Schools for ID

[KempDrumsalot]

Hey guys. I currently am a high school senior going into a Biology-Pre Med program next year at Bradley University. From what I have heard, Johns Hopkins is one of the top programs for those specializing in Infectious Diseases. Are there any other good med schools for this specialty? (Guess it technically is a subspecialty of Internal Med, but still). Also, to specialize in more than one area, are you required to take another four years of medical school or just another 1-2 years since the first two are just general medicine? Any information would be greatly appreciated .

 

[Tired]

Hey guys. I currently am a high school senior going into a Biology-Pre Med program next year at Bradley University. From what I have heard, Johns Hopkins is one of the top programs for those specializing in Infectious Diseases. Are there any other good med schools for this specialty? (Guess it technically is a subspecialty of Internal Med, but still). Also, to specialize in more than one area, are you required to take another four years of medical school or just another 1-2 years since the first two are just general medicine? Any information would be greatly appreciated .

Hmm, think you're gonna need to read a bit more before you start asking questions. You have a pretty poor grasp on how the process works.

 

[dienekes88]

What Tired means is that... you have to do a residency then do the ID fellowship.

Simply finishing medical school doesn't mean you have the ability to practice medicine (yet).

 

[KempDrumsalot]

Hmm, think you're gonna need to read a bit more before you start asking questions. You have a pretty poor grasp on how the process works.

May I ask where you recieved that assumption from? I have not studied much on specializing in more than one area. You may only need to complete another residency/fellowship program. However, I do know the rest of the process to a decent degree. During undergrad I will continue to keep my EC's going, as well as doing some more shadowing and volunteering. Between the summer of my soph. and junior year I will hopefully do well enough on the MCAT that I won't have to rewrite it, since doing this more than twice is not recommended. Using my MCAT scores, some schools can be thrown out of my options if it is not high enough, but this, along with my science GPA and core GPA, is what is used to apply to a medical school. The admissions comittee generally use a program that tosses out scores below a certain margin. Those that are lucky enough to pass the original dump may be called for an interview. After all of this, and possibly another interview, you may be accepted for med school. Medical school consists of two years of general medical practice and information. The following year is used to explore different specialities and the fourth year is spent focusing on one generally. During this time you must have already passed parsed the USMLE test (between soph and junior year I believe). After medical school is finished, you finish out your residency, and in the case of ID, another 2 year fellowship is needed. During your residency/fellowship, the last test for the USMLE must be passed to be come a liscensed physician. I think that is the general process at least.

 

[KempDrumsalot]

What Tired means is that... you have to do a residency then do the ID fellowship.

Simply finishing medical school doesn't mean you have the ability to practice medicine (yet).

Ahh, ok, I'm sorry I was a little vague in my post. I just finished out typing the process as I believed it went, and already knew that I needed to finish a residency in Internal med, then a fellowship for ID. Didn't mean to make my original post unclear, but didn't want to make you all read a book either .

Original question was on some of the top hospitals/med schools for IM/ID though.

 

[dienekes88]

May I ask where you recieved that assumption from? I have not studied much on specializing in more than one area. You may only need to complete another residency/fellowship program. However, I do know the rest of the process to a decent degree. During undergrad I will continue to keep my EC's going, as well as doing some more shadowing and volunteering. Between the summer of my soph. and junior year I will hopefully do well enough on the MCAT that I won't have to rewrite it, since doing this more than twice is not recommended. Using my MCAT scores, some schools can be thrown out of my options if it is not high enough, but this, along with my science GPA and core GPA, is what is used to apply to a medical school. The admissions comittee generally use a program that tosses out scores below a certain margin. Those that are lucky enough to pass the original dump may be called for an interview. After all of this, and possibly another interview, you may be accepted for med school. Medical school consists of two years of general medical practice and information. The following year is used to explore different specialities and the fourth year is spent focusing on one generally. During this time you must have already passed parsed the USMLE test (between soph and junior year I believe). After medical school is finished, you finish out your residency, and in the case of ID, another 2 year fellowship is needed. During your residency/fellowship, the last test for the USMLE must be passed to be come a liscensed physician. I think that is the general process at least.

Alright. Totally didn't read this.

You don't have to go back to medical school (this is the part that Tired was referring to). You just do another fellowship after your first fellowship.

 

[dienekes88]

Ahh, ok, I'm sorry I was a little vague in my post. I just finished out typing the process as I believed it went, and already knew that I needed to finish a residency in Internal med, then a fellowship for ID. Didn't mean to make my original post unclear, but didn't want to make you all read a book either .

Original question was on some of the top hospitals/med schools for IM/ID though.

You'll find this out when you get a mentor in medical school. No need to start planning now.

I have no interest in IM, so I have no idea. I'm guessing it's the usual suspects, though (MGH, B&W, Hopkins, UCSF, etc.).

 

[KempDrumsalot]

Alright. Totally didn't read this.

You don't have to go back to medical school (this is the part that Tired was referring to). You just do another fellowship after your first fellowship.

Good to hear. Now, do many people decide to do more than one specialty? I figure it may help with broaden-ing my knowledge/help do more work.

 

[eagle34]

You really don't need to worry now about if medical schools have good ID residency programs. Get through college, get into any medical school, do well there, and after that, choose a residency in IM where they also have a good ID department. But for now, just relax and do your best in college. I can almost guarantee that you will change your mind at least a few times in terms of your specialty choice when you're in med school.

 

[Tildy]

Infectious disease is a broad field and it may depend on what your interest is. For example, some schools have an emphasis on tropical medicine and international health. Other programs much less so. Also, infectious disease fellowships can be done after either an internal medicine residency or a pediatric residency (in which case the fellowship is 3 years).

Finally, when looking at medical (or pediatric) sub-specialties, it can be very difficult to identify the "best" as many of the "best" are identified due to their research strengths which may or may not be your interest. To ask for a list of the "best" ID programs is essentially impossible without clarifying these types of things. All of this, of course, ignores the more obvious point that "best" is profoundly opinion-based and as one gets into sub-specialties, I think it is even harder to come up with a basis for identification of the "best."

 

[KempDrumsalot]

You'll find this out when you get a mentor in medical school. No need to start planning now.

I have no interest in IM, so I have no idea. I'm guessing it's the usual suspects, though (MGH, B&W, Hopkins, UCSF, etc.).

Alrighty, where do you currently attend/hope to specialize in?

 

[KempDrumsalot]

Infectious disease is a broad field and it may depend on what your interest is. For example, some schools have an emphasis on tropical medicine and international health. Other programs much less so. Also, infectious disease fellowships can be done after either an internal medicine residency or a pediatric residency (in which case the fellowship is 3 years).

Finally, when looking at medical (or pediatric) sub-specialties, it can be very difficult to identify the "best" as many of the "best" are identified due to their research strengths which may or may not be your interest. To ask for a list of the "best" ID programs is essentially impossible without clarifying these types of things. All of this, of course, ignores the more obvious point that "best" is profoundly opinion-based and as one gets into sub-specialties, I think it is even harder to come up with a basis for identification of the "best."

Tue, and I probley should have clarified that as well. I plan to do more of clinical rather than research (hopefully work in a hospital of course), but do not mind doing research if it is needed. My dream job would be working in a hospital though.

 

[KempDrumsalot]

You really don't need to worry now about if medical schools have good ID residency programs. Get through college, get into any medical school, do well there, and after that, choose a residency in IM where they also have a good ID department. But for now, just relax and do your best in college. I can almost guarantee that you will change your mind at least a few times in terms of your specialty choice when you're in med school.

Will make sure to keep working hard during college. Mainly I'm just looking forward to enjoying my time as a young adult while keeping an eye on what I hope to achieve.

Also, on a different note, I have heard there are ways to differ your payments for undergraduate until after medical school. How exactly would these work?

 

[eagle34]

You just fill out a quick form that pretty much states you're a full time student, which lets you defer loans until after med school. Easy stuff.

 

[KempDrumsalot]

Wow, that's not to tough then! I was wondering if I would have to apply for a special program or something of that nature. Good to hear, thanks! =-)

 

[eagle34]

Nope, don't worry. You'll learn all of this as you go through college and then start med school. For now, really, just focus on enjoying yourself and performing well in school. Always have your goal in mind, but seriously, don't forget to remember that having a good time in college is very important.

 

[KempDrumsalot]

Nope, don't worry. You'll learn all of this as you go through college and then start med school. For now, really, just focus on enjoying yourself and performing well in school. Always have your goal in mind, but seriously, don't forget to remember that having a good time in college is very important.

Oh trust me, I make sure to keep a balance between the two. I don't think I would even consider something with as much work involved (Though I love to learn more each day) if I couldn't find a balance to at least stay sane . But yes, sports and music will definatly be in my schedule.

 

[psy]

Or you can major in microbiology at undergraduate. I'm not sure what the microbiology program is like at other schools but the one in University of Washington has ID as part of their microbiology courses. The difference between med school ID and undergrad ID is that you don't have to memorize the drugs to treat the disease.

 

[KempDrumsalot]

Or you can major in microbiology at undergraduate. I'm not sure what the microbiology program is like at other schools but the one in University of Washington has ID as part of their microbiology courses. The difference between med school ID and undergrad ID is that you don't have to memorize the drugs to treat the disease.

Really now? I don't think we have a microbio major at our uni, theres a cell and molecular, which i considered majoring in. It seems that the CaM major is more medically relevant than Biology-Pre Med. But, I probley will end up doing Bio since I love the subject, and wouldn't mind learning some more about plants and animals before med school.

 

[psy]

Ya, I had to learn everything including bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, and virology. You work with them in the lab with specimens from the hospital. The exams have a written and practical part so you have to be able to id the bugs. Fun to learn and at times really really gross.

 

[KempDrumsalot]

Haha sounds like fun =-). I really can not wait to start my UD, I'm going to college and high school currently, but it's not the same.

 

[JeetKuneDo]

Ya, I had to learn everything including bacteriology, parasitology, mycology, and virology. You work with them in the lab with specimens from the hospital. The exams have a written and practical part so you have to be able to id the bugs. Fun to learn and at times really really gross.

DId you have to do that one in Micro 402 where you took an anal swab and then streak it on a plate? Fun.