Dr. Al Berg

by William Burnett

Alfred O. Berg, MD, MPH, is a professor at the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle.  He is board certified in Family Medicine and General Preventive Medicine and Public Health.

Dr. Berg’s research has focused on clinical epidemiology in primary care settings.  He has served as chairman of the United States Preventive Services Task Force, co-chair of the otitis media panel convened by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, chair of the CDC STD Treatment Guidelines panel, member of the AMA/CDC panel producing Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services, member of the Institute of Medicine’s Immunization Safety Review Committee, and chair of the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on the Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

He currently chairs the CDC’s panel on Evaluation of Genomic Applications in Practice and Prevention.

He recently spoke with the Student Doctor Network about evidence-based medicine and health care reform. Read the full story

by William H. Burnett

Charles Q. North, MD, MS

Students may not be aware of the variety of opportunities available within the Indian Health Service (IHS).

To learn more about IHS and the volunteer, scholarship, and employment opportunities available, the Student Doctor Network recently spoke with Dr. Charles North, retired Chief Medical Clinical Officer for Indian Health Services.

Charles North attended medical school at the University of Pittsburgh and completed his residency at the University of Minnesota.  Currently, he serves as Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

Would you explain what the Indian Health Service is?

Gladly. The Indian Health Service (www.ihs.gov) is an agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since IHS is designated as an agency or “Operating Division” within HHS, it is a parallel organization to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several others. Read the full story

By Samir P. Desai, M.D., and Rajani Katta, M.D.
Authors of The Successful Match: 200 Rules to Succeed in the Residency Match and
250 Biggest Mistakes 3rd Year Medical Students Make And How To Avoid Them

Dr. Andrew Lee

Of the 654 applicants who applied to ophthalmology in 2009, 196 (approximately 30%) failed to match. Similar results were noted in the 2007 and 2008 matches, making ophthalmology one of the most competitive specialties.

We recently discussed the ophthalmology residency selection process with Dr. Andrew Lee, chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas and Professor of Ophthalmology at the Weill Cornell Medical College. Prior to becoming chairman, Dr. Lee was professor of ophthalmology, neurology, and neurosurgery at the H. Stanley Thompson Neuro-ophthalmology Clinic at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine.  Following residency training at the Cullen Eye Institute at the Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Lee completed a fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute. Read the full story

By Laura Turner
SDN Staff Writer

Dr. Gary Flashner, MS, MD, ABFP is an emergency physician and Vice President of Medical Content for ExitCare, LLC.    He completed his undergraduate work at Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA), Masters work at Penn State, medical school at Thomas Jefferson University, and residency in Family Medicine at Sacred Heart Hospital (Allentown, PA).    His 20 years of clinical practice and teaching endeavors (including 13 years of full-time work in hospital-based emergency medicine) were split between the eastern U.S. (Pennsylvania and Ohio) and California, including working at Yosemite National Park. Read the full story

by Laura Turner
SDN Staff Writer

In 1987, NOVA’s cameras began rolling to chronicle the lives of seven medical students embarking on their years-long journey to become doctors. From their first days at Harvard Medical School to the present day, none of them could have predicted what it would take, personally and professionally, to become a member of the medical community.

The final installment of NOVA’s Doctors’ Diaries is a two-part special premiering Tuesday, April 7 and 14 at 8pm ET/PT on PBS (check local listings).  The longest-running U.S. documentary of its kind, Doctors’ Diaries begins by reuniting the physicians on the steps of Harvard Medical School 17 years after graduation.

The seven physicians profiled in NOVA's "Doctors' Diaries" (photo credit: NOVA - Betsey Cullen)

Footage from the previous four installments in the series offers a rare and candid look at the rewards and personal sacrifices each has made over the last two decades – from the stress of medical school exams, to the first cut into a cadaver, through first wedding ceremonies (and sometimes second or third), internship, residency, and life as a certified M.D.

The seven physicians featured in Doctors’ Diaries have taken divergent paths:

• Tom Tarter, Bloomington, IN – The Bronx-born, long-haired, tattooed ER doctor has constantly grappled with how he is perceived as a physician. After his contract was terminated at the local hospital he became an itinerant M.D., forcing him to look for work in distant locations. Once a bouncer, an Olympic-hopeful weight lifter, and a mechanic, Tom is now on his fourth marriage and struggles to make ends meet.
• Jane Liebschutz, Boston, MA – Currently an internist specializing in underserved populations, domestic violence, and addictions. NOVA was there for the gut-wrenching moment when Jane experiences a patient dying in the operating room for the first time.
• Jay Bonnar, Belmont, MA – This private practice psychiatrist is also involved in outpatient group therapy and teaches at the hospital.
• Elliott Bennett-Guerrero, Durham, NC – A successful anesthesiologist who picked his specialty partly based on the less demanding hours-this now affords him more time to be at home with his second wife and two young sons and pursue his new passion: golf.
• Luanda Grazette, Thousand Oaks, CA – Originally trained as a clinical cardiologist, Luanda now works for a pharmaceutical company to develop drugs that will help heart patients.
• David Friedman, Baltimore, MD – As an ophthalmologist and professor at Johns Hopkins University, David aims to one day establish a hospital to provide eye care to the millions of people worldwide who currently have no way to improve their poor vision.
• Cheryl Dorsey, New York, NY – Although she eventually completed her pediatrics training, she never practiced. Cheryl put her residency on hold to found a program that provides free curbside health services for minority communities; today she is the president of the same nonprofit that funded her Family Van mobile clinic.

Producer and director Michael Barnes recently spoke with The Student Doctor Network about Doctors’ Diaries. Read the full story

Updated for 2008-2009 Application Year

Visit Kaptest.com for more information and
SDN Member discounts on Kaplan Courses and Materials.

By Janani Krishnaswami, M.D.
Kaplan Admissions Consultant

The school interview inspires anxiety and anticipation in many applicants. A test of poise and communication skills, the interview is a key component of the school application package.

The process inherently benefits those who are:

• Relaxed
• Sincere
• Articulate
• Aware – of both their own motivations for seeking medicine (i.e., self-awareness) and “externally” aware (i.e., current events, salient healthcare issues)
• Able to comfortably carry on a conversation covering a wide range of topics (which stems from all of the above).

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.

Read the full story

by Ellie Moradi
SDN Staff Writer

Otha Myles, M.D. is the Deputy Chief of Epidemiology and Threat Assessment at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research’s United States Military HIV Research Program in Rockville, Maryland.

Dr. Myles graduated from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He went on to complete his residency in internal medicine at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. followed by a fellowship in infectious disease. He was also a recipient of the U.S. Military’s Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).

Dr. Myles has become one of the leading researchers in the field of HIV. His involvement includes projects in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Dr. Myles recently sat down with SDN to give us a glimpse into the lifestyle of an Infectious Disease specialist. Read the full story

by Michael O’Brien
SDN Staff Writer

After starting out as a failed journalism major, Dr. Lawrence Terra wound up graduating Phi Beta Kappa from a prestigious midwestern university with a B.A. in Psychology. He graduated with High Honors from an University of California medical school and now pursues his original dream of journalism through a popular blog.

He completed a four-year OB/GYN Residency and then went on to a Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI). He has worked with many of the pioneers in the field of In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Dr. Terra is currently in full-time private practice as the Medical Director of an IVF program in Southern California. He is a sought-after lecturer, giving educational talks to hundreds of physicians and medical students annually. Dr. Terra is a Board-Certified Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and an active faculty member at two medical schools.

He recently sat down with SDN to give us a glimpse of life as a Reproductive Endocrinologist. Read the full story

by Veronica Tucci
SDN Staff Writer

John T. Sinnott, MD, FACP is the Director of the Division of Infectious Disease and International Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

Recently, he sat down with SDN to give us a glimpse into his career as an Infectious Disease specialist.

Describe a typical day at work.

I don’t think there is a typical day at work for me. It seems that each day is full of something new and exciting and different. One day I may be teaching concepts of diagnosing illnesses to medical students, the next day working on a grant and the day after that analyzing an epidemiologic study. To me the best part of my job is that there are no typical days.  Read the full story