Random non-MCAT and only peripherally related to the MCAT thread - Part 2

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BrettBatchelor said:
I've been toying with MD/PhD in Med. Physics, PhD in Med. Physics, MD only, MD/MS in Med Physics for a while now. I really like it, am drawn towards Rads and Rad Onc but I don't know if I can justify the extra years.
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Wow, all of those are really good options. I was really drawn to rads and rad onc too (before I discovered that path wasn't just autopsies. :laugh: )

I think it would depend on what type of research you wanted to do. Most of the research that is going on in radiology departments is very applied such as developing digital imaging systems, etc. You wouldn't need a Ph.D. for this as you would probably get all the training you needed in your residency. Rad onc research can run the gamut all the way from basic cancer research to again very applied things. Rad onc is extremely competitive and has a very very high percentage of MD/PhDs in it (not that that is any reason to do a Ph.D.).

A Ph.D. in med physics is a very viable option - Ph.Ds actually do most of the calculations in clinical radiation oncology. Personally, I am not a huge fan of MD/MS programs because I didn't find graduate school classes to be very useful - the useful part of graduate school was struggling to produce data to get a Ph.D.
 
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beary said:
Wow, all of those are really good options. I was really drawn to rads and rad onc too (before I discovered that path wasn't just autopsies. :laugh: )

I think it would depend on what type of research you wanted to do. Most of the research that is going on in radiology departments is very applied such as developing digital imaging systems, etc. You wouldn't need a Ph.D. for this as you would probably get all the training you needed in your residency. Rad onc research can run the gamut all the way from basic cancer research to again very applied things. Rad onc is extremely competitive and has a very very high percentage of MD/PhDs in it (not that that is any reason to do a Ph.D.).

A Ph.D. in med physics is a very viable option - Ph.Ds actually do most of the calculations in clinical radiation oncology. Personally, I am not a huge fan of MD/MS programs because I didn't find graduate school classes to be very useful - the useful part of graduate school was struggling to produce data to get a Ph.D.
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Yeah I PMed Gfunk6 who was a MD/PhD matched into Rad Onc who said the PhD in Med Phys isn't all that helpful since the MD RO's are more inclined to do radiobio research. This makes some sense since some of the program is basically clinical experience to prep for a career as a physicist.
 
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beary said:
A Ph.D. in med physics is a very viable option - Ph.Ds actually do most of the calculations in clinical radiation oncology. Personally, I am not a huge fan of MD/MS programs because I didn't find graduate school classes to be very useful - the useful part of graduate school was struggling to produce data to get a Ph.D.
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I agree. Typically your M.S. thesis is your pilot project to probe data for further development into your Ph.D. dissertation. I already have my M.S. but those only with a B.S. in the program I was in had to to a preliminary pilot study (pre-dissertation project) to present data to justify pursuing more research in their area of interest.

Edit: I think I read that wrong, but I'm going to leave my post unchanged 😉
 
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Just to ease people's minds, I got accepted to a research-heavy institution with no publications (and pretty sketchy research experience at that).

I think your physics research is really interesting, Brett, and I don't think it will hurt you one bit.
 
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Oh, and Q... I like the new bed you posted, too. I've been going back and forth about getting a loft bed, too. Haven't decided yet. I have a queen bed that's just sitting at my parents' house (it's the only thing of mine that didn't burn up in their fire) but I don't know if I want to bother moving it and I don't know if wherever I end up will have room for it.

Decisions, decisions... 🙂
 
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BrettBatchelor said:
Question to all Randomites:

Was your ugrad research medically related? I feel a bit awkward talking about my research and wanting to go to med school since my research has pretty much zero relevance to medicine.
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hey, BB, i am applying md/phd. most of my undergrad research was not medically related, though i did happen to work through the hospital at UPMC (our research lab was membrane biology...nothing to do with human subjects in the slightest). i did a year of biomedical engineering research for my senior project where i designed a "medical" device, but again, the research itself didn't really have much to do with medicine. only now am i actually working in a clinical research setting, and i think i will be ok for the application process. i know a few people who applied and got in last year with non-clinically related research, so i say go with what you're interested in and try to figure out where the ties to medicine would eventually be, if you end up deciding the md/phd path is right for you. but as the others have said, you've got time.
 
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and by the way (after reading a few more posts and seeing that your research is in physics), i have a friend who is about to start M2 in an md/phd program right now and her research experience was only in non-medically related physics. as long as you can do something else (some clinical experience) that shows both you and the adcoms that you definitely want to go into medicine and understand what it's all about, i think you will be fine for whatever program you decide. 🙂
 
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I may yet wind up picking another bed; I'm still looking at other options. Sigh. I don't know for sure what size the room is, but I'm guessing. How can the complex manager not know what size the rooms in his own apartment are??? 🙄

Brett, it doesn't matter that your UG research isn't medical, as long as you can explain the purpose and findings of it clearly. The whole purpose of research as an UG isn't to make you into a budding Nobel Prize in medicine (although it would be great if that happened) as much as to give you an appreciation for how science and medicine are advanced. So I think as long as you can explain what you've learned from your research (not only from the experiment itself, but in general), then you'll be in great shape.

MM, you did do some research, and you were an assistant for the sci fi thing. That still counts. Again, it's the learning process that matters at the UG level, not the project itself. Very few UGs publish papers. I didn't publish one as an UG either.
 
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I am having fun in Ohio. My niece is flying in today! Over the next few days, I am taking her to the amusement park (King's Island), the zoo, and the aquarium. 🙂 Also going swimming, which she is just about as excited about as anything.
 
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beary said:
I am having fun in Ohio. My niece is flying in today! Over the next few days, I am taking her to the amusement park (King's Island), the zoo, and the aquarium. 🙂 Also going swimming, which she is just about as excited about as anything.
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yay! i wish i could go swimming....i'm so excited that i found a pool for the summer right in my neighborhood! it's only $10 for the entire summer! but unfortunately it doesn't open until july 1.
 
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scentimint said:
yay! i wish i could go swimming....i'm so excited that i found a pool for the summer right in my neighborhood! it's only $10 for the entire summer! but unfortunately it doesn't open until july 1.
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I'm too lazy to swim... All the hustle of changing and taking a shower...
 
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beary said:
I am having fun in Ohio. My niece is flying in today! Over the next few days, I am taking her to the amusement park (King's Island), the zoo, and the aquarium. 🙂 Also going swimming, which she is just about as excited about as anything.
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The aquarium is really nice. (I'm assuming the Newport one). Your niece should enjoy it.
 
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beary said:
I am having fun in Ohio. My niece is flying in today! Over the next few days, I am taking her to the amusement park (King's Island), the zoo, and the aquarium. 🙂 Also going swimming, which she is just about as excited about as anything.
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did you just say "fun" and "ohio" in the same sentence--lol! no you guys are gonna have a ball. The zoo and aquarium in cincy are really nice!!


*gives lili some amish pretzels* I made them myself!
 
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nikki, don't join in the ridiculous debate in the official score release thread...everyone thinks they know the date and everyone else is wrong. it kinda makes me :laugh: though. 🙂
 
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gujuDoc said:
You should come to Tampa. We have one down the road from the school. 😉
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that's awesome....i'm jealous. of course, we could have tons of water parks in boston, but we'd never be able to enjoy them since it NEVER STOPS RAINING!
 
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My niece is here now. We are having a blast. She is so sweet.

Brett, I went to Kentucky today and gave you a virtual wave! Just the Cincy airport, so not too far into Kentucky, but another state off the list of states I have never been. 🙂

Anybody have any suggestions about King's Island? I want to go to hang out with my niece, but it is going to cost me a cool $50 and am not sure if it is worth it. (I do not like rollercoasters at all, and will probably just be watching her on kid rides). Also, as much as I love my family, I am lacking in my alone time. 😳
 
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scentimint said:
nikki, don't join in the ridiculous debate in the official score release thread...everyone thinks they know the date and everyone else is wrong. it kinda makes me :laugh: though. 🙂
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oh the sdn servers are misbehaving....imagine that?! my friend's brother's best friend's uncle said the scores are coming out sometime before the end of June--it's official!!
 
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beary said:
My niece is here now. We are having a blast. She is so sweet.

Brett, I went to Kentucky today and gave you a virtual wave! Just the Cincy airport, so not too far into Kentucky, but another state off the list of states I have never been. 🙂

Anybody have any suggestions about King's Island? I want to go to hang out with my niece, but it is going to cost me a cool $50 and am not sure if it is worth it. (I do not like rollercoasters at all, and will probably just be watching her on kid rides). Also, as much as I love my family, I am lacking in my alone time. 😳
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beary!! king's island is $50 wtf??!! that's crazy. well--i dunno. it would be fun to hang out with your niece but it could be hot and miserable or raining or snowing or hailing.....lightning.....tornados.......flash floods. ohio weather is craptacular. You are goin with her to the zoo and aquarium, right? she's so cute--she might get sad if you don't go with her to king's island.
 
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Nikki2002 said:
oh the sdn servers are misbehaving....imagine that?! my friend's brother's best friend's uncle said the scores are coming out sometime before the end of June--it's official!!
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haha, good call 🙂
 
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It's going to be really sad if all the excitement will result in a bad score 🙁 (But on the other hand, it will be kind of ironic and funny 😀 )
 
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Off to Kansas City for the weekend. I think my animals will miss me. They don't get the type of attention from the man as they do from me. I just hope I can stay awake. I feel bad b/c someone called me to go out last night and I said yes begrudgingly but then I called back and said I couldn't go. I'm sitll not feeling myself and really needed sleep. This getting up at 5am when I don't have to is really killing me!!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn you surgery rotations. 🙁

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend 😍 Beary - enjoy the time with the little one 😀
 
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the 50 buck entrance fees don't faze me. Coke cans make it all the more enjoyable. Buy one, get one... so both of you shell out like 25 bucks. Can't go wrong.

And I heard that Cedar Point is offering some price cuts as well.

Also, if you go on a day that it might rain.... like 50%.... the park tends to be emptier, and easier to go hit the main rides and then some.
 
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lilithny said:
the 50 buck entrance fees don't faze me. Coke cans make it all the more enjoyable. Buy one, get one... so both of you shell out like 25 bucks. Can't go wrong.

And I heard that Cedar Point is offering some price cuts as well.

Also, if you go on a day that it might rain.... like 50%.... the park tends to be emptier, and easier to go hit the main rides and then some.
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yeah beary--don't pay full price. coupons usually on coke/pepsi cans or at fast food restaurants. or at least ask the cashier if they have any coupons they can give you. i used to work at geauga lake/ formerly six flags/formerly sea world and i would give coupons to anyone who would ask
 
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hi ya'll im new here but just thought i'd join in the thread randomly out of the blue...its the only crazy thing i can do as the summer goes studying for mcats 😉
 
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justmoi said:
hi ya'll im new here but just thought i'd join in the thread randomly out of the blue...its the only crazy thing i can do as the summer goes studying for mcats 😉
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Welcome. I see you're a Rand fan. My favorite book of hers is Anthem. We try to avoid discussing the MCAT here as much as possible. 😛

VD, I forgot to tell you that the Dark Matter books arrived. (It *was* VD who recommended them to me, right???) I haven't read them yet, but I'll let you know what I think. Thanks again for the suggestion. 🙂
 
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i am now reading the da vinci code. i had it for a while but i just never really got a chance to read it. it's great so far 🙂
 
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BrettBatchelor said:
I was just about to post the same thing...
Poland vs. Ecquador pretty good match.
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Yeah, I'm following it from work on the World Cup website... Germany looked good in the first match...
 
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