MCW Class of 2012

[Farmer Jane]

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During the year I spent working at St. Mary's L&D, a lot of MCW students rotated through. I did not have a single problem with any of them. Truly, I found all of you to be considerate, eager to learn, and also eager to help each other. 🙂

 

[Xandie]

As far as being competitive with each other, I think we're very much on the cooperative end of the spectrum. Study guides are made in groups and then circulated, etc. There are people I dislike in my class, but as a group, I think we're good eggs.

 

[bullishMD]

hey few questions...

what is the daily schedule like for your first two years (like class 8-12 or all day, etc...)?

and What is the exam schedule like your first two years- is it a day of exams every few weeks or exams every week.

also is there an attendance policy? or can you miss class whenever. are the notes for classes pretty much integrated with technology (i.e. you can get them on the internet, audio on ipod, etc.)?

Can't wait to start school next year!

 

[45408]

Thanks a lot!! Does anyone know how competitive of an environment there is at MCW?

From my experience, it's all friendly competition. The averages on our exams are all pretty good, so it's motivation for me to do well, but there's never been any sort of negative competitive attitudes. Besides, I don't even know where most of my classmates stand in terms of grades. I know how a few people are doing, but I could count them on one hand.

 

[Gimlet]

hey few questions...

what is the daily schedule like for your first two years (like class 8-12 or all day, etc...)?

and What is the exam schedule like your first two years- is it a day of exams every few weeks or exams every week.

also is there an attendance policy? or can you miss class whenever. are the notes for classes pretty much integrated with technology (i.e. you can get them on the internet, audio on ipod, etc.)?

Can't wait to start school next year!

Here is a link to the MCW page with this year's schedules for the M1s and M2s. It'll give you a pretty good idea of what your semesters will be like in terms of daily grind and testing periods.

There are a few classes each semester where your attendance will be required in small groups (PBL, Medical Interviewing, Medical Information Management, 2nd year Psychiatry, and Ethics to name a few) and labs (Physiology, Microbiology). Pretty much all of the big lectures (Anatomy, Biochem, Physiology, etc) don't take attendance and won't know/care if you skip. I would encourage not wasting your time at lecture if you learn better studying the material on your own.

Most of the classes will have their syllabi and the PowerPoints of lectures on the school's web system (ANGEL). They also put .mp3s of all the lectures on Angel for you to download.

 

[samenewme]

hey few questions...

what is the daily schedule like for your first two years (like class 8-12 or all day, etc...)?

and What is the exam schedule like your first two years- is it a day of exams every few weeks or exams every week.

also is there an attendance policy? or can you miss class whenever. are the notes for classes pretty much integrated with technology (i.e. you can get them on the internet, audio on ipod, etc.)?

Can't wait to start school next year!

8 or 9-12 and then some afternoons (how many varies from semester to semester). First semester you have a few afternoons a week of anatomy lab.

Almost no attendance requirements. Notes are printed out at the beginning of the semester for you, Powerpoints are available on the online course management system, and there is a co-op notetaking system you can join. Lectures are recorded on mp3 with pretty good reliability. In first year, exams are in blocks every 3-4 weeks. In second year, they aren't. You never have two exams the same day that I can recall and there's often (but not always) a day or two between exams to study.

 

[45408]

hey few questions...

what is the daily schedule like for your first two years (like class 8-12 or all day, etc...)?

and What is the exam schedule like your first two years- is it a day of exams every few weeks or exams every week.

also is there an attendance policy? or can you miss class whenever. are the notes for classes pretty much integrated with technology (i.e. you can get them on the internet, audio on ipod, etc.)?

Can't wait to start school next year!

Here's the M1/M2 schedules - http://mcw.edu/display/router.asp?docid=1500

A lot of things on a schedule don't apply to you though - they list the times for everyone's small groups or labs, but you would only go to one of them (like physiology/CTB labs or CER small groups) - so the schedule might look more ominous than it is. Fall of M1 is fairly busy, but spring of M1 felt wide open. M2 is seeming to be the same way - spring has been a lot more unstructured time than fall, which is good for me.

You can pretty much skip whatever you want except for small group sessions, of which there aren't very many in your first year. All the lectures are recorded as MP3s and put online, usually within the same day, and the Powerpoints are usually already there in advance.

Exams for M1 are all blocks, so you'll have all your exams in a 3-4 day span every month or so. M2 has them spaced out a little more - they're listed on the schedule if you want to see.

 

[45408]

holy crap, in the time I spent writing that, Gimlet and samenewme posted 😛

You never have two exams the same day that I can recall and there's often (but not always) a day or two between exams to study.

Devo and anatomy are on the same day.

 

[Gimlet]

holy crap, in the time I spent writing that, Gimlet and samenewme posted 😛

Damn, we sure are a helpful bunch.

 

[bullishMD]

thanks everyone! that was some quick responses

 

[automangts]

wow, thanks a lot guys for the thorough responses. how much patient interaction do you guys get during the first 2 years? do you guys like the curriculum (i'm assuming it's fairly traditional)?

 

[Ashers]

During the year I spent working at St. Mary's L&D, a lot of MCW students rotated through. I did not have a single problem with any of them. Truly, I found all of you to be considerate, eager to learn, and also eager to help each other. 🙂

Oh all the repressed memories... AAAAAHHHH.

I doubt I met you, and I liked most of the RNs. I just hated L&D and the board. 6 weeks of gyn would've been so much better.

 

[Farmer Jane]

Oh all the repressed memories... AAAAAHHHH.

I doubt I met you, and I liked most of the RNs. I just hated L&D and the board. 6 weeks of gyn would've been so much better.

I started to hate it too. 😳

I worked there from 9/06 to 8/07, worked obstetrics in another hospital for two years prior, thought I would pursue my master's in maternal-child health. It was such a hard decision to leave, but by the time I did I was so burned out I walked away and never looked back.

I'm Marissa, btw. Forgive me for not recognizing folks here, but I'm terrible with names. 🙂

 

[Gimlet]

wow, thanks a lot guys for the thorough responses. how much patient interaction do you guys get during the first 2 years? do you guys like the curriculum (i'm assuming it's fairly traditional)?

You shadow a primary care physician one day a week during part of your 1st year, but other than that the only interaction with real patients during 1st and 2nd year will be if you volunteer at the Saturday Clinic for the Uninsured, which is a great way to get your feet wet in a clinical environment.

I have no complaints about the curriculum, really. I like that it's subject-based and not systems-based like some schools have become.

 

[Ashers]

I started to hate it too. 😳

I worked there from 9/06 to 8/07, worked obstetrics in another hospital for two years prior, thought I would pursue my master's in maternal-child health. It was such a hard decision to leave, but by the time I did I was so burned out I walked away and never looked back.

I'm Marissa, btw. Forgive me for not recognizing folks here, but I'm terrible with names. 🙂

I was there in mid August through end of september this past year, but I was on OB the last 3 weeks of Sept. I had a couple call nights while I was on gyn, but I don't stand out except for being from HI and not looking like it.

One of my favorite RNs there was Ebonie (sp?). She was great.

 

[Farmer Jane]

I was there in mid August through end of september this past year, but I was on OB the last 3 weeks of Sept. I had a couple call nights while I was on gyn, but I don't stand out except for being from HI and not looking like it.

One of my favorite RNs there was Ebonie (sp?). She was great.

I probably just missed you, as I left in mid-August. Ebonie (you spelled it right) is fantastic, isn't she. She just earned her MBA last spring. How she managed that with three kids and working full time just amazes me.

 

[Xandie]

As everyone else is being productive, I thought I would break the trend and let you all observe my handiwork. Ha!!

 

[donnyfire]

Here is a link to the MCW page with this year's schedules for the M1s and M2s.

oh wait.....

I matched.

 

[donnyfire]

As everyone else is being productive, I thought I would break the trend and let you all observe my handiwork. Ha!!

Awesome...

But why is an M&M with a stethoscope walking down an aisle of cubicles?

 

[Xandie]

She couldn't find a hospital to hang out in.

Clearly that M&M is me, you caught that, right Donnyfuego?

 

[donnyfire]

She couldn't find a hospital to hang out in.

Clearly that M&M is me, you caught that, right Donnyfuego?

Of course.

You can't get anything past me.

I always pegged you for the green one though.

 

[Xandie]

Because she's the "sexy" one, I'm sure.

I thought green plus my red hair was a little too leprechaun. But I'll take it as a compliment. Try not to mayo yourself.

I can't wait until next Friday! It's the Don and Xandie show.

 

[Agent Splat]

Because she's the "sexy" one, I'm sure.

I thought green plus my red hair was a little too leprechaun. But I'll take it as a compliment. Try not to mayo yourself.

I can't wait until next Friday! It's the Don and Xandie show.

me either!! It's the "done with boring-ass radiology" show.

 

[ecca58]

the only interaction with real patients during 1st and 2nd year will be if you volunteer at the Saturday Clinic for the Uninsured, which is a great way to get your feet wet in a clinical environment.

what kind of things are you allowed to do in this clinic? are you taking on the role of a tech/CNA/PCA (do IVs, catheter, clean, transport, etc.)? or are you taking on the role of a semi-doctor under the attending? just curious.

 

[DoctorFunk]

what kind of things are you allowed to do in this clinic? are you taking on the role of a tech/CNA/PCA (do IVs, catheter, clean, transport, etc.)? or are you taking on the role of a semi-doctor under the attending? just curious.

The same role you'll be playing during your M3 and M4 years: the "baby" doctor who first meets the patient, asks ridiculous amounts of question to decipher what is important, and then spits only the pertinent info out to the attending (called presenting) so they don't have to waste their time.

 

[Gimlet]

what kind of things are you allowed to do in this clinic? are you taking on the role of a tech/CNA/PCA (do IVs, catheter, clean, transport, etc.)? or are you taking on the role of a semi-doctor under the attending? just curious.

At Saturday Clinic you play the doctor to the best of your ability as a 1st year medical student. Basically what they expect of you at the beginning of 1st year is to go in and get a set of vitals, get the chief complaint, and take as much of the history as possible. If you are comfortable doing more, then you are welcome to do as much as you want.

After you see the patient you go out and present to a 2nd year student who you will accompany while they obtain a complete history and do as much of the physical exam that they are comfortable with. Next you two go and present to a 3rd or 4th year student who will clarify any points of the history and complete the physical portion of the exam. Then you all go and find an attending and present the case to him and together everybody comes up with an assessment and plan.

As you can imagine, this is quite a time intensive process (the most intensive part being waiting for an attending to be free), which is why you will probably only see 2-3 patients in an entire morning (clinic runs from 8 to Noon). It's a good learning experience, though.

 

[Gimlet]

The same role you'll be playing during your M3 and M4 years: the "baby" doctor who first meets the patient, asks ridiculous amounts of question to decipher what is important, and then spits only the pertinent info out to the attending (called presenting) so they don't have to waste their time.

What he said, too. And if it goes anything like my 3rd year experience, you will ask every exhaustive question that you can think of, except for the one essential thing that the attending would like to know.

 

[penguin18]

wow ... that was a lot of good info posted up ... thanks questioners and answerers! 👍

yay for subject based as well!

it was officially -15 this morning when i was walking to work. my scarf became frozen. stupid cold streak.

 

[samenewme]

What he said, too. And if it goes anything like my 3rd year experience, you will ask every exhaustive question that you can think of, except for the one essential thing that the attending would like to know.

And also, the important question that you DO ask, and present to the attending, will be answered in a completely different way when the attending asks the patient the same question. Such is life.

 

[Xandie]

And it will always be that way, even when you (as residents) do it.

 

[45408]

wow, thanks a lot guys for the thorough responses. how much patient interaction do you guys get during the first 2 years? do you guys like the curriculum (i'm assuming it's fairly traditional)?

Not much, and that's fine with me. I had plenty of patient interaction through my EMT job as an undergrad, and I'm well aware of how little I still know. For the most part, I think M1 clinical experience is just about appealing to the applicants rather than actually making much of a difference in your education.

 

[DoctorFunk]

For the most part, I think M1 clinical experience is just about appealing to the applicants rather than actually making much of a difference in your education.

And how. You'll get more than your share of patient contact during 3rd and 4th year, not to mention the rest of your career (most likely). You'll also find that you reach a point after a few months of extensive patient contact in the clinical years where you would rather chop off your own foot and retake Step 1 without painkillers than have to listen to another patient complain about their nebulous musculoskeletal pain (which is invariably fibromyalgia--whatever that is) and their intolerance for almost every painkiller there is, except the strongest one you can prescribe. Really gives insight into the reason why some of the most competitive residencies are in fields with very reasonable (read: minimal) patient contact-hours.

*End jaded JMS rant*

 

[Agent Splat]

And how. You'll get more than your share of patient contact during 3rd and 4th year, not to mention the rest of your career (most likely). You'll also find that you reach a point after a few months of extensive patient contact in the clinical years where you would rather chop off your own foot and retake Step 1 without painkillers than have to listen to another patient complain about their nebulous musculoskeletal pain (which is invariably fibromyalgia--whatever that is) and their intolerance for almost every painkiller there is, except the strongest one you can prescribe. Really gives insight into the reason why some of the most competitive residencies are in fields with very reasonable (read: minimal) patient contact-hours.

*End jaded JMS rant*

odd...i'm jaded but not about patients.

somebody needs a huuuuug....

 

[DoctorFunk]

odd...i'm jaded but not about patients.

somebody needs a huuuuug....

I expect you to brighten my mood tomorrow, Mr. I Hate Rads Guy.

I guess I do like patients just fine...at least when they're undergoing a procedure (as long as they don't move around much when under conscious sedation).

I'm mostly just annoyed when patients treat their medical team as indentured servants whose only purpose in life is to entertain their every fancy. This happens a lot at the Dert.

 

[ecca58]

Once again, thanks y'all for answering these questions so thoroughly. 😀

I guess one of the major problems I'm encountering at this point with patient-contact is to determine if the patient is genuinely in pain or is faking for more painkillers. I'm always fooled! I want to appropriately alleviate pain, but I don't want to become a "candy-woman," you know.

I learned some little "tricks," but I'm hoping I'll learn more in med school/residency.

 

[Agent Splat]

Once again, thanks y'all for answering these questions so thoroughly. 😀

I guess one of the major problems I'm encountering at this point with patient-contact is to determine if the patient is genuinely in pain or is faking for more painkillers. I'm always fooled! I want to appropriately alleviate pain, but I don't want to become a "candy-woman," you know.

I learned some little "tricks," but I'm hoping I'll learn more in med school/residency.

the easiest thing to do is set up a differential diagnosis like this, in this order of likelihood:
1. The thing that will kill the patient ("think evil")
2. Malingering
3. Everything else.

 

[Ashers]

I expect you to brighten my mood tomorrow, Mr. I Hate Rads Guy.

I guess I do like patients just fine...at least when they're undergoing a procedure (as long as they don't move around much when under conscious sedation).

I'm mostly just annoyed when patients treat their medical team as indentured servants whose only purpose in life is to entertain their every fancy. This happens a lot at the Dert.

As for my point of view...

I didn't do the clinical mentor 1st year, I had senior mentor where I went to see an old person. It sucked. I had it ranked on my list because I didn't want to rank Spanish I think. And just in reference to a previous post, how many clinics do IVs get started in? We don't get to start IVs really until 3rd year.

As for patients, I like healthy people. None of this ICU crap. Almost all the patients on CT surgery go from the OR to the SICU. Ugh. It should be OR to PACU then home or floor for a short stay.

 

[DoctorFunk]

As for patients, I like healthy people. None of this ICU crap. Almost all the patients on CT surgery go from the OR to the SICU. Ugh. It should be OR to PACU then home or floor for a short stay.

See now, I like the real sickies. It's hard to refuse meds or slow down my prerounding when a patient is vent-dependent.

 

[Ashers]

See now, I like the real sickies. It's hard to refuse meds or slow down my prerounding when a patient is vent-dependent.

I liked basic rounding on ortho. 5 min total to see a pt and write a note.

Oh yes, and on CT surgery, I got every procedure that resembled an ortho case -- rib stabilization, a couple sternal fractures, and an I&D of an infected wound after a saphenectomy for a CABG.

 

[Agent Splat]

See now, I like the real sickies. It's hard to refuse meds or slow down my prerounding when a patient is vent-dependent.

I've said it before: That's why I have my own pager on my cell-phone's speed dial #2. If a patient gets overly chatty and I can't get out of it, I just dial up my own pager behind my back. 65% of the time it works EVERY time.

 

[Allerian1004]

I've said it before: That's why I have my own pager on my cell-phone's speed dial #2. If a patient gets overly chatty and I can't get out of it, I just dial up my own pager behind my back. 65% of the time it works EVERY time.

That's awesome!!
I'm an M1 and in terms of patient care, I think we have enough. Honestly, you know very little and unless you have your interviewing class first you don't even know what questions to ask. You get a choice as to what your mentor will be. This year we had a humantities, senior mentor, and family medicine tract. Then there is the traditional tract where you usually see a pediatrician, family medicine or internal medicine physician. If you have a special interest in something you can try to request it. And you are required to visit your mentor atleast 6 times during the year for an afternoon or morning. And if you want more patient contact there is the saturday morning clinic, a Philippine clinic, and the bread of healing clinic.

 

[45408]

I'm mostly just annoyed when patients treat their medical team as indentured servants whose only purpose in life is to entertain their every fancy. This happens a lot at the Dert.

Not just at the Dert either. My wife's over at Sluke's, and she gets her share of abuse. It seems that her worst patients are also the ones who aren't paying for any of their care. At our stage in the game, we also can't say much back to them either. But, when I shadowed an orthopedic surgeon once in undergrad whose pt had eaten food right before her scheduled procedure, and when he and the anesthesiologist told her no way no how, she tried every trick in the book to convince them otherwise, and they didn't budge an inch, and when she was rather insulting, they fired right back. I actually thought the whole thing was pretty funny.

 

[Ashers]

So, how were the interviews today?

 

[achybrachy]

So, how were the interviews today?

Well since no one has answered, my interviews were not so good. Louisville's radonc program will likely be pretty low on my list.

 

[samenewme]

Well since no one has answered, my interviews were not so good. Louisville's radonc program will likely be pretty low on my list.

Well, at least you know that. I think that's at least half of the interview's job--to tell you where you don't want to be.

 

[45408]

Well since no one has answered, my interviews were not so good. Louisville's radonc program will likely be pretty low on my list.

what sorts of things pushed you away?

 

[achybrachy]

what sorts of things pushed you away?

Not giving us time alone with the residents for one, which of course is a big red flag. The little time we did get to talk to one resident he pretty much told us they are overworked and the teaching is poor. For that matter, one of the attendings in her interview told us essentially the same thing. Perhaps more than other fields, formal didactics are actually important in radonc because of the huge amount of literature you need to learn, and they had virtually no formal lecture program in place. And some of the attendings rubbed me the wrong way. One of my interviews consisted mostly of the interviewer (politely) telling me why my research project was meaningless (he was half right, but even so, who tells their applicants that in the interview?)

 

[achybrachy]

Well, at least you know that. I think that's at least half of the interview's job--to tell you where you don't want to be.

That's definitely true; I highly recommend to you M3s to not turn anyone down who offers to interview you. There have been a couple programs I expected little from and was pleasantly surprised after my interview, and others I was excited about initially who didn't impress me much at all in the end.

 

[Ashers]

Well, at least you know that. I think that's at least half of the interview's job--to tell you where you don't want to be.

My dad so didn't believe that argument for med school. I hated UH, my dad said since it was the only school I got into, I couldn't turn it down. My mom actually called Mike Istwan to ask about interviews and that aspect of finding out you don't want to be there.

So now when are the rank lists due? Good luck ranking stuff.

 

[Xandie]

Don't turn anyone down, unless, of course, you get 24 invites. Then you have to make some sort of decisions. It's extremely random though: one program I was expecting to be high on my list did end up number one, but otherwise there's no way I could have predicted how it ended up.

Lists are due Feb 27th. Mine's already in.