The Hippocratic Oath: For The MBA Crowd?

Graduating medical school students have been required to take the Hippocratic Oath promising to practice medicine ethically. An interesting article today in the New York Times explains that some business students are now taking "The MBA Oath" with a promise to "create value responsibly and ethically." The creators of this oath hope that "MBAs are respected for their integrity, professionalism and leadership."

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American Medical Association: Virtual Mentor

Take a look at Virtual Mentor, an online ethics journal sponsored by the American Medical Association. A medical student and resident run venture, this resource introduces some useful and intriguing topics. The theme of the journal this month is Business in Medicine with thought provoking articles about medi spas and concierge medicine.

This journal also offers excellent editorial opportunities for medical students and residents.

Read my previous blog post on the importance of mentorship. If you would like an actual advisor rather than a virtual one, please contact me.

AMCAS Personal Statement

Recently I read a personal statement from a medical school client that was nearly flawless and required almost no revision. Now, understand, this is quite unusual for me since I find most clients don't know what aspects of their experiences are important and many take the "tell all" approach -- writing about their research, clinical experience, volunteer experience and anything else they think admissions officers "want to hear." This client was able to write about her observations and insights regarding medicine eloquently and cohesively. The client produced an essay on her own that was unlike any first revision I have ever read.

This client's advice: "It seems that a lot of people spend so much time accruing these amazing experiences and then leave it at the last month or two (or less, eek!) to process them, and then they have a difficult time verbalizing and synthesizing them when they need to. I'm one of those people who wanted to be a doctor since I was a little kid running around in the nurses station at my mom's work drawing pictures--how could I possibly process 15 years of my motivations and life experiences and write it all out for the most important application of my life thus far in less than a month?"

When I start working with clients who are one year or more away from applying to medical school, I encourage them to keep records of their experiences by documenting their key interactions and insights since these may be difficult to recall from a distance. The client referenced above kept a journal and suggested that applicants keep a blog. I thought this was a brilliant idea. Good writing takes time and, the longer you allow your written work to simmer, the better the final product is likely to be.

I am actively working with medical school applicants for the 2009/2010 season. Be sure to submit your AMCAS application early!

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Reapplying To Medical School

I have recently received calls from prospective clients who have been accepted to medical school this year and want to reapply in June because they want to "do better." If your dream is to go to the University of Pennsylvania, for example, and you won't attend any school that isn't ranked in the top 10 by US News and World Reports, then don't apply to these schools.

I do not recommend turning down acceptances to reapply in hopes of getting into a "better school."

What can you do to best position yourself to get into your dream school the first time around? Hire a professional medical school admissions consultant. I can help you prepare the best documents and coach you so you perform well on interviews. Before you hire a professional, however, be sure to ask them the right questions.

AMCAS 2010 is open! Register now.

Medical School Admissions

Please see my latest article on the Student Doctor Network about medical school admissions.

Click Here to access the article.

Post Baccalaureate Premedical Programs and Special Master's Programs

I was speaking with a client today who is considering attending a special master's program to enhance his academic record and help his chances of gaining admission to medical school. He asked where he could find a comprehensive list of these programs. The AAMC provides a searchable database of programs based on program type and characteristics (post bac, career changer, academic enhancement and length etc.)

Click Here for the AAMC link.

I help clients with written application documents when applying to these programs. I also advise clients regarding their options and how these programs might increase their chances of being admitted to medical school.

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