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You're lucky. Most people don't get to do outpt psych as a med student.
It looks like they're not on VSAS anymore.
Is it common for programs to request your personal statement and reasons for wanting to do a sub-i/rotation at their program?
Congrats!
I still don't have my electives secured but hopefully soon.
Is it common for programs to request your personal statement and reasons for wanting to do a sub-i/rotation at their program?
I talked to Loma Linda today to find out why my visiting student rotations were denied. The externship coordinator told me that they weren't taking visiting students this year (?). Then she mentioned that my COMLEX was below 500 and they weren't considering people with sub-500 scores.
Ouch... burned.. 🙁
So sad, as Loma Linda was actually one of my top residency choices outside of Arizona. 🙁 My sister did her residency there and told me that I would totally fit in with the culture there, as I'm a vegetarian and spiritual type person. I really wanted to apply there for residency, but I'm not even being considered for a rotation. I will work hard to ensure my COMLEX 2 is well above 500, but I don't know if it even matters since my COMLEX 1 isn't.
u SDA?
I'm vegan too. 🙂 But they don't even have caffeine at Loma Linda from what I hear so that might be a problem for me.![]()
Hi guys. I have a question about taking the COMLEX level 2 CE / USMLE part 2 CK for anyone who has been part of the interview processes.
My level 2 exams are scheduled in mid-to-late August. As such my scores won't be available until late-September or early October.
I recently came to know that it is best to submit one's application to ERAS at the beginning of September. I am wondering if I should submit my ERAS at that time even though my level 2 scores won't be available yet. In my case, my COMLEX level 1 has a low score (though passing). So I'm afraid that many places may throw out my application without waiting for my level 2 scores to come out. I am studying really hard, so I hope my level 2 scores will be MUCH better.
So I could just wait until October to submit my ERAS application, waiting until after my level 2 board scores become available (to prevent my application from being prematurely tossed out for a poor level 1 performance). But I hope that won't be too late. I don't want to receive less interviews by applying in October rather than September. I could conversely take my level 2 boards in the first week of August in hopes to make it back before the beginning of September. But that same time, I want to have enough time to do really well on my exams.
I start my psych away electives at the end of July, so I hope that they won't be too negative about me using my Saturdays to take my boards, as both of my boards are scheduled on Saturdays.
Any thoughts on the best course of action?? Thank you!
(sigh)
Submit your eras application when it's possible to. Take your step2 as you are already planning. Programs won't 'throw out your app' without your step2 scores being in. That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.
Wrong. Some programs do. There are programs that do a hard screen on the Step 1. Meaning, if you do not make their cut-off for the Step 1, you will not receive an interview, regardless of the rest of your application.Programs won't 'throw out your app' without your step2 scores being in. That's the most ridiculous idea I've ever heard.
Wrong. Some programs do. There are programs that do a hard screen on the Step 1. Meaning, if you do not make their cut-off for the Step 1, you will not receive an interview, regardless of the rest of your application.
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Yep. That's why I bolded it.Also, even if there was one or two programs that would throw out his app immediately based on Step 1, most programs won't, and its still far better to apply early.
As you get further in your training you'll find the Meds for Life philosophy of mental illness is bad psychiatric practice. It's easy to get lazy and fall prey to it, because its easy for us as psychiatrists to load a patient up and just keep them on meds the rest of their life, because, hey, it works. But mental health is more subtle than this.If you don't mind me asking, why did you stop your anti-depressants? As someone going into the field I'm curious as to why you of all people would stop something that had worked for you?
I wouldn't throw "non compliant" around like that. A patient who formerly took meds and now doesn't does not make her non compliant. Since she's a medical student and in treatment, why would you assume she's non compliant? She probably has a decent psychiatrist who treated her appropriately, saw the symptoms go away, saw improved coping skills to stressors, and was appropriately advised a taper in conjunction with follow up care..But to see a perspective psychiatrist be non compliant with meds is just heart breaking.
As you get further in your training you'll find the Meds for Life philosophy of mental illness is bad psychiatric practice. It's easy to get lazy and fall prey to it, because its easy for us as psychiatrists to load a patient up and just keep them on meds the rest of their life, because, hey, it works. But mental health is more subtle than this.
We don't know her, but she described a bout of depression in her first year of medical school. Advising her to therefore stay on an SSRI because it "worked" is bad psychiatry. Its akin to keeping someone on a pain killer for life because its easier for the clinician than going to the trouble of evaluating whether they are dealing with something acute, chronic, or episodic. After symptoms have been in remission for some time, it's appropriate for patients so inclined to be tapered down on SSRIs, particularly when they are in therapy. Having a blanket advisement against this is bad medicine and is counter to evidence based psychiatry.
I wouldn't throw "non compliant" around like that. A patient who formerly took meds and now doesn't does not make her non compliant. Since she's a medical student and in treatment, why would you assume she's non compliant? She probably has a decent psychiatrist who treated her appropriately, saw the symptoms go away, saw improved coping skills to stressors, and was appropriately advised a taper in conjunction with follow up care..
SSRIs should NOT be seen as automatic meds for life, tidbits. THAT approach to psychiatry is what's "heart breaking."
The last APA Guidelines I know for depression (from 2010) stated you could consider tapering after the continuation phase lasting 4-9 months (clock starts after stabilization), providing the patient does not require maintenance therapy (indicated if they have had 3+ major depressive episodes).hey I didn't mean any offense by it. I was just trying to get some more info. I didn't want to assume she was non compliant, just feared that she was. Now I see things are taken care so no worries. IIRC you only need be symptom free for 2 years before weaning. It has been a while since I really went through the APA guildlines.
SSRIs should NOT be seen as automatic meds for life, tidbits. THAT approach to psychiatry is what's "heart breaking."
👍👍👍
same goes for benzos, antipsychotics, lithium and anticonvulsants. the reality is most psychiatrists have no training in how to stop psychiatric medications and so they don't.
Not to derail this topic but what are the guildlines for tapering naltrexone? Got a guy on it (from rehab). I just continued his naltrexone script but was wondering what the long term plan was. Not something I want him on in the long term, especially if he needs opiates one day for a tooth extraction.
@notdeadyet: dude the name calling really isnt called for, I never meant any harm by asking a question and stating why I felt the need to ask it. If you have something to say people would listen better if had a better tone.
There are none, because, really there's no need to taper it, and frankly, the clinical experience is that patients just plain stop it on their own all the freakin' time.![]()
If you mean stop it and relapse, then yeah.
There was no name-calling, but if I hurt your feelings, I apologize. That was not my intent. I was just strongly voicing disagreement with the philosophy you implied. No harm in disagreeing, but I'll try to use a softer tone next time.@notdeadyet: dude the name calling really isnt called for, I never meant any harm by asking a question and stating why I felt the need to ask it.
There was no name-calling, but if I hurt your feelings, I apologize. That was not my intent. I was just strongly voicing disagreement with the philosophy you implied. No harm in disagreeing, but I'll try to use a softer tone next time.