Looking for people to review my book, "... Getting Into Medical School"

[deuist]

First off, I want to apologize for the duplication of this message. I've posted it in several forums in an attempt to solicit as many readers as possible.

Over the past month I've been working on a mini book entitled The Not So Short Introduction to Getting Into Medical School. The results of my work are available online at http://plaza.ufl.edu/aycock/medshort/medshort.pdf. I am asking for as many reviewers as possible. I want to edit the manuscript to make it a readable and easy to follow as possible. Any mistakes, suggestions, points of clarification, etc... are helpful. Just be as specific as possible. Don't say, "Expand the section on re-applying." Instead, give me a page number and what exactly you want to see. I will give an acknowledgement to anyone who causes a change. Further, please send suggestions via email to aycock <at> phys <dot> ufl <dot> edu rather than via PM or replies on the message board. That way, I'll be sure to get them---and not risk over loading my PM box or missing something on the message boards.

Also, if you would like to write a section or full chapter as a guest author, let me know. I will give you credit, too. I would love to get input on military medicine, MSTP programs, Caribbean schools---basically anything that is not in the book.

The final form of this book will remain free and accessible through the Creative Commons License. For now, however, I ask that you do not distribute it until I am finished editing it.

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[IN2bait]

First off, I want to apologize for the duplication of this message. I've posted it in several forums in an attempt to solicit as many readers as possible.

Over the past month I've been working on a mini book entitled The Not So Short Introduction to Getting Into Medical School. The results of my work are available online at http://plaza.ufl.edu/aycock/medshort/medshort.pdf. I am asking for as many reviewers as possible. I want to edit the manuscript to make it a readable and easy to follow as possible. Any mistakes, suggestions, points of clarification, etc... are helpful. Just be as specific as possible. Don't say, "Expand the section on re-applying." Instead, give me a page number and what exactly you want to see. I will give an acknowledgement to anyone who causes a change. Further, please send suggestions via email to aycock <at> phys <dot> ufl <dot> edu rather than via PM or replies on the message board. That way, I'll be sure to get them---and not risk over loading my PM box or missing something on the message boards.

Also, if you would like to write a section or full chapter as a guest author, let me know. I will give you credit, too. I would love to get input on military medicine, MSTP programs, Caribbean schools---basically anything that is not in the book.

The final form of this book will remain free and accessible through the Creative Commons License. For now, however, I ask that you do not distribute it until I am finished editing it.

I feel badly for anyone who takes this thing seriously. I feel worse for anyone considering being a guest author. THERE IS A REASON THIS RUBBISH ISN'T PUBLISHED! There are too many factual errors in here to enumerate. My girlfriend and I (both senior medical students) could only sit and laugh at this foaming, projectile, coffee-ground, billious geyser of random misinformation. Many jaded personal opinions presented in this manuscript (many of which are outright wrong): you don't have to major in biology or do anything in science to get into med school (freak...about 1/2 of ACCEPTED applicants are NON-SCIENCE majors...so get your anthropology degree if you want)! Oxymorons and paradoxical statements are abound (as in don't be a nurse because there's a nursing shortage...). I really feel bad wasting the time I've already spent reading and reviewing this; perhaps, just perhaps, this will be considered "time-served" when judgement day arrives...

 

[deuist]

There are too many factual errors in here to enumerate.

If I have made a mistake, please tell me so that I can correct it. I've already starting making changes based on others' emails.

you don't have to major in biology or do anything in science to get into med school (freak...about 1/2 of ACCEPTED applicants are NON-SCIENCE majors...so get your anthropology degree if you want)!

I thought that I stated in several places that major does not matter. I did, however, say that the majority of applicants are in biology or chemistry-related fields.

Oxymorons and paradoxical statements are abound (as in don't be a nurse because there's a nursing shortage...).

You print this line out of context. I stated that people should not major in nursing if their goal is to become a physician. Medical schools are reluctant to contribute to the nursing shortage by accepting nursing majors.

I really feel bad wasting the time I've already spent reading and reviewing this; perhaps, just perhaps, this will be considered "time-served" when judgement day arrives...

And I feel really bad that I read some of you other posts to see how much of a troll you are. I'm glad that most people on SDN are at least willing to work with others---to share their experiences so that the next generation of applicants will have a easier time applying to medical school.

 

[rotatores]

First off...i wouldn't say that "USUHS is not very competitive" with an average of 3.5 GPA and 30 mcat.

...and for the rest of the "essay"...I found it particulary painful to read...


but good luck

rotatores
USUHS 2006

 

[deuist]

First off...i wouldn't say that "USUHS is not very competitive" with an average of 3.5 GPA and 30 mcat.

You're right, that sentence was poorly written. I meant to say that the environment at USUHS is not competitive... i.e., students don't feel anxiety about their classmates' performance. Instead, I see that the line was interpreted as an attack on the GPA/MCAT scores of matriculants.

 

[burs0028]

Where to begin???

I only readed the first page and count ~4 gramatical issues & 1 bleightant factual eror. That's a pretty rough draft you've got their; especially considering I stopped after only ~200 words. You'd be doing yourself and any potential editors a huge favor by running MS Word's grammer-check on the entire document. I'm frankly astounded you did not do this before publishing it.

I don't want to sound overly harsh, but you're setting yourself up for a deluge of unnecessary emails. Fix the obvious mistakes with the help of MS Word or a friend that's an experienced author and your reviewers will be able to focus on the content of your work--instead of being so readily dissuaded from reading it as I was.

Edit 5/19/05:
After having my girlfriend take a look at your manuscript, we had a very similar reaction to IN2bait's. The sad thing is someone on the internet is going to read this and actually follow your advice. I'm curious how many admissions committees you've been on that you have so much knowledge & experience upon which to base your...well...I guess we'll call them "facts/CRAP".

I think a more appropriate title might be "A Not So Smart Guide to Multiple Medical School Rejection Letters"

 

[colbgw02]

if you're not going to necrobump a ten year old thread with your first post, then you're not doing it right.

ETA: mods deleted the necrobump, making me look silly. This aggression shall not stand.

 

[ProudMD]

First off...i wouldn't say that "USUHS is not very competitive" with an average of 3.5 GPA and 30 mcat.

...and for the rest of the "essay"...I found it particulary painful to read...


but good luck

rotatores
USUHS 2006

I think the latest stats for USUHS is a 3.6 c/s GPA and a 31-32 MCAT. Basically the same numbers as many/most other medical schools in the country.

However, it is "easier" to get into USUHS, but that's only because fewer than 3000 people apply to the school. The standards of the school are just as high as your typical medical school, but the number of applicants do make a pretty big impact.

EDIT: TOTALLY missed the date of this thread!

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

if you're not going to necrobump a ten year old thread with your first post, then you're not doing it right.

ETA: mods deleted the necrobump, making me look silly. This aggression shall not stand.

I saw it! You're not crazy.

 

[Doctor Bob]

ETA: mods deleted the necrobump, making me look silly. This aggression shall not stand.

Ahhh, drives me crazy when this happens. They ought to at least leave the post in place and replace the text with something like "pointless necrobump deleted by admin"

 

[deuist]

Awww, and here I was hoping that someone would point out more grammer and speling mistakes.

 

[Shikima]

I was bored and was hoping to read something 'light'..... but it's not there. ;-(

 

[deuist]

That is a consequence of resurrecting a 10-year-old thread. SDN serves as the official host now. I have placed a link in my signature.