Are you still undecided on what medical specialization to pursue? If so, it is wise to start checking your options now. To be able to select a medical specialization that fits your interest and enhances your skill, planning and assessing are necessary just like preparing your personal statement medical school. One basic thing is to check out how tight the competition is. You can find below a list of some of the most competitive medical specializations. Read on to help you decide the best choice.
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery may appear easy but this medical specialization is actually one of the toughest fields in medical practice. Neurosurgery involves the treatment of the nervous system which is the person’s control unit. The risks are high in this field as a slight mistake may damage one part of the brain and can totally affect the whole body. A small mistake in neurosurgical operations can lead to coma, paralysis, brain damage, psychosis, or even death. Despite the many risks, medical practitioners take up neurosurgery as medical specialization.
Dermatology
Obsession to physical beauty makes dermatology as a medical specialization that is highly competitive. Even ordinary people endeavor to get the most pleasing physical beauty. More so in the movie industry where skin care services are highly in demand. Thus, despite dermatological services being expensive, dermatology remains very popular because people from the middle- to high-income level basically want to look attractive and physically beautiful. This medical practice however, is not limited to wart removal or skin whitening services. It includes the treatment of skin diseases like impetigo, acne, dermatitis, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, melanoma and eczema. Because of it being one of the most sought-after medical specializations today and the huge potential earnings, medical students go for it.
Even if the competition in neurosurgery and dermatology is tight, it is not a reason for leaving it out in your list. If you believe you are brave enough to insert an electrode into people’s brains or to remove tissue from people’s eyelids, then you are worth becoming a specialist. Remember that you will ultimately decide on your medical career and not others; if you have stated you will do anything to go through the challenges in medical school, then it’s time to prove it to yourself.
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Aside from the pressure and stress of medical school and residency, doctors confront another rigid challenge in their medical career – to select medical specializations. Listed below are some of the most popular medical specializations:
* Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is one of the most popular medical specializations. Medical students need to understand however that it is the specialization that it is also one of the most difficult to excel in. This is because it involves enhancement of physical assets and reconstruction of physical deformities, which are complex medical procedures. Plastic surgery is a highly techical field and is always coupled with a lot of risks that can include paralysis and death.
In spite of the complexity and risks involved, the popularity of this medical specialization stems from the undeniable obsession of people to enhance their physical beauty. So, plastic surgeons will never run out of patients.
* Pediatrics
Pediatricians, aside from diagnosing signs and symptoms as well as checking possible infections, provide medical care to maintain the total health of children in all aspects. Treating children is not that simple especially if your patients cannot really say what and where it hurts. By the pediatrician’s experience, the pediatrician makes his or her diagnosis.
Aside from enjoying the treatment of children as patients, the popularity of this medical specialization is due to the fact that parents will definitely pay any amount for their children’s safety and health.
* Obstetrics and gynecology
This medical specialization is perhaps the most popular medical specialization among female doctors, but it is also open to male doctors. This medical specialization remains close to every female doctor’s heart due to its focus on parts of the anatomy that are found only in women. It deals with ensuring medical care for the reproductive health of pregnant including non-pregnant patients.
The basic fact that women get pregnant and babies are born every day assures the proliferation of medical practitioners on obstetrics and gynecology.
In the end, do not make the mistake of choosing a specialization because of its popularity or even based on the amount of salary involved. Choose a medical specialization that matches your skills, personality, and interests. If you’re not a “people person” and your dexterity is topnotch, you may want to be a surgeon.
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The learning process doesn’t stop with your graduation from medical school. As new breeds of disease evolve and technology advances, the learning process needs to continue. Thus, doctors, especially the newly graduates, need to learn more about professional medical practice. To respond to this situation, various medical experts began to set up teaching hospitals. The teaching hospitals are medical institutions that provide medical care to patients and also clinical training to interns. Read on to get an idea on best teaching hospitals in the USA that you could consider.
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Johns Hopkins Hospital gave birth to the development of popular medical specialties such as pediatrics, neurosurgery, endocrinology as well as urology. Significant discoveries and several medical breakthroughs have been made in Johns Hopkins Hospital. These include the identification of the three polio virus types, the discovery of restriction enzymes, and the operation of the first blue baby. Johns Hopkins Hospital strives to preserve and continue its legacy in the field of medicine and health care. It invests further in the proper training and education of its medical practitioners. Do you need proof its success? For eighteen years, John Hopkins Hospital was consecutively recognized as the best medical institution and teaching hospital in the USA.
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Aside from getting recognition for its overall medical services and programs, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center joins Johns Hopkins Hospital in the list of top medical institutions and best teaching hospitals in the USA. Its teaching hospital gained praises for outstanding medical specialties, low mortality data, great medical practitioners and advanced medical technology. Want to know the secret to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center’s success? Its success is due to provision of effective clinical education and training program for its interns as well as other medical residents.
Massachusetts General Hospital
The Massachusetts General Hospital, aside from being the oldest medical institutions in the USA, is also one of the best teaching hospitals. It has the biggest annual budget for hospital-based research program with US$400 million. The Massachusetts General Hospital medical staff are dedicated to finding new ways to improve medical clinical practice and develop medical innovation, through affiliation with Harvard Medical School.
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The student-teacher ratio contributes to the effectivity of transferring knowledge by the teacher to the students. This refers to the number of teachers compared to the number of students in a specific academic institution. The ideal student-teacher ratio is between 10:1 and 15:1 to attain such a goal. Below are some examples of medical schools with low student-teacher ratios.
Washington University School of Medicine
The Washington University School of Medicine as a medical school maintains a low student-teacher ratio. This is done by admitting only a limited number of students to the St. Louis, Missouri medical school. With this system the school can preserve the quality of education to its medical students and keeping a higher standard for its graduates. By limiting its annual enrollees, the Washington University School of Medicine is capable of providing equal opportunities to each medical student.
Harvard Medical School
The Harvard Medical School employs over 10,000 faculty members to educate its medical students. With this much number of teachers, Harvard Medical School has one of the lowest student-teacher ratios in the country. Hard Medical School is a well-known medical school and would like to keep its rapport in preserving the school’s academic excellence. Each medical student is assured of the opportunity to become great medical practitioners with the faculty providing sufficient guidance and quality education. According to many experts, aside from having a low student-teacher ratio, the Harvard Medical School is also the number one medical school in the country at present.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Believing in ensuring the quality of education to its students, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine along with Washington University and Harvard University maintains a low student-teacher ratio. Derived from the name Johns Hopkins medical school, the “Hopkins Model” of teaching evolved. This model is a combination of basic science education and intensive clinical mentoring.
Top medical schools have low student-teacher ratios
Annually, medical schools are ranked and those with low student-teacher ratios also do well in overall top rankings. Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Washington University School of Medicine all managed to get the top 5 spots in the 2008 list. A major reason for this excellence is that the teachers are more comfortable teaching in a small setting and a small crowd. It is easier to learn in a setting where you can share your ideas and be listened to than when you share a classroom in a lecture hall that can have room for almost a hundred people.
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In writing references in the text, the AMA style is the proper format used. The AMA style is developed by the American Medical Association to be used in writing research papers or documents on medicine, science and other health-related subject matters. This style in citing references is used not only by medical practitioners and medical journalists but also by medical students and medical professors.
General guidelines in AMA style
All references are listed according to chronological appearance on the text when enumerated at the end of the paper. If text reference are indicated, each source entry must be numbered appropriately and not with bullets. All the elements of citation must be separated by periods, regardless of the source type.
Element chronology for book citations:
* author’s name
* chapter title
* editor’s name/translator’s name
* book title
* volume number
* book edition
* place of publication
* book publisher
* copyright year
* page numbers
General rules in citing books
In the case of the absence of some of the elements in your source there’s no need to worry, just skip them then follow the same chronology. In book citations, if you need to specify pages of the book, include or directly cite the page numbers. For the author’s name, make sure to follow the “<last name>, <first name>, <middle initial> format.
Element chronology for journal articles:
* article title and subtitle
* journal’s abbreviated name
* year published
* volume number
* supplement number
* page numbers
General rules in citing journal articles
When journals are being cited, the citation is not similar to book citations. You do not need to write down the first name of the writer in the journal article being cited. You only need to follow the format “<last name>, <first name initial> <middle initial>”.
Element chronology for Internet sources:
* name of author
* webpage name or title of article
* URL source
* date accessed
General rules in citing Internet sources
In the AMA style, although now allowed, citing Internet sources is not advisable. To make the citing of the internet articles more appropriate, indicate inside brackets if the internet source is an abstract of a study or an article in an online journal. Remember that it is very important to include the proper notation of the online journal cited in the text all the time.
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In medical school getting invited into a study group is a privilege. Once you get an invite, jump into the opportunity immediately. This is one essential means to meet potential study mates as well as to improve your study pattern and academic performance. With medical school classes being full of stress, study group session is a good way to survive through the pressure and never ending challenges.
No room for procrastination
Study group sessions give you no room for procrastination, which is one of the worst enemies of good study habits. Studying by yourself probably allows you to drag time and head for the movie instead of the library. When you join study groups, it will keep you posted of your study habit and keep you aware that you need to finish studying as the group’s fate also depends on you. In the process it will train you to be responsible and considerate as many people are counting on you as you count on your group mates too. Responsible study group members will support each other’s study habits and move on with better academic performance.
“Two or more heads are better than one”
In a study group, sessions will involve lots of discussions and more ideas are shared. You will be given the chance to facilitate the group session with an assigned topic and will be in charge of explaining the topic to the study group. After giving your explanation, a group discussion will proceed where each member will give his or her comments or ideas regarding the previous topic discussed. This is the basic difference from studying alone and joining a study group. During study group sessions, you get the chance to share your ideas as well as listen to other colleagues. Sufficient ideas generated and collated can serve as a knowledge-base that does not only serve you during tests but also the entire medical practice.
More chances for self-improvement
Aside from good academic performance and gaining new partners, joining study group sessions have other advanages. Study group sessions can turn you into a confident student and make you good at interpersonal relations – a must need for every doctor. These qualities can be gained from frequent delivery of opinions in front of a small study group. Your attention span and memory recall can be enhanced by listening to other people’s opinions or ideas. The study group is a good way of preparing for medical career by enhancing your critical thinking and problem solving skills through assessing both your ideas as well as your colleagues’.
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A clearly-written sample medical school personal statement will help you get a higher chance of admission to the medical school of your choice. Although this is generally true, there are other requirements that very well contribute to your successful admission to medical school. One equally significant requirement worth investing on for a well-prepared medical school admission requirement is the interview. Here are some pointers to help you face the challenge of your interview for medical school.
*Wear appropriate clothing
Properly dressing up for the occasion means different for different occasions and purposes. Dressing up for a party does not mean the same when dressing up for a business meeting or an interview. For your college admission interview, the proper dress you need is one that is professional looking. A carefully ironed suit fits guys well; for girls, it is advisable to wear a slightly conservative dress. There is no need to impress your interviewer with too much accessories or makeup as it might instead create a distraction in the process. Be reminded that if you are fund of suing perfumes or cologne, it is best not to wear one for your interview. It is the best thing to do as you will never know if your interviewer might be allergic or sensitive to such scents.
* Watch your posture
Your posture gives a first impression during your interview. It is one way of projecting your behavior and personality. These are two important things an interviewer aims for in an interview, to assess as well your behavior and personality as you have projected in your personal statement medical school. Thus, it is best to sit properly during your interview. Be attentive and alert to your interviewer’s questions as well as pay attention to his or her body language; it is good to assess your interviewer as to how he or she reacts to your answers and your personality. This way you can also size up your own responses and body posture. Make sure not to give your interviewer a negative impression.
* Be honest with your answers
Making up stories or exaggerated information is a definite no-no during your interview. It is not necessary to impress your interviewer with information made up but rather impress them by giving precise and consistent information. You are advised to review the write-up written in your personal statement medical school. In the end, your interviewer will be able to check out your answers and will know whether you are lying or not.
* Stay polite at all times
Bear in mind that there will never be a means to know the traits of your interviewer, thus being polite during the interview may earn you a slot in medical school. Your interviewers are like investigators who will try and test your patience as well as your truthfulness. Remember that the interview is a tough process to go through as it will also determine if you are fit to the career you have chosen. Being so, you will definitely have to get a passing mark just as any other test in college. Whatever you do, be sure not to let your temper get in the way. Be aware and very alert as your interviewers will put you under stress and wrack your nerves.
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After four years from medical school, where to work is another significant decision to make. To join private hospitals or government hospitals is your decision and not any other person. There would be various factors that you need to consider, such as the facilities, the equipment, or salary. So after graduating you will have to think well and decide. Now is the time to to ask, “Where will I work – a private hospital or a government hospital?
Government vs. private hospitals
Government hospitals provide services to the public, thus they are also known as public hospitals. These are medical institutions owned by the government thus gettings its funds from the government. To pay the maintenance of medical facilities, services of medical practitioners and supply of medical equipment, government hospitals rely on the national government’s budget. Private hospitals on the other hand are medical institutions funded by private owners, hospital fees, and medical insurers.
Medical facilities and equipment
Government hospitals have very limited funds thus being the reason why medical equipment and facilities lag behind compared to private hospitals. Private hospitals can afford to upgrade medical equipment and improve their facilities so often due to medical service fees paid by the patients. If you prefer to work for hospitals having updated equipment and modern facilities, the private hospital is the place for you. Sufficient funds available also ensure you of the abundance of supplies, clean rooms, and efficient facilities.
Salaries and debts
Fund availability is ensured in private hospitals as compared to government hospitals. This runs through in terms of salary, for private hospitals give higher salaries than government hospitals. When you work in government hospitals, stress is coupled with lower compensation for the services rendered. The stress is brought about by the fact that patients flock to public hospitals due to lower hospital fees and medical rates than private hospitals. With the higher demand in this case, you will have no choice but to render medical service at the expense of your vacation, time for family or other personal activities.
On a practical side, however, to work in government hospitals is a good means to immediately pay off your debt when you availed of government scholarships for financial support during your medical school days. Even if the salary does not pay much, it helps pay off your student loan in terms of public service. In doing this, you can enjoy doing two things at a time – doing public service and paying off your debt. Who knows you have paid half your student loan while your classmates are figuring out or just starting to pay their extended student loan payment terms.
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Having finally received your school diploma means looking back on what factors have helped you through college. One major factor that comes out in these assessments is student loans, a major reason why you were able to make it through medical school. Paying off school loans dose not require you to be a big time doctor, what you need is to list down how to manage paying off your student loans.
* Compute how much your student loan is
The best way to manage your student loan is having an organized list. If you have not kept track of the list, collate all student loan notices and if still it is not complete, visit your school’s financial office and request for computation. This can be the most reliable source to determine how much your student loan is, make sure however that the total of your debt is exclusive of other financial obligations.
* Get in touch with your lender
After knowing how much and who your lender is, make an arrangement to meet with them. This gesture will aid in building a good reputation for you when you start practicing your medical practice. This will show your willingness to stand up toyour financial obligation and show gratitude to the people who have financially supported your medical education. Most often these meetings are arranged to seek payment extension and interest rate reduction. Explain what your current financial status is and make efforts for both of you to meet to an agreed arrangement. The most important thing is that both of you come to a mutual understanding.
* Consolidate your loans
To consolidate loans is a means to save money further by combining all your existing debts into a single loan and paying it through a single payment term and interest rate. If your loan is not consolidated, you will face the complex payments scheme of multiple loans where you get to pay different loans to different lenders with different payment terms and rates of interest. For new college graduates, this is very practical to be able to instantaneously pay of your debts while saving on interest.
* Learn the value of saving your money
Now that you have consolidated your loans, it is much needed that you learn to value your savings. Savings will be used to pay off your debt thus you must be very disciplined. Unnecessary spending should be avoided but not to forget buying food, bills and transportation. Others may think that paradise comes right after graduating college. Well no, it is the time to be thrifty and arrogance. There will come a time when you have finally paid off your debts that you can buy your designer shoes, concert tickets or even buying your own car. After paying up you will finally know the feeling of financial freedom – being able to do whatever you want with your savings.
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The whole four years of medical school will definitely be stressful. To be able to survive you will need the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual stamina necessary to last until graduation. Significantly financial preparedness is one definite need you must be sure not to be drained. To be able to pass through the hurdles in medical school, you must have the necessary training and skill to surpass the challenges of the actual medical practice itself. Thus, you will need to be one step forward than what is expected of you. Mentioned below are some pointers for a more prepared you in medical school:
* Enroll courses that are required
Even if there is no specific pre-medical college course, it is but logical that medical education will require academic courses that are nearest to the medical field. What are required for medical school are chemistry, biology, mathematics, physics, and English courses including laboratory units in chemistry, biology, and physics. Medical school includes courses on pharmacology, anatomy, biochemistry and others based on pure biological science. Thus, very good stepping stones for medical school are science-related courses like chemistry and biology as these will assist your preparation and provide the necessary background required.
* Instill discipline as an integral study habit
A medical student should possess strict discipline in medical school. It should be instilled in practice to combine discipline with other study habits in order to survive the challenges at stake. Attending college is different from going through medical school as you will need to develop new survival skills in order to overcome intensive school work in medical school. If you are not sufficiently prepared, you might end up dropping out like other mediocre students. So it is best to start preparing even before the academic year starts. You can start reading medical textbooks and journals to refresh and familiarize your mind with scientific concepts and medical studies. A good exercise is trying to answer medical quizzes on the internet.
In medical schools, preparedness is a must for students. Professors require advanced reading and students are expected to come to class with their initial knowledge. Thus it is necessary that students have done earlier reading on the subject matter for deliberation and be able to actively and intelligently participate in the discussion. This is definitely the reason why discipline is needed, medical students need long hours spent to read and stay up all night to study.
* Make sure you are physically healthy
Being medical students, your best weapon against stress is your health. When pressure comes to toll a healthy body and mind becomes your shield. Being healthy is the best test on how you will take care of yourself this will prove you are worth to become a doctor. Maintaining physical fitness is one effective tool you will need to endure the academic pressure the medical school has to offer. Bear in mind that health is wealth thus, health will enrich your medical school performance allowing you to make wealth.
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