The Answers to Your Stupid Questions Thread

bump. stupid questions be making a return to the front page.

any advice for a freshman beginning second semester. I did poorly (2.91 gpa) first semester, and need to boost it up greatly. I'll be taking calc II and am quite worried, any good prep books? also, any good study habits that worked for you?

jillzhou said:

any good study habits that worked for you?

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Depends on your personality: If you are not very self-driven person find a study partner and hold each other accountable, If you are self-driven treat school like a job study, go to class, and review each day from time A to time B and when you're off you're off (barring finals/multiple test weeks)

I overcame a 2.5 first semester and got accepted my first time around, it's possible just keep working at it.

Mods can we please sticky this!

How bad is crammed clinical hours. I have plenty of research over time and slightly crammed non clinical hours. But I also have had to work about 30 hours a week since I was 16. Thanks.

don't know if this qualifies as a stupid question, but can I take a prerequisite the summer right before med school matriculation? Due to some scheduling issues I was only able to complete one biology lab in college (though I took like 4 bio courses), and I will need to take one more before matriculation. I hope to attend med school this fall- will it be a problem if I just enroll at a local school this summer for this one course? I would enroll now but my full time job doesn't allow for it.

8) Is taking 28 units of all science classes next semester too much? Answer

Lol.. 28 units.
A 4.0 would only be possible if you had a month in advance of break to prelearn material and even then ... or maybe if you had an eidetic memory and aspergers.

gujuDoc said:

21. What field has the hottest doctors for ladies? For men?

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Whatever field has the most Punjabi doctors.

question: if i am graduating in the spring and i have the year off before med school (given that i get in when i apply this summer) and i have one prereq class left to take (that i dont need to take in order to graduate) can i take it an any university any time before matriculation?

for instance (this is a COMPLETELY hypothetical situation), lets say that i live in Boston and i want to take my last prereq class at Harvard. could i just sign up and pay per credit hour to take that one class? how does one go about applying for this?

rhesuspieces said:

[YOUTUBE]eKFjWR7X5dU[/YOUTUBE]

Also of relevance: "douchecanoe" is now in my vocabulary and will be used often in the upcoming weeks

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I think I peed a little.

Dr Ginger said:

question: if i am graduating in the spring and i have the year off before med school (given that i get in when i apply this summer) and i have one prereq class left to take (that i dont need to take in order to graduate) can i take it an any university any time before matriculation?

for instance (this is a COMPLETELY hypothetical situation), lets say that i live in Boston and i want to take my last prereq class at Harvard. could i just sign up and pay per credit hour to take that one class? how does one go about applying for this?

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A lot of schools have something like this. It is generally offered through the office of extension of that school. However, the rules differ with every school.

For instance, I know that at the UC's if you try to take a class like this (except for during the summer), no matter WHAT, you have to petition that class. That basically means you are last in line to get the class and if it fills up, you are SOL. You also often have to get permission from the department before you can even petition the class.

At some schools, you go to the extension office well ahead of time and you can enroll in the class no problem. You will have to look into this at whatever school you want to go to and be prepared for a lot of run-around and misinformation.

You have a much better chance of taking the class at a community college than at most universities. Plus it will be cheaper. At the UCs I believe it is upwards of $350 a unit? So for your general 4 unit class....you're getting jacked. It really just depends on where you live, what the rules are, what schools are available to you, how much you are willing to pay, and how much hassle you are willing to go through.

ok, so CC is definitely the way to go price-wise. If you are already accepted to a medical school do they care where you get that last class done?

i guess what im asking is... does it look bad to do your last class at a community college after graduating from a university? or does it really matter?

lets say that i need to reapply. adcoms will see this. is it that big of a deal as long as a get a decent grade (B+ or above)?

Dr Ginger said:

ok, so CC is definitely the way to go price-wise. If you are already accepted to a medical school do they care where you get that last class done?

i guess what im asking is... does it look bad to do your last class at a community college after graduating from a university? or does it really matter?

lets say that i need to reapply. adcoms will see this. is it that big of a deal as long as a get a decent grade (B+ or above)?

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I graduated from a university. Then got a graduate degree. And ALL of my prereqs are from CCs post both of those degrees. Ten interviews and only one school asked about it (an Ivy). My response: To take the entire list of prereqs (because I did not have a science undergraduate degree) would have cost me over $20,000. Not to mention losing work because there were very few chances to take classes at night or in chunks of time like at a CC. The response seemed to satisfy them....though I guess we will see how much in March

Who knows how much weight they are giving it during the deliberation process....I will likely never know and they will likely never tell me even if I asked.

In this economic climate, I feel like all you have to say is that you couldn't afford to take the class at a university. Plus, it is ONE class....it doesn't seem like it should be that big of a deal.

There are those around these parts that will say it is a big no-no. The debate is never ending. But I think there is a HUGE difference between taking a class from a CC after graduating for financial reasons, and taking prereqs concurrently at a CC in the hopes of somehow getting a better grade than you would have at university.

That is my $0.02

gujuDoc said:

as long as that medical school you are matriculating to isn't one that starts in early summer like FSU's program which starts in may or RFU and CCLCM which start in july before a lot of summer courses end it shouldn't be a problem.

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u

I can't seem to find the thread with the appropriate response, but I know that one question that SHOULD be on there is - What questions should I ask at interviews. There was a thread with an amazing response but I can't seem to find it. THAT would be helpful for others. I have it saved as a text file at home, but I can't access it at work.

Bump.

Deleted because MCAT Guy beat me to the bump.

Righteous bump. If we can't get this stickied than we must keep it on the first page ourselves!

gujuDoc said:

If you've not already got the answer to this you could ask:

1. Whether they have a note taking service or some form of audio or video lectures.
2. What kind of time there is for Step 1 studying?? Some schools now do it after 3rd year (FIU anyone?). Most do it after 2nd year but each school has their own schedules and some make second semester of 2nd year ligher to accomodate ability to study while others don't necessarily give a lighter schedule but give a couple of months off before clinicals to accomodate this time for studying.
3. Specifics about special programs you may have found exist at schools.
4. If you are interested in research what kind of research opportunities they have and whether there's a chance to do in first two years or only summer between the two, etc. If interested in under served communities, what kind of opportunities for such. If interested in international health opportunities what kind of opportunities for such? etc.
5. What they think makes the program stand out above others in their personal opinion as a faculty or student member of the university.

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To all of these (btw guju.....you do a great job giving advice on these boards, for the record).

I would also add:
1. What were the things on the "con" list for the students you talk to.
2. If the students could change one thing about their school, what would it be.
3. What are the policies and procedures if you want to do something slightly alternative, like take an extra year to do research, do a joint degree, etc. Some schools claim that "oh, yeah, you can TOTALLY apply MD/PhD here later" but when you look at the numbers, they don't ever take internal candidates. I think this is important if you are considering something like this but your application was not strong enough to apply MD/PhD in the beginning, or you didn't realize it in time.
4. What the the parking/transportation/gym (this one is huge for me) situation on campus (according to the students).
5. Take the time to talk to the administration. Seriously. This is the one thing I wish I had figured out before my last three interviews. Just chat with them during all of the down time and see how receptive they are to real human conversation. This will probably be a good indicator of how they treat their students. Current med students can correct me if I'm wrong.
6. What does their grading system REALLY mean. If they are Honors/Pass/Fail.....is it only the top 5-10% of people who get honors? Or could everyone get honors if they got above a certain cutoff? Is this cutoff curved?

I don't know about you all...but I have already had 7 years of highly structured higher education plus the time it took me to do my med school prereqs. I have also worked for about 15 years. And I gravitate toward work environments that are collaborative and that is now what I want in my schooling as well. If I have to go back to a cutthroat competitive academic environment where something other than my own inner will is driving me to succeed...I may vomit.

13) I'm still in high school. What can I do to get into Harvard Medical School and be a neurosurgeon?


Lmao! The sad thing is I've seen people ask this very question....
hahah

A class like titled "Statistics" in the economics department counts for sGPA, yes? What about a class titled "Econometrics," which has a prerequisite of linear algebra?

How have we not addressed the community college thing yet in this thread?

When do I ask for letters of recommendation, and who do I have them sent to given that the AMCAS application doesn't open until June?

Kaustikos said:

What questions should I ask at interviews.

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Is there elective time third year and how much?

IMO this is an important thing that many premeds never think to consider.

Signifier said:

When do I ask for letters of recommendation, and who do I have them sent to given that the AMCAS application doesn't open until June?

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This is a really good question,and there are answers for it here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10338784&postcount=135

and here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10339974&postcount=172

and here:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10363055&postcount=221


Read all three. They give you the complete picture


Edit: also....the AMCAS application opens in May, but you can't submit until June.

THANK YOU CougarMD. So, people use interfolio? Can you give me an idea of what people would do if they did not use interfolio?

I am thinking about asking for recommendation letters soon. This interfolio thing looks like a good idea... can anyone else comment?

DrYoda said:

Is there elective time third year and how much?

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Could you elaborate on this?

I think I can catch your drift that elective time 3rd year = good, but what if you have a structure like WashU where you have all required clerkships scheduled for 3rd year but then 4th year is completely elective?

Signifier said:

THANK YOU CougarMD. So, people use interfolio? Can you give me an idea of what people would do if they did not use interfolio?

I am thinking about asking for recommendation letters soon. This interfolio thing looks like a good idea... can anyone else comment?

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If you don't use Interfolio, you are then treading on very treacherous territory....because you will then want your letter writers to submit your letter afer May 1st, but not TOO late.

So you're then in the position of asking them for a letter, then telling them you need it by early May. Then you have to keep on them to make sure it isn't too late OR too early. If they finish it early, you have to tell them you have no place to send it. Granted, early is not really the issue.... But if you ask for it early, and give them this far off deadline, that is a bit problematic as well.

It is unclear to me when the perfect time to ask is. Maybe April 1st? Gives them 4-8 weeks before you start worrying?

However, this is bad for three reasons. 1....they are busy. All of the time. 2....they are ESPECIALLY busy in May and June, when they are dealing with final grades. and 3....if you catch them too late, they may leave for the summer and then you are SOL.

When the app opens in May, you can create letter IDs. Only then can you have them send the letters to AMCAS. So you can ask them for it sooner....but it becomes a more annoying task as you can see


Interfolio is truly the way to go.

OK Cougar, I've made an account. I'll fiddle a bit until I feel comfortable and then email my recommenders. It does sound better than the April/May/June waiting/reminding game.

Kaustikos: UC Boulder has a really nifty pdf document about that (also questions to practice for an interview):

www.colorado.edu/aac/PreMed_interviewquestions.pdf

etherpentane said:

Could you elaborate on this?

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Third year elective time is nice because if you're thinking of going into a non-core specialty you can rotate in it early (solidify your specialty choice), rub elbows with the faculty, get LORs ect. It's not like you're screwed if you don't have an elective, it's just much more convenient. If you're doing into a core specialty, it's also nice because you can schedule a cush rotation to catch your breath during M3.

but what if you have a structure like WashU where you have all required clerkships scheduled for 3rd year but then 4th year is completely elective?

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Everywhere has all or close to all of 4th year made up of electives. One more elective during a whole year of electives isn't going to make up for lacking an elective 3rd year.

Note: This doesn't really apply to those 1.5:2.5 progams (eg. Upenn, Baylor) since they get an early clinical start anyhow.

We also need something in here about using a committee letter or not using a committee letter.

Can we get a post in here about courses counting toward sGPA or BCPM? There have been like 3 threads about this in the first 6 pages of Pre-Allo.

Answer: AMCAS will review how you list your courses (you select a check-box saying a course is a BCPM course) and usually agree with you on courses that are dubious. The general guideline is if more than half of the content of the course is BCPM, then it counts. Example: Bioethics. Dubious because while it has biology content, it's not a science-focused class per se (probably.) This is your call, you know how the course's content played out, since you took it.

Awesome thread, rafflecopter! It's nice to also see some experienced (and knowledgeable) SDN members chiming in...

30) My advisor/pre-health advisor says I shouldn't apply because (insert some random reason that most people with common sense do not care about)

31) My major is (non-science). Does that mean I won't get into medical school?

32) My major is (science). Does that mean adcoms will know why my GPA is lower than some, non-science majors?

33) Does it bad to take prerequisites at community college?

34) I got a B in physics I. Should I re-take it? Will this B prevent me from getting into Princeton Medical School (yes, this was intended)?

35) Why is everyone so flaming me?

36) Do I HAVE to do research to get into medical school?

... I'll be happy to help out with any of those questions if needed.

juliedi said:

Deleted because MCAT Guy beat me to the bump.

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No one posts for 9 days and you guys bump within 1 minute of each other... what are the odds

rafflecopter said:

Lots of good posts here over the past few weeks. Been kinda a bum and will update everything in the next few days.

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Petition to sticky?

Can someone answer question 21, please? That's easily the most important question up there and it hasn't been answered yet. *sigh*

I'm not even speaking sarcastically, I actually want to know.

CougarMD said:

You forgot the third.....overweight people get weeded out in almost any live interview process due to discrimination

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They should have a fat smiley to post.... they probably did... but he didn't make the cut

halethsonofhama said:

They should have a fat smiley to post.... they probably did... but he didn't make the cut

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lmao...

Interviewer: So what makes you think you're qualified to be an emoticon?
Fat Smiley: Well... *opens bag of chips*
Interviewer: Gtfo

Geneticist said:

Can someone answer question 21, please? That's easily the most important question up there and it hasn't been answered yet. *sigh*

I'm not even speaking sarcastically, I actually want to know.

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Pharmacists. Pharmacy School doesn't seem to age people as much as Medical School and also their jobs are not as stress-intensive so their general appearance is more awake, positive, etc.

I've seen this in a couple school threads:

"Since I'm interviewing late (Feb, Mar, Apr), am I interviewing for a waitlist spot only and not an actual acceptance?"

two questions! I did a year at a CC (semester) and took a beginner chem course there. When I transfered it to the 4 year (quarter), it got transfered as intro to ochem (4 units), chem 1 (4 units), and a bit of chem 2 (2 units). Now, for the three transfered courses, my detailed transcript says I got an A for the three courses. When doing sGPA, do I used what it got transfered in as or the CC units/transcript? My university's detailed transcript says it for 3 classes, CC transcript for 1. sorry if that was confusing!


Second, I am working with the chair of our department to get our department/campus as a chapter of the ASBMB honors society in order to be a chapter and push for our students to receive academic chemistry honors. Is this notable in any way?

Thank you guys!

berriesandcream said:

two questions! I did a year at a CC (semester) and took a beginner chem course there. When I transfered it to the 4 year (quarter), it got transfered as intro to ochem (4 units), chem 1 (4 units), and a bit of chem 2 (2 units). Now, for the three transfered courses, my detailed transcript says I got an A for the three courses. When doing sGPA, do I used what it got transfered in as or the CC units/transcript? My university's detailed transcript says it for 3 classes, CC transcript for 1. sorry if that was confusing!


Second, I am working with the chair of our department to get our department/campus as a chapter of the ASBMB honors society in order to be a chapter and push for our students to receive academic chemistry honors. Is this notable in any way?

Thank you guys!

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You put what was on the original transcript always, word for word. If AMCAS has an issue, they will fix it.

I am not sure about the whole "it shows up on two transcripts" thing; i think there is an option for a cross listed class in AMCAS. I would call them in May to be sure though.


The second one I would list under leadership probably in your activities.

MeowMeowCAT said:

Pharmacists. Pharmacy School doesn't seem to age people as much as Medical School and also their jobs are not as stress-intensive so their general appearance is more awake, positive, etc.

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Pharmacy isn't a specialty.

rafflecopter said:

12) What is the difference between MD/DO? How will this affect my residency options? Answer

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I still don't think the differences have been made clear enough for the average noob. We need to start from ground zero with most of these chach monkeys.

MD stands for "medical doctor." Schools that grant MD degrees are called "allopathic" medical schools, whereas schools that grant the DO are called "osteopathic" medical schools.

Long story short, the osteopathic movement was started by a guy named A.T. Still who was an MD but felt that a lot of patient illness was due to structural problems with their bodies (i.e. a problem like your spine being out of alignment will affect other systems in your body, most notably your nervous system and circulatory system. Your nervous and circulatory systems are the ones that run all of the rest of your body. Disrupting innervation or blood flow to organs = bad). So he broke off and founded the osteopathic movement, stating that patients should be treated with more than just medication and surgery.

Consequently, DO and MD schools have the exact same basic science curricula, and do the exact same clinical rotations. The only difference in schooling is that DO's are taught "osteopathic manipulative treatment," or OMT, which involves adjusting patient's bodies (they do chiropractic adjustments plus a lot of other, more sophisticated hands-on treatment). MD's are not taught this material. OMT is most useful in primary care settings, and most DO schools have as part of their mission to produce primary care doctors who will work in under-served areas. Many DO's go on to specialize, so getting a DO degree does not mean you have to do primary care. There are plenty of DO surgeons, neonatologists, etc.

DO's can take the allopathic board exam, which allows them to secure allopathic residency training. MD's cannot sit for the DO boards, because they have not had the extra training in OMT. After boards and residency, both are attending physicians. The only differences are the letters on your degree, and whether or not you know OMT. There is no difference in pay between and MD and a DO in the same specialty, with the same seniority in the same hospital.

There are three last "considerations." Most DO schools are private (except for Michigan State University COM, Ohio University COM, Oklahoma State University CHS, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Texas COM at University of North Texas, and West Virginia COM), and thus tend to have higher tuition. Some MD schools cost just as much, but some are considerably less expensive. DO schools are made out to be less competitive, and statistically they do accept applicants with lower average GPAs and MCAT scores.

Last is the notion of prestige. Some people feel that the DO is a lesser degree, and that DO's are somehow inferior to MD's. This stigma is fading very fast, and seems to be the most prevalent among premeds and med school rejects. A few MD students have told me that they wish they had given DO schools more consideration, especially after they learned about OMT. If you are smart and driven, becoming a DO will not hold you back in any way from becoming the doctor that you want to be.