Advice please ....

[loveumms]

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OK – I know many of the topics that I am about to ask have been covered in one way or another on this forum but, I just spent an hour searching and am still left with a few questions.

First, I really love anesthesia – I can’t say it is what I’ve wanted to do for my whole life and the truth of the matter is I came to med school thinking I was going into endocrinology. But, after doing my IM rotation I realized I HATE rounding for countless hours and I LOVE procedures. I also dig how anesthesiologists are masters of almost every aspect of medicine but, don’t have to round all the time and can do plenty of procedures. During my medicine rotation I also found out that I absolutely love hospice and palliative care. I wanted to pick your brains to find out if what I have in mind is even possible before I go trying to obtain a niche in medicine. I was hoping to do an anesthesia residency, pain fellowship and practice in a private group with a little bit of hospice medicine on the side. I love OR anesthesia but also want to be able to do hospice and have some patient continuity. I feel that hospice patients need a novel way to treat their pain – local blocks instead of high dose narcotics. Does anyone think that this could work??

Second, it’s about time to start writing my personal statement. I have tried to start writing it a few times and have some really bad writers block. I don’t even know where to start and what I should include. I don’t want to come off phony and I refuse to lie and say that anesthesia is my life long love – I’m sure that some will BS the PS and say that they were born to become an anesthesiologist …. yada yada … but, I want to make sure that programs know that I’m dedicated without laying it on thick. Can anyone throw me a few pointers as to where to start and what is best to include.

And last, I know that there is no magical answer and that no one can tell me for sure what it takes to get into a decent residency however, I had a rough time first year (didn’t fail any classes but got less then desirable grades). I picked it up second year and am doing much better this year (have not honored any classes but have consistently gotten As). I did above average on the boards, but didn’t get an earth shattering score. Should I be worried about my first year grades and should I try to explain these grades in my personal statement or should I just wait to be asked during interviews. Also, how many programs should an applicant apply to? I know to apply broadly but, what is an average number?

Thanks so much for all your help – you don’t know how much I appreciate it!

 

[Laryngospasm]

Be honest about what you like about anesthesiology, and how you came to want to do it. The interviewers arents stupid, and will often look at someone as naive who says that they never considered more than one field, and know that most people try on many shoes before they find the ones that fit. Follow the old college composition way of writing by starting off making a list of points you want to make, and proceed to a rough outline, you will have a letter before you know it. Good luck.

 

[chicamedica]

I'm only an MS4, but yeah I totally think the way your envision your career is totally possible and unique. Your grades and scores sound a lot like mine as does the basis of your interest in anesthesiology (other than you being more interested in the pain side of things and me being more interested in the CCM side), and frankly i dont know what programs look for, but if it's at all reassuring, I did match at an excellent program that fits the career goals I have very well. I suspect that with such a unique interest as you have, some programs with less emphasis on pain and weaker regional exposure may not be as interested in you, which can be a good thing in the end. It is a tradeoff though, to standing out and being unique, and having a genuine interest in the field for what it is (instead of what it is not, as is too common among many applicants).

 

[UTSouthwestern]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=220017

 

[Idiopathic]

I believe this has been stated before but here goes anyway:

programs all know that most med students look at anesthesia as a "lifestyle specialty". I agree that it can be that, but so can most others, just for less money. I tried to play up the fact that I am interested in advanced training, academic medicine and possibly research. Now this doesnt take away from the fact that I might be interested in private practice pain management either, but you get the drift. Give them a reason to think you are more cerebral than everyone else and not just "in it for the lifestyle"

although i think with the increased competition over the last ten years, the profession has really begun to weed out those slackers just in medicine for the lifestyle (I did say begun to...)


edit: I also think that PD/committees like to hear about people who experienced surgery/anesthesia and other areas of medicine and came to anesthesia late rather than deciding thats what they wanted to do from the beginning (actually thats probably true for most specialties). I dont think its inappropriate to play that up either.

 

[SleepIsGood]

Hey there OP

Listen your grades/scores, REALLY sound familiar 😉

I agree with most of what's been said. Personally, I think research is important. Infact that's what distinguishes many doctors from midlevels, etc. Having said that, I think you really need to SHOW that you were interested and have done research in the past. I think nowadays, it's one of those things a lot of people are saying at interview, "Oh I'm interested in research". On this issue CVs speak louder than desires. Having said that, I do not think research is a necessity.

About the grades. Give them a good reason. An honest reason for what happened. As long as your trend is upward, I think you will be fine.

PM me if you got more q's. 👍

 

[jennyboo]

I had a rough time first year (didn’t fail any classes but got less then desirable grades). I picked it up second year and am doing much better this year (have not honored any classes but have consistently gotten As). I did above average on the boards, but didn’t get an earth shattering score.

It doesn't sound like you should have any problem getting interviews at a few strongly academic programs (even a couple of top programs), with above average boards and no fails. I had grades like that and interviewed at places including Columbia, Duke, Univ of Pennsylvania, all the NY programs and most Boston programs. (But... mine showed as "pass" not "D".) Unless they ask, don't mention or apologize for your first year grades.

If you want to put in a little extra effort, I think it's probably more worthwhile to do an away rotation at a program you view as desirable than to do a small research project that just gets forgotten in a few months. Aways are a good networking opportunity; get to know the faculty in a different place, possibly get a good LOR, learn what other people look for in a residency, etc.

 

[aredoubleyou]

For the PS - dont waste space by explaining MS1 scores, no one cares. There is no advantage or disadvantage of choosing anesth early or late, just say it like it is...anyway, if you don't - your interview answers and PS may be in conflict - so just stay consistent with the truth. I personally would be slightly more skeptical of someone who, without previous experience in anesth (parents, or whatever), would say they wanted to do that as an MS 1 or 2 as opposed to one of the more core specialties emphasized (medicine, surgery, peds, ob, or whatever). Why you prefer anesth to medicine or surgery works well in a PS, just don't bash other specialties cause your reader might see more similarity b/w medicine & anesth than you do, for example.

Your interviews will be based on stuff like boards, maybe other things like letters, md vs do, and maybe PS, but not grades - cause most everybody gets their interviews before the deans letter is released. I would only go on the defensive on the PS if you have something to explain, passing grades do not need to be explained. Numerous failed classes, skipped year, etc, need to be explained in PS. Other than that the PS should be optimistic and either standard in format, like UTs link, or, if you're a good writer and a bit risky, you can be more creative. I reviewed a lot of PS from classmates, and the thing that most people would do wrong (in my opinion) is
- way too much info that only they care about
- not linear and logical (jumps around, too many 'central' themes - just stay on target)
- using vocabulary words they don't really know how to use in context (don't use words you never heard before from the thesaurus)
- verb tenses
- writing as if they were Charles Dickens - better to be direct and simple

But, usually, PS's only need minor tweeking by someone you trust to make them good.

 

[24858]

Is pain medicine really that great or does it really suck and most want to do it for the $$$$
I always see med students and new residents write about pain medicine like it is some kind of golden goose of greatness.. Is it really that great?
To me it seems like it sucks...

 

[Hockeyguy]

I know first hand your vision of a practice is very doable. I worked with a guy in Fort Collins CO - who did just that. He basically managed cancer hospice type patients with bone mets etc. and did a lot of blocks, EtOH ablations that sort of stuff. I thought about too for a minute but it is very depressing but rewarding work. He probably relieved more sufering than anyone else I worked with in Med school. He was an Anesthesiologist trained in pain but I met him on my Psych rotation so it was weird, the psychiatrist I worked with wanted me to see how chronic pain f'ed with people. Good luck I think you could carve out a really nice niche for yourself.

 

[jennyboo]

Also, how many programs should an applicant apply to? I know to apply broadly but, what is an average number?

A rule of thumb I was given by an advisor:

STRONG CANDIDATE: Apply 15, interview 10, rank 5 (that's too slim I think -- I'd still rank 8+)
AVERAGE CANDIDATE: Apply 20, interview 15, rank 10
HANDICAPPED CANDIDATE: Apply 25

That's if you are a US MD.

I was dumb -- I sent in my ERAS application with 19 residency programs applied to on Sept 6, sat around and got no interview offers for a week, and caved in and added ten more. Way too many -- if you get your app in early, be patient and wait it out for a couple weeks before applying to more programs.

You can also check the NRMP site for their official statistics on how many programs you should put on your rank list in order to maximize your chances of matching.

 

[Sammich81]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=276414

I also needed advice on my personal statement...

 

[supahfresh]

I didn't submit my anesthesia personal statement until November. I had received many interviews too despite no essay. point is, dont wait in getting your basic ERAS crap submitted in aug/sept. you have a long time to craft your essay.

be honest too. most people in anesthesia got into it in a roundabout way.

 

[jetproppilot]

I didn't submit my anesthesia personal statement until November. I had received many interviews too despite no essay. point is, dont wait in getting your basic ERAS crap submitted in aug/sept. you have a long time to craft your essay.

be honest too. most people in anesthesia got into it in a roundabout way.

Supah.

A brutha who sprays rooster-tails on 'da slopes.

Now thats gangsta.

 

[aredoubleyou]

A rule of thumb I was given by an advisor:

STRONG CANDIDATE: Apply 15, interview 10, rank 5 (that's too slim I think -- I'd still rank 8+)
AVERAGE CANDIDATE: Apply 20, interview 15, rank 10
HANDICAPPED CANDIDATE: Apply 25

.

Advise I would give if I were an advisor - apply to as many as you want, interview at 8 to15 (max!!), and rank ALL of them. A program has to be pretty bad not to rank it, b/c what ever you're gunna get in the scramble will almost certainly be worse - like an IM residency in Montana.