- Joined
- Jul 29, 2014
- Messages
- 2,336
- Reaction score
- 4,470
What is considered ECs of significant matter?
+1
What is considered ECs of significant matter?
What is considered ECs of significant matter?
He means that noteworthy ECs carry weight. Joined AMSA? Doesn't matter. Served as AMSA national treasurer for a year? Matters very much. Volunteered at the local free clinic? Doesn't matter. Founded a charitable organization doing healthcare outreach to underserved local populations? Matters very much. Played intramural soccer? Doesn't matter. Played soccer for the US national team? Matters very much.
He means that noteworthy ECs carry weight. Joined AMSA? Doesn't matter. Served as AMSA national treasurer for a year? Matters very much. Volunteered at the local free clinic? Doesn't matter. Founded a charitable organization doing healthcare outreach to underserved local populations? Matters very much. Played intramural soccer? Doesn't matter. Played soccer for the US national team? Matters very much.
In other words, ECs don't matter nearly as much for residency as they do for med school applications, and residency selection committees are only likely to care about your ECs if you're performing them at a truly noteworthy level. As you go through med school, you need to abandon the premed way of looking at ECs because it just plain doesn't apply. Grades and Step scores will do far more for your residency chances than ECs will, so that's where your focus should be as a med student.
Thank. GOD.In other words, ECs don't matter nearly as much for residency as they do for med school applications, and residency selection committees are only likely to care about your ECs if you're performing them at a truly noteworthy level. As you go through med school, you need to abandon the premed way of looking at ECs because it just plain doesn't apply. Grades and Step scores will do far more for your residency chances than ECs will, so that's where your focus should be as a med student.
You could go either way, I think. The AOA status will help far more than the ECs will, but it probably wouldn't hurt to list the ECs anyway. Just don't be expecting them to do much for you.What about ECs that are factored into AOA? If these ECs aren’t noteworthy but they helped getting AOA, would it be reasonable to just list AOA and avoid mentioning the ECs?
My first two kids were born during my time in med school, so I devoted nearly all my free time to my family and had very little in the way of ECs beyond my school's built-in research block. If you're a bad person, so am I.Thank. GOD.
(does that make me a bad person...?)
My pleasure!Thank you for posting this, we really appreciate your time and willingness to help us along the path to being docs.
I have a couple thoughts here. First don't assume you won't match into EM or anesthesiology in the military. The military is more DO-friendly than the civilian world, and someone's going to match to those spots; why couldn't that be you?Have a question about transitionining military > civilian after serving my HPSP contract.
I’m an OMS-1 and in the Army HPSP program. Have a strong interest in EM or Anesthesiology, and had a question about applying to civilian programs after serving in the Army.
If my career goes that I serve 4 years as GMO and then apply to civilian anesthesiology programs, can you give any insight into how I’d be viewed as an applicant, or if by serving GMO would I effectively shoot myself in the foot match-wise?
No, I don't. I know a couple who washed out of residency, but everyone I know who graduated either found employment or went into a fellowship.Do you know anyone who wasn't able to get a job after residency? What is the pay/hr of a gig in a desirable area or big city like NYC?
Thanks again for posting this - it's very helpful!
First, for those of us who are going into medical school in very serious relationships (or, say, married for over 10 years), what recommendations do you, or Mrs. Homeskool, have for both med students and spouses/SOs for both surviving/thriving in medical school AND staying happily married/in a relationship?
This is for all of you - @HomeSkool and @getdown and @Il Disterio - Looking back on ranking residencies vs actually going through residency, what were things that you thought were really important when you were ranking places that ended up being unimportant in the long run? What were aspects of residency that you might not have initially considered important that significantly impacted on your time there? In the end, what do you recommend looking for in a residency program when ranking programs?
Also, I've heard from a few people that the first year of residency was the worst year of medical education. What are your thoughts? What made first year/intern year so bad? What are ways students can prepare for that year? What are the most important character traits to develop throughout medical school that will help make you a good resident and helpful as a team member?
You're welcome! Thanks for participating!Thanks again for posting this - it's very helpful!
@getdown's answer is excellent, and I agree with everything he said. I'll add a few additional thoughts.First, for those of us who are going into medical school in very serious relationships (or, say, married for over 10 years), what recommendations do you, or Mrs. Homeskool, have for both med students and spouses/SOs for both surviving/thriving in medical school AND staying happily married/in a relationship?
Piggybacking off of @getdown's answer, look for programs that don't seem to lose residents very often. If they're losing one or two residents each year, then a) there's something bad in the water there, and b) it's going to suck when you're down a couple people and the rest of you have to make up for the gaps in rotation and call coverage.This is for all of you - @HomeSkool and @getdown and @IlDestriero - Looking back on ranking residencies vs actually going through residency, what were things that you thought were really important when you were ranking places that ended up being unimportant in the long run? What were aspects of residency that you might not have initially considered important that significantly impacted on your time there? In the end, what do you recommend looking for in a residency program when ranking programs?
Intern year sucks for all the reasons @getdown said. You feel like a know-nothing fool even if people aren't mistreating you because you're the least knowledgeable member of the team and everyone else is just so dang smart. If you're an asshat intern, the nurses will end you. Anesthesiologists are perhaps the most passive-aggressive physicians in the world, and we can't even compete with a nursing unit in that regard. However, the nurses can also save your bacon if you befriend them. I established with the nurses very early that I saw myself as a junior team member who could learn from their experience, and they taught me things and fed me info so I'd look like an all-star on rounds. When they'd call me with a problem, I'd usually respond with, "Got any thoughts about how you want to handle this?" Experienced nurses usually had a great idea of what to do, and it was almost always what I wanted to do anyway, so everybody won: the nurses felt respected, I made friends, and the patient got the right intervention. So again: befriend the nurses. They are very valuable team members who can make or break your intern year!Also, I've heard from a few people that the first year of residency was the worst year of medical education. What are your thoughts? What made first year/intern year so bad? What are ways students can prepare for that year? What are the most important character traits to develop throughout medical school that will help make you a good resident and helpful as a team member?
No residency is truly "family friendly", but many anesthesiology residencies are less "family malignant" than other specialties. Whether I was home for dinner or not depended on which rotation I was on and how badly the hospital was getting beaten down. Sometimes I was home six days in a week, other times I'd go for several days without seeing the kids. What made it more tolerable is that I always knew there was an end to the residency beatdown. As an attending, I'm home for dinner most nights and I can almost always arrange my schedule to make the games, plays, birthday parties, etc.I'd love to hear your thoughts on anesthesia residency with kids at home. Just from perusing programs online and the forum it seems most days are a very early start but you tend to be out at a decent time, ie home for family dinner most nights. Did you find that to be the case? How did you manage during residency? We're you constantly feeling guilty about missing family time, kids school events, games, ect? I work in emergency medicine as a PA now and it's almost entirely second shift so ill go days without seeing my boys except for a few minutes in the morning. Hoping anesthesia is a little more family friendly in that respect.
Well, I'm a Mormon, so none. But @getdown and @IlDestriero may be coffee drinkers.How much coffee do you consume on a daily basis?
Ah sorry about my assumption. I personally do not have any Mormon aquintances and did not know about such practice till now. Hope that didn’t come off the wrong way.Well, I'm a Mormon, so none. But @getdown and @IlDestriero may be coffee drinkers.
Not at all, I thought nothing of it. 🙂Ah sorry about my assumption. I personally do not have any Mormon aquintances and did not know about such practice till now. Hope that didn’t come off the wrong way.
I figured I needn't worry about such with someone like you who's got such rich life experiences. 🙂
Actually, I had a pretty successful career prior to med school in which I divided my time between a couple different occupations. I'd probably have just continued those things, and I actually haven't completely ruled out returning to them. These are a couple photos of me during my premed years, edited slightly to preserve my privacy:If you weren't an anesthesiologist, or a physician in general, what would your next most desirable career be?
Actually, I had a pretty successful career prior to med school in which I divided my time between a couple different occupations. I'd probably have just continued those things, and I actually haven't completely ruled out returning to them. These are a couple photos of me during my premed years, edited slightly to preserve my privacy:
View attachment 231140
View attachment 231141
(Someone once told me after a basketball game that I had "put on a clinic", so I listed my work in that field as clinical volunteering on AMCAS. My musical pursuits were nonclinical employment.)
If those things didn't work out, I'd probably use my MBA to work in corporate management (not necessarily within the healthcare industry).
Amen y'all! We boutta make this a Christian thread haha.
On a serious note: I'm applying this summer, and while I feel like my faith plays a huge part of who I am and why I want to pursue medicine, I'm a bit wary of including it in my PS and/or discussing it in Interviews. What would you guys recommend?
Someone once told me after a basketball game that I had "put on a clinic", so I listed my work in that field as clinical volunteering on AMCAS
How much coffee do you consume on a daily basis?
I didn't drink during med school, started drinking coffee during residency and now as an attending I only drink when I'm on call. Personally, stuff never really worked for me but I do it cause I believe in the placebo effect.
Same. If anything I get adverse effects from drinking coffee. My stress level increases, I find it harder to concentrate (but more energetic), my eyes started twitching a week ago, but that could be due to reading/studying all day for MCAT. What alternatives do you use then, if any, to wake you up in the morning and get you going?
Same. If anything I get adverse effects from drinking coffee. My stress level increases, I find it harder to concentrate (but more energetic), my eyes started twitching a week ago, but that could be due to reading/studying all day for MCAT. What alternatives do you use then, if any, to wake you up in the morning and get you going?
..... I don't know if I can trust people who don't require coffee to transform into functional members of society... suspicious...![]()
Coffee puts me to sleep. I also don’t like the taste.
OH. EM. GEE. Where have you been all my life?!DEAD @ this one
"Broke ankles and then sedated for the reduction"![]()
2 Timothy 1:7-8. It's part of who you are, it's a powerful and uplifting motivator, and you've got nothing to be ashamed of by discussing it. The very first question I got at every single interview was related to my two-year Mormon mission. People were interested, they were excited to hear about it, and it never led to any awkwardness. My general rule when I speak with others about the noble causes that motivate them, religious or otherwise, is dedicated/devout = good, zealot = not good.On a serious note: I'm applying this summer, and while I feel like my faith plays a huge part of who I am and why I want to pursue medicine, I'm a bit wary of including it in my PS and/or discussing it in Interviews. What would you guys recommend?
1. I just got done telling Mrs. HomeSkool how glad I am you asked that question, because I didn't know the answer and I was very pleased when I looked it up. It turns out NEJM published a study about this back in 2011, which I've attached to this post. But here are the pertinent images:1) One of the things that worries me about Anesthesiology is that you'd get sued a lot. Is this true or just hearsay?
2) Are you really getting little-to-no patient interaction? Another huge attractor to medicine for me is spending time with patients discussing treatments, lifestyles, and whatever else may be necessary to them getting better.
3) What are some cons/things you don't like and wish were different about Anesthesiology?
I play a couple instruments, read (mostly historical fiction and nonfiction as well as fantasy and sci-fi) (of course I'm a nerd; surely that doesn't come as a surprise), play video games, work in my yard, exercise, amateur astronomize, and spend time with Mrs. HomeSkool and our little HomeSkoolinos. I save SDN for when I'm supposed to be looking after my patients.What are your hobbies; what do you do for fun outside medicine?
I'm part of an academic department, so I go to a Grand Rounds lecture each week, and I keep up with the quarterly CME and testing requirements to maintain my board certification. I also peruse Anesthesiology each month and read the papers that seem most applicable to my practice. The only real change if I were in private practice is that I wouldn't have the Grand Rounds lecture each week. The field has changed and grown, but not to the point that I would be dangerous or seriously behind the times if I didn't keep up well (keep in mind, I've only been out of residency for five years). One of the bigger changes in the last couple decades is the advent of ultrasound to guide perineural blocks. A lot of our older anesthesiologists struggle with that, while we children of the 80s grew up with controllers in our hands and pick up that skill set pretty quickly.To what extent do you keep up with the latest anesthesia research? Would that be different if you were in private practice? Has the field changed enough where your residency wouldn't fully prepare you for the job you're doing now?
Actually, I had a pretty successful career prior to med school in which I divided my time between a couple different occupations. I'd probably have just continued those things, and I actually haven't completely ruled out returning to them. These are a couple photos of me during my premed years, edited slightly to preserve my privacy:
(Someone once told me after a basketball game that I had "put on a clinic", so I listed my work in that field as clinical volunteering on AMCAS. My musical pursuits were nonclinical employment.)
If those things didn't work out, I'd probably use my MBA to work in corporate management (not necessarily within the healthcare industry).
I knew I remembered seeing you at the at basketball game, and then the concert right after the game. It all makes sense now.
I was thinking of pursuing this career. Pros/cons?
![]()
I'd be interested in corporate management, that sounds interesting. Do you find it less interesting than healthcare? Less stressful?
Pretty much what the title of the thread says. I reserve the right to ridicule anyone who posts obnoxious, unfunny jokes.
What is the best, funny anesthesia joke you have heard?
What is the best, funny anesthesia joke you have heard?
Is a research year something that a lot of people in your field end up doing or is it not really common? I heard that research done after undergrad is considered for residency applications but I do research in an unrelated field.
Also how often do you end up getting called in at inconvenient times?
The funniest thing I've heard (not a joke) was an anesthesiologist who let go a silent and deadly fart during a bowel case that happened to be so deadly that the surgeon thought they nicked a bowel and spent a good 15-20 minutes running it before the person fessed up. Hilarious.
I dunno. Do you really think you can fit a guy's whole head in your mouth?I was thinking of pursuing this career. Pros/cons?
![]()
I can't really comment much on that since I haven't been in corporate management yet. I just graduated with my MBA a few months ago, and I'd already been an attending for more than a year when I started working toward it.I'd be interested in corporate management, that sounds interesting. Do you find it less interesting than healthcare? Less stressful?
One of my favorite jokes is one I play on some of my young (like, early 20s) male patients. I'll introduce myself and say, "So I understand we're removing that left testicle today." Most of them say, "Wait, what?!" before realizing I was messing with them (and then they start laughing). Best response I ever got was a guy who didn't even miss a beat, just stayed totally deadpan, nodded toward his wife, and said, "You're too late, she's already got both of 'em in her purse."What is the best, funny anesthesia joke you have heard?
Scroll up and read post #100!Is a research year something that a lot of people in your field end up doing or is it not really common? I heard that research done after undergrad is considered for residency applications but I do research in an unrelated field.
Never ever. I'm at a level 1 trauma center that utilizes a night float system for attending anesthesiologists. When I'm on night float, I switch my body clock to be nocturnal, which means I'm in-house and awake whenever a case gets posted.Also how often do you end up getting called in at inconvenient times?
I dunno. Do you really think you can fit a guy's whole head in your mouth?
I can't really comment much on that since I haven't been in corporate management yet. I just graduated with my MBA a few months ago, and I'd already been an attending for more than a year when I started working toward it.
I haven't decided which to apply for, alligator vs. crocodile.
I heard matching was easier for alligators.
Was the MBA expensive/time consuming?
That's true for the most part. While crocodiles and alligators are both underrepresented in medicine, virtually all crocodiles originate outside the US and are therefore FMGs. On the other hand, the US has a large native alligator population, and Alligator-Americans will naturally have an easier time getting into US residency programs than those who originate outside the country.I haven't decided which to apply for, alligator vs. crocodile.
I heard matching was easier for alligators.
It wasn't expensive for me because I used my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to fund it. Most MBAs that I looked into cost between $50K and $100K for the whole program. And yes, it was time-consuming. Even though I studied in a program built for working professionals, the coursework wasn't watered down. There were a lot of times my life consisted of work-school-sleep-repeat all week with a brief respite for part of the weekend.Was the MBA expensive/time consuming?
The one that will get you the highest GPA.What undergraduate major would you recommend? /QUOTE]
Work hard and keep your eye on the prize. Stay honest and don't do anything stupid that's going to end your future before it begins. There's no one else as hot as Mrs. HomeSkool, but you can certainly try for second place. Remember that it's OK to change your mind about specialty or even going into medicine if you find something that interests you more. Be responsible with your money. And follow Tucker's advice:What advice would you give to a freshman in college who wants to be an anesthesiologist?
Whatever majorWhat undergraduate major would you recommend?
I'd try to spend less time along the way stressing about things out of my control. It takes away focus from fixing the things I actually can fix.Anything you would do differently and why?
*ahem*...Mrs Dr Goro is quite the hottie herself.Work hard and keep your eye on the prize. Stay honest and don't do anything stupid that's going to end your future before it begins. There's no one else as hot as Mrs. HomeSkool, but you can certainly try for second place. Remember that it's OK to change your mind about specialty or even going into medicine if you find something that interests you more. Be responsible with your money. And follow Tucker's advice:
Whatever major
- Interests you
- Is employable with a bachelor's degree
- Will be conducive to a high GPA
I'd try to spend less time along the way stressing about things out of my control. It takes away focus from fixing the things I actually can fix.
*When your wife reads your SDN post history**ahem*...Mrs Dr Goro is quite the hottie herself.