Cardiologist and former med school interviewer available to answer questions

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HeartDoc14

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I saw this forum, and thought there might be people with questions I can help. Feel free to ask anything about med school, residency, etc.
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Best and Worst answers to "why do you want to be a doctor" that you've heard.
 
Whats the most interesting case you've ever had?
What got you interested in Cardiology?
What advice would you give to someone struggling to know what specialty to go into?
Do you ever find your career boring?
Would you do it all over again?
 
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Honestly, no answer sticks out to me as the best. I had countless applicants describe to me illnesses that affected their lives and inspired them to want to go into medicine. One ambitious applicant who had come up with several patents/inventions as an undergrad told me she wanted to get her MD to further her career as medical product developer. Above all, sincerity is crucial. Interviewers can tell if you're FOS.

Worst answer: I was inspired by an episode of "Scrubs"
 
1. What is your lifestyle like? Or if it would be easier to answer, what is a typical day?

2. I hear Cardiology is a very competitive speciality to attain. What makes the most successful fellowship candidates for interventional cardiology?

3. Is research almost an unstated requirement?

Thanks for doing this!
 
def1 said:
Whats the most interesting case you've ever had?
What got you interested in Cardiology?
What advice would you give to someone struggling to know what specialty to go into?
Do you ever find your career boring?
Would you do it all over again?
Click to expand...

1. I can't tell you THE most interesting case, but I've seen several cases of Brugata Syndrome, ARVD, LV noncompaction, and amyloidosis, etc, and those are always interesting.

2. I always enjoyed critical care, but wasn't a fan of outpatient pulmonology. Cardiology makes sense and the physiology came easy to me, my life/job is varied, it's based on physics and tons of clinical evidence. And its well compensated.

3. Don't rely too much on clinical rotations to make a decision. You have to try to foresee what your life's going to be like. Following around an intern on a medicine or surgery rotation gives you little insight into what that field is really like. Talk to attendings. There are several good (though cynical) books on choosing a specialty. Read 1-2 of them. If you don't know what you want to do, choose a more general residency (medicine, surgery), and once you're in training, you can decide where you want to sub-specialize.

4. RARELY boring. Clinic gets a little tedious sometimes, but thats why I chose a more procedurally-based field.

5. Absolutely.
 
Silo004 said:
Is there anyway that you can provide some kind of proof of your credentials? Excuse me if I am off-base.
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This is hardly necessary.

There are enough attendings and residents that post here that it will be easy to tell if OP is not what he claims. In the mean time, I think anonymity is a valuable tool for someone with OPs experience to candidly address issues relating to her profession.

What are you expecting? A link to a faculty bio? I picture of a physician holding a piece of paper with OP's username written on it?
 
Are there any extra-curriculars that stand out when you read them on an application?

Are there any that make you roll your eyes, or immediately discredit the applicant?

Are those with MS degrees looked on with favor during the application process, or is the MS degree largely unimportant to admissions?
 
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Twinnering said:
1. What is your lifestyle like? Or if it would be easier to answer, what is a typical day?

2. I hear Cardiology is a very competitive speciality to attain. What makes the most successful fellowship candidates for interventional cardiology?

3. Is research almost an unstated requirement?

Thanks for doing this!
Click to expand...


1. I see 1/2 day of clinic most days. The rest of the day is spent seeing inpatient consults, doing procedures, and reading imaging studies. I do quite of bit of administrative work as well, so often I have meetings, interviews, etc. I usually end my day calling patients and communicating with referring doctors. I see my kids a LOT; probably more than they'd like.

2. Cardiology is competitive, but not THAT competitive. I know of very few medicine residents who performed well during their residency and weren't able to get a cardiology fellowship. You may not necessarily train where you want to, but if you're a hard working resident, you'll probably get a cardiology spot somewhere.

3. It depends on where you apply. Some programs require a lot of research, but some cardiology "power-houses" are more clinically focused, and research is less important. I did a little research in undergrad, none in med school, and was on only a couple of case reports in residency. Academically, I was strong, and that goes a long way.
 
mcloaf said:
This is hardly necessary.

There are enough attendings and residents that post here that it will be easy to tell if OP is not what he claims. In the mean time, I think anonymity is a valuable tool for someone with OPs experience to candidly address issues relating to her profession.

What are you expecting? A link to a faculty bio? I picture of a physician holding a piece of paper with OP's username written on it?
Click to expand...

👍 😀
 
Thanks for doing this.

What are the characteristics of a good interviewee? What makes you recommend an interviewee to be admitted?

What types of procedures do you do?
What's the future like for interventional cardiology?
 
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Spinach Dip said:
Are there any extra-curriculars that stand out when you read them on an application?

Are there any that make you roll your eyes, or immediately discredit the applicant?

Are those with MS degrees looked on with favor during the application process, or is the MS degree largely unimportant to admissions?
Click to expand...

1. I was always impressed by applicants who were black belts, eagle scouts, etc as I felt that these accomplishments showed determination and the ability to achieve long term goals.

2. People lie all the time about extra curricular activities. I usually ask in-depth questions about anything on an application, and could tell if applicants are exaggerating. Talk about what you're passionate about -- that's what impresses. People lie all the time about volunteer work in a hospital, foreign languages, etc.

3. Honestly, an MS degree makes little difference one way or another. Though I did get a Master's degree before medical school.
 
As someone with an interest in CT surgery, cardiologists make me a little nervous about the future. 😳


How do you see invasive cards continuing to evolve in the coming decades and how do you think that will continue to affect how you work with (or without, as the case may be 😛 ) surgeons?
 
mcloaf said:
This is hardly necessary.

There are enough attendings and residents that post here that it will be easy to tell if OP is not what he claims. In the mean time, I think anonymity is a valuable tool for someone with OPs experience to candidly address issues relating to her profession.

What are you expecting? A link to a faculty bio? I picture of a physician holding a piece of paper with OP's username written on it?
Click to expand...

I agree with you. You can usually tell if a poster is who they say they are. But SDN does have a way of verifying doctors credentials if OP is interested https://help.studentdoctor.net/entries/465337-Doctor-Verification
 
lobo12 said:
Thanks for doing this.

What are the characteristics of a good interviewee? What makes you recommend an interviewee to be admitted?

What types of procedures do you do?
What's the future like for interventional cardiology?
Click to expand...

1. Confidence and passion. Don't make excuses for your shortcomings. Acknowledge your deficiencies if the topic comes up, and then move on. Many applications have flaws. If you've made it to the interview stage, you're probably academically acceptable. Now is your chance to wow me with your determination, maturity, and preparedness.
 
lobo12 said:
Thanks for doing this.

What are the characteristics of a good interviewee? What makes you recommend an interviewee to be admitted?

What types of procedures do you do?
What's the future like for interventional cardiology?
Click to expand...

1. Confidence and passion. Don't make excuses for your shortcomings. Acknowledge your deficiencies if the topic comes up, and then move on. Many applications have flaws. If you've made it to the interview stage, you're probably academically acceptable. Now is your chance to wow me with your determination, maturity, and preparedness.

2. I do heart catheterizations, TEE's (a special type of echocardiogram in which the heart is examined via a probe in the esophagus), implant pacemakers, defibrillators, cardioversions (a procedure where I use electricity to shock the heart into a normal rhythm, stress tests, and a few others.

3. Not as fruitful as it was 15 years ago, but I think the future of interventional cardiology still looks good. Better medical therapy for heart disease, as well as better stents, have definitely reduced the number of interventions we're doing, but the population is getting older and more diabetic.
 
What do you typically look for when Interviewing a student for admission into medical school? Thanks for doing this.


Sent from my iPad using SDN Mobile app.
 
mcloaf said:
As someone with an interest in CT surgery, cardiologists make me a little nervous about the future. 😳


How do you see invasive cards continuing to evolve in the coming decades and how do you think that will continue to affect how you work with (or without, as the case may be 😛 ) surgeons?
Click to expand...

A lot of surgeons I know are struggling a bit. But that may be regional. New data has re-affirmed the benefit of bypass surgery in many patients, but you're right -- interventional cardiologists are continually finding ways to make surgeons worry. We're now doing more valve procedures percutaneously as well. I'm actually finding that more and more often, we're working WITH surgeons, rather than handing cases over to them.
 
What's the main difference between a cardiologist, intervnetional cardiologist, and a CT surgeon? What makes their jobs "unique" that they have different job titles, yet they are surely in the business of working on patients and their hearts?

Do you see the future of cardiologists going overseas, as there had been a slight trend in increasing number of non-emergency surgeries being performed in places like India, etc. where doctors are trained in the US but work overseas and charge nearly 1/3 less for quality work, accommodations, and flight?
 
La Presse said:
What do you typically look for when Interviewing a student for admission into medical school? Thanks for doing this.


Sent from my iPad using SDN Mobile app.
Click to expand...

Maturity, passion, determination and preparedness are what I'm looking for. I'm going to ask you questions like these:

1. Tell me about something you've read recently as it pertains to medicine, healthcare, etc.
2. What will you do if you don't get accepted to med school?
3. What's the hardest thing you've ever had to do?
4. What, in your opinion, is the most significant recent advance in science/medicine?
 
Some schools have interviews as the very last thing on interview day. At that point, we've taken tours, eaten with students, sat through hours of presentations and information sessions. So, what kind of questions are good to ask at the end of interviews when we are asked if we have any questions? I feel Iike at this point, all my questions have been addressed or I've already asked them. I'm done with interviews now, but I was wondering what are some things you want us to be asking, or what are good things to ask schools generally? I always asked questions because I felt that I had to/I didn't want to appear uninterested, but more often than not, I didn't really have any.
 
syoung said:
What's the main difference between a cardiologist, intervnetional cardiologist, and a CT surgeon? What makes their jobs "unique" that they have different job titles, yet they are surely in the business of working on patients and their hearts?

Do you see the future of cardiologists going overseas, as there had been a slight trend in increasing number of non-emergency surgeries being performed in places like India, etc. where doctors are trained in the US but work overseas and charge nearly 1/3 less for quality work, accommodations, and flight?
Click to expand...

1. A cardiologist is an internal medicine subspecialist that treats heart disease. Though we are often procedurally based, we still specialize in the medical treatment of cardiovascular disease. An interventional cardiologist spends 1-2 years after general cardiology training learning to perform cardiac interventions (like putting stents in arteries, closing holes in the heart, opening stenotic valves, etc) that are performed percutaneously. Cardiologists can do minor surgeries, like implanting pacemakers, but we stay outside the wall of the chest. A CT surgeon performs surgeries on the organs of the chest (heart, lungs, etc), and are trained to cut open the chest. We often work together, but each has its niche.

2. Really, I don't anytime in the near future. I've yet to have a patient tell me he/she was leaving the country for a procedure. When you need a stent/pacemaker, etc, you usually don't want to wait and fly to another continent.
 
einstein1990 said:
Some schools have interviews as the very last thing on interview day. At that point, we've taken tours, eaten with students, sat through hours of presentations and information sessions. So, what kind of questions are good to ask at the end of interviews when we are asked if we have any questions? I feel Iike at this point, all my questions have been addressed or I've already asked them. I'm done with interviews now, but I was wondering what are some things you want us to be asking, or what are good things to ask schools generally? I always asked questions because I felt that I had to/I didn't want to appear uninterested, but more often than not, I didn't really have any.
Click to expand...

Sure, but you really need to have some question prepared. Ask a question you've already asked, to get another perspective. Ask about upcoming changes in curriculum, hospital affiliations, etc. You can even tell the interviewer that you've asked students a lot of questions, but you'd like the perspective of an administrator.
 
To you personally, if a person is super enthusiastic, energetic, and wide eyed when talking about his or her activities, would you ever consider this person "unprofessional"? I always got the impression that one must be mature, orderly, and conservative at these types of interviews.
 
Aerus said:
To you personally, if a person is super enthusiastic, energetic, and wide eyed when talking about his or her activities, would you ever consider this person "unprofessional"? I always got the impression that one must be mature, orderly, and conservative at these types of interviews.
Click to expand...

No, but you have to size up your audience. If you're talking to a more "senior" interviewer, conservative is probably better. I appreciate enthusiastic and energetic candidates, though not necessarily "wide eyed" ones. I want to see that you're truly excited about your future, and that you have a sense of humor. Not all interviewers appreciate a sense of humor, though, so again, know your audience.
 
Is there such a thing as two different types of cardiologists? Like one that deals only with the electrical part of the heart and another that deals with the muscular part of the heart?

This FM guy I was shadowing said that.
 
malmaleh said:
No, but you have to size up your audience. If you're talking to a more "senior" interviewer, conservative is probably better. I appreciate enthusiastic and energetic candidates, though not necessarily "wide eyed" ones. I want to see that you're truly excited about your future, and that you have a sense of humor. Not all interviewers appreciate a sense of humor, though, so again, know your audience.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response! I didn't mean wide eyed as in "creepy" but more of "your eyes aren't dead when you're talking and that you can see the energy in your eyes".

Also, what is one mistake that you see many interviewers make in which you would tell them all to avoid next time?

Thank you so much for doing this!
 
What advice would you give to someone who decided late in his undergraduate years to pursue medicine, but has a low gpa (3.1) and is about to finish an Engineering degree? What do you think is the most plausible way for this person to get into medical school?
 
syoung said:
Do you see the future of cardiologists going overseas, as there had been a slight trend in increasing number of non-emergency surgeries being performed in places like India, etc. where doctors are trained in the US but work overseas and charge nearly 1/3 less for quality work, accommodations, and flight?
Click to expand...

With some notable exceptions, caths and other cards interventions nowadays are more likely to be urgent/emergent. TAVR people are too often too sickly to go eslewhere and you can't stick someone on a plane who's having a heart attack. Routine stenting of stable coronary disease is becoming rarer and rarer.

Again, cardiac surgeries and the people who get them tend to be people who are either too sick to travel or need the procedure sooner rather than later. For a small surgery I could see people going abroad but CT surgeries people are going to be more selective.

SyrianHero said:
What advice would you give to someone who decided late in his undergraduate years to pursue medicine, but has a low gpa (3.1) and is about to finish an Engineering degree? What do you think is the most plausible way for this person to get into medical school?
Click to expand...

SMP
 
At the school(s) you've interviewed for, how much weight was placed on the interview? Were all interviewed applicants on equal footing, and the interview performance completely determined who was accepted? Or was the interview performance more of a tie-breaker? Or somewhere in between?
 
Thank you for doing this

1. What types of things in the interview can "make up" for lower mcat/gpa?

2. What went into weither or not an applicant got an interview invite? Soley gpa and mcat or were personal statement/ECs taken into account as well?

3. What happens after the interview? What is the process of deciding to accept/reject/waitlist like?

thanks again!
Sent from my SCH-I405 using SDN Mobile
 
1. What has been the most surprising thing about your specialty?

2. What other specialties did you consider/almost enter?

3. Would you still recommend medicine as a career for those considering it, or would you caution against it?
 
nysegop said:
Does it matter? He's a cardiologist, you're not.
Click to expand...

No need for conflict as you really aren't in a position to be calling anyone out. If the OP doesn't feel the need to address his "question" then it will be ignored. And if the OP does have something to say in regards to it, then he will post. So let's leave it up to the OP to dictate the thread and leave the banter out?
 
prado said:
No need for conflict as you really aren't in a position to be calling anyone out. If the OP doesn't feel the need to address his "question" then it will be ignored. And if the OP does have something to say in regards to it, then he will post. So let's leave it up to the OP to dictate the thread and leave the banter out?
Click to expand...

My point is DO vs MD is irrelevant (unless people have questions about medical school or COMPLEX).
 
Instatewaiter said:
With some notable exceptions, caths and other cards interventions nowadays are more likely to be urgent/emergent. TAVR people are too often too sickly to go eslewhere and you can't stick someone on a plane who's having a heart attack. Routine stenting of stable coronary disease is becoming rarer and rarer.

Again, cardiac surgeries and the people who get them tend to be people who are either too sick to travel or need the procedure sooner rather than later. For a small surgery I could see people going abroad but CT surgeries people are going to be more selective.



SMP
Click to expand...

malmaleh said:
1. A cardiologist is an internal medicine subspecialist that treats heart disease. Though we are often procedurally based, we still specialize in the medical treatment of cardiovascular disease. An interventional cardiologist spends 1-2 years after general cardiology training learning to perform cardiac interventions (like putting stents in arteries, closing holes in the heart, opening stenotic valves, etc) that are performed percutaneously. Cardiologists can do minor surgeries, like implanting pacemakers, but we stay outside the wall of the chest. A CT surgeon performs surgeries on the organs of the chest (heart, lungs, etc), and are trained to cut open the chest. We often work together, but each has its niche.

2. Really, I don't anytime in the near future. I've yet to have a patient tell me he/she was leaving the country for a procedure. When you need a stent/pacemaker, etc, you usually don't want to wait and fly to another continent.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies gentlemen!

Would either of you recommend pursuing employment as a physician in emerging markets that are willing to pay up to 2-3x American salaries for American trained MD's? To pay off your med school debt and earn some money before returning home to practice?
 
MusicJunkie said:
1. What has been the most surprising thing about your specialty?

2. What other specialties did you consider/almost enter?

3. Would you still recommend medicine as a career for those considering it, or would you caution against it?
Click to expand...

1. My workday is reasonable. I think a lot of people unnecessarily steer away from cardiology because of lifestyle, which I think is a mistake.

2. In med school I considered surgery and EM. In residency I considered pulm/critical care and nephrology.

3. Absolutely. In fact, my kids are entertaining careers in medicine, and I wholeheartedly support them.
 
What do you think are the most important things a person should pick a medical school based on if they have the opportunity to do so?
 
Yayyyyy I love these types of threads 😀 I hope the OP knows what he got himself into though haha this could go on for days!
 
malmaleh said:
I saw this forum, and thought there might be people with questions I can help. Feel free to ask anything about med school, residency, etc.
Click to expand...

When is the right time to decide on an IM subspecialty? Is it MS4 or PGY1 or both?
 
What is the cumulative and science GPA and MCAT "Cutt-off" for you when recommending an applicant to the admissions committee?
 
After April 1, once all schools [that you're actively being considered at] can see acceptances applicants are holding, how does this affect who gets pulled off the Waitlist - assuming it's unranked? Are you more likely to accept an applicant with 0 acceptances because they're more likely to matriculate OR are you more likely to accept an applicant with an acceptance or even multiple acceptances because they're more "desirable" or whatever reason?
 
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