What undergraduate or Graduate courses will help me to certain med-specialties

[kingkongz]

i am aware of the importance of usmle score and gpa in med school --

If i am interested in
1. Dermatology -- what courses to take, so i am better prepared in the residency matching
2. Radiology Diagnosis -- same as above
3. Radiology Oncology -- same as above
4. Ophthalmology -- same as above
5. Anesthesiology -- same as above


Thank you very much!

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[SpecterGT260]

Nothing. There is nothing you can do in undergrad aside from get a GPA required to get into medical school that will help with residency. The program directors will not even look at undergrad or graduate non-medschool work.

 

[gatorade848]

ahhh a newbie...

your grades/activities in college will get you in medical school
your grades/activities in med school will get you a residency you desire
cant skip around

 

[kingkongz]

ahhh a newbie...

your grades/activities in college will get you in medical school
your grades/activities in med school will get you a residency you desire
cant skip around

Is there any way to boost my USMLE score? besides some USMLE preparation books, i mean what courses in general i should take to boost in Med or undergraduate school?

What activities will help me to land the aforementioned specialties?

 

[sector9]

Is there any way to boost my USMLE score? besides some USMLE preparation books, i mean what courses in general i should take to boost in Med or undergraduate school?

What activities will help me to land the aforementioned specialties?

If you're not in med school, then the most worthwhile activity to matching into your desired specialty is getting in to medical school first.

 

[Praefectus]

Oh lord. Worry about getting in first! The stuff you learn in med school will be some of the most helpful in doing well on the Boards. And don't have your heart set on any specialty just yet. You might find the field you love during rotations, so I wouldn't be dead-set so soon.

 

[kingkongz]

Because my niece is in bs/md program already, so i ask.. don't laugh at me, haha

 

[SpecterGT260]

If you're not in med school, then the most worthwhile activity to matching into your desired specialty is getting in to medical school first.

lol yes

 

[flatearth22]

Because my niece is in bs/md program already, so i ask.. don't laugh at me, haha

If your niece is interested in competitive specialties as an undergrad, the main thing that she can do to help her residency app right now is research and more specifically research in the specialty she's most interested in. Since she is BS/MD she doesn't have to jump through the hoops of clinical/nonclinical volunteering and leadership like other premeds. She probably also has a low GPA/MCAT requirement (if she even has to take the MCAT) so she can really devote a large chunk of her time to doing research right now to rack up those pubs which will help tremendously for residency apps. She can also continue the research once she is in medical school to get even more pubs. Her BS/MD program can probably hook her up with a sweet Derm or Radonc PI to get her started.

As far as coursework is concerned, nothing she can take as an undergrad will help her in medical school*. The general consensus is that the content of medical school coursework is relatively easy...it's the extreme volume that trips people up. I guess she could take a semester with 25-30 credit hours of relatively easy yet tedious, memory intensive coursework to simulate the volume that medical school will throw at her.... but this seems like a huge waste of time IMO. She should definitely get organized (if she isn't already) and build good study habits though....that will go a long way.

*The one exception to this would be upper-level physics courses (especially those concerning modern physics, atomic physics, and medical physics) helping out with Radonc since Radonc is a very academic field and relies on a high level of competence in physics. Doing research in physics will also help out with Radonc moreso than other specialties.

 

[JESSFALLING]

i am aware of the importance of usmle score and gpa in med school --

If i am interested in
1. Dermatology -- what courses to take, so i am better prepared in the residency matching
2. Radiology Diagnosis -- same as above
3. Radiology Oncology -- same as above
4. Ophthalmology -- same as above
5. Anesthesiology -- same as above

Thank you very much!

#2 & #5 are not that competitive right now.

Frankly, all of these specialties are so different it's ridiculous. My advice for her is to spend some time shadowing various doctors so she can determine which fields are of personal interest. Also, I second flatearth22 that modern physics would be helpful for radiology, and that research experience, generally, would be helpful.

Lastly, she may change her mind after a 3rd or 4th year clerkship, so don't worry about her future specialty too much, as it will likely be different than either one of you can imagine.

 

[kingkongz]

Flate & Jess Thanks you guys so much!