Preface |
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xxi | |
How to Read This Book |
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xxiii | |
Acknowledgments |
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xxiv | |
Contributors |
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xxv | |
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Section I The Pre-Med Primer |
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3 | (11) |
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1.1 Step 1. Get a Bachelor's Degree |
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3 | (2) |
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1.1.1 Complete Required Classes |
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3 | (1) |
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1.1.2 Engage in "Recommended" (Essentially Required) Activities |
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4 | (1) |
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1.2 Step 2. Take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) |
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5 | (1) |
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1.3 Step 3. Complete Online Applications to Medical Schools, Attend Interviews, and Get Accepted |
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6 | (1) |
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1.3.1 The Primary Application |
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6 | (1) |
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1.3.2 The Secondary Application (Secondaries) |
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6 | (1) |
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1.3.3 Admissions Interviews |
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7 | (1) |
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7 | (1) |
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1.4 Step 4. Attend Medical School |
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7 | (3) |
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1.4.1 First and Second Years |
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7 | (1) |
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1.4.2 Take the USMLE Step 1 (or COMLEX-USA Level 1) Exam |
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8 | (1) |
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1.4.3 Pass/Fail USMLE Step 1: A Deeper Dive |
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8 | (1) |
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1.4.4 Complete Core Clerkships, aka Get a Taste of the Different Specialties |
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9 | (1) |
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10 | (1) |
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1.4.6 Take the USMLE Step 2 Exam (CK and CS) |
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10 | (1) |
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1.4.7 Complete an Acting Internship (AI), aka Pretending to Be a First-Year Resident |
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10 | (1) |
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1.4.8 Complete Away Rotations (Optional) |
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10 | (1) |
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1.5 Step 5. Apply to Residency |
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10 | (2) |
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11 | (1) |
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1.6 Step 6. Complete Residency |
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12 | (1) |
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1.6.1 But Wait. Why Do I Have to Attend Residency? Isn't Medical School Where You Learn Medicine and Become a Doctor? |
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12 | (1) |
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1.7 Step 7. Complete Fellowships (Optional) |
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12 | (1) |
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1.8 Step 8. Become an Attending Physician |
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12 | (1) |
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13 | (1) |
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2 What Medical Schools Look For |
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14 | (10) |
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2.1 What Are the Goals of Medical Schools? |
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14 | (1) |
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2.2 How Many Students Approach the Pre-MedicaI Years |
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14 | (1) |
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2.3 How YOU Will Approach the Pre-Medical Years |
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14 | (1) |
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15 | (6) |
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2.4.1 Pillar 1: Academic Excellence (aka Good Grades and Test Scores) |
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15 | (2) |
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2.4.2 Pillar 2: Commitment to Serving Others |
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17 | (1) |
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2.4.3 Pillar 3: Clinical Experience |
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18 | (1) |
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2.4.4 Pillar 4: Social and Emotional Intelligence |
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19 | (1) |
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2.4.5 Pillar 5: Non-Academic Excellence-Passion and Deep Achievement |
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20 | (1) |
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2.4.6 Pillar 6: Integrity |
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20 | (1) |
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2.5 For Lovers of Hard Data |
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21 | (2) |
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23 | (1) |
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24 | (7) |
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3.1 Protect Your CPA and Integrity |
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24 | (2) |
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3.1.1 Your Weil-Being GPA |
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24 | (2) |
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3.2 Do Not Take the MCAT Until You Are at least Averaging Your Target Score on Official Practice Tests |
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26 | (1) |
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3.3 Be an Interesting Person with a Cohesive Narrative Evidenced by Breadth and Depth of Experience |
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27 | (1) |
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3.4 Build Your Relationships and Mentorships |
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28 | (1) |
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3.5 Keep an Open Mind and Remain Introspective |
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29 | (1) |
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3.6 There Are No Guarantees |
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30 | (1) |
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3.6.1 Student Perspective: Mindfulness Meditation |
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30 | (1) |
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30 | (1) |
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4 The Types of Pre-Medical Students and Paths to Medical School |
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31 | (11) |
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4.1 There Are Different Pathways to Medical School |
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31 | (1) |
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4.2 The High School Student. Guaranteed Admissions Pathway |
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31 | (1) |
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4.3 The High School Student. Traditional Pathway |
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32 | (1) |
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4.4 The College Student, Early Assurance |
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33 | (1) |
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4.5 The College Student (Sophomore) |
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33 | (1) |
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34 | (1) |
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4.7 Post-Undergraduate or Career Changing Applicant (31-Year-Old) |
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35 | (1) |
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36 | (1) |
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4.9 If You Are a High School Student |
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36 | (1) |
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4.9.1 Step 1: Get Involved in Clinical Experience, Shadowing, and Research Opportunities |
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36 | (1) |
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4.9.2 Step 2a: Consider Applying to a Guaranteed Admissions Program |
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36 | (1) |
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4.9.3 Step 2b: Get into a Reputable College and Maintain a High GPA |
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37 | (1) |
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4.10 If You Are a College Student |
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37 | (2) |
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4.10.1 Step 1: Evaluate your Institution and Course of Study |
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37 | (1) |
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4.10.2 Step 2: Get into a Pre-Medical Program (If Your School Has One) |
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38 | (1) |
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4.10.3 Step 3: Choose a Major. Yes, Any Major! |
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39 | (1) |
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4.11 As You Near Undergraduate Graduation |
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39 | (1) |
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4.11.1 Decide Which Type of Medical School Applicant You Will Be |
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39 | (1) |
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4.12 If You Are a Non-Traditional Applicant |
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39 | (2) |
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41 | (1) |
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5 Building Your Narrative |
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42 | (5) |
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42 | (4) |
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42 | (1) |
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43 | (1) |
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44 | (2) |
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46 | (1) |
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6 Common Pre-Med Diseases and How to Treat Them |
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47 | (10) |
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47 | (2) |
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47 | (1) |
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47 | (1) |
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6.1.3 Differential Diagnosis |
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48 | (1) |
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49 | (1) |
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49 | (2) |
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49 | (1) |
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50 | (1) |
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6.2.3 Differential Diagnosis |
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50 | (1) |
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51 | (1) |
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6.3 Syndrome of Inappropriate Enthusiasm (SIE) |
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51 | (1) |
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51 | (1) |
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51 | (1) |
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6.3.3 Differential Diagnosis |
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51 | (1) |
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51 | (1) |
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6.4 Pre-Medical Denial Syndrome |
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52 | (1) |
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52 | (1) |
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52 | (1) |
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6.4.3 Differential Diagnosis |
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53 | (1) |
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53 | (1) |
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53 | (1) |
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53 | (1) |
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53 | (1) |
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6.5.3 Differential Diagnosis |
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53 | (1) |
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54 | (1) |
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54 | (3) |
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Section II Succeeding as a Pre-Medical Student |
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7 Guaranteed Admission Programs and Early Assurance Programs |
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57 | (10) |
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7.1 Combined Bachelors/Doctorate Programs |
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57 | (1) |
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7.1.1 What Are Bachelors/Doctorate Programs? |
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57 | (1) |
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7.1.2 The Good and the Bad |
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57 | (1) |
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7.2 If CAP Programs Are for You |
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57 | (8) |
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7.2.1 What to Do in High School? |
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57 | (2) |
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7.2.2 How Do GAP Admissions Work? |
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59 | (1) |
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7.2.3 What Is Undergrad Like as a Combined Bachelors/Doctorate Student? |
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60 | (1) |
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61 | (1) |
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7.2.5 The Fun Stuff: Unique GAP Student Opportunities |
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61 | (1) |
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62 | (3) |
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7.3 Early Assurance Programs |
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65 | (1) |
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66 | (1) |
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8 Schools, Majors, and More |
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67 | (10) |
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8.1 Choosing an Undergraduate School or Pre-Med Program |
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67 | (1) |
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67 | (3) |
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8.2.1 Excellence Breeds Excellence |
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67 | (1) |
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8.2.2 Student Perspectives on Undergraduate Prestige |
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68 | (1) |
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69 | (1) |
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69 | (1) |
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69 | (1) |
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8.2.6 Opportunities for Exposure |
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69 | (1) |
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8.3 What Major Should I Choose? |
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70 | (4) |
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70 | (3) |
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8.3.2 Pros of "Traditional" Majors |
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73 | (1) |
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8.3.3 Pros of "Non-Traditional Majors" |
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73 | (1) |
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8.4 Guiding Principles for Mapping Out Your Curriculum |
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74 | (2) |
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8.4.1 What Are Your Passions Outside of Medicine? |
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74 | (1) |
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8.4.2 What Will Prepare You the Most? |
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74 | (1) |
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8.4.3 Challenge Yourself (Within Reason!) |
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74 | (1) |
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75 | (1) |
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75 | (1) |
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8.4.6 Don't Burn Yourself Out |
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76 | (1) |
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76 | (1) |
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9 Timing, Class Structure, and Personal Schedules |
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77 | (7) |
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78 | (1) |
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9.2 Interview and Admissions Process |
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78 | (1) |
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9.3 Class Structure: Common Pitfalls in Scheduling |
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79 | (2) |
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9.3.1 Overloading Your Scheduling |
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79 | (1) |
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9.3.2 Too Many Science Classes with Labs |
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80 | (1) |
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9.3.3 Trying to Schedule for Maximum Quality of Life |
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80 | (1) |
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9.3.4 Scheduling Class Times You Know Will not Work for You |
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81 | (1) |
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9.4 What Happens if I Do Poorly in a Course? |
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81 | (1) |
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9.5 What Do I Do with My Vacations? (e.g., Summer Break) |
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81 | (1) |
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9.6 Personal Schedule---Why You Need One, and Why You'll Probably Enjoy It |
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81 | (2) |
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83 | (1) |
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84 | (5) |
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10.1 Tips for Succeeding in Your Classes |
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84 | (4) |
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84 | (1) |
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10.1.2 Prioritize Active, Undistracted Studying |
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84 | (2) |
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10.1.3 Master Both Understanding and Memorizing |
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86 | (1) |
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10.1.4 Manage Your Time with Technology |
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86 | (1) |
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10.1.5 Understand Your Optimal Study Space(s) |
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86 | (1) |
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10.1.6 Reach Out for Help as Early as You Think You Need It |
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87 | (1) |
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10.1.7 Don't Schedule Too Many Difficult Classes Together |
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87 | (1) |
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10.1.8 Consider Third-Party Materials |
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87 | (1) |
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88 | (1) |
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10.2 So What if I Have a Low GPA? |
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88 | (1) |
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88 | (1) |
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89 | (4) |
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90 | (2) |
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11.1.1 Medically Related Clubs |
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90 | (1) |
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11.1.2 Non-Medically Related Clubs |
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90 | (1) |
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90 | (1) |
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11.1.4 Sororities, Fraternities, and Professional Societies |
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91 | (1) |
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11.1.5 Explore Your Passions |
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91 | (1) |
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11.1.6 Other Leadership Opportunities |
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91 | (1) |
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11.1.7 Non-Traditional Extracurriculars |
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91 | (1) |
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11.2 What Are Medical Schools Looking For? |
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92 | (1) |
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92 | (1) |
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93 | (2) |
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94 | (1) |
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95 | (5) |
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95 | (1) |
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13.2 Why Is It Important? |
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95 | (1) |
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13.3 How Are These Shadowing Experiences Weighed by Admissions Committees? |
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96 | (1) |
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13.4 Nuts and Bolts of Shadowing |
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96 | (1) |
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96 | (1) |
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13.4.2 Meeting the Doctor |
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97 | (1) |
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13.4.3 The Quest for The One |
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97 | (1) |
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97 | (2) |
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13.6 How Does Shadowing Develop Your Narrative? |
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99 | (1) |
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99 | (1) |
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100 | (5) |
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14.1 Non-Medical Volunteering |
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100 | (1) |
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14.2 Medical Volunteering |
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100 | (1) |
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14.3 Which Type to Engage in? |
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101 | (1) |
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14.4 Some Important Points |
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101 | (1) |
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14.5 Do You Need to Do Volunteering to Get into Medical School? |
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101 | (1) |
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14.6 So, Do You Really Need to Volunteer for the Application Process? |
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102 | (1) |
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14.7 How to Record Your Volunteering |
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103 | (1) |
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104 | (1) |
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105 | (11) |
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15.1 Research: Does It Spark Joy in You? |
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105 | (2) |
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15.1.1 Does Curiosity, the Ability to Ask Novel Questions and Seek Answers to Them, Drive Your Motivation for Medicine? |
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106 | (1) |
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15.1.2 Is There a Subject You Are Passionate about and Hope to Contribute to? |
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106 | (1) |
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15.1.3 Do You Have the Time to Commit to Research? |
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106 | (1) |
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15.1.4 Are You Willing to Put in the Effort Toward Becoming a Student Researcher? |
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106 | (1) |
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15.1.5 Ideally, You Should Pursue Research that Sparks Your Interest and Contributes to Your Narrative |
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106 | (1) |
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15.1.6 Are You Considering an MD/PhD Program (or Other Research Dual Degree, e.g., MD/MS)? |
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107 | (1) |
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15.2 Navigating Medical School Applications Without Research Experience |
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107 | (1) |
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15.2.1 Devote More Time to Your Other Pre-Medical Endeavors |
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107 | (1) |
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15.2.2 Enter the Application Cycle with a Strong GPA and MCAT Score |
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107 | (1) |
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15.2.3 Find the Right School for You, but also Recognize that not Having Research Generally Hurts Your Application |
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107 | (1) |
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15.2.4 Consider Postgraduate Research Opportunities |
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108 | (1) |
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15.3 Finding Opportunities for Research |
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108 | (2) |
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108 | (1) |
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108 | (1) |
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109 | (1) |
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15.3.4 Realistic Expectations |
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110 | (1) |
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110 | (2) |
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15.4.1 The Principal Investigator (PI) |
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110 | (1) |
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111 | (1) |
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112 | (1) |
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15.5 Types of Research and Publications |
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112 | (2) |
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112 | (1) |
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112 | (1) |
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15.5.3 Translational Research |
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113 | (1) |
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113 | (1) |
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114 | (2) |
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15.6.1 Short-term Research Opportunities |
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114 | (1) |
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15.6.2 Longer-term Research Opportunities |
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114 | (1) |
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15.6.3 International Research Opportunities |
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115 | (1) |
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16 Cap Years, Employment, Graduate Degrees, and Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships |
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116 | (4) |
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16.1 If You Just Want to Take a Breather |
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116 | (1) |
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16.2 If You Need to Strengthen Your Application |
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116 | (3) |
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117 | (1) |
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118 | (1) |
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118 | (1) |
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119 | (1) |
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119 | (1) |
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120 | (14) |
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120 | (2) |
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122 | (1) |
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17.3 Student Perspective: Exam Day |
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122 | (1) |
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122 | (1) |
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17.5 The Classes to Take Before You Take the MCAT |
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123 | (1) |
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17.6 So What's the Best Way to Prepare? |
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123 | (1) |
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123 | (1) |
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124 | (1) |
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17.9 Kaplan versus The Princeton Review |
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124 | (1) |
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124 | (1) |
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125 | (1) |
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125 | (1) |
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126 | (1) |
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17.14 Critical Analysis and Reasoning |
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126 | (1) |
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17.15 Other Sections in General |
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127 | (1) |
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17.16 Biochemical Foundations |
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127 | (1) |
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17.17 Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems |
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127 | (1) |
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17.18 Test-Taking Strategies |
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127 | (1) |
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17.19 Retake or Not to Retake? |
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128 | (1) |
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129 | (4) |
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133 | (1) |
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18 Self-Care and Wellness |
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134 | (11) |
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134 | (1) |
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18.2 So How Do I Get Started and Keep the Ball Rolling? |
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134 | (1) |
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18.3 Physical Components of Wellness |
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135 | (4) |
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18.3.1 High-Quality Sleep |
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135 | (1) |
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136 | (2) |
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138 | (1) |
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18.3.4 Avoiding Unhealthy Substance Use |
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139 | (1) |
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18.4 Mental Components of Wellness |
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139 | (5) |
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18.4.1 What Is Mindfulness Meditation? |
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141 | (1) |
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18.4.2 When Should I Talk to a Professional? |
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142 | (2) |
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18.4.3 What Is Burnout, and Why Should I Care about It Now? |
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144 | (1) |
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144 | (1) |
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145 | (6) |
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19.1 What Are Mentors and Why Should I Care about Them? |
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145 | (1) |
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19.2 What Attributes Should I Look for in Mentors? |
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145 | (1) |
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145 | (1) |
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145 | (1) |
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19.2.3 Network of Resources |
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146 | (1) |
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146 | (1) |
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146 | (1) |
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146 | (1) |
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19.3 Five Mentors to Start With |
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146 | (1) |
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146 | (1) |
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146 | (1) |
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147 | (1) |
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147 | (1) |
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147 | (1) |
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19.4 The Key to a Successful Mentor Relationship |
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147 | (1) |
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19.5 My Mentor Relationship Isn't Working! |
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147 | (1) |
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19.6 Letter of Recommendation and Your Mentor |
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148 | (1) |
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148 | (3) |
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Section III Applying to Medical School |
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151 | (6) |
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20.1 All Right, I Get It---This Might be Painful. So How Do I Apply to Medical School? |
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151 | (1) |
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20.2 Two Years Before Intended Matriculation |
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152 | (1) |
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20.3 One Year Before Intended Matriculation |
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152 | (1) |
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20.4 Intended Matriculation Year |
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153 | (1) |
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20.5 Early Decision Application |
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153 | (1) |
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20.6 How Much Will This Cost? |
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153 | (1) |
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20.7 How Can I Keep Track of the Admissions Cycle for My Individual Schools? |
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154 | (1) |
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20.8 Student Perspective on Student Doctor Network School-Specific Threads |
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154 | (1) |
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20.9 What Are Update/Intent Letters, and When Do I Send Them? |
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154 | (1) |
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20.10 Additional Resources |
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155 | (1) |
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155 | (2) |
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21 Before You Begin: Application Strength Analysis |
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157 | (5) |
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21.1 Check Your Readiness to Apply to Medical School |
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157 | (2) |
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21.2 Are You an Underrepresented Minority (URM) Applicant? |
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159 | (2) |
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21.3 Medical School Admissions Consultants |
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161 | (1) |
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161 | (1) |
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22 Before You Begin: Application Cycle Prophylaxis |
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162 | (3) |
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22.1 Personal Social Media Cleanup: Assess the Damage |
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162 | (1) |
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22.2 Email Preparation: This Email System Setup Will Keep You Sane Throughout the Application Cycle |
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163 | (1) |
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22.3 Store All of Your Application Files and Notes on the Cloud in a Single Space |
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163 | (1) |
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22.4 Look into Travel Credit Cards and Loyalty Programs 5 to 6 Months before Interviews Begin |
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163 | (1) |
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22.5 Be Ready to Manage Your Stress |
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164 | (1) |
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164 | (1) |
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23 Letters of Recommendation |
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165 | (4) |
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23.1 How to Maximize Your Odds of Getting a Strong, Positive Letter of Recommendation |
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165 | (1) |
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23.2 So How Many Letters Should You Have, and of Which Type? |
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165 | (1) |
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166 | (1) |
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23.4 "I Have a Lot of Options. Who Should Write My Letters?" |
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167 | (1) |
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167 | (1) |
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167 | (1) |
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23.5 When Do I Ask for the Letter? |
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167 | (1) |
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167 | (1) |
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168 | (1) |
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23.8 What If Someone Asks You to Write a Letter for Yourself? |
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168 | (1) |
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168 | (1) |
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24 DO, MD, and International Schools |
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169 | (10) |
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24.1 Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) |
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169 | (5) |
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24.1.1 History of the DO Degree |
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170 | (3) |
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24.1.2 How to Apply to DO Programs |
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173 | (1) |
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24.2 International/Caribbean Medical Schools |
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174 | (3) |
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177 | (2) |
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25 Dual-Degree Programs: MD/PhD, MPH, MBA, JD, and Others |
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179 | (19) |
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25.1 Why Are Schools Offering More MD Dual Degrees? |
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179 | (1) |
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25.1.1 Students Obtain Cross-Disciplinary Education, Training, and Networking with a Second Degree |
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180 | (1) |
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25.1.2 Master's Dual Degrees Are Accelerated So They Can be Earned Together with the MD in 5 Combined Years |
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180 | (1) |
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25.1.3 Medical Students May Get Admissions Benefits |
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180 | (1) |
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25.2 What Kinds of Dual Degrees Are Medical Schools Currently Offering? |
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180 | (1) |
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25.3 How Do Dual Degrees Work? |
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181 | (1) |
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25.3.1 Students Generally Complete Their Additional Degree after Their Core Clerkship Year |
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181 | (1) |
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25.3.2 MD Dual Degrees Vary Widely Partnership Level, Curriculum Integration, and Accommodation |
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181 | (1) |
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25.4 The Physician-Scientist (MD/PhD) |
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181 | (7) |
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25.4.1 Why Do an MD/PhD Program? |
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182 | (1) |
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25.4.2 How Are MSTPs Different from MD/PhD programs? |
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182 | (1) |
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25.4.3 What Is the Timeline for MD/PhD Programs? |
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183 | (1) |
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25.4.4 How Does Financial Aid for MD/PhD Programs Work? |
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183 | (1) |
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25.4.5 How Does the MD/PhD Application Process Work? |
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183 | (2) |
|
25.4.6 Are GPA and MCAT Requirements Different for MD/PhD Programs? |
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185 | (1) |
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25.4.7 What Type of Research Can You Do as an MD/PhD Student? |
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186 | (1) |
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25.4.8 What Careers Do MD/PhD Graduates Have? |
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186 | (2) |
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25.5 Other Dual-Degree Programs |
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188 | (2) |
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25.5.1 Should You Consider Non-MD/PhD Dual Degrees? |
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188 | (2) |
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190 | (1) |
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190 | (1) |
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191 | (1) |
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191 | (1) |
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192 | (1) |
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192 | (1) |
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193 | (1) |
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193 | (1) |
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25.10 Biomedical or Clinical informatics |
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194 | (1) |
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194 | (1) |
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195 | (1) |
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195 | (1) |
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196 | (2) |
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196 | (2) |
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26 Medical School Rankings |
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198 | (7) |
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198 | (1) |
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26.1.1 Who Does the Ranking? |
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198 | (1) |
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26.1.2 Who Ranks the Rankers? A Historical Perspective |
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198 | (1) |
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26.2 The Methodology: What Goes into Ranking a Medical School? |
|
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199 | (1) |
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26.2.1 The Rankings Algorithm: Research versus Primary Care |
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199 | (1) |
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26.3 Contextualizing These Quality Proxies: What Are They? |
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199 | (2) |
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26.3.1 Quality Assessment |
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199 | (1) |
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200 | (1) |
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26.3.3 Primary Care Production Rate |
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201 | (1) |
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26.3.4 In Defense of This Ranking Criteria |
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201 | (1) |
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201 | (1) |
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26.4.1 Student Selectivity |
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202 | (1) |
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202 | (1) |
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26.5 Overall Limitations and Criticism |
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202 | (2) |
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204 | (1) |
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27 Making Your List: What Schools Do I Apply To? |
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205 | (8) |
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|
27.1 Should I Apply Early Decision? |
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209 | (1) |
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27.2 Medical Schools with Unique Features |
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210 | (2) |
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212 | (1) |
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28 Primary Application: AMCAS, AACOMAS, and TMDSAS |
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213 | (10) |
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214 | (3) |
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217 | (1) |
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218 | (4) |
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222 | (1) |
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223 | (8) |
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223 | (3) |
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29.1.1 AMCAS Transcript Entry Synopsis |
|
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224 | (1) |
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29.1.2 AMCAS Course Entry Special Cases |
|
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225 | (1) |
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29.1.3 AMCAS Concluding Thoughts |
|
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226 | (1) |
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226 | (2) |
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29.2.1 Transcript Requests to Yourself |
|
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226 | (1) |
|
29.2.2 Transcript Requests to AACOMAS |
|
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226 | (1) |
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29.2.3 AACOMAS Transcript Entry Synopsis |
|
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227 | (1) |
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29.2.4 AACOMAS Course Entry Special Cases |
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228 | (1) |
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29.2.5 AACOMAS Concluding Thoughts |
|
|
228 | (1) |
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228 | (2) |
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29.3.1 Transcript Requests to Yourself |
|
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228 | (1) |
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29.3.2 Transcript Requests to TMDSAS |
|
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229 | (1) |
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29.3.3 TMDSAS Transcript Entry Synopsis |
|
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229 | (1) |
|
29.3.4 TMDSAS Course Entry Special Cases |
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|
230 | (1) |
|
29.3.5 TMDSAS Concluding Thoughts |
|
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230 | (1) |
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230 | (1) |
|
30 Activities and Meaningful Experiences |
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231 | (4) |
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232 | (1) |
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233 | (1) |
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233 | (1) |
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234 | (1) |
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235 | (6) |
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235 | (1) |
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235 | (1) |
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236 | (1) |
|
31.4 How to Write the Personal Statement |
|
|
237 | (2) |
|
31.5 Example Personal Statement |
|
|
239 | (1) |
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240 | (1) |
|
32 Altus Suite: CASPer, Snapshot, and Duet |
|
|
241 | (5) |
|
|
32.1 Which Schools Require It? |
|
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242 | (1) |
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242 | (1) |
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243 | (1) |
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|
243 | (1) |
|
32.2 When Should I Take It? |
|
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243 | (1) |
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|
243 | (2) |
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|
244 | (1) |
|
32.3.2 Identifying Multiple---Potentially Unspoken---Perspectives in an Interpersonal Conflict |
|
|
244 | (1) |
|
32.3.3 Articulating Your Values and Responsibilities |
|
|
245 | (1) |
|
32.3.4 Choosing a Side and Justifying It |
|
|
245 | (1) |
|
32.4 Is There Any Practice Material? |
|
|
245 | (1) |
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245 | (1) |
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|
246 | (5) |
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246 | (4) |
|
|
246 | (1) |
|
33.1.2 Breadth of Perspectives |
|
|
247 | (1) |
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|
247 | (1) |
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|
247 | (1) |
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|
247 | (1) |
|
33.1.6 Most Rewarding Experience |
|
|
248 | (1) |
|
33.1.7 Academic Interests |
|
|
248 | (1) |
|
|
248 | (1) |
|
33.1.9 Alternate Universe |
|
|
248 | (1) |
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|
248 | (1) |
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|
248 | (1) |
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248 | (1) |
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248 | (1) |
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249 | (1) |
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|
249 | (1) |
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249 | (1) |
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249 | (1) |
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249 | (1) |
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249 | (1) |
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250 | (1) |
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|
251 | (7) |
|
|
34.1 How Important Are Interviews? |
|
|
251 | (1) |
|
34.2 So How Do I Maximize My Face Time with Current Medical Students? |
|
|
252 | (1) |
|
34.3 Interview Day Preparation |
|
|
253 | (3) |
|
34.3.1 Know Your Answers to the Following Questions Cold |
|
|
254 | (2) |
|
34.4 Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) |
|
|
256 | (1) |
|
|
257 | (1) |
|
35 Interview Trail Travel and Attire |
|
|
258 | (3) |
|
|
35.1 Interview Trail Travel |
|
|
258 | (1) |
|
35.2 Interview Day Attire |
|
|
259 | (1) |
|
|
260 | (1) |
|
36 Wait-List and Update Letters |
|
|
261 | (3) |
|
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|
|
261 | (2) |
|
|
263 | (1) |
|
|
263 | (1) |
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|
264 | (8) |
|
|
|
37.1 A Snapshot of Current Debt. Income, and Wealth |
|
|
264 | (1) |
|
37.2 Financial Aid Doesn't Matter Early in the Process |
|
|
265 | (1) |
|
37.3 Financial Aid: When You Are Applying |
|
|
265 | (1) |
|
37.4 Financial Aid: After You Have Applied (Submitted Your Primary and Secondary Applications) |
|
|
266 | (1) |
|
37.5 Financial Aid: After Acceptance |
|
|
266 | (1) |
|
37.6 Understanding Your Personalized Award Letter; What Types of Aid Are Available? |
|
|
266 | (3) |
|
37.6.1 Government-Backed Loans |
|
|
266 | (1) |
|
37.6.2 Institution-Based Loans |
|
|
267 | (1) |
|
|
267 | (1) |
|
37.6.4 Merit-Based Institution Scholarships |
|
|
268 | (1) |
|
37.6.5 Outside Scholarships |
|
|
268 | (1) |
|
|
268 | (1) |
|
37.6.7 Special Service Contracts |
|
|
268 | (1) |
|
37.6.8 MD/PhD, and Other Combined Degree Programs |
|
|
269 | (1) |
|
37.7 So What Does the Debt Data Tell Us? |
|
|
269 | (1) |
|
37.8 Financial Aid: After You Are Accepted |
|
|
269 | (2) |
|
37.8.1 I Was Accepted, Where Are My Financial Aid Packages? |
|
|
269 | (1) |
|
37.8.2 We Are Quickly Approaching the April 30th Deadline, and I Haven't Received All My Award Letters Yet. What Should I Do? |
|
|
270 | (1) |
|
37.8.3 The School I Want to Attend Gave Me Much Less Aid than Another School. Is There Any Way to Appeal My Aid Award? |
|
|
270 | (1) |
|
37.8.4 The School I Most Want to Attend Gave Me Much Less Aid than Another School and Will Not Negotiate with Me. What Should I Do? |
|
|
270 | (1) |
|
37.8.5 How Much Should the Cost of Medical School Matter? |
|
|
271 | (1) |
|
|
271 | (1) |
|
38 Acceptance and Decisions: What Really Matters When Choosing the One School |
|
|
272 | (5) |
|
|
|
|
272 | (1) |
|
|
273 | (1) |
|
|
273 | (1) |
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|
273 | (1) |
|
|
274 | (1) |
|
|
274 | (1) |
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|
274 | (1) |
|
38.8 Work-Life Integration |
|
|
274 | (1) |
|
38.9 Resources and Support |
|
|
275 | (1) |
|
|
275 | (1) |
|
|
276 | (1) |
|
39 Before and After Matriculation |
|
|
277 | (4) |
|
|
|
277 | (1) |
|
39.2 Finding a Place to Live |
|
|
277 | (1) |
|
|
277 | (1) |
|
|
278 | (1) |
|
|
278 | (1) |
|
39.3 Should I Live with a Roommate or Alone? |
|
|
278 | (1) |
|
39.3.1 Living with Roommates |
|
|
279 | (1) |
|
39.3.2 Classmates as Roomies |
|
|
279 | (1) |
|
39.3.3 Strangers as Roomies |
|
|
279 | (1) |
|
|
279 | (1) |
|
39.4 Preparing Your Study Space |
|
|
279 | (1) |
|
39.5 Orientation and Start to the Semester |
|
|
280 | (1) |
|
|
280 | (1) |
|
|
280 | (1) |
|
39.5.3 Seek Mentors and Tutors |
|
|
280 | (1) |
|
39.5.4 Get Involved in Projects |
|
|
280 | (1) |
|
|
280 | (1) |
|
40 Plan B and Reapplication |
|
|
281 | (6) |
|
|
|
40.1 First Find Out What Went Wrong |
|
|
281 | (2) |
|
|
283 | (1) |
|
|
283 | (1) |
|
|
284 | (3) |
|
Section IV Medical School and Career Insights |
|
|
|
41 Real Talk on a Medical Career |
|
|
287 | (15) |
|
|
41.1 "Becoming a Physician Allows Me to be a Lifelong Learner and Appeals to My Desire for Constant Intellectual Stimulation" (aka "I Like Science") |
|
|
288 | (2) |
|
41.2 "Becoming a Physician Would Allow Me to Regularly Make a Deep, Personal, Positive Impact in People's Lives" |
|
|
290 | (1) |
|
41.3 "I Want to Become a Physician to Do the Best, Evidence-Based Medicine for My Patients. I Want the Most Breadth and Depth of Knowledge, and This Is Why I'm Not Content with Becoming a Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner---Even Though I Understand that These Providers Make Crucial Contributions to the Healthcare Team" |
|
|
291 | (4) |
|
41.4 "Physicians Have a Doctoral-Level Understanding of Their Craft I Want to Both Excel at Patient Care at the Bedside and Revolutionize Treatment as a Whole through Research. Along the Way, I'd Like to Find and Establish a Niche for Myself in an Area of Medicine that Truly Inspires Me" |
|
|
295 | (1) |
|
41.5 "Becoming a Physician Is a Fairly Straightforward and Reliable Way to a Comfortable Income that's Recession-Proof" |
|
|
296 | (3) |
|
41.6 Ok. I Get It. Residency Is Hard. But How Bad Can It Really Be? |
|
|
299 | (3) |
|
42 Real Talk on the Medical School Experience |
|
|
302 | (18) |
|
|
|
42.1 Medical School in a Nutshell |
|
|
302 | (2) |
|
42.2 Medical School Hot Takes |
|
|
304 | (8) |
|
42.2.1 Memorization Is King but not Enough |
|
|
304 | (1) |
|
42.2.2 School Material Alone Is often Inadequate to Succeed |
|
|
305 | (1) |
|
42.2.3 Extracurriculars---Aside from Research---Don't Really Matter as much in Medical School |
|
|
306 | (1) |
|
42.2.4 You Might Run into Some Hypercompetitive "Gunners," but Overall the Environment Tends to be Collaborative |
|
|
307 | (1) |
|
42.2.5 Grading Can Be Hit-or-Miss at Times |
|
|
307 | (2) |
|
42.2.6 Altruism, Passion, and Empathy Aren't Enough to Ward against Burnout |
|
|
309 | (1) |
|
42.2.7 Self-Care Is Harder but Still Non-negotiable |
|
|
309 | (2) |
|
42.2.8 The Social Scene Is Very Unique |
|
|
311 | (1) |
|
42.2.9 You May Experience (Covert) Harassment, and It Is not Ok or "Just Part of the Process" |
|
|
311 | (1) |
|
42.3 Medical School: A Class-by-Class Breakdown |
|
|
312 | (7) |
|
42.3.1 Year 1: Basic Sciences |
|
|
312 | (2) |
|
42.3.2 Year 2: Organ Blocks |
|
|
314 | (1) |
|
42.3.3 Year 3: Core Clerkships |
|
|
314 | (4) |
|
|
318 | (1) |
|
42.3.5 Miscellaneous Years |
|
|
319 | (1) |
|
|
319 | (1) |
|
43 Real Talk on Succeeding in Medical School |
|
|
320 | (11) |
|
|
43.1 You Still Need a Schedule---Now More than Ever |
|
|
320 | (1) |
|
43.2 You Still Need to Maintain Wellness---Now More than Ever |
|
|
321 | (1) |
|
43.3 Exhaust All Active Learning Resources before Even Trying Passive Learning (If at All) |
|
|
322 | (7) |
|
|
322 | (3) |
|
|
325 | (2) |
|
|
327 | (1) |
|
43.3.4 Dedicated Study Periods |
|
|
328 | (1) |
|
43.4 Proactively Search for Your Passion |
|
|
329 | (1) |
|
|
330 | (1) |
|
44 A Peek at the Residency Application Process |
|
|
331 | (7) |
|
|
|
44.1 Residency Application Cycle: The Big Picture |
|
|
331 | (2) |
|
|
333 | (3) |
|
44.3 How Do Residency Interviews Work? |
|
|
336 | (1) |
|
44.4 What Do I Do When I'm Done with Interviews? |
|
|
336 | (1) |
|
|
337 | (1) |
|
45 A Day in the Life in Medicine |
|
|
338 | (6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
45.1 Vamsi Reddy---Fourth-Year Medical Student (MS4) at Medical College of Georgia |
|
|
338 | (1) |
|
|
338 | (1) |
|
45.1.2 Clinical (Depends on Rotation) |
|
|
338 | (1) |
|
45.2 Phillip Wagner. MD---Third-Year Resident (PGY3) in Internal Medicine at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) |
|
|
339 | (1) |
|
45.3 Nitin Agarwal, MD---Seventh-Year Chief Resident (PGY7) in Neurosurgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) |
|
|
339 | (1) |
|
45.4 Joel Thomas, MD---Transitional Year Resident (PGY1) at Indiana University Methodist |
|
|
340 | (3) |
|
|
343 | (1) |
|
|
344 | (11) |
|
|
46.1 Yes. Some People Don't Pursue a Clinical Career after Medical School |
|
|
344 | (1) |
|
46.2 Why Do People Choose Nonclinical Careers? |
|
|
344 | (1) |
|
|
344 | (1) |
|
46.2.2 Skillset/Interest Mismatch or Pull in a Different Direction |
|
|
344 | (1) |
|
|
345 | (1) |
|
46.2.4 Failed Residency/Admission |
|
|
345 | (1) |
|
46.3 Pivot Points: When Do People Switch to Nonclinical Careers? |
|
|
345 | (1) |
|
46.3.1 Before Residency aka During or After Medical School |
|
|
345 | (1) |
|
|
345 | (1) |
|
|
345 | (1) |
|
46.4 What Are the Typical Nonclinical Jobs? |
|
|
345 | (9) |
|
46.4.1 Consulting (Business Strategy and Management) |
|
|
346 | (1) |
|
46.4.2 Biotechnology (Bio-Tech/Med-Tech) |
|
|
347 | (1) |
|
46.4.3 Pharmaceutics (Pharma) |
|
|
348 | (1) |
|
46.4.4 Research (Academia, Pharmaceutical Industry, or Government) |
|
|
349 | (1) |
|
46.4.5 Data Science (Biomedical/Clinical Informatics) |
|
|
349 | (1) |
|
46.4.6 Health Insurance/Chart Reviewing |
|
|
350 | (1) |
|
46.4.7 Hospital Management |
|
|
350 | (1) |
|
|
351 | (1) |
|
46.4.9 Graduate and Medical School Admissions Consulting |
|
|
351 | (1) |
|
46.4.10 Medical Writing/Medical Education Content Producer |
|
|
352 | (1) |
|
46.4.11 Investing/Venture Capital |
|
|
352 | (1) |
|
46.4.12 Entrepreneur/Start-up |
|
|
353 | (1) |
|
|
354 | (1) |
|
|
354 | (1) |
|
47 Stories of Inspiration |
|
|
355 | (6) |
|
47.1 Joel Thomas---"Fake Pneumonia" |
|
|
356 | (1) |
|
47.2 Phillip Wagner---"The Bigger Picture" |
|
|
356 | (1) |
|
47.3 Nitin Agarwal---"The Axon to Neurological Surgery" |
|
|
357 | (4) |
|
|
|
|
361 | (1) |
|
A.1 Student Doctor Network (SDN) Forum |
|
|
361 | (1) |
|
|
361 | (1) |
|
|
362 | (1) |
|
A.4 AMCAS, AAMC, AACOM, TMDSAS |
|
|
362 | (1) |
|
|
362 | (1) |
|
|
363 | (1) |
|
|
363 | (1) |
|
A.8 Organic Chemistry as a Second Language |
|
|
363 | (1) |
|
A.9 Resources during Medical School |
|
|
363 | (1) |
|
Appendix B Medical Specialties and Subspecialties |
|
|
364 | (5) |
Index |
|
369 | |