs. @Cyberdyne 101, @M12B, @No Limits you all are so sweet and wonderful

@sunflower18 I am so supremely flattered and blushing LOL, I don't know about the Nobel Prize but funnily enough one of my committee members brought it up I don't know how people can have that much faith in little young me. I am so touched by your faith in me and I see that I have a lot to live up to now

I am so happy to be in a class with all you fantastic people. To many years of shared success on this thread Thank you!!!!!!!

 

[Jr MD]

Wow, words fail me right now. The sheer support from you all is so heartwarming and unprecedented. *sniffs* I am so happy to have found an SDN family, a priviledge really to know you all and share our ups and downs. @Cyberdyne 101, @M12B, No Limits you all are so sweet and wonderful

@sunflower18 I am so supremely flattered and blushing LOL, I don't know about the Nobel Prize but funnily enough one of my committee members brought it up I don't know how people can have that much faith in little young me. I am so touched by your faith in me and I see that I have a lot to live up to now

I am so happy to be in a class with all you fantastic people. To many years of shared success on this thread Thank you!!!!!!!

WOOOOWWWW YOURE STELLAR!!! Congrats DOC!

 

[hellanutella]

+1 I've got >5 siblings, graduated undergrad debt-free thankfully, but there is no way am I going to be able to expect my parents to cop up the medical school tuition. A couple years ago it seemed possible with my Dad's physician salary but certainly not now I hate being that interviewee who asks if the need based awards take into account family size, makes me look like I come from a family of rabbits LOL I stopped asking after my first interview hahahaha!

On another note, I had my thesis meeting today... the first one in two years. I'm excited to say I will be in the class of 2019 and won't have to defer! I'm gonna graduate next year in the spring or summer!! After my first project failed last year in June and starting a new project in October last year, I feel so blessed to have come this far to convince my committee that I am ready to have my PhD next year. I am so relieved

That is phenomenal news! Time to finish up your current Dr. just in time for another Dr!

Where is this??

Downtown Chicago/Northwestern medical school. The area is so lovely! Today was a free day at the International Museum of Surgical Science, so I got to get my geek on.

 

[ridethecliche]

I finally got my drexel secondary and sent it in. Bizarre. Kinda hilarious that I get it now over two months after verification.

Hoping for a quick turn around!

 

[moop]

To once again disturb y'all from discussion of the actual application process...

I signed up for a mock med school interview and the med student running it asked me to send her my application materials, assuming that I'm embroiled in the current cycle. Obviously, I don't have an application lol but it wouldn't make any sense to simulate a closed file interview and go in with nothing, so I literally signed into AMCAS and am now creating a "mock AMCAS" to send to her, since the major pillars of my app are basically all set, less LORs and progress on ECs this coming year. I also need to come up with a general PS of like 2 paragraphs lol.

The point is that I JUST WANT TO SAY I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU ALL. WHY IS THIS **** SO LONG. LIKE WHY DON'T I ALSO LET YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF UNDERWEAR I WEAR jeez

 

[moop]

Also, the public service job search process sucks. Consulting was so much more structured, which I guess is the point to attract people and get first mover advantage. grrrrrrrrr

 

[sunflower18]

You know who we haven't heard much from recently? @gettheleadout ! How's your app cycle going!?

 

[hellanutella]

Hot damn, @moop. You are very on top of things.

You know who we haven't heard much from recently? @gettheleadout ! How's your app cycle going!?

He's probably busy being an interviewing machine.

And @No Limits hasn't told us how his first interview went!

 

[researchismymiddlename]

To once again disturb y'all from discussion of the actual application process...

I signed up for a mock med school interview and the med student running it asked me to send her my application materials, assuming that I'm embroiled in the current cycle. Obviously, I don't have an application lol but it wouldn't make any sense to simulate a closed file interview and go in with nothing, so I literally signed into AMCAS and am now creating a "mock AMCAS" to send to her, since the major pillars of my app are basically all set, less LORs and progress on ECs this coming year. I also need to come up with a general PS of like 2 paragraphs lol.

The point is that I JUST WANT TO SAY I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU ALL. WHY IS THIS **** SO LONG. LIKE WHY DON'T I ALSO LET YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF UNDERWEAR I WEAR jeez

LOL @moop, you are hilarious. But I reflect our fella nutella's sentiments... you are on TOP of things!! I didn't schedule a mock interview until after I got my first II! You're going to go places, that's for sure! To fill out an AMCAS just "because" takes a lot of anticipation and patience!

 

[moop]

You know who we haven't heard much from recently? @gettheleadout ! How's your app cycle going!?

He's probably busy being an interviewing machine.

One must learn to be self-sufficient (and also recognize that @gettheleadout is an SDN ***** and will thus have a very, very organized and well-updated MDApps!

http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=21818

 

[sunflower18]

One must learn to be self-sufficient (and also recognize that @gettheleadout is an SDN ***** and will thus have a very, very organized and well-updated MDApps!

http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=21818

I know what his MDApps say he's been up to. I more wanted to know how he is doing and if he has been enjoying his travels thus far.

 

[moop]

I know what his MDApps say he's been up to. I more wanted to know how he is doing and if he has been enjoying his travels thus far.

He's too cool for us. Patrick ain't got no time to mess around..

 

[Ace Khalifa]

One must learn to be self-sufficient (and also recognize that @gettheleadout is an SDN ***** and will thus have a very, very organized and well-updated MDApps!

http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=21818

Wow. One must be a premed god to confidently only apply to elite universities.

 

[moop]

LOL @moop, you are hilarious. But I reflect our fella nutella's sentiments... you are on TOP of things!! I didn't schedule a mock interview until after I got my first II! You're going to go places, that's for sure! To fill out an AMCAS just "because" takes a lot of anticipation and patience!

It's not so much being on top of things or anything like that. I just want to minimize the amount of travel I'll have to do next year (i.e., avoid coming back to campus for a mock interview; that's ridiculous) since there's already a good amount I'll be doing. I know what traveling while working full-time feels like, and it sucks monkey balls. Also, this is going to be a bare bones AMCAS. Literally only writing 2 sentence descriptions for ECs. AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME TO WRITE 700 CHARACTERS FOR EACH

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Wow. One must be a premed god to confidently only apply to elite universities.

You're also in that elite group. You did really well at Wash U and your mcat is better than ~97% of all applicants!

 

[No Limits]

And @No Limits hasn't told us how his first interview went!

Nothing ever gets past you

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. The school itself was awesome and the students seemed pretty happy. I know the area pretty well because I grew up there. The actual interview was super chill but I had this interview when I was going through all that "life drama" with my ex and did not really sleep the night before... I accidentally yawned while my interviewer was speaking . It was a great experience but I'm not holding my breath on getting an acceptance there.

Interviewer: "So No Limits, I think you'll really like our blah blah blah"

Me:

Interviewer: .... yeah..

 

[researchismymiddlename]

Nothing ever gets past you

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. The school itself was awesome and the students seemed pretty happy. I know the area pretty well because I grew up there. The actual interview was super chill but I had this interview when I was going through all that "life drama" with my ex and did not really sleep the night before... I accidentally yawned while my interviewer was speaking . It was a great experience but I'm not holding my breath on getting an acceptance there.

Interviewer: "So No Limits, I think you'll really like our blah blah blah"

Me:

Interviewer: .... yeah..

I hope you're overanalyzing things like all of us regular pre-meds!

 

[Ace Khalifa]

You're also in that elite group. You did really well at Wash U and your mcat is better than ~97% of all applicants!

Eh, GPA and MCAT are only 2 pieces, tho. My EC's are quite lackluster compared to everyone else's'. I wasn't the typical overachiever Wash U premed with multiple leadership roles and lots of research experience and decent community service.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Eh, GPA and MCAT are only 2 pieces, tho. My EC's are quite lackluster compared to everyone else's'. I wasn't the typical overachiever Wash U premed with multiple leadership roles and lots of research experience and decent community service.

Yeah but you can be elite without research and/or multiple leadership roles. With your aptitude, work ethic, and commitment, you can feel confident about pursuing a competitive residency.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

Yeah but you can be elite without research and/or multiple leadership roles. With your aptitude, work ethic, and commitment, you can feel confident about pursuing a competitive residency.

Thanks! I want to keep an open mind about which specialty to pursue, but out of everything I shadowed, I liked orthopedics the best. I know that getting into the top programs for ortho basically "require" AOA, ortho research, top class rank, honors in every clerkship especially surgery, etc. I was hoping to just go all out during medical school and not only study hard but also get really involved in both service and research because I want to be the strongest candidate I can be when it's time to apply in MS4. I'm hoping the confidence will be there too...

 

[Jr MD]

Thanks! I want to keep an open mind about which specialty to pursue, but out of everything I shadowed, I liked orthopedics the best. I know that getting into the top programs for ortho basically "require" AOA, ortho research, top class rank, honors in every clerkship especially surgery, etc. I was hoping to just go all out during medical school and not only study hard but also get really involved in both service and research because I want to be the strongest candidate I can be when it's time to apply in MS4. I'm hoping the confidence will be there too...

THIS!! Beautiful outlook. I wish you the best! I'm copying you btw

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Wow! So my telepathic abilities seem to be working well today! I was just going to reply to your previous post by using ortho as an example!
Ortho is my favorite specialty at this moment, and it's one of the reasons why I plan on doing a 5 year program in med school (either an MPH and/or some type of musculoskeletal research in addition to the MD). Obviously, Step 1 is a huge deal, but I'm not the type to cram an insane amount of work into a smaller time frame. (Perhaps a school like Vanderbilt or Duke gives you an advantage with the abbreviated pre-clinical track, but those are exceptions).

Top ortho departments such as Mayo, Rush, and Wash U offer year long research positions to med students. And such programs help ppl match into ortho.

You should definitely pursue this!

Edit: Whoops, forgot to quote your post @Ace Khalifa. Anyway, you have every reason to be confident about ortho!

 

[Ace Khalifa]

Wow! So my telepathic abilities seem to be working well today! I was just going to reply to your previous post by using ortho as an example!
Ortho is my favorite specialty at this moment, and it's one of the reasons why I plan on doing a 5 year program in med school (either an MPH and/or some type of musculoskeletal research in addition to the MD). Obviously, Step 1 is a huge deal, but I'm not the type to cram an insane amount of work into a smaller time frame. (Perhaps a school like Vanderbilt or Duke gives you an advantage with the abbreviated pre-clinical track, but those are exceptions).

Top ortho departments such as Mayo, Rush, and Wash U offer year long research positions to med students. And such programs help ppl match into ortho.

You should definitely pursue this!

Edit: Whoops, forgot to quote your post @Ace Khalifa. Anyway, you have every reason to be confident about ortho!

Is there a specific reason for getting an MPH if you wanna do ortho? Also, I didn't apply to Vandy, Duke, or Mayo, and I don't expect to get into Rush or Wash U. I was hoping to just do whatever I can at UNC if I go there.

 

[moop]

Is there a specific reason for getting an MPH if you wanna do ortho? Also, I didn't apply to Vandy, Duke, or Mayo, and I don't expect to get into Rush or Wash U. I was hoping to just do whatever I can at UNC if I go there.

I don't think an MPH will help directly with any specialty besides primary care, but the core teachings of an MPH will allow a doctor to appreciate much better the social determinants of health and add some rigor of analysis to looking at diseases from a macro perspective.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Is there a specific reason for getting an MPH if you wanna do ortho? Also, I didn't apply to Vandy, Duke, or Mayo, and I don't expect to get into Rush or Wash U. I was hoping to just do whatever I can at UNC if I go there.

A public health background is extraordinarily useful for orthopedic surgery. A lot ortho surgeons are proactive in educating their communities about musculoskeletal injuries/pathologies (many of which are preventable). For example, I want to get involved in preventing ACL injuries in female athletes. Women are more prone to suffer from ACL tears for various reasons: 1) They are more likely to be at an anatomical disadvantage; a valgus knee anatomy is more prevalent in females and this puts the ACL at a greater risk for rupture. 2) They usually have stronger quads than males. As a result, they have tendency to land with their knees straight, which puts the ACL in a more vulnerable position. (It's safer to land with your knees bent when jumping). 3) There might also be a hormonal factor. It appears that the production of the hormone relaxin (which occurs during menstruation?), causes ligament laxity. By recognizing these risks, you can educate female athletes, parents, coaches etc about prevention methods. Even with these biomechanical and anatomical disadvantages, a person can learn how to land properly when they jump, pivot correctly when appropriate, and develop better muscle balance (i.e. by strengthening the hamstrings). Some are even experimenting with recombinant relaxin+estrogen. So yeah, as an ortho surgeon you can head down to your local school, sports league, etc and educate ppl about this stuff! You can also work to influence policy by incorporating ACL prevention classes in PE. I would even go as far as requiring coaches to obtain a certification! Obviously, a public health background can be very useful for implementing such policy!

There's also the clinical epidemiology approach, which involves gathering clinical data to determine optimal treatment plans for current and future patients. A lot of ortho academic centers collaborate on these projects (i.e. treatment for rotator cuff disease in older adults, the efficacy of hip resurfacing vs total hip replacement etc). I believe that this is more of an MS (in clinical epidemiology) pathway, but there seems to be some overlap. I realize this is long Obviously, I love ortho!

Anyway, I feel that UNC is ideal for all of this because it puts a huge emphasis on public health! I just used those other places as examples. And it was more about their ortho departments (not their med schools). Rush and Mayo have actually advertised these research positions on SDN and Orthogate for med students in general (not just from their respective schools). In conclusion , your strengths (academic aptitude, altruism, work ethic, and commitment to improving outcomes) make you ideal for ortho

 

[gettheleadout]

I know what his MDApps say he's been up to. I more wanted to know how he is doing and if he has been enjoying his travels thus far.

I'm great! Sorry I've been absent. With the exception of flight delays I've really been enjoying the interview trail; I'd only ever been to one of the cities in which I've received an interview, so I feel like I'm becoming a little more worldly if nothing else haha. On that note though I'm really happy with how all my interviews have gone so far. I can say more about my experience (I got sick on one interview trip lol) but I'm actually about to board another plane...

Wow. One must be a premed god to confidently only apply to elite universities.

No divine intervention on my side. Just an honest assessment of my application's strengths and weaknesses, and my interests in where I want to potentially go.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

A public health background is extraordinarily useful for orthopedic surgery. A lot ortho surgeons are proactive in educating their communities about musculoskeletal injuries/pathologies (many of which are preventable). For example, I want to get involved in preventing ACL injuries in female athletes. Women are more prone to suffer from ACL tears for various reasons: 1) They are more likely to be at an anatomical disadvantage; a valgus knee anatomy is more prevalent in females and this puts the ACL at a greater risk for rupture. 2) They usually have stronger quads than males. As a result, they have tendency to land with their knees straight, which puts the ACL in a more vulnerable position. (It's safer to land with your knees bent when jumping). 3) There might also be a hormonal factor. It appears that the production of the hormone relaxin (which occurs during menstruation?), causes ligament laxity. By recognizing these risks, you can educate female athletes, parents, coaches etc about prevention methods. Even with these biomechanical and anatomical disadvantages, a person can learn how to land properly when they jump, pivot correctly when appropriate, and develop better muscle balance (i.e. by strengthening the hamstrings). Some are even experimenting with recombinant relaxin+estrogen. So yeah, as an ortho surgeon you can head down to your local school, sports league, etc and educate ppl about this stuff! You can also work to influence policy by incorporating ACL prevention classes in PE. I would even go as far as requiring coaches to obtain a certification! Obviously, a public health background can be very useful for implementing such policy!

There's also the clinical epidemiology approach, which involves gathering clinical data to determine optimal treatment plans for current and future patients. A lot of ortho academic centers collaborate on these projects (i.e. treatment for rotator cuff disease in older adults, the efficacy of hip resurfacing vs total hip replacement etc). I believe that this is more of an MS (in clinical epidemiology) pathway, but there seems to be some overlap. I realize this is long Obviously, I love ortho!

Anyway, I feel that UNC is ideal for all of this because it puts a huge emphasis on public health! I just used those other places as examples. And it was more about their ortho departments (not their med schools). Rush and Mayo have actually advertised these research positions on SDN and Orthogate for med students in general (not just from their respective schools). In conclusion , your strengths (academic aptitude, altruism, work ethic, and commitment to improving outcomes) make you ideal for ortho

Thank you so much for giving such a detailed answer! I really want to get involved in some sort of ortho research now. I'm still hesitant about taking an extra year to get an MPH because I don't want to delay this process any longer than I should. Maybe UNC's curriculum and focus on public health w/o MPH will be enough?

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

Thank you so much for giving such a detailed answer! I really want to get involved in some sort of ortho research now. I'm still hesitant about taking an extra year to get an MPH because I don't want to delay this process any longer than I should. Maybe UNC's curriculum and focus on public health w/o MPH will be enough?

You may not need the extra year. You should only get an MPH or do a year of research if you really want to.
Edit: I hit the reply button too early I have some more to say.

I think the extra year is useful if you're looking to match into a top academic program (ie Wash U, Iowa, HSS, Vanderbilt etc). And as you already mentioned, UNC's curriculum may give you the opportunities to do research, public health work, etc in 4 years. Obviously, you gotta rock step 1, regardless of the path you take. I guess I would rather have more time in the first 2 years for step 1 and use the time that follows for research, another degree, etc. But that's just me. I would most likely take 5 years regardless of the specialty I choose.

You should check out the medical school forums on orthogate. http://www.orthogate.org/forums/viewforum.php?f=21
That's where I get a lot of my info. Ppl on that site have advocated for the "extra year." But others have done really well without it. And again, a 1.5 year pre-clinical curriculum may give you the necessary flexibility.
Obviously, it's best to talk to ppl in the ortho department early on in med school.

Good luck!! I'm sure you'll do well!!

 

[sunflower18]

I'm great! Sorry I've been absent. With the exception of flight delays I've really been enjoying the interview trail; I'd only ever been to one of the cities in which I've received an interview, so I feel like I'm becoming a little more worldly if nothing else haha. On that note though I'm really happy with how all my interviews have gone so far. I can say more about my experience (I got sick on one interview trip lol) but I'm actually about to board another plane...

No divine intervention on my side. Just an honest assessment of my application's strengths and weaknesses, and my interests in where I want to potentially go.

So good to hear from you!!! I'm so glad that you're enjoying your visits. Not glad that you got sick though, ack but I definitely agree -- visiting new cities and experiencing new cultures is awesome. Virtually all my interviews are in new places too. It's really fun to get a new perspective and learn about life on a different coast.

Have a great flight! I'd love to hear more when you land and have a moment!!