USCTex said:
Any of you ever read any sort of medical narratives/journal type books...like "Complications". I'm a writing major and while I'm not sure this neuroses will make compelling reading I think I want to narrate this entire process from application to graduation in a book...not that it probably hasn't been done many times before probably but...
I've read a lot of the medical school narratives - ( i think some of the best were becomming a doctor, not an entirely benign procedure, white coat, and (sort of) house of god.) I have yet to see one that spends much time on the application process. If you could find a way to make it a compelling story, it would be a great aspect to write about. I'm sure some interesting stories from the interview trail could spice the story line up. I consider intern blues, house of god, year of the intern as "horror stories" about the worst aspects of internship, medical school, and the profoundly negative impact the process can have on people. Yet, even after reading the how to apply books, the horror stories, and "most" of the books of the genre I could find (~20+), I was not prepared for the rigors of the application process.
[example of how some books covered it: I think the Perri Klass book (benign proced.) was one of the few that mentioned applying - her process was VERY relaxed. She had her parents work on her applications (or maybe they just did the legwork and secondaries?), then she spent the application year abroad while they handled cooridinating interview dates and all the rest! She basically did other things in europe and one day they told her, hey you got into harvard and hey you got published in Mademoisselle (sp!) - and she was more excited about being published... Kind of a fairly tale version of the application process. I think I would give a kidney for that kind of relaxed and successful process!]
I wish I had read a book that talked openly about the stresses, demands, hoops, games, and about how random the process can seem. (Although I probably would have thougt it was written by some overly emotional ninny! ]NOW we know better.)
Although, we are a small community (30K per year x 4 yrs of students = 120k - 200k premeds?) I would think a book like that would do well within this group based on advice from elders. I imagine many medical students would tell premeds to "read the book, it tells you exactly what the application process is really like."
Great Idea - I'm not a writer (except online when nervous!), but if you have the skill, I think it would make a great project! I'm sure many would be willing to help you in the process!