by Alison Hayward, MD
SDN Staff Writer

In this election season, healthcare has been an increasingly pressing issue for American voters.

In an August 2008 TNS Healthcare survey, nearly 60% of voters age 18-29, and 75% of voters over the age of 65 agreed that healthcare issues would play a major role in their presidential election choice.

The feeling that our current system is a “failure” predominates, and thus healthcare reform is seen by many as a mandate for the new president.

Healthcare professionals must understand the issues involved in the politics of health in order to move towards reform – and that brings us to one of the most contentious issues, that of single payer healthcare. Read the full story

by SDN Member SpirivaSunrise

Nuclear pharmacy is a specialized practice area in pharmacy that involves compounding and dispensing radiopharmaceuticals to be used in various nuclear medicine procedures.  Unlike radiology, nuclear medicine is a fantastic tool for assessing physiology (function), as opposed to only structure and anatomy.

It is a unique niche within pharmacy and this article will provide an overview of the specialty area, including common radiopharmaceuticals and procedures used in nuclear medicine, as well as the role of a nuclear pharmacist on the healthcare team.

From a business perspective, the industry’s current standing includes nuclear pharmacies which are either institutional (and cater to a single medical center), or commercial.  Centralized commercial pharmacies are contracted by hospitals/clinics to provide radiopharmaceuticals.

Today, there are only a few major radiopharmacies: GE (formerly known as Amersham), Covidien (formerly known as Tyco or Mallinckrodt), and Cardinal Health (which bought out Syncor, among others), as well as a few smaller independents. Read the full story

Portions from the AAMC

The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) reported yesterday that, “First-year enrollment at the nation’s medical schools this year increased nearly 2 percent over 2007, to more than 18,000 students.” This represents the highest allopathic medical school enrollment in U.S. history.

Most of the enrollment increase was due to the three medical schools that have just established branch campuses (Mercer University School of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, and University of Arizona College of Medicine). It does not reflect the anticipated enrollment at new schools expected to open within the next few years.

Notable is the growth in Latino students, with an increase in first-year enrollment by more than 10 percent. Latinos now represent 7.9 percent of the 2008-09 entering medical school class.

Additionally, the number of Native American first-year enrollees increased by more than 5 percent. The number of African American first-year students remained nearly the same as in 2007. Native Americans and African Americans represent 1.0 and 7.2 percent, respectively, of this year’s entering medical school class.
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We’re happy to announce the return of the SDN Wiki.

The SDN Wiki features both a wiki version of Ryan Aycock’s Not So Short Introduction to Getting into Medical School, and the newly added Medical Education FAQ.

We encourage all SDN Members to participate in updating and maintaining this body of knowledge. Available at http://www.studentdoctor.net/wiki/

by Glenn Gregory,
SDN Contributing Writer

You’ve been waiting for what seems like an eternity. You practically snatch the mail from the mail carrier as it is being delivered and frantically search through the stacks of coupons and bills to find some good news; just as you are ready to steel yourself for yet another disappointment, your heart stops.

There it is.

The school’s emblem sits silently above the return address on the envelope, meeting your stare. Hands shaking, you fumble with the envelope and eventually manage to tear it open. Unfolding the letter it contained, you discover that someone out there thinks you are interesting enough to offer you an interview.

After you finish dancing with your neighbors who were minding their own business until that point and get done laminating the letter, you catch your breath and wonder, “How do I proceed now?”

It is possible that you have never been on a plane before, nor traveled out of state. Now you are expected to travel to a city you have never been to, alone, and make a favorable impression upon an admissions committee member-oh, right, and then there’s the issue of paying for the trip as well.

Luckily, on the Student Doctor Network Forums, many students have already been through what you are about to go through and can offer you some valuable advice. If, however, you don’t feel like perusing pages of threads to get the answer to a quick question, this article might be just what you need. Read the full story

by Abby Beane, SDN Contributing Writer
Edited by Sean Parrish

Since October is National Pharmacists Month, now is an excellent time to examine the evolving role of pharmacists in the modern health care system. The profession of pharmacy is going through a period of vast development and change. Instead of being tied solely to the product of medications and dispensing, it is diligently recreating its image into an increasingly cognitive practice.

Pharmacists have become such an integral part of the health care team because they have the unique advantage of being among the most accessible health care professionals. As patients come in once a month to refill a prescription, the pharmacist tends to be the professional that they see the most regularly.

Unfortunately, due to the mandates of insurance companies, physician visits are growing shorter and shorter these days.

If a patient presents for an acute condition during a physician visit and that condition is addressed and cared for, there is generally little time left for the management and care of any chronic conditions. It is in the management of such chronic conditions that the cognitive services offered by pharmacists can be useful.
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You were able to get into medical school so you think it will be the same process all over again when you apply for residency. But every application process has nuances and the criteria for selection and how you will be evaluated during interviews is different for residency than it was for medical school.

This two part series discusses the essential ingredients for success, including rotations, written documents, letters of reference, interviews and follow up.

While this article focuses on residency admissions, portions of this piece might also be useful for medical school and fellowship applicants.

Away Rotations and Structuring Your Fourth Year of Medical School

As soon as you have chosen your specialty, you should schedule your away rotations since these slots fill up quickly, especially at top residencies. For programs in which you are especially interested, try to schedule rotations in the summer and early fall of your fourth year to make a good impression before interview season begins. Read the full story

Dr. Harry Rosen was born in Israel and received his bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge. He attended The Sackler School of Medicine, obtaining his M.D. in 2000.

He completed his residency at West Los Angeles Veterans Administration in 2004, and he currently works as a hospitalist at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center in Southern California. Most recently, Dr. Rosen has written “The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine.”

Editor’s Note: For more book information and sample content from “The Consult Manual of Internal Medicine”, please visit http://www.medconsultpublishing.com.

Q: Describe a typical day at work

A: A usual day at work starts off at about 9am when I arrive at the hospital and start on my first can of Pepsi or Coke — or, if I feel daring, a Mountain Dew. The caffeine and sugar help start the day off with a sweet pick-me-up.

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