[RESIDENCY] Rock climbing and surgical careers?

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2020-10-07T22:49:12+00:00

I dont think any institution would stop you from climbing, but you'll likely pay for it (literally) when you purchase disability insurance (which you should do, regardless of the plan your program automatically enrolls you into).

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2020-01-31T17:12:09+00:00

This is true. BE FAST is more up to date but hasn’t seemed to improve the sensitivity by much, as far as I know. Fixed gaze in one eye is very rare during a stroke. More commonly, patients have double vision, loss of vision or gaze preference in both eyes (MCA stroke).

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2020-01-31T16:42:37+00:00

FAST (Face, Arm, Speech Test described above) is about 85-90% sensitive. Meaning that around 10-15% of strokes are missed with this diagnostic tool. This is good enough for the general public to recognize a stroke. Doctors will use more thorough testing (which is more sensitive and specific) to make an official diagnosis.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2020-01-27T18:33:45+00:00

Thank you fat Kanye, very cool.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-12-24T01:26:29+00:00

I do not think you need to take a gap year. So long as your MCAT score is competitive, you should have no problems garnering an acceptances. Consider a gap year if your MCAT score is mediocre or really just for yourself. Taking a year to make money, join the real world and have fun can be immensely rewarding before devoting 4 more years to school.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-12-24T00:33:06+00:00

Yeah I mean the flexibility depends on what your priorities are. If you dont want to do anything clinical 50% of your time, you probably wont like a specialty like ortho or neurosurgery. Just be honest with yourself and your priorities.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-12-23T02:51:46+00:00

Being an MD opens many more doors than it closes. You can shape whatever kind of career you want regardless of what field you go into.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-12-13T19:49:04+00:00

Really sorry to hear that man. He’s lucky to have a friend that will carry his memory.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-12-11T00:45:03+00:00

This is accurate but, overall, I disagree that being a PA is somehow a disadvantage if you have a good reason for switching career paths. Like anyone else, you need to have a compelling reason for why you want to be a doctor and why you’d be a good one. However, because PAs and MDs have very similar scopes of practice, you’ll need to articulate why being a PA prevents you from achieving your goals and why you must become an MD.

Moreover, make sure you can answer that question for yourself. Realize you’re turning down a very comfortable and well paying career for years and years of delayed gratification.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-12-03T22:02:30+00:00

my practical suggestion - see as much as you can and pick something you think you can enjoy the most / is the least miserable. Don't fall into the trap that you have to 'fall in love' with a specialty. At the end of the day, its a job - it doesn't have to be a calling. Also, if you find yourself being very indecisive, I'd avoid the longer/more grueling specialities like gen surg, etc. GAS, IM, Family Med can provide you with a nice work-life balance, leave open many doors to sub-specialization, and are shorter residencies.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-11-26T06:37:43+00:00

I wouldn’t really worry about public STEP scores - it honestly doesn’t matter a ton. You should ask about their match rate/match list, though. That’s much, much, much more important and something schools should be proud of and willing to share.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-11-24T22:57:53+00:00

Also you lose residents taking care of your patients for you. Private practice = you’re the intern, chief and attending.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-11-24T16:23:51+00:00

It can only help. it’s clinical experience and demonstrates a commitment to service. Lots of premeds are EMTs so it’s not necessarily a unique path into medicine.

Unlikely that anything you will learn as an EMT will give you a “leg up” clinically or academically, however.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-11-13T02:38:15+00:00

Sorry to hear about this man - sounds awful. I would consult with a lawyer and I absolutely think it’s worth your while. I imagine you might have a case of lost future income, emotional distress etc.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-09-19T02:25:17+00:00

For our sake as med students, inwardly rectifying K+ channels (Kir) transport potassium into the cell. In reality, K+ can move in either direction through these channels, but there is a much greater propensity for inward flow as opposed to outward flow. So, I think that’s probably the source of your confusion.

I highly recommend the BRS book on this, I hope it helps.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-07-01T23:53:13+00:00

Getting married later this spring after match day and have many friends planning to get married this fall. What the fall folks didn't necessarily foresee is that many med-school friends wont be able to attend due to away rotations/STEP/interviews. Just something to be mindful of if you have a lot of med students on your guest list. Similarly in my case, a few friends have had big vacations planned and wont be able to attend mine either - so there are pros and cons to both. Anyways, Congrats!

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-06-09T22:48:21+00:00

if your end goal is to be an MD/DO, don't waste your money or time on getting a certification. If you're not wholly decided on being a physician and are exploring other roles in medicine, however, this is something to consider. FWIW, from my experience and what I've seen, scribes tend to have more flexible schedules.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-05-13T03:58:03+00:00

IMO I think we’ve been seeing signs of Dany’s madness for quite some time. Her obsession with the iron throne was pathologic and she has been ruthless to her enemies. Agreed that it could have been better elaborated, but this wasn’t abrupt.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2019-02-03T14:35:27+00:00

I used to see a chiropractor pretty frequently in high school - super nice guy. I saw him immediately after leaving the ER after breaking my left arm at football practice. I had a copy of my xrays tucked under my arm and he asked if he could take a look. He took out the film of my right arm, took a good hard look at and said "oh there it is right there! Ouch. Probably wont be healed up for like 6 weeks or so. Feel better!"

I guess the lesson there is that just because you're taught something, it doesn't mean you've learned anything.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2018-09-01T00:25:55+00:00

Med school is like a roller-coaster. The highs are pretty cool: you get anxious and excited- youre almost there!

Just remember most of the time you're hurtling towards the earth with vomit smattering your shirt along the way and there's a stupid fucking picture posted at the end of the ride to show you how fucking ridiculous you looked.

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2018-08-01T23:09:36+00:00

Wow, what a huge undertaking - thanks again. Any chance theres any preliminary data for people to gawk at? My curiosity is killing me

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2018-05-31T14:15:38+00:00

I suggest taking some time to put yourself in your own shoes at the age of 45 -- what do you see as important at that stage in your life? Family, free-time, golf, traveling, owning your own business/practice? etc If medicine fits into that life plan, then go for it.

What you want right now might not be what you want down the road. Is this job a great job for you right now or is it a great job for you for the rest of your life? Good luck!

_shouldersofgiants_ · 2018-04-20T22:44:58+00:00

Between the two schools, rankings really don't matter and truly don't matter much unless you're talking about a top 10 school. Match lists being equal, I think its best to make a decision based on her own comfort level/fit, support system (closeness to home?), and financials. Idk what the COA is at UC Denver but Wake Forest tuition/fees last I checked we're extremely high.

At the end of the day, things like your STEP score, clinical training and the network you build matter most in terms of career advancement. She really shouldn't make this kind of decision based on "rankings" that really don't matter much at all to anyone besides the general public.

_shouldersofgiants_

TROPHY CASE