career

Preparing for Medical School as a High School Student

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high school student

Looking to college and beyond is a major step for a high school student. You are about to embark on your journey into adulthood and establish yourself as a college student. For students considering a career in medicine, it is not too early to start exploring this path in high school. To give perspective, to become a physician, it takes four years of undergrad, four year of medical school and then three to seven years of post-graduate training. In essence, making the decision to become a physician is no feat to be taken lightly. If you are considering this path, you can start to solidify your decision in high school. Here is what you can be doing to determine if becoming a physician is the right career choice for you!

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Jump Starting Your Job Search While In Medical School: Part 4

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Read  about steps 1 and 2 in Part 1 of this series  here.
Read  about steps 3 and 4 in Part 2 of this series  here.
Read  about steps 5 and 6 in Part 3 of this series  here.
As a medical student, you’re likely very focused on listening to lectures and passing exams. Good! But by having an awareness of what the next steps in your professional journey are—specifically, pursuing and landing job opportunities—you will be well-prepared and in a position to cherry pick your job opportunities.

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Q&A with Dr. Emma Stanton, Psychiatry, Population Mental Health

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Dr. Emma Stanton is a psychiatrist and Regional Chief Partnerships Officer at Beacon Health Options, a company which is uses a data-driven approach to work with mental health service providers across the US. She is also CEO of its international subsidiary Beacon UK, co-founder and director of the mentorship network Diagnosis, and a General Advisory Council Member at The Kings Fund.
Dr. Stanton obtained her medical degree from Southampton University (2000), completed her MRCPsych from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2005), and obtained her MBA at Imperial College London (2009).
Prior to working at Beacon Health Options, Dr. Stanton completed her clinical training at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. She has also served as Clinical Advisor to the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health in London, which included placements to BUPA and the World Health Organization.

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How The Timing of your Doctor Job Search Could Lead to a Financial Windfall

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You most likely believe the best time to start your medical job search is late autumn of the final year of training. That’s the standard advice, but it may not be the best for you. First, you will be just one of many job-applicants fighting for limited openings. Secondly, you will not have adequate time for preparation—you need your market value report and negotiation skills training completed before you start the process. In the rush to prepare for board exams, move, find a place to live, and find a job all at the same time you may have to skip the prep work and might not be able to bargain for the best deal.

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So You Want to Leave Patient Care: Now What?

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leave patient care

Are you experiencing clinician burnout? Do you bring your patients’ emotional and physical burdens home with you every night? Yet, do you stay in patient care because you don’t know what else to do?
It’s OK. You’re certainly not alone! I was there once, and I’m here to tell that you have other options. Here are some tips to make those options into realities.
The first thing you need to do is take some important self-inventory steps.

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A Med Student’s Guide to Becoming a Physician-Scientist

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physician scientist

When medical students start to think about areas of practice to specialize in once they graduate, the area of medical research can sometimes be overlooked in favor of more traditional practice areas such as internal medicine or surgery. However, for some doctors-to-be, the pull towards such research is strong and it is an important part of the healthcare system, as the discoveries that such scientists make can have an impact on techniques used to improve patient care and outcomes.
This article covers the work and scope of physician-scientists as well as educational pathways these professionals pursue in order to undertake their important work.

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The Undifferentiated Medical Student Podcast: Your Virtual Mentor for Choosing a Specialty

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What is the Undifferentiated Medical Student podcast? Give us an intro.
TUMS is an interview-based podcast about choosing a medical specialty and planning a career in medicine. Many medical students feel lost when it comes to picking a medical specialty and planning their careers (myself included). There are many reasons for this (and some I personally faced):
-they are overwhelmed by the number of options
-they may feel they don’t understand enough medicine yet to start the discussion
-they don’t have a mentor

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Residency Applicants Beware! Make Sure You Understand the Match Participation Agreement

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With Match Week approaching, this is an exciting and hectic time. As you prepare for the next phase of your medical career, it is also important to understand legal issues involved in the Match®, administered by the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)®. As part of the online enrollment process for the Match, residents accept the NRMP’s Match Participation Agreement (MPA). Residents cannot register for the Match unless they accept the MPA. The MPA is a binding contract exceeding 30 pages. Many residents never read the MPA during the online enrollment process. Others may skim the MPA, but not read the terms carefully. Lurking within the MPA, however, are numerous restrictions on what residents may do before, during, and after Match Week. Applicants who fail to comply with those restrictions in the MPA may commit a match violation, which could lead to substantial penalties and adverse consequences for your medical career. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of your obligations under the MPA and to assure your compliance with the MPA.

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Preparing to Apply to Medical School

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Wondering if a career as a doctor would be a good fit for you? Already decided you want to apply to medical school, but not sure where to start? In order to help premedical students understand what is involved in applying to medical school, Student Doctor Network has partnered with Open Osmosis to create a video on “Preparing to Apply to Medical School.” Learn what to consider when deciding whether medical school is the right path for you, find out what you will need for your application, and hear what steps you’ll need to take before starting the application process. The video also takes a look at joint degree options, different curricula, and school environments to help you find the best fit. 

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The Value of Navigating Different EMR Systems

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Electronic medical records were an inevitable advancement. Paper filing could only go so far, and EMRs allowed the healthcare industry to simplify and automate clinical tasks for greater efficiency. Hospitals and practices throughout the world use EMR systems, with a vast majority of facilities using at least one.

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Board Preparation: Training for a Marathon, not a Sprint 

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The first key to success on the boards is using practice questions to develop your “hunch reflex.” If you’re a second year medical student, “kinda-sorta” thinking about a certain test you’ll have to take in about six months, and you haven’t already begun using USMLE/COMLEX-style practice questions in your study, you should start now. Even if you’re just half way through first year, start incorporating the following advice into your study plan: questions, questions, questions!

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What You Should Know: Understanding Immunotherapy Techniques for Cancer Treatment

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The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2015, there were 1,658,370 new cases of cancer diagnosed in this country and some 589,430 deaths. These widespread numbers mean that whether a new doctor enters into general practice, oncology or some other specialty, they are likely to have to work with cancer patients. Because of this, a good understanding of new developments in cancer treatment is important in order to inform and educate patients fully about their potential options.

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What You Should Know: Exploring Techniques for Nonpharmacological Pain Control

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What You Should Know is an ongoing series covering a range of informational topics relevant to current and future healthcare professionals.
Pain assessment and control is something which every doctor going into practice will have to face, regardless of his or her specialty. Pain is the number one reason why Americans seek out medical treatment in the first place and is estimated that some 50 million Americans suffer from some form of chronic pain – at a cost to the US health system of $100 billion a year. It is the leading cause of disability for Americans over the age of 45 and carries with it tremendous health and social costs to patients, their families and society as a whole.

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Why Med-Peds? A Current Resident’s Perspective

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med-peds residents

The transition from eager-to-learn-everything MS3 to self-assured MS4 with a clear residency goal comes much easier for some than others. I had planned on going into Family Medicine throughout the better part of medical school, but late in third year discovered the combined specialty Internal Medicine and Pediatrics (Med-Peds). How was I supposed to explain my interest in this four year program to my friends, mentors and, toughest yet, medicine department chair when I was just beginning to understand it myself? And then the inevitable follow-up question, why not just complete the three year Family Medicine (FM) residency program? FM training remains the perfect choice for many students looking to get broad-based, comprehensive training on how to care for people of all ages. The purpose of this article is to point out the subtle differences between these residency paths and give my top five reasons for why Med-Peds (MP) is a unique, exciting and attractive residency option for about 400 budding young doctors every year.

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Medical Students and Mental Health

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Mental health is a topic which is discussed more openly in our society in recent decades and is, slowly, become less stigmatized. This, ironically, does not seem to be the case when it comes to the issue of mental health problems among medical students. The nature of medical school, and attitudes of medical students themselves, can set up barriers between students who need help and the programs that can help them. This article looks at the widespread nature of this problem in American and overseas medical schools, and also what can be done to help solve it.

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Negotiating Your First Contract As A Physician

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contract

One of the most common mistakes young physicians make when taking a job is accepting whatever is offered. When you are reviewing a job offer and contract, keep in mind that all terms—not just compensation—can be negotiated.
The contract should contain everything discussed in the interview and more. Do not assume verbal statements alone will be remembered or honored. If a certain issue is important to you, make sure to get it in writing. It is also important you take enough time to carefully review the contract, paying attention to all issues that affect you. Do not feel pressure to sign anything you do not fully understand. Courts typically uphold the provisions of the contract, so be careful what you sign.

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Scary Smart: The Widespread Use of “Study Drugs” on American Campuses

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stimulant use

While the American college experience can be a time of great discovery and learning, the pressure to achieve academically is also great—especially for those bound for medical school, law schools or other highly competitive career tracks. This pressure has led to high levels of stress to perform well in school—and to the increased use of “study drugs” to help students live up to these expectations. However, while there are short-term advantages to be had with the use of stimulants in regards to study, these medications are dangerous when used out of context, and studies have shown that they actually are correlated to lower grade point averages. This article looks at the problem of stimulant use on college campuses, and also at what colleges can do to help mitigate the issue.

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Residents and Fellows: Your Guide to the Right Career Path

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You’ve earned your medical degree, worked your way through your residency or fellowship program and are now on your way to a career as a full-time physician. But what career path should you take — work in a hospital setting, join a private practice, start your own practice, or even work locum tenens assignments on a part-time or permanent basis?
Here are some tips to help you decide the best career option for you.

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Advice from 20+ interviews: Part 2

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Don’t miss Part I of this article, which covered how to prepare before the interview and general interview advice.
COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Tell me about yourself
You should have prepared for this! Like I said, have your key bullets/road map ready. Try to keep it around 5 minutes too. This question usually comes up on closed file interviews (where they don’t look at your file beforehand). You may want to cover a bit of question 2 (below) if you have time, since it may not get asked separately. I think it’s always best to include things beyond the typical premed experiences. Talk about your cultural background, travels, cool hobbies, non-medically related endeavors, odd jobs… They’ve always loved those things most. Mention the relevant premed stuff too, but don’t forget about what I mentioned in the previous sentence. Stand out as a person, not a premed machine!

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