8 hours per day of nothing. How can I use this time constructively?

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About28

About28

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This next week and a half I've been given a rare responsibility at work: to do essentially nothing all day, for 8 hours each day.

At the moment I'm using my time to read, which is very enjoyable. I also have access to a computer and the internet if I so desire. My question is: can I use this time to improve my chances at the schools that I've applied to?

I've already completed my secondaries and I'll be complete at my schools as soon as my undergrad institution sends my letters out this week. Should I spend my time drafting update letters/ letters about why I want to attend spesific schools? Is there anything else I can do to improve my chances?
 
I'm in your same boat, but I have a few interviews next month so what I'm going to be doing will be a little different.

Personally, I'm compiling a positives/concerns list about each school I am interviewing at, but I would not recommend this right now as its too preliminary.

You could, however, do as @PantherPride suggested and read into some topics that might come up at an interview. On the other hand, you could also take this time to just relax and enjoy some well-earned time off after the bevy of secondaries I'm sure you just completed.
 
PantherPride said:
Prepare for interviews maybe? Read up on some ethics in the medical field, obamacare, etc. I don't think a letter of intent before an interview is worth anything
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Thats not a bad idea. Being able to speak about obamacare in an educated way could really help

Osteoth said:
I'm in your same boat, but I have a few interviews next month so what I'm going to be doing will be a little different.

Personally, I'm compiling a positives/concerns list about each school I am interviewing at, but I would not recommend this right now as its too preliminary.

You could, however, do as @PantherPride suggested and read into some topics that might come up at an interview. On the other hand, you could also take this time to just relax and enjoy some well-earned time off after the bevy of secondaries I'm sure you just completed.
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Congrats! I've only gotten one interview, which is a miracle considering that my letters haven't even been submitted yet. I hope more come in once they're submitted. Either way, it's just tough to go from constant work on secondaries one day to doing nothing the next. There's always something buzzing in the back of my mind that I'm wasting time and should be working.
 
I also wouldn't refer to our current healthcare system as "ObamaCare" as that statement can offend political values of those interviewing you.. not everyone in America has the same beliefs and values, especially regarding our healthcare system 🙂
 
orangetea said:
I also wouldn't refer to our current healthcare system as "ObamaCare" as that statement can offend political values of those interviewing you.. not everyone in America has the same beliefs and values, especially regarding our healthcare system 🙂
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Honestly, I think the word has become synonymous with the Affordable Care Act both by strident opponents and enthusiastic supporters. I doubt it would cause offense.
 
AspiringERMD said:
Honestly, I think the word has become synonymous with the Affordable Care Act both by strident opponents and enthusiastic supporters. I doubt it would cause offense.
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While I agree that it is not inherently negative anymore, I wouldn't doubt that some ad-com members who are Obamacare supporters MIGHT take offense to the term, so it is best to avoid it. Saying Affordable Care Act isn't all that much harder than Obamacare anyway........
 
orangetea said:
I also wouldn't refer to our current healthcare system as "ObamaCare" as that statement can offend political values of those interviewing you.. not everyone in America has the same beliefs and values, especially regarding our healthcare system 🙂
Click to expand...

AspiringERMD said:
Honestly, I think the word has become synonymous with the Affordable Care Act both by strident opponents and enthusiastic supporters. I doubt it would cause offense.
Click to expand...

theseeker4 said:
While I agree that it is not inherently negative anymore, I wouldn't doubt that some ad-com members who are Obamacare supporters MIGHT take offense to the term, so it is best to avoid it. Saying Affordable Care Act isn't all that much harder than Obamacare anyway........
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I would call it the ACA in my interview(s hopefully) and talk about it as apolitically as possible just to err on the side of caution.
 
itsgonnabeok said:
My two cents, and this is probably horrible of me, but I usually assume that people who call ACA "Obamacare" are relatively uninformed.
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sort of in the same boat. except i'll be the first to admit i don't know much about it.
 
1. Spend 4 hours a day on SDN trolling through various sub forums you have no business in
2. Spend 2 hours neurotically checking your email for interview invitations
3. Spend the last 2 hours on netflix. Don't actually watch anything, just keep searching for a movie you think you might like
 
itsgonnabeok said:
My two cents, and this is probably horrible of me, but I usually assume that people who call ACA "Obamacare" are relatively uninformed.
Click to expand...
I've never heard anyone call it anything different, even at the hospital. That's just...the term that is used in casual conversation.
So, sure...an interview maybe shouldn't be casual conversation, but the only person I could see taking offense is someone who would lambaste you for using 'hi' instead of 'hello'.
 
Also... Are u getting paid for doing nothing? Because if so, you should probably ignore my previous advice and just revel in paradise.
 
I agree with the prepare for interviews idea. I'll also add in to do some research on the school areas if there are some that you haven't visited yet. If you can afford to be picky, then you'll also want to consider a school with the city/state etc that you like the most (I'm assuming you've already done research on the particular schools and have a prioritized list based on that).
 
BrCo said:
Also... Are u getting paid for doing nothing? Because if so, you should probably ignore my previous advice and just revel in paradise.
Click to expand...

Yup I am. It's awesome but it'll only last a week and a half, then it's back to learning the trades which includes a surprising amount of running back and fourth to get tools.

Either way I have ants in my pants because I just finished my secondaries and doing nothing all of a sudden feels wrong.
 
Reiterating the preparing for interviews thing. Look up some common interview questions and prepare educated responses to them. Read through the ACA (there are a lot of abbreviated versions/summaries out there) and come up with some things about it that you like and that you would change. Read up on current events. Maybe come up with some general questions you could ask when an interviewer asks you if you have any questions about the school (I always used stuff like "what is one thing about the school you would change?"). It would be helpful to write these things down in one place so you can look over them the night before an interview.

theseeker4 said:
You are going to run into a lot of "uninformed" attending physicians, if you make it into medical school.....
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Agreed. I was specifically asked (by a highly regarded physician in his field) "what do you think of Obamacare?" in an interview. You can never go wrong referring to it as the ACA, though.
 
Personally, i reddit all day when that happens to me. You learn cool things that are usually useless until you come across something like obamacare ELI5. Or cats.
 
take some online classes 😀, there are some free ones too...
 
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