Whether you are just beginning your medical school application process by compiling a list of programs that interest you, or if you are choosing one program from multiple acceptance offers, chances are you have referred to a ranking of medical schools. There are a number of such lists, many available online, and each ranking relies on a unique methodology when judging programs. These lists can be very helpful when investigating the differences between medical schools, but they should not be the sole factor when making decisions about where to apply and where to attend. Consider these three guidelines, which can help you best use medical school rankings:
premed
Why isn’t learning about public health a larger part of becoming a doctor?
Chronic conditions, such as Type II diabetes and hypertension, account for seven in 10 deaths in the United States each year. And by some estimates, public health factors, such as the physical environment we live in, socioeconomic status and ability to access health services, determine 90% of our health. Biomedical sciences and actual medical care – the stuff doctors do – determine the remaining 10%.
Clinical medicine can treat patients when they are sick, but public health provides an opportunity to prevent disease and poor health. But too often, medical students don’t get to learn about public health, or how to use it when they become doctors. That means many of today’s students aren’t learning about health care in a broader context.
20 Questions: Laura C. Londra, MD, FACOG, Reproductive Endocrinology
Laura C. Londra, MD, FACOG, is a reproductive endocrinology and infertility physician at Ohio Reproductive Medicine in Columbus, as well as an adjunct instructor at Ohio State University in the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology. As a native of Argentina, Londra attended Universidad Nacional de La Plata (1988-1993), before receiving her MD from Universidad de Buenos Aires (1993-1995). She completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Hospital de Clinicas, University of Buenos Aires (1995-1999), followed by a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology at the Instituto de Ginecologia y Fertilidad de Buenos Aires (2000-2002). In the U.S., Dr. Londra completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Wayne State University, Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Detroit (2008-2012), and a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Baltimore (2012-2015).
Dr. Londra received the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society Scholarship Award (2013, 2015), Midwest Meeting Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Symposium Scholarship (2014), and Edward E. Wallach Fellowship Research Fund Award for fellows research initiatives in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (2014). She’s been published in numerous journals, including International Journal of Women’s Health, Fertility and Sterility, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Seminars of Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, and Case Reports in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a member of the Howard Kelly Society, Johns Hopkins Alumni, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, as well as a junior fellow in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and fellow in Society of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. Dr. Londra is a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and prior to her current work, she was on staff at Instituto de Gynecología y Fertilidad (2002-2006).
The Best Online Resources for Medical Students
Updated on July 1, 2021. The article was updated to correct minor grammatical errors and … Read more
Spring Break: Should You Spend It On The Beach Or At The Bench?
For most researchers, working in the lab over a holiday break is somewhat different from working in the lab during the rest of the year. For example, if an experiment has flexibly, it can be started or stopped when it’s convenient for the researcher instead of planned around seminars, classes, and campus parking issues. In addition, some researchers take a vacation, adopt unconventional work hours, or hide in their office to work on a manuscript and only visit the lab to search for inspiration, a snack, or a temporary distraction.
I regularly direct several undergrad projects at the same time, work with other members of my lab team, and pursue my own research projects. And even though I enjoy mentoring my students, the researcher in me wants to take full advantage of holiday breaks. For me, a holiday break is an opportunity to set my work schedule as I please or conquer a particularly difficult experiment without being interrupted much. Alternatively, I might start an experiment, or run out to do errands and share a meal with friends, only to return to the lab when it’s convenient for me. I also want to spend some time relaxing—perhaps on my couch playing Halo—because I benefit from taking a break from directing other’s projects and thinking about how to solve a labmate’s bench woe.
A Timeline For Your Ultimate Predental Experience
This article originally ran on ASDA’s blog, Mouthing Off, on Dec. 2, 2015. ASDA encourages all predentals to join us in celebrating Predental Week 2016 Feb. 21-27 and becoming a member of the association.
Yesterday was dental school acceptance day – the first day that dental schools start extending offers. If you aren’t quite at the point where you’re checking the mail for your acceptance letter, here are some tips on creating a compelling application.
There are endless opportunities available for predental students to enhance their applications. Most students are aware of the basic elements needed for applying to dental school: a great GPA, a high score on the Dental Admission Test, dental shadowing hours. These components are surely respected, but there are also other avenues available to leverage your experiences. It is important to discover, participate in, and highlight all potential prospects during your undergraduate career. As an enthusiastic predental student embarking on your journey toward the application and acceptance process, here are several recommendations to consider:
The Changing Culture of Medical Education
Transitioning to medical school is a significant change for most students; this naturally makes it a source of excitement, anxiety, stress, and even fear. Being a successful college student will not necessarily translate to success in graduate/professional school, although many of the same or similar strategies will help. Ultimately, adjusting to medical school is going to depend on the individual student and their school; each curriculum will present unique challenges and each student will handle them in a unique way. Although curricula vary among schools, some concepts are similar across the board. Perhaps the most uniform component of twenty-first century medical school curricula is the fact that they are constantly seeking to improve; thus the adage that “change is life’s only constant” seems to be true, at least of medical schools.
How My MCAT Study Plan Helped Me Go From the 30th to 90th Percentile
Download the 2023 Edition of the Nymeria 100-day MCAT study plan – rebuilt with all … Read more
Spaced Repetition in Medical Education
We all want to train to become the best clinicians we can be, but education in the health professions is often like drinking from a firehose. Worse yet, most of us haven’t learned how to learn – how to effectively synthesize and retain the knowledge for the long term, both to do well on board exams and to have that knowledge available to inform our clinical practice.When we came into medical school, one of the most common pieces of advice we’d get from upperclassmen was “don’t worry about remembering this; you’ll forget it all by rotations and you’ll have to relearn it anyway.” What a depressing thought – but it’s true! By the time they arrive in medical school, most students have forgotten the majority of what they learned in college courses. Students routinely need to re-learn massive amounts of forgotten information before taking their board exams, and residents eventually forget much of what they learned in medical school outside their specialty. All this translates into vast amounts of time wasted.
10 Things to Expect From Your Summer Undergrad Research Experience
For some undergrads, this summer will be spent lounging on the beach reading and hanging out with friends. Days will be spent blissfully sleeping until a parent annoyingly insists that it’s time to get up and do something.But alas that’s not for you.
What’s in Your iTunes? Podcasts for the Medically Minded
Whether your goal is education or entertainment, there is likely a medically oriented podcast out there you will enjoy. I’ve included here a sampling of the ones I found most useful or enjoyable, grouped by type. The first are geared towards the present task at hand – surviving medical school in general, clerkships in particular. The second group can help you learn more about your future specialties of interest. The last section takes a broader look at the world of medicine, tackling issues from recent scientific breakthroughs to medical ethics – those topics you feel you should be keeping up on, but who has the time? If you have other podcasts you have found helpful or insightful, please share them via the comments link at the bottom.
Letters of Recommendation for Medical School: Everything You Need to Know
Letters of recommendation can be one of the most important parts of an application. Here we answer some of the most commonly asked questions about LORs.
Conquering the MCAT: 3 Students’ Perspectives
The MCAT is a major hurdle for many medical school applicants. The exam can be … Read more
Medical Admissions Process: Reflections from a Student’s Perspective
The medical admissions process is stressful, but this student had a reflective take on it. Based on your experience, what are your thoughts?
What Will You Do If You Don’t Get Into Medical School?
Dr. Jeremiah Fleenor discusses strategies for answering the question, “What will you do if you don’t get into medical school?”, as well as how to strengthen your application for future application cycles.
The Application Process: Why Apply Early
The application process for medical school begins earlier than the deadlines. Do you understand the importance of applying early?
Tell Me About Yourself: Trick Question (Interview Advice Column)
Updated June 24, 2021. The article was updated to correct minor grammatical errors. “It is … Read more