gak! suka suka suka.
argh!
I can't put off the inevitable. I had vacation time and i was thinking of whether i should drive 2.5 hours in the freeway and go home to my aunt. Note that i never ever drove in the freeway except for a short mile when i took my driver's license test.
And we are talking about 2.5 hours here.
So i woke up and told myself - it's now or never.
I woke up at 9 am and prepared breakfast - omelette with mozarella and parmesan cheese. PErfect. Got some decaffeinated coffee and presto. I was having the perfect meal. Then i talked quite lengthily with Big J and he taught me some stuff i should be dealing with.
Then i mustered enough courage to go and pack my bags and prepare to take on another fear - driving in the freeway.
HEck if i could jump off a plane, i could do anything.
I drove downtown to get me some caffeinated coffee. The coffee joint is known for having the best coffee in town, and i have to say it is better than starbucks.
So from there i took the long drive towards detroit. When i turned my car to enter the freeway and saw those big trucks coming, i thought, nakupo ito na. And i went and man those cars are fast, and even though the maximum speed limit was 70 mph, i found myself doing 80 and 90 mph (144 kph) because if i didn't i would fall behind their concept of "70 mph". IT was scary. Oh man, i couldn't relax initially - i don't mind the straight drives, it's the looking for exits that was so terrible.
GOsh.
Gosh. Grabe.
Grabe. My head still hurts
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
What to write in a cover letter for requesting LOR
Here's what i wrote to the different doctors... Of course, add your own flavor to this. Don't forget to add the name of the doctor, his position, etc, date and of course your name
Dear Doctor;
Thank you for being willing to write me a letter of recommendation in support of my residency application in the United States. I am applying for residency training in the United States and would consider it as a great honor to have a recommendation from a doctor who had a large influence on my medical education and training, as well as on my decision to pursue internal medicine.
May I ask you to comment on the following aspects which program directors look for in a prospective applicant:
· Positive points in medical school, honors received
· Hospital work ethic
· Clinical skills and performance during medical rotations
· Fund of medical knowledge
· Dependability
· Level of responsibility
· Efficiency and time management
· Communication and interpersonal skills
I appreciate you taking the time out to write this letter of recommendation. Your support really means a lot to me.
Dear Doctor;
Thank you for being willing to write me a letter of recommendation in support of my residency application in the United States. I am applying for residency training in the United States and would consider it as a great honor to have a recommendation from a doctor who had a large influence on my medical education and training, as well as on my decision to pursue internal medicine.
May I ask you to comment on the following aspects which program directors look for in a prospective applicant:
· Positive points in medical school, honors received
· Hospital work ethic
· Clinical skills and performance during medical rotations
· Fund of medical knowledge
· Dependability
· Level of responsibility
· Efficiency and time management
· Communication and interpersonal skills
I appreciate you taking the time out to write this letter of recommendation. Your support really means a lot to me.
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of Recommendation (LOR)
1. If you are applying for Internal Medicine, get three LORs from IM doctors, plus one LOR from the chair of the department of IM. ANd if you are from UST, that means, yes, Dr. Go is the chair.
2. When you submit your request to the consultant of your choice, be sure to attach the following:
a. letter for request (ECFMG provides a form for this called cover letter for LOR)
b. tell the letter writer the following-
- it must be in an official letterhead
- must be signed in blue ink
c. include your resume (with picture para matandaan ka)
d. class ranking (request this at dean's office - warning UST peeps - red tape! red tape!)
e. transcript of record
3. The best time to do this would be after your step 1 exam. Kasi it took me about 1 month na pabalik balik sa UST just to complete this.
Some people ask me whether they should write their own LOR and have the consultant sign it for you. Well uhmmmm sticky question. If the consultant is comfortable with that, then go ahead, they usually edit it and you usually end up with a different LOR from what you wrote.
Here's a good website for guidelines onLORs:
http://residency101.com/content/view/24/48/
Sample PErsonal Statement
Here's something I saw over the net...
Here's a physician's sample personal statement
Tips on writing a good PS (this of course presupposes that I wrote a good PS)
1. Find time to write it. My mind works best at 2 am so i prepared my PS over a couple of days at around 2 am. It's not a good idea to rush your personal statement.
2. Think of 5 to 6 things you want to emphasize on.. Are you hard working? ARe you ambitious. Don't go off writing "I am hardworking... I am ambitious" Rather think of situations in your life when these qualities were demonstrated.
3. Be honest but not melodramatic.
4. Do not plagiarize.
5. Write with your heart, edit with your head.
6. Keep it short and simple. About a short bond paper worth is enough. No novels please.
7. Again, do not plagiarize. You've gone through all those years of schooling... hey if you knew that fumarate and succinyl Co A could be found in the Kreb's cycle, personal statements should be a breeze...
8. Spell Check. Grammar check. There's this button in microsoft word that does that...
Link: http://home.att.net/~ppmd/cv-ps/ps/IM01.HTM
Again, this is not my personal statement but i saw this one good example of a personal statement over the internet.
Like most of my friends growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, I had dreams of someday fighting towering infernos or frantically pursuing bank robbers. Everything changed, however, when at age ten I realized that my grandfather was seriously ill. For the next nine months I observed his courageous but unsuccessful battle against myelofibrosis. I also noticed his new doctor. Dr. Brown quickly became my most important role model. In retrospect, I realize that it was his bedside acumen, his many-comforting telephone calls, and his unrelenting, scientific approach to his patients' problems which influenced me so greatly.
In an effort to emulate Dr. Brown, I strove to develop varied abilities at school. Serving as captain of the swimming team and cross-country team, student body president, and class Valedictorian, I incorporated a balance of academics, athletics, and leadership into my high school experience. During this time, my interest in medicine was further bolstered by my encounters as a volunteer in the stroke unit of the Casa Colina Rehabilitation Hospital. Although I could not treat the patients medically, I was able to provide companionship and emotional support, which aided them in their recovery and afforded me a great sense of fulfillment.
At Princeton University, my interest in science and research prompted me to major in chemistry. In the course of my studies, I completed a senior thesis, spent a summer of research at the National Institutes of Health, was named Outstanding Chemistry Student by the New Jersey Institute of Chemists, and graduated magna cum laude. Firmly committed to a career in medicine, I entered the UCLA School of Medicine the following Fall.
My first two years at UCLA were highly successful. I excelled in the basic science courses, and in 1990, was awarded a NIH summer research fellowship. My work focused on the genetic etiology of the syndrome of generalized thyroid hormone resistance, and in 1991, I coauthored a paper based in its results.
I have found my clinical training at UCLA to be even more enjoyable than the basic science years. In particular, my favorite experiences has been the core internal medicine rotation. During this clerkship, I discovered many of the challenging tasks of internal medicine: the establishment of a possibly extended relationship with a patient, a skillful history and physical examination, a carefully formulated differential diagnosis and logical course of action, the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, and the pursuit to understand the underlying pathophysiologic processes of diseases. My strong performance and enthusiasm on the wards, coupled with my background in research, demonstrates my exceptional ability to face these tasks.
I believe that I am well qualified to enter an outstanding training program in internal medicine. I am interested in an academically oriented residency which will allow me to develop as both clinician and scientist. My ultimate goal is to become a complete physician: someone, like Dr. Brown, who practices medicine with a blend of compassion, wisdom, and scholarship in order to optimally treat each patient
Here's a physician's sample personal statement
Tips on writing a good PS (this of course presupposes that I wrote a good PS)
1. Find time to write it. My mind works best at 2 am so i prepared my PS over a couple of days at around 2 am. It's not a good idea to rush your personal statement.
2. Think of 5 to 6 things you want to emphasize on.. Are you hard working? ARe you ambitious. Don't go off writing "I am hardworking... I am ambitious" Rather think of situations in your life when these qualities were demonstrated.
3. Be honest but not melodramatic.
4. Do not plagiarize.
5. Write with your heart, edit with your head.
6. Keep it short and simple. About a short bond paper worth is enough. No novels please.
7. Again, do not plagiarize. You've gone through all those years of schooling... hey if you knew that fumarate and succinyl Co A could be found in the Kreb's cycle, personal statements should be a breeze...
8. Spell Check. Grammar check. There's this button in microsoft word that does that...
Link: http://home.att.net/~ppmd/cv-ps/ps/IM01.HTM
Again, this is not my personal statement but i saw this one good example of a personal statement over the internet.
Personal Statement for Internal Medicine
Like most of my friends growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles, I had dreams of someday fighting towering infernos or frantically pursuing bank robbers. Everything changed, however, when at age ten I realized that my grandfather was seriously ill. For the next nine months I observed his courageous but unsuccessful battle against myelofibrosis. I also noticed his new doctor. Dr. Brown quickly became my most important role model. In retrospect, I realize that it was his bedside acumen, his many-comforting telephone calls, and his unrelenting, scientific approach to his patients' problems which influenced me so greatly.
In an effort to emulate Dr. Brown, I strove to develop varied abilities at school. Serving as captain of the swimming team and cross-country team, student body president, and class Valedictorian, I incorporated a balance of academics, athletics, and leadership into my high school experience. During this time, my interest in medicine was further bolstered by my encounters as a volunteer in the stroke unit of the Casa Colina Rehabilitation Hospital. Although I could not treat the patients medically, I was able to provide companionship and emotional support, which aided them in their recovery and afforded me a great sense of fulfillment.
At Princeton University, my interest in science and research prompted me to major in chemistry. In the course of my studies, I completed a senior thesis, spent a summer of research at the National Institutes of Health, was named Outstanding Chemistry Student by the New Jersey Institute of Chemists, and graduated magna cum laude. Firmly committed to a career in medicine, I entered the UCLA School of Medicine the following Fall.
My first two years at UCLA were highly successful. I excelled in the basic science courses, and in 1990, was awarded a NIH summer research fellowship. My work focused on the genetic etiology of the syndrome of generalized thyroid hormone resistance, and in 1991, I coauthored a paper based in its results.
I have found my clinical training at UCLA to be even more enjoyable than the basic science years. In particular, my favorite experiences has been the core internal medicine rotation. During this clerkship, I discovered many of the challenging tasks of internal medicine: the establishment of a possibly extended relationship with a patient, a skillful history and physical examination, a carefully formulated differential diagnosis and logical course of action, the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, and the pursuit to understand the underlying pathophysiologic processes of diseases. My strong performance and enthusiasm on the wards, coupled with my background in research, demonstrates my exceptional ability to face these tasks.
I believe that I am well qualified to enter an outstanding training program in internal medicine. I am interested in an academically oriented residency which will allow me to develop as both clinician and scientist. My ultimate goal is to become a complete physician: someone, like Dr. Brown, who practices medicine with a blend of compassion, wisdom, and scholarship in order to optimally treat each patient
Sunday, January 28, 2007
study schedule
Could you share what schedule you made for step1? How many days did you allot per subject, how many times you read the notes (1st pass, 2nd pass?) and if you also watched the videos? Did you also use Goljan's patho notes? Hope you could help. I'm just starting to organize my study sched. thank you
*
Hey for step 1, i watched the videos initially. I watched the videos first and i watched it only once. I believe this video thing took me about 2 - 3 months to finish. But if you are serious on studying, I think you could cut this time frame by half.
After each video subject (example: after anatomy or biochemistry), I would then read the notes respectively.
After the videos, I then proceeded to answering the qbank.
Qbanks could be one of two kinds - mixed or by subject. What i did was I answered 2 qbanks a day - 1 mixed and 1 subject. Example for week 1 , I would answer 7 blocks of anatomy and 7 blocks of mixed questions. Then for week 2, 7 blocks of biochem and 7 blocks of mixed. I did not just answer them, i concentrated on why they gave those choices, what was the best choice and why the other choices were wrong. It's not about getting the correct answers, it's finding where you are weak and improving on those areas.
I also supplemented my readings with goljan pathology notes and first aid.
About a month before my test date, I reread the qbanks again and referred back to my notes for those weak areas of mine.
All in all i did about 4-5 months of study time. With breaks of course, but i did pretty well.
:)
*
Hey for step 1, i watched the videos initially. I watched the videos first and i watched it only once. I believe this video thing took me about 2 - 3 months to finish. But if you are serious on studying, I think you could cut this time frame by half.
After each video subject (example: after anatomy or biochemistry), I would then read the notes respectively.
After the videos, I then proceeded to answering the qbank.
Qbanks could be one of two kinds - mixed or by subject. What i did was I answered 2 qbanks a day - 1 mixed and 1 subject. Example for week 1 , I would answer 7 blocks of anatomy and 7 blocks of mixed questions. Then for week 2, 7 blocks of biochem and 7 blocks of mixed. I did not just answer them, i concentrated on why they gave those choices, what was the best choice and why the other choices were wrong. It's not about getting the correct answers, it's finding where you are weak and improving on those areas.
I also supplemented my readings with goljan pathology notes and first aid.
About a month before my test date, I reread the qbanks again and referred back to my notes for those weak areas of mine.
All in all i did about 4-5 months of study time. With breaks of course, but i did pretty well.
:)
Friday, January 19, 2007
How many programs to apply for?
How many programs should one apply for when ERAS opens on september?
Depends on the following:
1. USMLE scores
2. Visa status - J1 or H1 or greencard status
3. US clinical experience - note externship is way better than observership. Self explanatory. Observers observe. Externship gives hands on.
4. Letter of recommendation from US doctors
5. Good letters of recommendation from local doctors
6. Connections inside the program
Higher USMLE scores preferred. Note that there are a lot of people who are getting way off the charts board scores.
Most prefer greencard holders. But there are lists of j1 visa friendly or h1 friendly hospitals.
Numbers 3 to 6, are self explanatory. If you look up the program's website and see International medical graduates there as residents, it's a good bet they take in IMGS.
This blog is mainly for giving a summary, if you want the nitty gritty, i suggest you go to this blog, this digidoc person (owner of the blog) helped me a lot during my period of usmle thingie.
http://tips4match.blogspot.com/2006/06/img-friendly-really.html
- this link brings you all the so called IMG friendly lists compiled by digidoc, the patron saint of IMGs.
TAKING EVERYTHING INTO CONSIDERATION,
If you are not confident with your scores, no US clinical experience, no nothing, apply to as many IMG friendly programs as you can afford. I know of someone who applied to 80 programs and got only 2 interviews. On another note, i know someone who applied to 29 programs and got 4 interviews. Remember, the competition right now is very stiff. Most doctors who want to train in the UK are now going to the US because of this new policy by Euro people. At least that is what I heard. Make yourself competitive. Get strong letters. If possible get externships.
Good luck on everything.
Depends on the following:
1. USMLE scores
2. Visa status - J1 or H1 or greencard status
3. US clinical experience - note externship is way better than observership. Self explanatory. Observers observe. Externship gives hands on.
4. Letter of recommendation from US doctors
5. Good letters of recommendation from local doctors
6. Connections inside the program
Higher USMLE scores preferred. Note that there are a lot of people who are getting way off the charts board scores.
Most prefer greencard holders. But there are lists of j1 visa friendly or h1 friendly hospitals.
Numbers 3 to 6, are self explanatory. If you look up the program's website and see International medical graduates there as residents, it's a good bet they take in IMGS.
This blog is mainly for giving a summary, if you want the nitty gritty, i suggest you go to this blog, this digidoc person (owner of the blog) helped me a lot during my period of usmle thingie.
http://tips4match.blogspot.com/2006/06/img-friendly-really.html
- this link brings you all the so called IMG friendly lists compiled by digidoc, the patron saint of IMGs.
TAKING EVERYTHING INTO CONSIDERATION,
If you are not confident with your scores, no US clinical experience, no nothing, apply to as many IMG friendly programs as you can afford. I know of someone who applied to 80 programs and got only 2 interviews. On another note, i know someone who applied to 29 programs and got 4 interviews. Remember, the competition right now is very stiff. Most doctors who want to train in the UK are now going to the US because of this new policy by Euro people. At least that is what I heard. Make yourself competitive. Get strong letters. If possible get externships.
Good luck on everything.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
stressed out on study schedule for usmle?
Are you stressed out on your rigid study schedule for USMLE? Here's a letter from one of the more driven and focused junior doctors I've handled. I'm sure he will succeed because he has a great attitude and is a hard worker.
LETTER:
> hi doc louise!
>
> nope! i came back home. i took d kaplan here instead so i could save up more money instead of taking it there. besides, the student visa requires me a lot of things so i just decided to come back home.
>
> ive been doing my kaplan since jan 2 & so far so good. just stressed out with my schedule though. i myt change it the next few days.
>
> how's ur interview so far? ive been telling my batchmates who are currently with me at kaplan to read ur blog. coz dey've been asking me wer i get advices im giving them, so i told them its from ur blogs. coz for me it helps me a lot. ur journey through life is amazing. i hope we could meet paths someday there.
>
> God bless!>
REPLY
schedule... what i did when i made my schedule, i alloted time for katamaran. Like for example, if i could finish one topic for five days, i'd chalk it up for six days, knowing well that i would be feeling blah and not want to study for at least a day. This way, wala masyadong stress.
You made a good move of taking kaplan here, for one, you are home and you don't have to deal with issues like missing your friends or NOT having someone close by to whack your head and encourage you to study.
I bet you are going for the 2008 match... Hmmmm basta make sure that your cs results get out early. PAra ecfmg certified ka (ie passed step 1, 2 and cs) when interview season comes. I got my certificate nung december 12, though i did get invites na kahit wala pang certificate. I guess the certificate kasi would go well if you want a prematch.
As for visas, i'm going for a j1 visa, kasi sabi nila better chances of going into fellowship but if you are placing more importance in having a green card then go for h1 visa (but this requires you find an institution willing to sponsor your h1, and you must have completed your step 3). I'm taking step 3 before residency starts (in your case march 2008), no rush for me kasi i am going for j1. Everyone needs to take the step 3, yung time factor lang when you should take it depends on the type of visa you want.
usmle tests your test taking ability , step 1 is very heavy on concepts so study well. A month prior to my scheduled test, i did two blocks of questions everyday from kaplan. One block (50 questions) was a mixed block, one block was subject specific (i.e. anatomy block., pharma block), this would help me focus what area i was weak in, at the same time, i wouldn't forget about the other subjects.
For step 1, qbank is good enough.
For step 2 cs, usmle world is best.
I know that you can make it I'm really happy i could help you out with my blogs. Please feel free to bug me with questions any time. You will have a lot of them as you go on. :)
God bless. I'm praying for your success!
Louise
LETTER:
> hi doc louise!
>
> nope! i came back home. i took d kaplan here instead so i could save up more money instead of taking it there. besides, the student visa requires me a lot of things so i just decided to come back home.
>
> ive been doing my kaplan since jan 2 & so far so good. just stressed out with my schedule though. i myt change it the next few days.
>
> how's ur interview so far? ive been telling my batchmates who are currently with me at kaplan to read ur blog. coz dey've been asking me wer i get advices im giving them, so i told them its from ur blogs. coz for me it helps me a lot. ur journey through life is amazing. i hope we could meet paths someday there.
>
> God bless!>
REPLY
schedule... what i did when i made my schedule, i alloted time for katamaran. Like for example, if i could finish one topic for five days, i'd chalk it up for six days, knowing well that i would be feeling blah and not want to study for at least a day. This way, wala masyadong stress.
You made a good move of taking kaplan here, for one, you are home and you don't have to deal with issues like missing your friends or NOT having someone close by to whack your head and encourage you to study.
I bet you are going for the 2008 match... Hmmmm basta make sure that your cs results get out early. PAra ecfmg certified ka (ie passed step 1, 2 and cs) when interview season comes. I got my certificate nung december 12, though i did get invites na kahit wala pang certificate. I guess the certificate kasi would go well if you want a prematch.
As for visas, i'm going for a j1 visa, kasi sabi nila better chances of going into fellowship but if you are placing more importance in having a green card then go for h1 visa (but this requires you find an institution willing to sponsor your h1, and you must have completed your step 3). I'm taking step 3 before residency starts (in your case march 2008), no rush for me kasi i am going for j1. Everyone needs to take the step 3, yung time factor lang when you should take it depends on the type of visa you want.
usmle tests your test taking ability , step 1 is very heavy on concepts so study well. A month prior to my scheduled test, i did two blocks of questions everyday from kaplan. One block (50 questions) was a mixed block, one block was subject specific (i.e. anatomy block., pharma block), this would help me focus what area i was weak in, at the same time, i wouldn't forget about the other subjects.
For step 1, qbank is good enough.
For step 2 cs, usmle world is best.
I know that you can make it I'm really happy i could help you out with my blogs. Please feel free to bug me with questions any time. You will have a lot of them as you go on. :)
God bless. I'm praying for your success!
Louise
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