Podcasts about nontrad

The incredible Dr. Natacha Chough breaks down her journey of how she went from a nontrad applicant to a specialist in Aerospace Medicine.

Dr. Gray speaks with Deana Golini, former admissions officer at Stanford Medicine and current advisor at MSHQ, about a variety of topics.

My guest and I cover how to prep for the MCAT as a Nontraditional student.

Join me as I talk with Laura Jackson, a non-trad M1 student who immigrated to the US to play college soccer, but never gave up her dream to attend med school.Mentioned in this episode:myLORs Pre-roll

How should you talk about your life and experiences as a nontrad? Be honest. Today, I talk about how to "stand out" as a nontrad by simply being true to yourself.

How do you find the time to get enough clinical and shadowing experience as a nontrad premed while balancing work, life, and school? Let's discuss!

After a rough start to college before deciding to pursue medicine, this student is asking what to do next on his pursuit to medical school.

Non traditional pre med student interview

Shahaan overcame numerous setbacks on his path to medical school. This year, he received 34 interview invites and 16 acceptances. What was his secret?

Are you making the most of your gap year? We'll talk about how med schools view gap years (spoiler: they don't care), interview day experiences and more!

Time is a precious commodity when you're a nontraditional student like today's caller. How should you spend your time as a nontraditional premed?

Do nursing courses count toward your medical school prerequisites, and is there any truth to low medical school acceptance rates for nurses? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Meded Media The Premed Years Podcast MSHQ Facebook Hangout Group

Our question comes from an applicant who has taken a somewhat winding path during her premed career. We'll sort through grades, trends and more.

Robert made the decision to pursue medicine at the age of 40. He discusses his path to an acceptance, having children as a premed, mentors, support systems, and more! Links: Full Episode Blog Post Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Interview University of Colorado School of Medicine’s Wilderness Medicine Program (promo code MSHQ)

We continue on the Roadmap to Professional School with what Juniors should be doing to prepare. Laura Olivas, Senior Director of Admissions at the Texas Tech University HSC - Paul L. Foster SOM at El Paso share valuable advice on how to prepare for the MCAT, selecting evaluators, writing your essays, and customizing your application to the schools you’re most interested in to stand out in the admissions review. ---------- Links from the discussion: 34 - Planning Your Next Steps: Preparing Your Marketing Campaign http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/6571011 35 - Leveraging the Core Competencies in Your Favor http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/6571009  AAMC Guidelines for Writing a Letter of Evaluation for a Medical School Applicant https://www.aamc.org/download/349990/data/lettersguidelinesbrochure.pdf ---------- Join our online communities to receive early access to the podcasts, ask questions and receive information directly from TMDSAS, professional schools and advisors. The TMDSAS Hub is open to all applicants in the EY2019/2020 cycle.  The TMDSAS Non-Traditional Applicants group is open to all applicants who identify themselves as non-traditional and would like to connect with other applicants. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, reach us at podcast@tmdsas.com. The TMDSAS Podcast is a proud affiliate of the MededMedia network.

David had to take do postbac at a community college to be able to work full-time. He was asked why, but he was still able to receive multiple acceptances. Links: Full Episode Blog Post MedEd Media Network Premed Hangout Group

Who should write your letters of rec as a nontrad? Your boss? Your undergrad professors? Or your prereq science professors? Here is everything you need to know! Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum MedEd Media Network

Continuing with the Roadmap to Professional School series, LeTanya Neely (Director of Student Recruitment and JAMP Coordinator at the UTMB at Galveston) shares how sophomores can continue paving their way to build a competitive application. -------------- Join our online communities to receive early access to the podcasts, ask questions and receive information directly from TMDSAS, professional schools, and advisors. The TMDSAS Hub is open to all applicants in the EY2019/2020 cycle.  The TMDSAS Non-Traditional Applicants group is open to all applicants who identify themselves as non-traditional and would like to connect with other applicants. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, reach us at podcast@tmdsas.com. The TMDSAS Podcast is a proud affiliate of the MededMedia network.

Justin is a former military special operations medic who grew a stronger fascination with taking care of patients. Now he has multiple acceptances to med school. Links: Full Episode Blog Post MedEd Media Network Medical School HQ Services Need MCAT Prep? Save on tutoring, classes, and full-length practice tests by using promo code “MSHQ” for 10% off Next Step full-length practice tests or “MSHQTOC” for $50 off MCAT tutoring or the Next Step MCAT Course at Next Step Test Prep!

Today our student is a former OPM who has matched into a pediatric residency. Just a reminder that it is completely possible, so what is stopping you? Links: Full Episode Blog Post MedEd Media Network MedDiaries Podcast Nontrad Premed Forum

Session 10 Today, our premed student is changing her career because she wants to change the scope of her practice. But she’s conflicted because she’s struggling with things concerning her age and wanting to have kids. Is it possible to have kids during medical school? [01:20] Caller of the Week: “Ever since I dove into this premed journey and stumbled upon all of the different things that are offered by Ryan Gray like the Premed Diaries and all premed podcasts. Both Dr. Ryan Gray and Dr. Allison Gray have just been... felt really supported by this online community and all the information that's out there. Anyway, the journey about myself that I wanted to share and the questions that I have for Allison and anybody else who's in a similar situation. It's related to just the challenge about my age... I'm 29 and had kind of a different journey. I was a traditional student with a degree in Biology. I graduated at 22. And I've always been tempted to go to med school. I've always wanted to be a doctor. But I felt like when I was in my early 30s, I just lacked a lot of confidence. I never even took the MCAT despite doing most of the prereqs because I never really felt like I could do it. And I think I never really wanted to put myself out there to find out. So instead, I actually completed a second undergrad - dietitian. I've been working clinically in a care setting as a dietitian for almost five years now. And I absolutely love my job. I work with a really unique population... the people I work with is a tribal population in a really remote part of the United States. I work in a hospital and over the past five years, I feel like I've grown so much life experience and so much confidence. I work with great health care institutions that always supported me and told me really I could do anything... I have been able to grow my role out of the hospital into our outpatient oncology palliative care clinic. Through this process, I've felt myself as feeling really confined by my scope of practice as a dietitian. I'm so interested and curious about medicine and about the unique cancers that my patients are struggling with and just find myself wanting to learn more and to know more. And to be able to go beyond nutrition to help my patient... I'm completing - the last prereqs that I needed was Physics class... so I'm just taking that last class and I'm scheduled to take the MCAT in March of this year and apply to medical schools in June. Really, the reason that I'm feeling conflicted and scared and worried is because I'm 29 years old. I'm about to commit to another goal beyond four years at school and the time you consider medical school and the residency. And I want to have kids. I've grown up in this great environment both growing up and worked where being a woman has never been the reason not to do anything at all. And I think this might be one of the first times that I've ever felt this burden of being a female... I don't want to take anything away from men who are doctors or medical students who have a huge burden on their shoulders with supporting family or a wife who's considering pregnancy. But it just comes along with a whole extra complexity when you're the one who will be going to medical school. When I told my mom who's a physician and was actually the first female medical director of one of our local hospitals that I wanted to go to medical school and be a doctor, she said, that's great. And her second comment was, so you've decided to forgo having kids then, which stressed totally threw me... Luckily I've worked with a lot of really supportive physicians and the people that I have chosen to share my plans with have told me - you can do it. It's possible. Everybody has stories about somebody they knew who had kids in medical school but I'm just so worried about it... get through medical school, get through a residency and be 36, 37 at best and I could find myself unable to get pregnant. And I'm worried about in the future, regret that I'll have. I have this career that I love that has a lot of promise as a dietitian... but I just know that I would love being a doctor and then I could do so much good of this population and provide so much continuity of care in our region and for all of our rural patients. I feel really torn given my age, I'm turning 30 next month. The other important thing to mention, the other part of this equation is my very supportive husband... really only been seriously deciding to take the plunge into applying to medical school since about August of this year. And when he brought it up, he supported me 100%. We've talked a lot about the question of kids because we both want kids - when do we have, when do we try, when is the best time, when should you have kids in medical school, should we wait... what's going to happen if we wait a few years until so I would be in medical school or even wait until I graduated from my residency to try or if he's going to hold it against me if I can't get pregnant. He said he won't but I just can't help but have that worry..." [09:55] Being a Mom and a Woman "As a mom, there's no greater gift than be able to have children and be a mom." I love what I do as a physician, but I think it's in our biology in terms of our desire to be parents. Although not everyone feels this way, but for many of us, it's a very powerful, important thing we want to do. It's definitely different as a woman vs a man. There are certain additional complexities that we have as women going through medical school, residency, and trying to juggle getting pregnant and all of the things that go along with that, plus having children. When you're parenting, just the mere pregnancy itself is unique to women. [11:20] Working as a Dietitian and Getting Family Support You talked about regret and do you think you would regret staying in what you're doing now forever? Otherwise, you would always potentially wonder and would have what ifs. This being said, I wonder if you'd regret not applying. Additionally, it's wonderful that your husband supports you. It's so important to have that support from day one. It would also be fantastic to be able to bring your skills as a physician back to the same population you're caring for. Being able to do more sounds really fantastic. [12:35] How to Do It All "Nobody really has their act together." As a child, teenager, and young adult, you'd think you can handle xyz when you're at this certain age. But then you realize that nobody really has their stuff together. And we're all just coursing through. So adding children, which is a huge part of that equation, is that there's never necessarily a right time. In fact, I don't think there's ever a right time, so to speak. There will be times it will be more challenging in which to have children. If you have a kid and starting third year of medical school, that is a challenging time. If you're starting your internship and you're about to have a kid, then you'd have to postpone your start date. Definitely, there are more challenging times on the path of medical school and residency, at which time having children would be harder. But as to whether there's a perfect time, probably not. [13:50] You Can Have Both: Kids and Medical School It's clear how much you want to have children and I would very disrespectfully disagree with your mom. I think you can have both. There are several people in their group who had kids in medical school. And the rest of us who did not have children yet would look at them wondering how they're able to do that. But they would usually figure out different ways of getting things done. It's not the same when you have children. You have to heavily prioritize what you're doing and really make things consistent and be very clear about what's happening when. So their ability to succeed in medical school just rested on the fact they had to make that work for their kids. They had to find those times when they could study. They have to find the time so they can be there for their kids. Is it possible to do it? Absolutely. It's just a question of making it work and figuring out who's going to do what - bath time, bedtime, study time, etc. And if one of you is in medical school instead of both of you, it's probably much easier than if you're both in school and trying to have kids. [15:57] The Pieces to the Puzzle First, this is very much something people do. It's just a question of figuring out how. If you can get through medical school. It's just a matter of making all the pieces altogether. Parenting is a lot of just feeling your way through life and knowing that your priority is your kid. Perfection and raising children, they do not go together... Perfection is something we strive for but certainly something that is not a reality. [17:20] Going to Med School at 30 Being 29 or 30 is different than starting med school when you're 20 or 22. However, I have kids and colleagues who had kids when they were 20. But you never know. Nobody can tell you what your fertility journey is going to look like until you're at that point. You might go and have one kid when you're 36. [18:40] Figure It Out with Your Husband When does it feel right for you to have kids? If having children sooner is something you really want to do, then do that sooner. Moreover, it is such a personal journal and a personal question for everybody. For me, I felt too stressed out about just the process of being a med student. I felt like I needed to grow some more. I was also too worried that if I had kids during residency that the stress would just be out of control. The kind of residency program I had trained was incredibly rigorous. And that was what scared me into not feeling I could. But that's just me. I know there are others who did really both. I remember one of our junior residents had a baby during the most challenging part of our residency. We were on call every fourth night for the entire year. And she had a baby! Any of these things are possible. It's just a question of how do you feel? If you're really in it and your husband, then it's really just a matter of when you both feel this is what you want to do and you will figure the rest out. If you wait just for the sake of it, it may not be the right time. So it's more a question of looking at how you feel and where you're going to medical school. Another thing to consider is to think about the support you have nearby. One of the things that help families going through medical school or residency is having support from an extended family nearby. No matter what stage you're at, it's huge to have that kind of support. [22:25] Final Thoughts I hear you. I appreciate the decision you're faced with as well as the concern and worry you have. Keep in mind that you have a very supportive husband and a very bright future in front of you as you've done very well so far. You know what you want. So it's just a matter of making it work. At the end of the day, push forward. Apply to medical school. Don't live with regret and see where it goes. Hopefully, you're able to get additional family support in that area. Otherwise, you're going to make that work too. In terms of fertility concern, when you feel you're ready to become a mom then make that happen too. You may find it's really hard to juggle, but you will make it work! The journey that you will take as a med student, as a resident - you'll have stressors throughout that period. But you will make it work. "Just go with your gut. Use your resources, the people around you and just keep your head up and you will get through it." Links: MedEd Media Network

In the first episode of the Roadmap to Professional School series, Dr. Scott Wright (Executive Director of TMDSAS, JAMP, Texas Health Education Service - Research Center and Advising Network) discusses key areas freshmen should focus on mastering. Here are some key points: The application to medical, dental, or veterinary school begins on Day 1 of college! During the transition from high school to college, you'll want to learn how to learn deeply. Making good grades does not equal learning. Take Gen Chem as soon as possible to stay in line with the sequence of courses. College is about growth and development. Reflect on why you're pursuing the activities you're doing, what you're getting out of the experiences, and how this will make you a better healthcare professional. Build your network. Engage with professors, TAs, peers, and health professions advisors. Keep a record of your activities and what you take away from these experiences. Think positively! You're on this road for the long haul. -------------- Join our online communities to receive early access to the podcasts, ask questions and receive information directly from TMDSAS, professional schools and advisors. The TMDSAS Hub is open to all applicants in the EY2019/2020 cycle.  The TMDSAS Non-Traditional Applicants group is open to all applicants who identify themselves as non-traditional and would like to connect with other applicants. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, reach us at podcast@tmdsas.com. The TMDSAS Podcast is a proud affiliate of the MededMedia network.

Session 05 In this episode, we hear from a premed who feels overwhelmed by the sheer number of patients needing help. She is working in the emergency department and feels overwhelmed by the number of sick patients coming to them who need care. How can you make sure you stay in the moment? [01:15] Poster of the Week "I'm a premed that works as a tech in the ER. I'm still learning so there's a lot that I don't know yet. I just got my first foley the other day and it was pretty exciting for me. Lately, I've been having a really hard time with the premed path though. Getting into the hospital and seeing the way staffing can be sometimes and seeing how many sick people have to be taken care of all the time. It just seems too momentous sometimes but there's just so many patients of such a high acuity and it's just hard. I can just see why everyone's getting burned out. I just didn't know if anybody had any advice for once you get there, what's the ratios and things look like as a physician." [02:30] Being Overwhelmed by the Number of Sick Patients First off, congratulations on getting your first foley catheter and that's a big accomplishment. It takes a lot to get that done so that's a big deal! On another note, it's good you're already noticing the reason burnout happens even at this stage. Being overwhelmed by the number of sick patients needing care all the time never stops. It probably only differs in terms of where you're practicing medicine. In an ER department, it's a very busy place. There's a lot going on and a lot of people need care all the time. But if you think about a primary care outpatient office or a urology office, this can feel completely different. It also makes a big difference geography-wise. Being out in a rural community where there are a few people is a lot different from a very busy urban center. It's going to vary in an academic center as well. "There's such a huge spectrum in the world of practicing medicine in terms of what the level of acuity is, how many patients are being seen, the kind of care being offered." If you find that you're more attracted to really busy environments as a premed and med student, this is something to take notice of. You'd want to gravitate to things that would keep you happy as a physician. That's part of how we avoid burnout. But if you find that you don't like the busyness and the craze of being in an environment with tons of patients all the time, which emergency departments might be, then this may shift your interest over time. You may want to practice in an environment that has a different dynamic in terms of the number of patients. [05:12] There Will Always Be Patients All this being said, there being so many sick patients needing care all the time is something you find anywhere you go. By nature, you will always need physicians on this planet to help take care of people when they get sick. Even with electronics and technology, or artificial intelligence, you will always need human beings. I don't think a computer could ever replace both a human mind in terms of its capacity for knowledge and being able to practice medicine. That said, there will always be patients and there will always be physicians to care for them and this in and of itself can be overwhelming. "There will always be patients and there will always be a need for physicians to take care for them." Over time, during my internship, I would find that patients seem to always come back. Initially, I found this to be incredibly frustrating. You would try to work so hard to get someone all the things they needed. But we're people and people get sick so they could always come back. So a mindset change was necessary over this whole thing. You have to recognize this is not the end. The goal is not to see them well and they're never going to come back and they're well for the rest of their lives. Because people are going to get sick again and they're going to need help again. Obviously, they're going to come back to the hospital that knows them. Once you're able to shift this mentality, chances are this could lessen your burnout. It helps, plus the fact that you have continuity of care with them and their family. "It's just the nature of it. They're going to come back over and over again but it doesn't mean that you can't make a difference each time that they come." [08:52] Medicine vs. Architecture Medicine is so different from architecture. In architecture, your goal is to build a building and hopefully, it doesn't keep breaking, otherwise, you're probably not a very good one. However, in medicine, human beings are going to keep breaking. So we're fighting against this constant push of disease and accidents and mother nature and trying to get people well and get them healed. It's a very insurmountable barrier because you'll never heal everyone. You'll never fix everybody. You'll never fix them forever. But you can get them better, at least for a day, a week, ten years, however long it may be. "Buildings are going to stand tall. Human beings will continue to break down over and over again and need help." [10:13] Ratios Thinking about the numbers can sometimes help you to not worry as much about what you're going to be faced with. As an intern, I had 10 patients. But duty hours have changed since I was in training. So I pulled out the University of Washington and looked at their residency program. And most, if not all, have admission caps, which means there are caps on the number of people that you can admit and the number of people that you can take care of. And this must be the standard since the ACGME - the governing body for residency programs -  makes things pretty much the same all across the board. So the school doesn't allow a first-year resident or intern to admit more than five new patients per admitting day. You can't be assigned more than 8 patients in a 48-hour period. You can't be responsible for the ongoing care of more than 10 patients. This hasn't really changed much when I was still an intern, as well my husband, Ryan. When you get to that stage as an intern and go to medical school and applied yourself during rotation and have done a sub-internship, you'll be prepared to take that on. If you're interested in learning more about ratios, go online to know what it looks like in the future. If you're feeling burned out, overwhelmed, and scared about what's in the future, it can help you to have some numbers and just to think about. [13:05] The Inpatient Realm: Making a Priority List If you think about inpatient care, there are lots of very sick patients. One of the things that help is focusing on prioritizing. This is something they will teach you when you go through internship. Your mentors and your program directors will teach you about this, as well as your junior and senior residents. By prioritizing things, it helps you through your day. You're able to figure out what you need to do for all these patients and where to start. You can't do everything for all of them all at once. And all of them are going to have different needs. "You literally make a priority list and knock them down one after another." When you're in the thick of it, it can be really stressful. So having a system where you really learn to prioritize is what will guide you through that very overwhelming sea of very sick people you have to take care of. I remember my program director saying he was always nervous if he didn't see an intern carrying a list. So all of us would have lists of our patients and list of things we needed to do. And you will have that as well. As an attending physician, it's just me. So I have a list of patients who I'm consulting on. Again, as to who to see first is a matter of priority. I'm going to see the sickest patients first or rush out to see an acute case. Sometimes in residency, you'd have three acute strokes at one point and you would have to figure out who do you see first. But usually, there would be a team of people to help you. [15:45] The Outpatient Realm: Thanks to EMRs! In an outpatient setting, you'd have hundreds, even thousands of patients you're taking care of. That's a huge number of people you're responsible for. Good thing, many electronic medical records (EMRs) are designed to help you, which have built-in tools to help you keep track of things. It could be a source of burnout itself, but having the HR sending you labs and results and messages enables a system in place that prioritizes things for you. And you can also create your own systems for them along with your staff. Like anything in life, if you create systems for yourself, if you create priorities, that will help you so that it doesn't feel like this overwhelming ocean of sickness and things you need to do that you can't do all at once. "As your responsibilities grow, your systems will grow with them." [18:00] The Star Thrower Loren Eiseley wrote a story called The Star Thrower. And some quotes from that book can hopefully inspire you with regards to dealing with patients. Once on ancient Earth, there was a human boy walking along a beach. There had just been a storm and starfish had been scattered along with sand. The boy knew the fish would die so he began to fling the fish to the sea. But every time he threw a starfish, another would wash ashore. An old earth man happened along and saw what the child was doing. He called out, "Boy, what are you doing?" "Saving a starfish," replied the boy.  "But your attempts are useless child. Every time you save one, another one returns. Often, the same one. You can't save them all. So why bother trying? Why does it matter anyway?" called the old man. The boy thought about this for a while, a starfish on his hand, and he answered, "Well, it matters to this one." And then he flung the starfish into the welcoming sea. [19:57] It Matters to Your Patient Patients are like fishes on the sand that need to be thrown back into the sea. They need our help but we can't help them all at once. That's an impossible goal. We cannot help everybody all the time. That's why we have teams, shifts, our whole staff work for us. But it matters to each and every single patient that you help. Finally, I would encourage you that when you are with a patient, your focus is them and that's what matters. What you do for them, whatever that may be, you are making a difference to that human being. And there's no greater thing in this world. So even if you can't help all patients, at least you can help the person you're seeing that day. It can be so easy to get overwhelmed by the number of sick patients but just be in the moment. "Just in the moment, focus on the person who's in front of you because you will not even appreciate probably how much difference you make to that individual." [22:33] Share Your Story with Us! Please share with us what's going on in your life! Whether you're having a great moment  or not, call 1-833-MYDIARY. Press 1 to leave a message or diary entry. Press 5 to leave feedback on a previous episode, and please let us know which episode you're referring to. Links: The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley

Session 04 Our caller today is sharing with us her triumph after getting into medical school. She actually dropped two posts. She called back after realizing she wasn't coherent with her first message. But we dearly loved it so we're playing both. Share your highs and lows with us! Please call in and share your experience. Call 1-833-MYDIARY. Press 1 if you want to leave an entry and 5 if you want to leave your feedback on a previous episode (make sure to tell us which episode you're calling about). Meanwhile, if you’re in need of other premed resources, please check out all podcasts on MedEd Media Network to help you along this premed journey! [01:40] Poster of the Week: I am going to medical school. I'm a nontraditional student who has been working at this for a couple of years. I guess I'm not that nontraditional, but I realized I wanted to be a physician super late. And I had to empty my savings account so that I could go to medical school. I'd have to take on four jobs. I've had to sacrifice so much. I was engaged and had my fiance break up with me during the middle of Biochemistry while studying for the MCAT. And I still did it. I still kicked butt. I still got everything I needed to. I interviewed a couple of weeks ago and I just received an acceptance call today. Honestly, I'm too happy... but I received my acceptance call today while I was at the dry cleaners and started crying hysterically because I've just been working on this for so long. And it's just been such a hard time. I just wanted to tell people, especially nontraditional students that you can do it and everything is worth this feeling. Everything is worth knowing that what you've been working for years has paid off and you're going to be a physician one day. [03:33] Congratulations! Congratulations! You don't have to be coherent. Obviously, you're so excited and overcome with joy. You've worked so hard to get to where you are and you've gotten acceptance to medical school. So enjoy that feeling! [04:42] Making It Through Hard Times It's so great how encouraging she is telling all of you that you can do it, nontrads especially. It's amazing, too, when she listed all the different things she's had to do to get that acceptance and how hard she's worked. It just goes to show the importance of keeping focused despite all the setbacks that are thrown your way during this process. She emptied her savings account, she talked about having four different jobs, and her fiance broke up with her during Biochemistry while studying for the MCAT. It's just really miserable. [06:00] An Unforgettable Feeling of Elation You will never forget that feeling. You will always have that memory of where you were being at the dry cleaners and getting that call about getting accepted to med school and crying hysterically. This is also something you might tell your kids. And others may find the same experience when you work so hard to get that acceptance, and when you do, that moment is just pure elation. Based on personal experience, I was studying at my parent's house and had been living there for the year. I was sitting upstairs to study and had no idea I might get acceptance through email. I thought it was a phone call or something in the snail mail. So the acceptance just popped into my email and I just started screaming. I was so happy that I started crying. The rest of my family were downstairs and they got so scared they thought something terrible had happened. As I came running down the stairs and told them about the news, we were all crying. "This is one of the first memories I have of truly having tears of joy." Indeed, getting accepted to medical school gives you a feeling of elation so keep that memory forever. [09:00] We Want to Hear From You, Highs or Lows! It's great to hear happy news. This podcast is really here to help you avoid and deal with burnout. We want you to call in and talk about the lowest lows - the hard, frustrating times that make you angry and upset. This place is intended to be a place for you to unload and just anonymously share that. On the other hand, this is also a place for you to be able to talk about the excitement and the wonderful moments. Don't feel like you have to wait to call in to talk about an acceptance. You can call in and talk about the excitement you feel when you have had a wonderful encounter with a patient when you're shadowing or when you got that first interview. Or maybe you had that great interview and you just want to share about that. Those moments are beautiful and wonderful. You should feel free to call. We would love to hear from you at any high or low points along this journey. Hopefully, this example will encourage all of you out there to also share whatever it is you want to share here. "This is what the diary is all about. It's not just to share all the sad things, it's there for you to share the good and the bad." [10:50] Give Us a Call No new feedback for today. But we encourage you all to send some feedback. Call 1-833-MYDIARY and hit 5 if you want to give feedback to previous episodes. And if you're out there and you would want to share your diary entry, please go ahead and share with us. We are here to support you in the premed journey! It's a vulnerable thing to do to call in and talk to an answering machine. So I hope that my comments here are a way of having somebody else talk to you. Again, call in the number and hit 1 to leave a message for premed diaries. [12:38] The Second Time Our Caller Left a Message I called earlier and I wasn't even coherent enough to tell my story. But I just received news that I have been accepted to medical school. And not just any medical school but my dream medical school. It is a feeling that I've never had before. I'm so happy and so excited which is why I'm not really coherent and can't speak English really well right now. But I'm a nontraditional student. I was on track to be a physical therapist when I decided that wasn't what I wanted. So I emptied my savings account and took on an extra job so that I could afford to pay for Organic Chemistry. And I'd finished up Organic I and II and Biochemistry and all that fun stuff. During that, I was engaged and my fiance broke up with me several weeks before I took the MCAT and several weeks before I had a Biochemistry class. That was one of the worst times of my life, if not the worst in my life. I even considered ending my life because I never thought I was going to make it. I never thought that I was going to be a physician. I thought I'd screw up my life totally. I was inside physical therapy school, I had this track going. I thought I was going to fail and that I was now alone without the love of my life. It's about one year since all of that was happening. It was all worth it to be here right now, to be in a place where I know I'm going to be a physician. And everything that I did, every hardship I had to face, all that was worth it because I'm going to be a physician. That's beyond what I put into words how happy I am, how surreal it feels. But all that was worth it. I hope that my story is something that could encourage somebody else out there who's going through so much harder. This is worth everything! Links: MedEd Media Network

As a nontrad student, you have had a lot of experience working in another field, like optometry. Can the Optometrists LOR count as your physician letter? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum MedEd Media Network The MCAT CARS Podcast

In the final episode of this series, Dr. Felix Morales and Mr. Filo Maldonado, admissions deans at the Texas Tech University HSC School of Medicine and the Texas A&M University College of Medicine, respectively, discuss best practices for non-traditional applicants.  Learn how to tell your story in a meaningful way for review by an admissions committee and focus your efforts to leverage your experiences in the admissions process. -------------- Episode Notes: Connect with a Volunteer Advisor The National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) provides a free service to applicants who do not have an advisor. Volunteer advisors are available to help applicants. If you are interested in this support service, email volunteer.advisor@naahp.org. Please indicate the undergraduate school that you are attending, or have graduated from and when you graduated. In addition, please indicate which particular health profession you are interested in, and in what State you currently reside. Your questions will be forwarded to a volunteer advisor and that individual will respond to you directly. -------------- Join our online communities to receive early access to the podcasts, ask questions and receive information directly from TMDSAS, professional schools and advisors. The TMDSAS Hub is open to all applicants in the EY2019/2020 cycle.  The TMDSAS Non-Traditional Applicants group is open to all applicants who identify themselves as non-traditional and would like to connect with other applicants. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, reach us at podcast@tmdsas.com. The TMDSAS Podcast is a proud affiliate of the MededMedia network.

Our poster today struggled with grades after a traumatic brain injury. She's finally figured it out but wondering if medical school is not attainable now. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum MedEd Media Network Premed Years Podcast MCAT Podcast Next Step Test Prep Specialty Stories

Session 01 Hi! I'm Dr. Allison Gray. This is our first episode of the Premed Diaries. We created this podcast, along with the other Med Diaries podcast so physicians and physicians in training could have a place to speak their minds, vent, unload, and hear one another in support and solidarity. The premed journey is not easy and there are many stressors, roadblocks, and frustrations. But there are also incredible joys, like that first time you got to shadow a physician or that first interview offer, or that first acceptance to medical school. Here at Premed Diaries, we want to help you on this journey to avoid and deal with burnout - an ever growing threat and serious problem for our physician community. And as a premed student, it's never too early to start. In each episode, we will hear from a premed student and I'll share some of my thoughts as well. You may also hear from others who have called and left a response for the caller on a previous episode. Today, we will hear from a premed student who is dealing with lots of stress and the feeling of needing to be his best in every endeavor and how this is very emotionally draining. [01:10] Caller #1: Feeling the Stress and Pressure Our student today transitioned out of the military in 2016. He went to a premed school following his transition, which he considers as an enormous blessing in his life, and one of the most convincing factors for him to pursue medicine. Right now, he's been dealing with a lot of stress and pressure. He finds it very difficult to convey to the people in his life that things are high-stakes for him. He is working as a paramedic and since then, things feel high-stakes. He expresses the feelings of pressure to get a 4.0 and do well on the MCAT. Alongside, he's also starting his own podcast. "It's a lot to deal with at once." He is working in the emergency department so he gets cases that affect him from time to time. So going and bouncing back from school being so high-stakes to showing up to work and feeling like he needs to be perfect for the sake of the patients, he sees this as a very emotionally draining process. "I feel like everything hangs on a really delicate balance, too. When I go to class, there's pressure to do the best, to be the best, and you still have to show up to work the next day and take care of patients." Not to mention, he has to take care of his family and dealing with being a former veteran along with all the stuff that goes with that. He admits dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety on almost a daily basis. He's trying to manage all these different things at once. He feels like he never takes a break. Fortunately, listening to The Premed Years Podcast and the OldPreMeds Podcast has been therapeutic for him, which he does on his commute to work and school. He still finds it hard for people in his life to realize this. Although he feels so blessed with the podcast they're starting and with him doing well in school, but that doesn't discount the daily grind that can really get at you. He encourages people out there to segment your time as best as you can and take things one at a time. Just keep going and find a little bit of peace and solitude in what you're doing. It's impactful and important to the people who are affected by it. See the bigger picture and things will pan out. "Everything is hanging in such a delicate balance that you feel like you need extra hands and another brain in order to manage it all." Finally, our caller feels great being able to send out this recording since he was able to get all this off his chest. As his way to manage things, he has had a lot of personal growth on time management and dealing with stress, grief, etc. And he hopes all this would help him carry through to medical school and residency, and hopefully become an attending physician. All the skills he learned as a paramedic, in the military, and during training will all be a driving factor. [08:07] Share Your Thoughts With Us! If you also want to share your thoughts with us, call 1-833-MYDIARY and you also can do so anonymously. We would love to hear what you have to say! [08:42] It's a High-Stakes Game Our caller has touched on so many great things many premeds are struggling with. First, is the high-stakes game of being a premed student. There so many pressures you're all dealing with. You could be looking for someone to shadow with or that you're trying to pay your bills. Or maybe, you're changing your career and you still have to take care of your family. You may be a college student and you're also paying your bills. Many of you could probably relate to this high-stakes feeling. "There are so many stressors out there as a premed and it feels really high-stakes because you feel like you can't really do a crappy job at any of it." [09:40] Family and Friends Not Getting It This is an important thing to recognize and acknowledge. Your family and your friends are your biggest fans and heroes and they're rooting for you. But the reality is that a lot of times, they really can't understand what you're experiencing. This is true as a premed student, and more so as you get into medical school and then eventually becoming a physician. "Your family and your friends are your biggest fans and heroes and they're rooting for you. But the reality is that a lot of times, they really can't understand what you're experiencing." Our caller is already a paramedics so he has experience working with patients and working in a very busy environment. So this already shows him how difficult it is. Seeing patients in life-threatening situations and having to be on is a hard thing to do, regardless of your role in healthcare.  This is really tough. And trying to explain what this is like and articulating it in a way that a family member or a friend can really understand when they don't live in that world is really hard. Fast-forward when you're on the wards. It's very hard for people not working in health care to understand the pressure you're under. These hard situations where patients are dying or dealing with incredibly difficult diagnoses. So try as best as you can to vent and talk to your family and your friends. And if they don't get it, then they don't. Good thing you have peers you're going through things with. And they get it a lot more than others. They may not have the close relationships yet as you do with your family and friends but they do get it. [11:26] Needing to Be Perfect We can never be perfect. Physicians and physicians in training, we hold ourselves to this incredible expectations. We think that we really have to be perfect but the reality is that we are human. Being human means that we make mistakes. It's impossible for us to be 100% all the time. We can really only do the best we can. "The reality is we are humans and being humans means that we do make mistakes." That's something I have really tried to keep in the back of my mind all these years, that I'm doing the very BEST that I can. And as long as I'm doing that, then I feel ethically and morally grounded. That if it's not perfect and I make mistakes along the way, at least I'm doing the best I can. So you have to keep this in your mind as well. [12:50] Use Your Resources and Take a Little Break Listening to resources like podcasts such as The Premed Years Podcast and the OldPreMeds Podcast is HUGE, especially when you're feeling that you don't get a break and that you're doing so many different things. It's really important to find anything that gives you a little bit of a break, even if it's just for 20 minutes. Find a TV show you love or sing really loudly in the car. Listen to a podcast that inspires or encourages you. Go to the gym. It's hard to make time for that but a little bit of that even if it's just for 5-10 minutes can get your mind back on task and give you that encouragement you need to keep going when you're feeling really worn out and spent. So use your resources and lean on other people as you can. If somebody offers to make you a meal, take them up on it. If somebody offers to watch your kids, take them up on it. "Just find a little bit of time, even for 20 minutes to get a breath of fresh air so that it can feel like you're getting at least a tiny break." [14:17] Take Your Time and Growth Coming from Pain With all things in general, it's okay to step back and just focus on one thing at a time. If you have kids, you can't just focus on premed stuff because they need your help or you need to make them dinner. But this is an idea in general, where if you have so many different things you're focusing on, in any one minute, try to just focus on one thing. It can help to just step back. It's a cliche that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but that's true. There's so much growth you will see as a premed and as a med student. Your capacity to just take on will just expand. It has to. Your body and your brain just adopt as you have to take on more and more. So you grow ever more. This concept that as painful as it might be to grow from that and not letting it stop you is huge. Lastly, encouraging your peers is huge. As what Ryan's mantra is, “collaboration, not competition.” So encourage your peers no matter what phase you're at. [16:10] Get Things Off Your Chest This is why we're here. We want to give you the freedom and encouragement to reach out and call so you can get things off your chest. I'm here to support you and offer some thoughts every week. This is a great way for us to all support one another. [17:00] Respond to Our First Caller Call 1-833-MYDIARY and let us know you're calling in response to this. I will play your response on subsequent episodes. Thank you for joining us on this first episode everyone! As you move through this journey, listen to this podcast along with all out other series. Let's support one another in fighting this very scary and serious problem we have in this world of burnout. Links: Call 1-833-MYDIARY and share your thoughts with us! The Premed Years Podcast OldPreMeds Podcast

This week we have a question from a 34-year-old student who wants to get into a postbac program with a linkage to med school and he's wondering how to do it. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum MedEd Media Network

I asked on Instagram (@medicalschoolhq - follow me!) for questions for this episode. You did not disappoint! Check out the episode for some great questions! Links: Full Episode Blog Post Follow us on Instagram @medicalschoolhq Med Diaries (Call in 833-MYDIARY and you have 30 minutes to leave a voicemail.) TMDSAS Podcast Premed Coaching Services Khan Academy Organic Chemistry Tutorial Videos The Premed Playbook Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement Interfolio

Jay started in the workforce right after college and knew it wasn't for him. He's found his way to medicine but is frustrated that he can't do more, sooner. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Share your story with us. Dial 833-MYDIARY Session 140: Burnout in Medicine and Our Newest Project to Help With It! Nontrad Premed Forum

Getting clinical experience is hard. This student wants to know if working in a physical therapy clinic will help him with his medical school applications. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum MedEd Media Network The Premed Years Podcast Session 171: Interview with the former Dean of Admissions at UC Urvine

Sarah is starting med school this fall and is excited to begin. Listen to her story and how identifying as LGBT affected her med school applications. Links: Full Episode Blog Post If you need any help in your medical school application, maybe we can help. Find out all the services we offer and let us be a part of your journey to medical school. MedEd Media Network

Our student today asks the question but kind of answers it as well. With a new opportunity for research experience, he's wondering if it's worth the sacrifices. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum

If you're a nontraditional student, taking out loans can be intimidating. How do you do it? How do you pay them back? Is it possible to pay them back? Links: Full Episode Blog Post The Premed Years Podcast Session 286: Common Mistakes and More About Financing Medical School The Premed Years Podcast Session 223: Setting Yourself Up for Financial Success, Starting Now White Coat Investor White Coat Investor book The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement Submitbookreceipt.com MedEd Media Network Nontrad Premed Forum

Today our student is worried about a secondary question asking about volunteer healthcare experiences. They work in healthcare and don't have time. What now? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum

Our student today is wondering if she should move to Texas to increase her chances of getting into a state school, and lesson her tuition costs? Will it work? Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum

As a nontraditional student, you may have kids in tow when you head to medical school. Is that a red flag to medical school? Should you mention your kids? Episode Resources: Full Episode Blog Post Next Step Test Prep

If you're in the middle of a DNP program but want to be a physician, what would you do? I'd drop out and start working on medical school, that's what I'd do! Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum Premed Hangout The Premed Playbook: Guide to the MCAT The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement The White Coat Investor The Premed Years Session 286: Common Mistakes and More About Financing Medical School

After a significant life event with his daughter being born with a rare congenital disorder, our poster today wants to get out of the military and go to medical school. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum Next Step Test Prep

Just about every guest on the podcast has talked about the importance of applying early through TMDSAS. When is "early?" Follow along as we explore the data on why applying early to TMDSAS is just as important as test scores, GPA, and getting awesome evaluations. Check out the data slides we discuss here: Why Applying Early Matters to TMDSAS Applicants -------------- Join our online communities to receive early access to the podcasts, ask questions and receive information directly from TMDSAS, professional schools and advisors. The TMDSAS Hub is open to all applicants in the EY2019/2020 cycle.  The TMDSAS Non-Traditional Applicants group is open to all applicants who identify themselves as non-traditional and would like to connect with other applicants. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, reach us at podcast@tmdsas.com. The TMDSAS Podcast is a proud affiliate of the MededMedia network.

Nick is a former premed student-athlete who didn't do well in school and went into business. Now he's accepted to medical school after fixing his GPA. Links: Full Episode Blog Post The Premed Playbook: Guide to the MCAT The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Personal Statement

Dr. Irene Lazarus, former JAMP student and host of the Santopia podcast, joins us to discuss her experiences as a medical student and the journey to get there. We discuss how the program helped her reach her goal of becoming a doctor and attending UT Southwestern.  Today’s episode is the first where we will explore different pathways after graduating from professional school. Our first guest is Dr. Irene Lazarus; she was a JAMP student who attended UT Arlington and later UT Southwestern. During her time in JAMP, she attended a summer program at UNT-TCOM and at the Long School of Medicine. While she is a former JAMP student, her story through undergrad and medical school is surely going to resonate with a lot of our listeners. Learning about what she does now that she has graduated really opened my eyes to the opportunities available beyond the clinical setting we often associate with healthcare professionals. -------------- Episode Links: Check out the Santopia Podcast: https://linktr.ee/drirenelazarus. -------------- Join our online communities to receive early access to the podcasts, ask questions and receive information directly from TMDSAS, professional schools and advisors. The TMDSAS Hub is open to all applicants in the EY2019/2020 cycle.  The TMDSAS Non-Traditional Applicants group is open to all applicants who identify themselves as non-traditional and would like to connect with other applicants. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, reach us at podcast@tmdsas.com. The TMDSAS Podcast is a proud affiliate of the MededMedia network.

What should you do if your mom passes away during your semester and your struggling to pass? Should you drop out? What about if you're getting ready to transfer? Links and Other Resources Full Episode Blog Post Check out my book about the MCAT, co-written with Next Step Test Prep: The Premed Playbook: Guide to the MCAT. Related episode: Should I Retake Core Classes from 10 Years Ago with C’s? Related episode: Will Withdrawing from a Class Hurt My Med School Application? Need MCAT Prep? Save on tutoring, classes, and full-length practice tests by using promo code “MSHQ” at Next Step Test Prep!

Living with chronic pain is hard. Living with chronic pain as a premed might be impossible. Our question today is from a premed struggling with a new diagnosis. Links: Full Episode Blog Post mcatBook.com The Premed Playbook: Guide to the MCAT

If you're a nontrad student looking at potential medical school, you may realize that your dream school is in another state. What do you do now? Links: Full Episode Blog Post MCATbook.com Nontrad Premed Forum

Dr. Deb Beck leads the Health Professions Advising Office at the University of North Texas and joins us on the podcast to help address concerns for re-applicants. We discuss the "Four-Legged Stool" that represents the four main areas of your application: Grades/GPA, Test Scores, Volunteer Work, and Shadowing/Healthcare Experiences, and how to evaluate yourself in each of these areas. We also add a "Fifth Leg" to the stool with Communication Skills - we want to make sure the metaphorical stool is sturdy! Dr. Beck also shares a free resource for any applicant who does not currently have an advisor (see the link below). -------------- Episode Notes: Connect with a Volunteer Advisor The National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP) provides a free service to applicants who do not have an advisor. Volunteer advisors are available to help applicants; Dr. Beck is currently a volunteer advisor. If you are interested in this support service, email volunteer.advisor@naahp.org. Please indicate the undergraduate school that you are attending, or have graduated from and when you graduated. In addition, please indicate which particular health profession you are interested in, and in what State you currently reside. Your questions will be forwarded to one of our volunteer advisors and that individual will respond to you directly. Course-Mapping for the MCAT from AAMC: https://students-residents.aamc.org/mcatcoursemappingtool/ -------------- Join our online communities to receive early access to the podcasts, ask questions and receive information directly from TMDSAS, professional schools and advisors. The TMDSAS Hub is open to all applicants in the EY2019/2020 cycle.  The TMDSAS Non-Traditional Applicants group is open to all applicants who identify themselves as non-traditional and would like to connect with other applicants. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, reach us at podcast@tmdsas.com. The TMDSAS Podcast is a proud affiliate of the MededMedia network.

Canadians think they have it much harder than their US counterparts when it comes to getting shadowing and clinical experience. It's just not the case. Links: Full Episode Blog Post Nontrad Premed Forum MedEd Media The Premed Hangout

As you start to look at your extracurriculars for medical school, you may start worrying that you don't have enough clinical experience. How much is enough? Links and Other Resources: Full Episode Blog Post Check out our Nontrad Premed Forum, and ask a question of your own! Related episode: How Much Shadowing Do I Need for Medical School? Related episode: Am I Doing Enough Right Now to Get Into Med School? Related episode: What Is the Best Paid Clinical Experience for Medical School? Need MCAT Prep? Save on tutoring, classes, and full-length practice tests by using promo code “MSHQ” for 10% off Next Step full-length practice tests or “MSHQTOC” for $50 off MCAT tutoring or the Next Step MCAT Course at Next Step Test Prep!

When you think about a school's mission statement, it often reads like a fluff piece. However, we explore how the mission/vision/values statements for professional schools have common threads that are linked to Core Competencies. Don't forget that the role of the admissions committee is to find applicants who support their mission/vision/values. In this episode, we’ll focus on the defined medical school core competencies as they provide a framework that nicely overlaps with the desired competencies across the health professions. -------------- Links to other resources on Core Competencies: Core Competencies for Entering Medical Students https://www.aamc.org/admissions/admissionslifecycle/409090/competencies.html  hat Medical Schools are Looking for: Understanding the 15 Core Competencies https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/article/med-schools-looking-for-15-competencies/  Real Stories Demonstrating Core Competencies https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-medical-school/student/courtneys-path-medical-school/  Behavioral and Social Science Foundations for Future Physicians https://www.aamc.org/download/271020/data/behavioralandsocialsciencefoundationsforfuturephysicians.pdf DENTAL COMPETENCIES Competencies for the New General Dentist http://www.adea.org/about_adea/governance/Pages/Competencies-for-the-New-General-Dentist.aspx  UT Health Houston SOD Competencies https://dentistry.uth.edu/students/docs/ddscomp.pdf VETERINARY COMPETENCIES Entry-level DVM Core Competencies http://www.aavmc.org/data/files/navmec/1/dr.janilkiw-entryleveldvmcorecompetencies.pdf -------------- Join our online communities to receive early access to the podcasts, ask questions and receive information directly from TMDSAS, professional schools and advisors. The TMDSAS Hub is open to all applicants in the EY2019/2020 cycle.  The TMDSAS Non-Traditional Applicants group is open to all applicants who identify themselves as non-traditional and would like to connect with other applicants. If you have any questions or comments about the podcast, reach us at podcast@tmdsas.com. The TMDSAS Podcast is a proud affiliate of the MededMedia network.