I just finished ...

[colossus]

OK, I know a lot of you have finals this week or next or soon. So in honor of all that Mountain Dew you drink, all those hours drooling on books, bouncing your head off tabletops while fighting sleep and trying to cram that last page into your head - I salute you!

I just finished my first year of Medical School. I'm going to Disneyl...., err, I have no money http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/frown.gif Time to start eBaying some junk http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

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Ço£o§§ü§ - yeah you can read into it...

[Speedfreak]

How long before you start making the big bucks? http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

Also, do you think it would be a good idea to start a health forum for you to offer advice? http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/wink.gif heh

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[colossus]

Oh the big bucks won't be coming for about 6 or 7 years probably http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/frown.gif You can start one if you got Qs. I think MD2B is also a med student on here. I only finished my first year so I don't have a whole lot of info, but I have worked in a clinic before so I know more than most. If you got any hypertension, diabetes, or cholesterol Qs send them my way as I worked in the clinic for 5 years and know more than most docs!

So where is everybody? Come on, I know you guys had tests. Bruinball, Bruinboy? UCI boys?

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Ço£o§§ü§ - yeah you can read into it...

[Tuvi]

congrats on finishing up your first year! http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gifwhat kind of doctor do you want to be? i am planning on going to med school to be a neurosurgoen. what school do you go to?

tuvi

[sbp]

Congratulations colossus and continued future success. http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

[colossus]

OK, guess this topic is about med school now hehe. I go to Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, CA. You probably haven't heard of it as the school is only 25 years old. I choose it because it was close to my house and good luck getting into UCs even though I did undergrad at UCLA.

What do I want to be. I want to be a millionaire, sorry Regis. Seriously, ER, Internal Med, General Surgery, or maybe Peds is looking good. In a fantasy world I would be an orthopedic surgeon, but it's harder to become one of those than it is an NBA player!

Neurosurgery huh? Well, unless you're a neuro major right now in undergrad I seriously doubt you will do this. I took 4 neuro classes in my undergrad and loved it. My school teaches by systems approach, and the Neurosensory system literally drained the life out of me! I think med school would change your mind about what you want to do.

Remember, usual neurosurgeon residency with fellowship and all the goodies is about 9-11 years. Do you want to make low money for 10 years? I probably couldn't handle more than 4 years of residency. 120 hour weeks are not my idea of fun! Yes, I did type 120! My friend somehow got a ortho surgery spot and last week he pulled 122 hours. This week he's lucky and only does 98 http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

My best advice to anybody going for premed is to work a hospital. I did drug studies for 2 years and learned so much!

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[hapoo]

hmm
i think more than half the people in the forum have done drug studies before http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/wink.gif http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif hehe

[ProMinx]

maybe i should spend more time studying and less time on Got Apex, but i doubt that that will happen because i don't get special shields for studying more...i only get a higher GPA, and who needs that?! Oh yeah...i do...
ProMinx

[colossus]

Hapoo is just killing me hehe http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

No, I did real clinically controlled drug studies dude. Like with drug companies like Pfizer and Merck. Mostly cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes meds in Phase 3 and 4 trials.

Some of our patients, yes, being Veterans and all, they did their own drug studies hehe.

I agree with ProMinx. All you get it that stupid Magna Cum Laude on your transript. Big deal! Here you get a cute little jpg http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

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[StarvingCollegeStudent]

Heehhehe... my GPA corresponds to my number of shield... hahahahah..

Whoohoo! 200+ posts... only 300 more and i'm up to ProMinx's addiction level http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[ProMinx]

good luck starving, i'm not planning on stopping posting until i go home for the summer (and even then i won't completely stop; i'll just only post 1/10th as much, and always late at night). I don't care if someone passes my post level; it would actually be pretty good because then they could take some of the "ribbing" that i received when i passed up nice(wo)mann. Well, go ahead and pass me; i'm waiting. http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif
ProMinx

[hapoo]

http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/biggrin.gif anytime colossus

[MD2B]

Congrats Colossus. Good luck with the rest of med school. Are you considering an MD or planning to stick with the DO? I like the DO philosophy--and wish allopathic schools would incorporate some of that into their teaching.

Oh well- Cest la vie

[colossus]

Well I have to "take" a DO degree, but I'll probably do an MD residency as there is usually more selection. Case in point, only 1 DO orthopedic residency in all CA. There are 31 MD residencies open in CA for the same ortho surg.

If I wanted to do something like Family Practice or Internal Med either would be just fine. Most DOs don't practive OMM anyway as they don't get reimbursed for it. Overall I'm happy with the education I'm getting, but just pissed at some of the faculty. But that would happen at any school.

Where are you attending school at MD2B? And what do you think you'll go into? I was looking for ER/Trauma at Loma Linda or County USC, but they look really tight.


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[ShawnLee]

I wanna be a doctor too, though I wanna go to school over in Maryland, the one run by the military. If I get into one though, oh well. Congrats.

[MD2B]

I go to St. George's Univ School of Medicine. We do our basic sciences in Grenada (West Indies) and the Clinical years shuttling between the US (especially the NorthEast) and the UK.

I am trying to narrow my residency choices. I am leaning towards Int Med, Peds or Fam Practice (I enjoy Primary Care)

Trauma/ER sounds great--but difficult to get into. Make sure you do some volunteering/and electives in it, especially in the hospitals you want to be at. (If you do several, save the program you want to go to til towards the end, so that you can look really sharp.)

[speedracer120]

Hey, what a coincidence, my friends older sister was telling me wanted to study at St. George's. Well, anyways.

[colossus]

I know a couple people who went to Grenada a few years ago. Most of the people I know who went out of country went to Monstrat, of course that stopped when the volcano went off http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

It's so damn hard to get into med school here in CA. Not like Texas or NY where they have like 2-4X as many seats and 1/3 the number of applicants. 18,000 applicants for 112 seats at UCLA is not cool http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/frown.gif

Oh well, I'm close to home and get to harrass all my friends when I get time. Plus now I'm at the hub for Got Apex posters http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/smile.gif

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[prtlewd]

It is so sad to hear people want to be doctors for the money!!! http://www.gotapex.com/ubb/frown.gif It is not easy to be a doctor you are taking peoples lives into your hands it is one of the most honorable professions ever.
Nowadays it seems like there is no human interaction between Drs. and patients. I've changed my doctors 5 times in the last 2 years because they'd just prescribe drugs without testing me or really getting to know who I am and that most diseases attack me when I'm depressed. A non caring Dr. is less sensitive than the cadavers they mutilate and stinks worse.
Personally I really get a kick out of doing things to the best of my ability, especially if it helps someone else and for a greater personal satisfaction than gratifying my materialistic needs, all that will be taken care of in another life, I hope.
Any Way don't let med school desensitize you and good luck.