Author Archives: Liza

  More and more medical schools are refining their curricula to include teaching compassion and empathy to med students. This may be done in a variety of ways but is frequently accomplished by incorporating the humanities in medical education. Northwestern, … Continue reading

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Medical school is expensive. But one of the most cost-effective ways to get a medical education is to attend your state school. As public institutions, state medical schools offer lower tuition than private med schools; one of their missions is … Continue reading

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Medical school applicants often compile the list of schools they apply to based on medical school rankings. But what do the rankings actually mean and are they accurate? There are many in the medical community and in premed advising circles … Continue reading

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There has been a a tremendous amount of press and discussion recently regarding the projected shortage of primary care physicians. With the advent of the Affordable Care Act many are predicting that there will not be enough primary care providers … Continue reading

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I have spent several decades working with and advising nontraditional premedical students and guiding them to medical school admission. Directing the post-baccalaureate premedical programs at Johns Hopkins and Goucher gave me the privilege of working with talented, interesting, vibrant, kind, … Continue reading

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The Association of American Medical Colleges has been encouraging medical schools to expand their classes, with the overall goal of increasing the output of med school graduates by 30%. The original targeted date for the goal was 2015;  data analysis … Continue reading

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There has been tremendous discussion and debate recently regarding the changing landscape of medical education and the traits needed in future physicians. A shift to competency-based education has been in the works for several years. Allan Joseph, a medical school … Continue reading

Posted in Medical School Admission, Medical School Interviews, Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) | Tagged , | Leave a comment

  Medical simulations help medical students learn to provide good care. In the past, more simulations were done using “standardized” patients, actors who posed as ill individuals. More recently, however, high-tech mannequins are used in simulation centers and can teach … Continue reading

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Looking for answers to your questions about medical school admission? I did a Q&A interview called “Ask a Medical School Admissions Expert” for Varsity Admissions: An Education Blog. Check it out! –Liza Thompson, Expert Medical School Admissions Consulting

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I read with interest a fascinating article in the New Yorker and a blog post on Wing of Zock equating medical delivery systems to large restaurant operations. In the New Yorker piece, Atul Gawande describes the quality control, systematization, cost … Continue reading

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