Advice to a MS-I

[One Day MD]

Hi everyone,

I will be starting my first year of medical school within the next few weeks, and I'm wondering if any of you can offer tips or advice to an eager student who is genuinely interested in Derm, aside from making sure to do well in my classes. Even though I understand that we will get a better idea of specialty choice in our third years, I really feel passionate about dermatology, especially after I was lucky enough to witness a Moh's surgery while shadowing a dermatologist in undergrad. I believe the great diversity of cases dermatologists treat, coupled with sheer breadth of career opportunities available, is extremely appealing.

So I guess back to my main point..I am going to medical school far from my home state; do you think it would be wise to contact a faculty member at an institution near my home state to indicate my interest in performing research with them next summer? Or is it better to stick with the dermatology department at my medical school, even though I would want to do my residency in my home-state institution. Also, are there any basic texts or journals that you recommend someone at my level to read [that is, if I ever have any time available]?

Please don't dismiss this as a troll/gunner post, because I am far from that. I just want to put my best foot forward as I pursue this highly competitive field.

I appreciate any input you have, and thanks in advance!

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[asmallchild]

Your only job as a MS1 is to do well in classes, there is nothing else that needs to be done at this point. For further down the road = http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=590380

 

[Dermography]

Totally agree. For real, just master the pre-clinical material so that you can do well in all your classes and your steps. I hate to burst your bubble, but you really don't know anything yet, and you really don't have the knowledge base at all for a derm text/derm journal as an MSI, so you really should focus on mastering basic science and the fundamentals of medicine first.

Most importantly, I really think you should keep your options open. Derm is a great field, but there are plenty of other great fields in medicine too. Learn and explore, that's your job as an MSI/II.

D!

 

[xyzyx]

Agree with above posts.
Your main goal now is to do well in med school so that you don't hurt your chances of getting into derm later on (or any other competitive specialty, for that matter).

Unless you are some super awesome person who can juggle a gajillion things at once, it will be really hard to learn everything in your preclinical years PLUS spend meaningful time doing research.

If you have any free time, this is a good intro text:
Lookingbill's principles of dermatology

I personally liked Andrews a lot during med school, but it is kind of expensive to buy that book so early on when you don't know if you will be pursuing this field. Maybe your medical library has a copy you can look through?

take home point is -- don't let these "side projects" of learning more derm encroach upon your other studies. Your main goal at this point should be to learn everything for the preclinical years.
If you want to get some early clinical exposure, see if you can find a faculty who will let you shadow him/her in clinic. Who knows, maybe you might end up being interested in another field. Keep your mind open.

 

[One Day MD]

Thank you all for the advice, and to asmallchild & xyzyx, thank you for the link and text recommendations.

I just wanted a better idea of what I'm up against, especially considering the fact that friends who are medical students and residents have emphasized to me the importance of making connections as early on as possible. That's why I asked if if there'd be any advantage to doing research in my medical school or at an institution in my home state.

I guess I am jumping the gun a bit, perhaps I am just a little excited. I'll definitely have my basic sciences courses as a top-priority, and I most definitely will keep an open mind with regard to other specialties. I did shadow family practice and internal medicine physicians, but I do understand that the types of experiences in med school are much different from what we see as an undergrad.

Thank you again, and any other input would be greatly appreciated! =)

 

[dermathalon]

Hmmm...I think it actually depends. I think I've posted an opinion on this multiple times before...

Making early connections has so many values. A lot of it depends on how your school is graded, how they expect attendance at lecture, etc. If it's pass/no pass then by all means you should start making connections (this in itself is a whole another topic on how to do this).

1) You need to talk to upperclassmen who are interested and pursuing derm. They can give you the lowdown on what was important in terms of grades, AOA, boards etc. This is such a taboo subject among the first years but you need to find someone that is willing to help you and talk to you openly and honestly about the process.

2) Step 1 is important to get through fitlers and you want to study hard for this.

3) Learn pre-clinical stuff well but this does not necessarily mean that you have to only study during the first two years. I think people are at a big time advantage if they start early as long as they can follow through and execute on grades, step 1, clinical rotations...but you have to gauge if you are good an multi-tasking (and be honest with yourself).

My advice is not for the "generic" person but for those that are motivated for derm. Also, some people can actually have a strong connection to derm early. Just because you are early does not mean you don't have interests. I'll grant that these interests could change.

My advice would be to contact a faculty member at your current medical school rather than the institution at the home state (you know, you can do both and these are not mutually exclusive). However, if you have a derm department at your med school, that relationship will be easier to maintain due to proximity and you can get projects done more quickly.

So, it's ok (personally, I actively encourage it depending on the person and the setting) and I would say it depends. If you approach this genuinely, few will fault you for changing your mind if you find another field more interesting.

Some of my strongest connections and projects have come from working with early students...and they are the ones that have been able to take longer projects to completion which works for a much much strong LOR and stronger publications. Of course, don't sacrifice your scores on this but that's a personal decision.

 

[One Day MD]

Hmmm...I think it actually depends. I think I've posted an opinion on this multiple times before...

Making early connections has so many values. A lot of it depends on how your school is graded, how they expect attendance at lecture, etc. If it's pass/no pass then by all means you should start making connections (this in itself is a whole another topic on how to do this).

1) You need to talk to upperclassmen who are interested and pursuing derm. They can give you the lowdown on what was important in terms of grades, AOA, boards etc. This is such a taboo subject among the first years but you need to find someone that is willing to help you and talk to you openly and honestly about the process.

2) Step 1 is important to get through fitlers and you want to study hard for this.

3) Learn pre-clinical stuff well but this does not necessarily mean that you have to only study during the first two years. I think people are at a big time advantage if they start early as long as they can follow through and execute on grades, step 1, clinical rotations...but you have to gauge if you are good an multi-tasking (and be honest with yourself).

My advice is not for the "generic" person but for those that are motivated for derm. Also, some people can actually have a strong connection to derm early. Just because you are early does not mean you don't have interests. I'll grant that these interests could change.

My advice would be to contact a faculty member at your current medical school rather than the institution at the home state (you know, you can do both and these are not mutually exclusive). However, if you have a derm department at your med school, that relationship will be easier to maintain due to proximity and you can get projects done more quickly.

So, it's ok (personally, I actively encourage it depending on the person and the setting) and I would say it depends. If you approach this genuinely, few will fault you for changing your mind if you find another field more interesting.

Some of my strongest connections and projects have come from working with early students...and they are the ones that have been able to take longer projects to completion which works for a much much strong LOR and stronger publications. Of course, don't sacrifice your scores on this but that's a personal decision.

Wow thanks for the thorough and honest advice! I think I'll get a better idea of how I'm able to juggle the material once I start school, but in general I do feel like I am a good multi-tasker. Dermatology does indeed interest me and I would rather go full force early on rather than waiting so I can get some sort of upper edge, if possible. I'll definitely be in contact with my school's derm interest group organization and talk to the upperclassmen there. Do you think it's wise for me to get in contact with the derm department at my school right away for shadowing and/or potential research? And that would be better than having a short-term relationship with the derm department at my home-state? Any other insight on making meaningful connections in this field? My school is Honors/Pass/Fail by the way.

I realize I'm asking a lot of questions, but I honestly haven't had the best luck making meaningful connections in the past. I really do appreciate your time, And thanks again for the thoughtful responses!

 

[dermathalon]

I think I would place focus on your classes for the first semester, especially since your school grades. Honors/Pass/Fail = grades. The only true non-graded situation is a strict Pass/Fail. You'll need to take that into account in regards to how you prioritize your time. No matter how good of a multi-tasker you are, you won't know how it's going to fit until you really get into it. That said, there is nothing wrong with making early connections and would be ok to meet with faculty and discuss you interests and to set up projects (you may end up starting small in the beginning).

I can't speak to what faculty are available but you play with the hand that you are dealt. Some faculty are infinitely better at working with, mentoring, and supporting medical students than others but, again, play with the hand you are dealt and find out who are good to work with from the other students that have gone through it before you. (BTW, you should have a good reason for why dermatology is interesting when you meet with faculty. If you go in saying, the lifestyle is good and whatnot, no one will take you seriously).