Reasons why I like this forum

[MahlerROCKS]

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Posters do not spell a lot as 'alot,' and they do not feel the need to pepper every damn sentence with a smiley face.

Why do the rest of you like this forum?

 

[jeniffer lopez]

Posters do not spell a lot as 'alot,' and they do not feel the need to pepper every damn sentence with a smiley face.

Why do the rest of you like this forum?

It served as my pre-MD/PhD virtual advisor! My school's advisor did not have much experience with combined degrees.

 

[acf11]

It served as my pre-MD/PhD virtual advisor! My school's advisor did not have much experience with combined degrees.

Amen to that!

Plus it provided a link to other applicants going through this hellish process. I've met some of you on interviews and this forum has been a way to keep in touch.

 

[wildfocus]

Posters do not spell a lot as 'alot,' and they do not feel the need to pepper every damn sentence with a smiley face.

not sure if this is meant as a "get lost" to me. oh well, thought this forum would be useful...

 

[j-weezy]

It served as my pre-MD/PhD virtual advisor! My school's advisor did not have much experience with combined degrees.

Does anyone go to a school with a health professions office that has experience with combined degrees? Mine sure as hell doesn't.

 

[durfen]

Does anyone go to a school with a health professions office that has experience with combined degrees? Mine sure as hell doesn't.

Mine said, why aren't you applying MD/PhD? I said I am, that's what MSTP means.
Her: Oh.

 

[wildfocus]

Does anyone go to a school with a health professions office that has experience with combined degrees? Mine sure as hell doesn't.

i work at and go to u washington, where research is VERY big, so it seems that finding info on joint programs is possible. (in fact, working late tonight on a training grant that often funds the phd years for mstp's - maybe one of you someday).

finding info on dvm/phd programs is a whole other matter. i think only penn taps into nih money for the joint program - we have to check with each school and apply to both their dvm and dvm/phd programs and just hope for the best...

 

[solitude]

Posters do not spell a lot as 'alot,' and they do not feel the need to pepper every damn sentence with a smiley face.

Why do the rest of you like this forum?

I like this forum alot too 🙂 , but for the same reasons 😀 .

 

[Dr.Watson]

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[Neuronix]

That's awesome Dr. Watson. My undergrad is actively anti-MD/PhD. If you mention it, they will immediately try to talk you out of it. Now that I'm an MD/PhD they've ignored any e-mails from me or my program asking to come down and say hi or give advice to their undergrads interested in MD/PhDs.

 

[gbwillner]

Now that I'm an MD/PhD they've ignored any e-mails from me or my program asking to come down and say hi or give advice to their undergrads interested in MD/PhDs.

????? Where did you go? Jerk U?

 

[Neuronix]

????? Where did you go? Jerk U?

The University of Delaware. There's no MD/PhDs at the school and not really any academic MDs even affiliated with the school because there's no medical school in the state, so the bias from straight PhDs is very obvious. The only MD/PhDs I know of in the entire state that do any research are a husband and wife team at Jefferson's affiliated children's hospital a half hour drive north of UDel.

Once and awhile I hear from MD/PhD interested undergrads from there, but it's very rare (usually 1 every other year) for someone to actually do it. Strangely, I found out about this whole MD/PhD thing from a faculty member whose son is a MD/PhD student at the University of Michigan. He still actively dissuaded me from applying MD/PhD. He also told me I stood no chance at getting into Penn without several publications. It saddens me to think on the one hand that potential MD/PhDs are being dissuaded, but on the other hand, if their heart wasn't in it to begin with it's ok.

 

[Neuronix]

Posters do not spell a lot as 'alot,' and they do not feel the need to pepper every damn sentence with a smiley face.

not sure if this is meant as a "get lost" to me. oh well, thought this forum would be useful...

Nah, don't worry about it. I say alot alot and I don't really care if it's gramatically correct. If I was writing correctly, I'd be writing a paper. 😀 I'm sure that's not what Mahler meant, but if anyone tells you specifically to get lost, let me know and I'll tell them to get lost. Everyone is welcome, no matter what their questions are, as long as it pertains to combined degree programs.

I also end alot of my sentences with smilies 😉

BTW, what's that in the other thread? We aren't like those pre-meds? Huh? How are we different exactly? We bust our asses to get high GPAs and MCAT scores and research experience to get into med school just like any other pre-med. MD/PhDs don't really fit into a stereotype, though one they often get is that they're arrogant SOBs who see themselves as better than anyone else. That's the last thing I want people to say about this forum and the last thing I want people saying about me even if I am a big fan of talking everyone into NIH certified MSTPs 😉

 

[jeniffer lopez]

Does anyone go to a school with a health professions office that has experience with combined degrees? Mine sure as hell doesn't.

Mine told me that I needed more community service to get into MD/PhD programs

 

[QofQuimica]

BTW, what's that in the other thread? We aren't like those pre-meds? Huh? How are we different exactly? We bust our asses to get high GPAs and MCAT scores and research experience to get into med school just like any other pre-med. MD/PhDs don't really fit into a stereotype, though one they often get is that they're arrogant SOBs who see themselves as better than anyone else. That's the last thing I want people to say about this forum and the last thing I want people saying about me even if I am a big fan of talking everyone into NIH certified MSTPs 😉

I think there's a lot (not alot ) of truth to that. People DO have these negative impressions about MD/PhDs, and it's important to avoid perpetuating that stereotype. Interestingly, even PhDs apparently aren't immune. I was told at one school that they were initially concerned about accepting me because they didn't know if I'd fit in there. Why? They were concerned that I'd consider myself "better" than my classmates. Since I already have a PhD, would I be able to work effectively in groups with recently graduated college students? Apparently there had been problems at that school with previous PhD-to-MD students being able to "get along." When I got accepted, the admissions dean said that they accepted me in part because both of my interviewers commented that I would work well with my younger classmates. I wasn't even sure how to respond to that, except to say that most of those recent college grads know way more bio than I do, so I'd be needing their help. 😛

 

[1Path]

People DO have these negative impressions about MD/PhDs, and it's important to avoid perpetuating that stereotype.

What I've seen happen alot is that once people learn you're a future MD/PhD they judge EVERYTHING you say from the "you must be a know it all like the rest of them" attitude. 😡

 

[wildfocus]

...those recent college grads know way more bio than I do, so I'd be needing their help. 😛

i feel the same way. have quite a bit of experience in clinic and research, but am humbled b/c i'll be asking the "young-ins" for a lot of help...

 

[Dr.Watson]

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[QofQuimica]

i feel the same way. have quite a bit of experience in clinic and research, but am humbled b/c i'll be asking the "young-ins" for a lot of help...

You'll be amazed by how sharp they are. Seriously. And just to make sure you really do remember how little you know, you will probably have some classmates who have *graduate* bio degrees too (I have several in my class) or who have finished SMPs. You might be thinking, eh, well, SMPs are for people who couldn't hack it in college. But guess what? Those people have basically finished the entire first year of med school already, so they start out being way ahead of the rest of us. 🙄 (SMP=special masters program. Do they have SMPs for pre-vet students?)

 

[wildfocus]

You'll be amazed by how sharp they are. Seriously. And just to make sure you really do remember how little you know, you will probably have some classmates who have *graduate* bio degrees too (I have several in my class) or who have finished SMPs. You might be thinking, eh, well, SMPs are for people who couldn't hack it in college. But guess what? Those people have basically finished the entire first year of med school already, so they start out being way ahead of the rest of us. 🙄 (SMP=special masters program. Do they have SMPs for pre-vet students?)

ugh - the anxiety only gets worse!! (to the gods: please let me be smart enough - please let me be smart enough - please, oh, please)

oh - for the last part, not really! they have "jumpstart" type programs (but you still have to apply afterwards). i didn't look into them - i was as non-trad as you can get anyway

 

[Myempire1]

Why do the rest of you like this forum?

It provided me with mental support while I was in my grad school "funk phase." Basically, the forum contributed to my remaining in the MSTP. I guess misery loves company.

 

[gbwillner]

It provided me with mental support while I was in my grad school "funk phase." Basically, the forum contributed to my remaining in the MSTP. I guess misery loves company.

👍 👍 👍 👍

Also a good time-killer while gels are running.

 

[skillmatic]

👍 👍 👍 👍

Also a good time-killer while gels are running.

My thoughts exactly! Also kills time during FPLC-age.

 

[QofQuimica]

ugh - the anxiety only gets worse!! (to the gods: please let me be smart enough - please let me be smart enough - please, oh, please)

oh - for the last part, not really! they have "jumpstart" type programs (but you still have to apply afterwards). i didn't look into them - i was as non-trad as you can get anyway

Don't worry, you will be smart enough. My god, if I can survive this craziness, anyone can. I was so ignorant before starting med school that I didn't even KNOW how ignorant I was. 😛

 

[greg12345]

I always tried to persuade interviewees on recruiting weekend not to do the MSTP if I sensed there was ANY doubt or wavering in them at all about the decision. Our program has taken a couple of hits recently with people dropping out halfway through once things got rough in their PhD or before they hit grad school to do straight MD, total waste of our institution's dollars/time. Basically I told them the truth - there is a very huge possibility that you will be hugely miserable at various phases of your training if you pursue the combined track. Scare tactics. But it is really hard to be negative when you are a 4th year med student and haven't set foot in the hospital for the past 3 months.