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planing for [ Harvard ] ! What should be done ?
- Thread starter one11
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why harvard? you don't even know what you want to go into yet so how can you make such a blanket statement. Or are you just messing with us?
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Learn English first.
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Harvard's a great place but there are many great academic medical centers in the states.
For now work on learning medicine and practicing your english, its not bad at all but you'll have to speak it well to impress interviewers during yuour residency applications.
6 years? So you just need to focus on studying in your classes and learning the material at this point.
We all want to be at Harvard, many superbly qualified people can't get in there...
For now work on learning medicine and practicing your english, its not bad at all but you'll have to speak it well to impress interviewers during yuour residency applications.
6 years? So you just need to focus on studying in your classes and learning the material at this point.
We all want to be at Harvard, many superbly qualified people can't get in there...
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If your post is legit, it represents a fundamental naivete about US residency programs. You pick a specialty, and then look into which schools have good programs (believe it or not, the hospitals affiliated with harvard are not the best in everything, if that was what your post was implying). And then you decide which programs in your desired specialty you are competitive for and apply. You don't spend 6 years focusing on a particular school -- the competitive residencies will have enormous numbers of people applying so it is foolery to focus on a single one. At this juncture, all you can do is get stellar grades, experiences, recommendations, and test scores, and at some point figure out your desired area of specialty.
Do this and come back and ask the question in 4-5 years or so.
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Me senses a smelly troll.
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That's what I thought too (especially since poor English speakers can still use proper punctuation spacing), but who would get up at 4:30 AM ET just to troll? It could have been a West Coaster, but then that means they would have posted again at 6:30 AM PT.
It looks like he is just a few years 'behind' English fluency.
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Since no one has yet, I'd like to be the first one to ridicule you for being "6 years behind the graduation of medical school"
No US residency will probably look at you twice, let alone harvard. Then again, it doesn't matter since you are clearly just a troll. This would be a hilarious story though, if it were true.
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That was funny as heck.!!! [Up there the accent is I paacked my caa at Hahvard Yaard] {in other words there is a long a sound!
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How to get into Harvard anything
(1) work your ass off like no other- don't socialize with anyone, stay in your room from the time you wake up to the time you sleep studying- get perfect grades, one A- and you're screwed. have about 500 publications in major journals- no european crap
(2) provide fellatio, free of charge, to the residency program director
(3) bend over.... and.. do (or have done to you) whatever it takes
In any case have fun!!!
(1) work your ass off like no other- don't socialize with anyone, stay in your room from the time you wake up to the time you sleep studying- get perfect grades, one A- and you're screwed. have about 500 publications in major journals- no european crap
(2) provide fellatio, free of charge, to the residency program director
(3) bend over.... and.. do (or have done to you) whatever it takes
In any case have fun!!!
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he's not a troll. you can't make up english that bad.
seriously dude, i know what it's like to try to make yourself understood in a foreign language, but don't you think your setting your sights a bit high? why hahhhvaahhhhd? you will get a fine education in any residency in america.
to get into harvard (or any residency program) as a foreign citizen means you have to be the best of the best. and the best of the best speak and write perfect english. work on it.
oh, and be a freakin genius.
my motto is: set your sights high but your expectations low and you will never be dissapointed!
seriously dude, i know what it's like to try to make yourself understood in a foreign language, but don't you think your setting your sights a bit high? why hahhhvaahhhhd? you will get a fine education in any residency in america.
to get into harvard (or any residency program) as a foreign citizen means you have to be the best of the best. and the best of the best speak and write perfect english. work on it.
oh, and be a freakin genius.
my motto is: set your sights high but your expectations low and you will never be dissapointed!
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the op's post was the funniest thing i have read on sdn to date
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What if the poster is from Europe or Asia.
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You all are very quick to criticize this person's English, but he expressed his thoughts pretty well (if he's not a troll). Everyone understood what he said without any effort. This is typically American, thinking every one should speak perfect English when most Americans can't even form a sentence in a foreign language. I have foreign-born lecturers whose English is worse than that. I read posts from US-born SDNers with spelling and grammar mistakes in every other sentence. How about a little tolerance?
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Most americans would concede that they won't be going to harvard, or are otherwise unremarkable, so the fact that they can't form a sentence in another language is pretty irrelevant and expected. If you have lofty goals, however, you need to prove yourself to be exceptional. Hence it is reasonable for us to expect more of the OP, given his target. If one has more realistic goals, his grammar can be similarly less impressive and not generate ire.
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Precisely my point... his/her being from Europe or Asia lessens the probability he/she are a troll. 0% of posters in U.S. time zones could make that post and be 100% truthful, while a higher (albeit still low) number of Europeans/Asians could.
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Yeah, but most Americans aren't "planing" to attend the best institution in any given foreign country, either. It's fairly arrogant to expect an acceptance to the most selective school in a country when you can't express yourself in the native tongue. And you're six years behind in your education.
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BTW I also like the use of [ Harvard ] in the subject field, as if he/she programmed the field to return a random school, and it came up with %Harvard.
Congratulations son, you got into [ Harvard ] University!
Congratulations son, you got into [ Harvard ] University!
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Hmm, well said maestro. I hear you.. Lets face it, here in the states if you talk Haavaahrd or even wear a Haavaahrd sweatshirt and your program aint correct. Its the topic of jokes at your parent's dinner table and all over. Big time jokes with rounds of delirious laughter. What Im saying is it gives everyone from the bum on the corner to the VIP an opportunity to laugh there head off. {Even someone who is 85 years old will notice a Haavaahrd sweatshirt.}
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I don't disagree with that. I'm not saying he's being realistic or anything like that. I'm not even sure he's for real.
BUT assuming he is truly a foreign student, it would be much more helpful to explain to him how unattainable Harvard is than to bash him for his English. He may only know of a few institutions, and may not realize how competitive Harvard is.
But I don't think language is THAT important, as long as people can express themselves clearly (as the OP can). He would also most certainly improve after living in this country for a few months. It's pretty safe to assume that there are docs at Harvard that don't speak perfect English either, but compensate through their other skills. If Harvard or any other residency program cared for spelling and grammar that much, many SDNers would be in big trouble.
Bottom line: Harvard may be unreachable, but not because of his "poor" English. That's my 2 cents anyway...
BUT assuming he is truly a foreign student, it would be much more helpful to explain to him how unattainable Harvard is than to bash him for his English. He may only know of a few institutions, and may not realize how competitive Harvard is.
But I don't think language is THAT important, as long as people can express themselves clearly (as the OP can). He would also most certainly improve after living in this country for a few months. It's pretty safe to assume that there are docs at Harvard that don't speak perfect English either, but compensate through their other skills. If Harvard or any other residency program cared for spelling and grammar that much, many SDNers would be in big trouble.
Bottom line: Harvard may be unreachable, but not because of his "poor" English. That's my 2 cents anyway...
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You totally missed the point of the non-grammar related posts. You are not looking at this correctly. Working hard to be "totally qualified" doesn't necessarilly get you into a specific residency, nor is Harvard necessarilly the one you want to go into in certain specialties. This is a specialty driven profession, and the best schools for each specialty do not line up by school rankings lists such as USNews. A lot of residency spots are at hospitals that do not even share the name of a school. Most of the people who are totally qualified, talented and having the desire and ability do not foolishly limit their dreams to a single school/hospital system. Your question should be "what should I be doing to qualify for a competitive residency". The answer, which was already given to you, was to get top grades, good experience and recommendations, top test scores, and improve your writing skills.
I think it's a safe bet you are a troll, but if not, come back in about 5 years and people might be able to give you better advice about the process.
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Look, we're all ambitious. There's people on this site who ask about how to get a very high USMLE score, or the best way to ace all their classes. The reason that we don't generally ridicule those questions is that they are fairly concrete. Like, "I want to honor gross anatomy-- what are some tips?" or "I need some guidance about what kind of books I'd need or how many hours a day to study for the MCAT to get a very high score."
We're not making fun of you because you have ambition, we're teasing your original post because your ambition is so incredibly vague. Obviously, to get a good residency, you'll need to have the best grades possible and stellar USMLE score. This has already been stated. But you are asking about doing a residency at one of the Harvard hospitals without 1) stating what specialty you're interested in, or 2) giving a single reason why Massachussetts General Hospital or Brigham/Women's would be your ideal hospital for your residency training.
Had you said something like "I'm a budding neurologist and heard that MGH has an amazing residency program in that field-- as a foreign MD, what kind of scores and accomplishments would I need to have a shot at matching there?," you might have received some reasonable answers.
So, in conclusion, you cannot make the assumption that American citizens/permanent residents/(however you define an American) automatically ridicule anyone who has ambition, because that is clearly false and our reasons for teasing your posts are stated above. In addition, the "maybe because most of you couldn't reach Harvard" comment is pretty irrelevant here: this is a forum for current medical students, so most of us here have not even applied for residency yet.
(Did I just waste 20 minutes of my life? Looks like it. Stupid crickets outside my window keeping me up at 4am.)
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Precisely.
And many of us won't be applying to a Harvard affiliated hospital for residency anyhow, for reasons unrelated to our qualifications, as it might not actually be the best choice for our desired specialty, or more likely, Boston may not be high on our list of desired locations.
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But is it necessarily his (?) fault? I think we're overlooking the fact that, whether or not this particular poster is a troll, there are places in the world where "Harvard" is held up, however inaccurately or unrealistically, as some sort of ultimate holy grail.
Granted, it seems like someone who's six years away from med school graduation ought to have a better idea of how the system works, especially if they're aiming toward residency in the leading programs of a foreign country. On the other hand, however, six years away from med school graduation is presumably also two years BEFORE BEGINNING med school...and there are plenty of American premeds and even med students who are still asking surprisingly uninformed questions about the process.
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First, as for the comparison to the holy grail -- look at how successful those who sought it were.🙄 Second, in some foreign systems, you don't do a separate high school and undergrad and degree program. So it's quite possible this poster is somewhere in his education where he will not be doing a distinct medical school, but is already on that path.
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just FYI,
many med schools in countries outside of N. America are 5 or 6-year long.
the 5-year British ones have existed for hundreds of years, long before the first American med school was set up.
I don't think the OP is a troll.
many med schools in countries outside of N. America are 5 or 6-year long.
the 5-year British ones have existed for hundreds of years, long before the first American med school was set up.
I don't think the OP is a troll.
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yea, i don't understand why people are giving the OP such a hard time about his post; and he said he was an internatinal; thus the strange time of his post.
To the OP: just work hard, get great grades; make sure you have all the necessary pre-reqs; study hard and do really well on the MCAT; shadow MDs; do volunteer work in whatever you are really passionate about; interview well; write a great PS and get great LORs; put all your efforts into applications; give up your life as you know it and pray a lot...really A LOT. good luck of his post.
8
8744
Hi.
In America no one is immune from ridicule. It's just part of our national character.
It is also true that most of us couldn't "reach" Harvard but most of us could probably kick your ass and steal your girlfriend.
This is also part of our national character.
P. Bear, MD
Emergency Medicine Resident
Dumbest Resident at Duke to Ever Match at Duke
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Dear OP,
I can understand why you asked this question, as I too come from a culture that regards 'Harvard' as the absolute pinnacle of academic excellence in every single field (while being oblivious to other institutions which, depending on the field, may surpass Harvard).
It is this 'Harvard = absolute best' attitude (rather than your ambition) that was met with ridicule from the members of this forum.
A better question may have been 'what must I do to prepare to do residency at top American institutions, such as Harvard, JHU, Mayo, etc etc'.
If you're 6 years away from graduation, I gather that you just began your 6-year MBBS degree. My advice is to work hard and not lose your passion. Honestly though, it would indeed be very difficult to match into competitive residencies at top US programs, since you will be an overseas graduate.
It is not impossible, but perhaps a more realistic goal would be to become the best in your field in your home country first, and then later try to get a position in the US? The professor of medicine from my university (a gastroenterologist) recently took up a position at Mayo, where he keeps his title as professor.
Good luck
I can understand why you asked this question, as I too come from a culture that regards 'Harvard' as the absolute pinnacle of academic excellence in every single field (while being oblivious to other institutions which, depending on the field, may surpass Harvard).
It is this 'Harvard = absolute best' attitude (rather than your ambition) that was met with ridicule from the members of this forum.
A better question may have been 'what must I do to prepare to do residency at top American institutions, such as Harvard, JHU, Mayo, etc etc'.
If you're 6 years away from graduation, I gather that you just began your 6-year MBBS degree. My advice is to work hard and not lose your passion. Honestly though, it would indeed be very difficult to match into competitive residencies at top US programs, since you will be an overseas graduate.
It is not impossible, but perhaps a more realistic goal would be to become the best in your field in your home country first, and then later try to get a position in the US? The professor of medicine from my university (a gastroenterologist) recently took up a position at Mayo, where he keeps his title as professor.
Good luck
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Um - the OP was talking about residency, not med school.
N
njbmd
Hi there,
First, decide what you want to pursue at Harvard and which hospital you want to be affiliated with: Beth Israel Deaconess/Brigham and Women's/Mass General etc. You can find out this info from their website.
Make sure that your grades are excellent and that you do well on USMLE (all steps).
Look up the department that you wish to do residency with on the internet and make contact with the program director. Ask this person what you need to do to match there as an international graduate of medical school.
Enter the MATCH the September before the July in the year that you anticipate starting your training by submitting your application through ERAS.
Good luck and study hard!
njbmd🙂
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Would you really do this 6 years out (away from an MD)?
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To the OP:
Read Iserson's Getting Into A Residency
http://www.amazon.com/Isersons-Getting-into-Residency-Students/dp/1883620309/sr=8-1/qid=1157209644/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-2960955-6534341?ie=UTF8&s=books
It does a good job of explaining how the US Residency Program works and what program directors emphasize in determining who gets in. It also has a whole section on the specific challenges of being from out of the country.
I think some of the ruder reactions to your questions are based on the impossibility of 1) aiming for just one program 2) picking which program this is when you don't even know what kind of doctor you want to be. For some specialties, Harvard isn't everything. I know that when I entered my undergraduate education I was convinced that I wanted to go to Harvard for medical school. My family had connections and I had been raised to think that nothing could be better than Harvard. What I learned tho is that Harvard isn't really the perfect match for everyone, and by the time it was time for me to apply to medical school, I knew I wasn't a good fit for Harvard and didn't even apply (even with my family's reassurances that my connections would have gotten me in, which I am still very skeptical about anyway). Just because it is a name associated with prestige, a residency at a Harvard affiliated hospital may not actually offer things that should be more important to you than a name. They might not even be the best in that field (shocking, I know).
Read Iserson's Getting Into A Residency
http://www.amazon.com/Isersons-Getting-into-Residency-Students/dp/1883620309/sr=8-1/qid=1157209644/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-2960955-6534341?ie=UTF8&s=books
It does a good job of explaining how the US Residency Program works and what program directors emphasize in determining who gets in. It also has a whole section on the specific challenges of being from out of the country.
I think some of the ruder reactions to your questions are based on the impossibility of 1) aiming for just one program 2) picking which program this is when you don't even know what kind of doctor you want to be. For some specialties, Harvard isn't everything. I know that when I entered my undergraduate education I was convinced that I wanted to go to Harvard for medical school. My family had connections and I had been raised to think that nothing could be better than Harvard. What I learned tho is that Harvard isn't really the perfect match for everyone, and by the time it was time for me to apply to medical school, I knew I wasn't a good fit for Harvard and didn't even apply (even with my family's reassurances that my connections would have gotten me in, which I am still very skeptical about anyway). Just because it is a name associated with prestige, a residency at a Harvard affiliated hospital may not actually offer things that should be more important to you than a name. They might not even be the best in that field (shocking, I know).
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Excellent point!
