Medical School Enrollments Increasing by 30%

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Liza

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 and a report show that the goal will be reached by 2017-2018. (See page 4 of the above link for a map of the new medical schools.)

The increase is due to a combination of factors: some medical schools have increased the size of their classes and new medical schools have opened or are set to open soon. The launching of new medical schools recently has been at a fairly feverish pace. The result is that there will be 30% more medical school graduates by 2018. A vexing problem persists, however, in that there has been no expansion in the number of residency positions to meet the increase in the number of med school graduates. Refer to another blog post on new medical schools and those set to open within a few years. While it’s exciting that these new schools exist, there are pros and cons of attending one. For information on that topic, please see my other blog post on that issue. 

–Liza Thompson, Expert Medical School Admissions Consulting

 

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What Should Med Schools Consider? An Applicant Weighs In

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Liza

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 applicant, has weighed in on a few elements that he thinks med schools should consider in applicants. He highlights extracurricular experiences, with emphasis on the word experience. Instead of having med schools consider only the extent of applicants’ experiences, he suggests that they consider more fully the skills that students have learned from the experiences, especially if they were not in a position of leadership. He cites communication skills, along with the ability to work in a team and to juggle competing demands as particular strengths that one learns in extracurricular endeavors.

In addition, he believes that interviews which help medical schools identify applicants’ willingness and ability to brainstorm and work collegially with others–as in the interview format at Northwestern, for example–to be helpful. Continue reading →

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Simulations in Medical Education

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Liza

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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 medical students about many different complex medical situations. In many medical schools both standardized patients and high-tech simulations are used to train students.

Simulations provide realistic opportunities for students to handle complex medical scenarios. Using sophisticated mannequins medical students face none of the risk associated with real patients yet they can learn the necessary skills in providing good medical care. Situations are often set up so that med students can practice essential team work and solve crises together. Continue reading →

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Medical School Admission Q&A

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Liza

medical-school-admission-questions

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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Good Restaurants = Good Medical Systems?

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Liza

restaurant

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 controls, and innovation in restaurants and uses them as a model for designing health care delivery systems. He uses the Cheesecake Factory as a prime example.

In the Wing of Zock post, the writers hold up the hospitality industry–and Danny Meyer‘s restaurant empire, in particular–as an example of efficiency, “service acumen,” and tailoring service delivered to individuals’ needs. Read these two articles and see what you think.

–Liza Thompson, Expert Medical School Admissions Consulting

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Global Medical Volunteering: Ethical Concerns

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Liza

CatholicMedicalMission

Photo courtesy of cmmb.org

 

Premedical students often have an interest in volunteering abroad. They frequently perceive global problems to be more acute than those in the US, and they want to make a difference by getting involved. There are several organizations that charge premed students for relatively short-term stints in various countries around the world. There are also faith-based companies that sponsor trips abroad to minister to the health needs of residents, and students can join these groups, as well.

While there are valuable lessons premed students can learn from these experiences, there are justifiable concerns associated with volunteering abroad. An article in Academic Medicine on Global Health Experiences and Host Perceptions addresses some of these concerns and raises important questions for premed students and others to consider. In a blog posting on Wing of Zock, reflections on the article and concerns regarding global volunteering are raised. In addition, the Association of American Medical Colleges has compiled guidelines for global volunteering. Premed students should read these guidelines before venturing abroad to volunteer. Premeds should also be mindful that there are pockets of the US where the health needs are as acute as those overseas.

–Liza Thompson, Expert Medical School Admissions Consulting 

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Social Determinants of Health

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Liza

 

Social Determinants of Health

Photo courtesy of healthypeople.org

There are many elements that determine our health: genetics, environment, and social factors all contribute in some way. More focus is now being placed on the social determinants that play a role in the health status of both individuals and communities. Education access, economic opportunities or hindrances, and a host of other factors all contribute to health outcomes. According to the World Health Organization, the social determinants are the circumstances individuals are born into, including the health system, and these have a large impact on health inequities. On April 23, Johns Hopkins is holding its second symposium on the social determinants of health, bringing together a range of experts to discuss and brainstorm solutions to this challenge.

Partnerships between physicians and lawyers have started mitigating some of the social determinants of health. Continue reading →

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Worldwide Ranking of Medical Schools

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Liza

Premeds are often curious about med school rankings, wanting to know how various schools stack up. The list used most frequently is issued annually by US News and World Report, which sorts schools into two categories, primary care and research. There is another ranking of medical schools worldwide done by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. The medical schools that straddle both lists (although not necessarily in the top 10 on each) are listed alphabetically here:

1. Columbia

2. Harvard

3. Johns Hopkins

4. Stanford

5. UCLA

6. UCSF

7. University of Michigan

8. University of Pittsburgh

9. University of Washington

10. University of Texas Southwestern

For those who pay attention to rankings, be sure to know the methodology used. Perhaps the criteria aren’t relevant to your goals or important in what you seek in a medical school. A thoughtful article was recently written in the Atlantic regarding what to look for in a med school and the elements that distinguish one school from another.

–Liza Thompson, Expert Medical School Admissions Consulting 

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Medical School Admission Requirements Shifting

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Liza

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Photo courtesy of joeybonifacio.com

Premed students must pay close attention to the courses that med schools require for admission. Undergraduate premed students’ courses tend to be dominated by medical school requirements; post-bac programs and students tailor their curricula to meet a broad set of requirements. Over the last several decades the prerequisites for medical school have remained largely constant despite the exponential increase in scientific knowledge.

Lately, however, there has been a shift in thinking regarding premed requirements. Some of this is due to the idea that med school applicants should be evaluated based on competency in key areas; the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Association of American Medical Colleges produced a report, the Scientific Foundations for Future Physicians, which advocated this approach. Continue reading →

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Holistic Review of Med School Applicants

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Liza

Holistic review, a more comprehensive way to screen medical school applicants, has been in place at several medical schools for the last several years. First introduced by the Association of American Medical Colleges approximately 10 years ago, holistic review proposes new methods and metrics for assessing med school applicants’ potential success in medical school and eventual contribution to the medical profession. Holistic review takes into account applicants’ GPAs and MCAT scores. But med school admission committees put this data in a broader context by also considering any adversities applicants have overcome, along with the challenges they have faced, and the resiliency they have demonstrated when encountering difficulty.

Boston University School of Medicine has been one of the leaders in implementing holistic review. Dr. Robert Witzburg, Dean of Admission at BU, along with Dr. Henry Sondheimer of the AAMC, have written an article in the New England Journal of Medicine describing the positive impact of holistic review.

–Liza Thompson, Expert Medical School Admissions Consulting

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