Measure What Matters to Get into Medical School: Engaging Your ‘A’ Game
Adapted from John Doerr’s book entitled ‘Measure What Matters’ There are several ways to keep you on track toward accomplishing your goals. Some simply develop goals. Others define their mission of today and vision of tomorrow. A more comprehensive approach is to add an annual strategic plan, quarterly objectives and key results[…]
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Medical School and Social Media: The Internet Doesn’t Forget
Introduction If not already, soon you will soon be applying to medical school in earnest. There are a few things that can sink your ambitious medical school plans faster than an inappropriate post from one of your social media accounts. Whether you frequent Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, “Big Brother” is watching and the “hammer[…]
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The 5 Disciplines of Execution needed in the Medical School & Residency Application Process
Adapted from the New York Times Bestselling Authors Sean Covey, Chris McChesney and Jim Huling, from their book “The 4 Disciplines of Execution.” (Please note, I added a discipline). The authors set to ask the question, “why do most people’s best ideas rarely come to reality?” Two things you can do to influence[…]
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Building the Optimal Medical School List: Part B
Interestingly, most applicants apply to medical school with good intentions, but flawed execution. They apply based on prestige alone; or they’ve concluded that their state, public medical school is more affordable that the better fit private school. Candidates must keep in mind that medical schools are not all the same. Columbia has a very different[…]
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Building the Optimal Medical School List: Part A
There are 191 accredited medical schools in the United States, 155 MD or allopathic programs, and 36 DO or osteopathic programs. There are perhaps 60 Caribbean medical schools, of which 4 may be considered “of quality.” Like finding a spouse or selecting a vehicle to drive, the most important thing is compatibility, fit. Do you[…]
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Top Mistakes When Preparing for the MCAT
The MCAT is a “marathon,” a six-hour war that when planned and prepared for properly is the gateway to elite medical institutions and vast opportunities. Your goal is to master the content and perform on test day. Consistent with the teachings in Sun Tzu’s treatise, “ the Art of War,” if you know yourself, the[…]
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Are You Interested in the Harvard/MIT MD – PhD Program?
Perhaps immersion in both clinical and scientific education appeals to you. A classmate of my son in the Harvard Medical School’s Graduate Program in Medical Immunology, Bob, suffered with a personal battle with Type I Diabetes. As many of you know, this form of diabetes carries a heavy cost to the pancreas does not properly[…]
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Are You Interested in MD – MBA Programs?
Yoki Mastuoka grew up in Japan, an aspiring professional tennis player. As an exceptional student and while still a teenager, she imagined player tennis against a robot. It soon became quite clear that no tennis playing existed and the probability for one in the future was close to nil. After an ankle injury sidelined her[…]
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Are You Interested in MD – MBA Programs?
Yoki Mastuoka grew up in Japan, an aspiring professional tennis player. As an exceptional student and while still a teenager, she imagined player tennis against a robot. It soon became quite clear that no tennis playing existed and the probability for one in the future was close to nil. After an ankle injury sidelined her[…]
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Applying to Harvard Medical School as an International Student?
Introduction Aspiring medical students, not surprisingly, are some of the best students in college. The United States, despite its health care system needing a major overhaul, the medical education system is first rate. Extremely selective even for American applicants, the bar for international students is much higher, with acceptance rates in the 10 – 15%[…]
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