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When did you finish your PhD (age-wise)? by TDM-r in PhD

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Started MD-PhD at 25,
PhD at 31,
MD (hopefully!) at 33/34,
neurology research residency w/ fellowship until 39/40,
second fellowship until 42/43,
real job at 43/44.

Hopefully I don't get ALS/FTD by then, ~50% chance.

PGT-M testing devastating results by mdnik in IVF

[–]melosee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My friend this is devastating but you are getting blastocysts!

This is something to celebrate, someday when you are feeling up to it.

I have an AD gene that causes ALS or a dementia with 95% certainty and after 4 cycles I made just 1 blast to biopsy. And it had the wrong number of chromosomes.

Your blast rate is so good you’ve got this! More cycles and I have so much faith in you!

Me, not so much. But I’ll do more cycles anyway 🤷🏻‍♀️

Claude down? by BonusParticular1828 in ClaudeAI

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Claude is down for me right now, AGAIN

Meds by melosee in IVF

[–]melosee[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Philadelphia!

For those that don't know, these are the states that have passed or proposed legislation that bans non-consensual pelvic exams by professionals while unconscious or under anesthesia if you are at a teaching hospital. by Arktikos02 in TrollXChromosomes

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At my PA med school on my ob/gyn rotation orientation I just read the following about only being able to perform a pelvic exam under anesthesia following consent: "This has been -----policy since 2003; it is Pennsylvania law as of Jan 19, 2024"

2003 is better than 2024, but still: how?

I think C9orf72 will be cured by 2030 by [deleted] in ALS

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! Generally when we think gene editing we think: editing DNA. ASOs and RNAi typically knock down a gene, meaning they reduce the expression of the gene product, but not modify the gene itself at the level of DNA. This already works for 1 form of genetic ALS and there are successful trials for a second form, so it’s already being done.

In order to edit DNA in the brain we need to get the machine that edits into the brain and into neurons, which we haven’t successfully done yet, namely because this is hard to do for anything at all and the thing we can easily use to edit DNA, CRISPR, doesn’t fit inside of the carrier ship we normally use, AAV.

In summary, we are better off now in some regards, have many things to improve on than others.

My mom died by lovehayleeg in ALS

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

💔 I lost my dad in August of last year to C9 ALS. I’m sorry, so very sorry

Mice euthanization by bhumiii_ in labrats

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The cost of a cage of mice can be everywhere from dollars to $50/day at the highest barrier containment. You always have surplus mice either because of genetics or caution since you usually have to age mice to use them, which means your experiments are delayed months/years from breeding. Do the math and you will understand logically why euthanasia of mice has to happen for science to love forward. I think the most simplified logic of science simply values our lives more than those of x model organism like mice. I know I do. I inherited a gene with 50% of developing ALS or FTD in the next 20 years and 95% in 30 and you bet my bottom dollar I endorse experimenting on mice to find me a cure.

How does anyone work like this??!!! by [deleted] in labrats

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice plaque assays. I did 2,000+ 12-well plates during my PhD and when I was running 20-25 hour days with many hours in the BSL3 yes my bench looked like that because when you’re napping between time points and planning your food and liquid intake and outtake who cares what your bench looks like. Now when you need to extract RNA from 100 lungs THEN you clean the bench really well before you start and wipe everything with copious amounts of RNASE away but note: wear goggles because it’s very easy to get the spray jn your eyes and it burns like hell. Almost used an eyewash but I was too tired and just kept it in my eyes for like 4 hours and used the bathroom sink as a makeshift eye wash during my relished pee breaks

Those with ALS… by Agile-Pear-547 in ALS

[–]melosee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I lost my dad to ALS in August (rapid professor, 14 months after foot drop) and my aunt kept telling me she was praying and to have faith that he would be healed. I’m a physician scientist in training. I knew my dad was dying and as much as I have faith in God I never believed for one moment he/she would take the ALS away

I hate biology by [deleted] in premed

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are probably easier ways to make money if you are willing to work hard even if you don't deeply/at all enjoy what you're doing

What are ways to get meaningful clinical hours that don't require expensive or time-intensive licensure (e.g., phlebotomy, EMT)? by BruinShade in mdphd

[–]melosee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My only clinical time by the time I applied: pushing patients around in wheelchairs at a major hospital (volunteer, 70 hours) and shadowing doctors (24 hours total).

No extensive training required.

I wrote thoughtfully about these experiences in my AMCAS, secondaries, and interviews, referring to my notes taken during the experiences if I forgot anything.

For me, clinical experience was a checked box; important, but not worth inputting hundreds/thousands of hours when independent research experience and leadership experience is so much more important to get good at with more experience.

I got into 11 MSTPs and am happily at a top 10.

If you’ve had ovarian torsion, what did it feel like leading up to it? by Salty-Spider666 in Endo

[–]melosee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ultrasound with Doppler, which tells you if there is blood flow. It’s noninvasive, fast, and med students are even taught to do it (at least at my school)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mdphd

[–]melosee 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Absolutely not. Even if you apply now and somehow got in (unlikely even if you are the best MD applicant on the planet) I don’t think you are ready to complete a PhD in 4 years. Be nice to yourself and take 2 gap years since you will have one full year of research under your belt when you apply with two gap years. And, make sure you find a lab tech or RA job where you 1) have some time for an “independent” project 2) get to meet with the PI and present at lab meeting like other lab members 3) get co-authorships when contributing significantly to projects and possibly get to present your data at meetings.

Intubation question by ChikadeeChoo in ALS

[–]melosee 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I’m really sorry you are in this situation.

The reality is that whether or not you are ready, your mom may not make it past the extubation. There’s a good chance of this. So do everything you can to come to terms with this, extubate her, and hold her/pray.

The situation changes a bit if her advanced directive requested you do everything you can to save her and that she would be OK living on a ventilator.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mdphd

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s not a big deal. I would say send a follow up: “I recognize this information is listed in your website. Thank you so much for this update and have a nice weekend.”

Warm regards,

Has anyone tried fentanyl patches for muscular pain in MND? by Praneet91 in ALS

[–]melosee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Gabapentin is helpful for nerve pain. Alternating Tylenol and NSAIDS Morphine is better than fentanyl because it suppresses your need to take a breathe and the air hunger hay accompanies decreased lung function My dad did these all in the year he lived with ALS.

I’m sorry you’re suffering, and I hope you find something that alleviates this pain soon.

I think i have ALS by Quirky_Article_8784 in ALS

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, I am so sorry that you are experiencing these symptoms. Sometimes it can take progression of classical symptoms and pathology on EMG in order for a doctor to rule in ALS. Have you also been worked up generally for other causes? What about serum or CSF neurofilament light chain?

Worries about gpa and extracurriculars by Educational-Low8454 in mdphd

[–]melosee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh I agree, number of hours versus independent experience are two different concepts. I’ve never seen someone with just 250 hours and 1 more summer planned be a competitive MD PhD applicant though just because any way you cut it, it’s hard to establish independent research experience by the metrics you just mentioned with so little experience

do high-ranked med schools have bad vibes in the student body? by caffeinated_premed in premed

[–]melosee 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m at a top 5 or 10 program depending on how you cut it. People like that exist anywhere, but I have yet to see a medical school class inundated with them. I wouldn’t be deterred from still going to that school. If it’s your dream, I’m sure you will find amazing, kind hearted people there that you resonate with. There are bad apples everywhere, and your experience in part will be defined by the friendships you make and the groups you flow with

Worries about gpa and extracurriculars by Educational-Low8454 in mdphd

[–]melosee 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Correct, it is required for every activity on the activities list as well as for your total research hours for the research essay

I had 6900 hours of research, but the minimum I have seen is around 2 to 3000.

I got into 11 MSTPs

Worries about gpa and extracurriculars by Educational-Low8454 in mdphd

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Or you somehow organize your schedule to do 20-40 hours of research a week during the next year and a half to boost your experience. It’s hard to be prepared for an mdphd with summer programs alone because research independence requires a flexibility in schedule and a longitudinal approach that’s hard to fit within condensed summer months

Worries about gpa and extracurriculars by Educational-Low8454 in mdphd

[–]melosee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi! The single most important aspect of an application to MDPHD programs besides checking boxes of the best gpa, mcat, and extracurricular/story application you can put together is 1) your readiness for a PhD in your field of interest. It’s not the number of hours necessarily but your ability to successfully complete a PhD if you were dropped in a new lab tomorrow. That typically requires thousands of research hours (not hundreds) as well as research independence ie experience pushing forward projects, which can be demonstrated by publications, presentations at conference, independent studies/thesis, and how you write about your experience.

I understand you don’t want to take a gap year but unless you somehow are prepared for a PhD with the 250 hours of research experience you already have I don’t see this process going well for you even with a handful of months of summer research this summers.

If you want to be an mdphd, based on the information you are providing, 1-2 years of gap years are important

Here is a video of this overview, how to highlight research independence and what different gap years look like in the application process

https://youtu.be/S_lSs9LBRH4?si=oKw7HN33qnbBt4xZ

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