Medical School Memoirs

How Much Does a Gastroenterologist Make?

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:19:00 +0000

What does a gastroenterologist do?
A gastroenterologist deals with the body’s digestive system, which includes anything from the mouth to the anus. It can involve any organ that deals with digestion such as the pancreas, the duodenum, the stomach (obviously), the colon, the small intestines, etc. Those who have colon cancer or ulcers go to a gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists also deals with prevention of cancers by removing polyps from the digestive tract. Polyps are pre-malignant which can lead to cancers so, gastroenterologists remove those polyps. Gastroenterologists also deals with liver diseases but that deals with a hepatologist, which is a subspecialty of gastroenterology.

How much does a gastroenterologist make?
The US national average recorded shows that the lowest salary recorded is $210,599, and the highest salary recorded is a whopping $514,033; the median salary $323,417.

How to be a gastroenterologist?
First, one has to complete 4 years of medical school (duh), then three years of internal medicine residency. Then 2-4 years of gastroenterology specialty fellowships. For concentrating to a particular organ, such as the liver, they can go into subspecialty for further training. Keep in mind the longer the training the more money one can earn.

Source: Salary.com

How Much Does an Endocrinologist Make

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:48:00 +0000

What does an endocrinologist do?
Endocrinologists diagnose, treat, and manage diseases that affect the glands of the body. Diseases that manifest abnormal hormonal levels such as in diabetes, hyperparathyroidism, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia to name a few. They counsel patients in following a healthy lifestyle to manage their endocrine illness. You could also say they are sex doctors in a way since they do deal with managing sex hormones.

How to become an endocrinologist?
Well going to medical school is the obvious part. After 4 years of medical school, one must complete 3 years of internal medicine residency and specialize in endocrinology afterwards. Specializing in endocrinology after internal medicine residency requires 2-3 years of fellowship.

How much does an endocrinologist make?
According to the survey published by American Medical Group Association, as of 2009 the starting salary for an endocrinologist is $175,000 and the median salary for an endocrinologist is $212,281. So if you break it down by month, the Physician would get $17,690 with the median salary, now that’s not bad, especially in this economy. As of 2009, the highest paid salary for endocrinology is $226,054 and the lowest is $202,820, which is on the East Coast of US. Keep in mind these salary figures are before the deduction of income tax, government overhead fees, and malpractice insurance.

A career as an endocrinologist is an ideal choice for those who have a strong desire to serve patients and have good bedside manner. Endocrinologists must have good communication skills as they must counsel their patients and be able to interact with other medical personnel.

Sources: DegreeFinders, eHow

Where to Live and Where to Park in Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:32:00 +0000

I got this question via email from someone who looking to settle in Chicago. I gave a detailed and important answer and it might be helpful to those who have never been to Chicago before. Don't mind if there are any grammatical errors because I typed it up very quickly.

so I'm starting to look for a place to live in Chicago. Any good neighborhoods with nice apartments or condominiums that you know of near the Jackson park hospital?

Thanks

And this is what I replied to him:

Live in apartments near Hyde Park (near President Obama's House) or around the University of Chicago, that's where most students from University of Chicago and medical students live. Also, a warning, avoid living near the hospital, that's dangerous area. Live north of 60th street; do not live south of 60th street.

Another warning is about parking of you're going to bring your car, come around 7:30 AM to get a parking space in the parking lot in front of the hospital. The parking lot is right in front the hospital on the same side facing Stony Island Ave. Do not park in the back parking lot behind the hospital; one secured parking lot is for doctors, where medical students cannot park, and the other parking lot, across the street, is insecure but whoever parks there gets their car window broken into. In the insecured parking lot, people who have cars with an out-of-state (not Illinois) license plate are targeted.

Also, if you're going to take public transportation, do not carry a laptop bag. I suggest a book back that has a laptop pouch inside. I recommend a Targus book bag with a laptop pouch from Amazon; it's the same type that I got and it's cheap. Carrying a laptop bag in front of the bus stop is asking to get mugged at knife point. I'm telling you this because one student got mugged at knife point last year at broad daylight; however this didn't happen in front of the hospital because there are police around the hospital. The bus stop closest to the hospital is 10 minute walk away.

Analysis of Different Caribbean Medical Schools

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

One of my friends is considering to go to a Caribbean medical school. He is a business major with concentration in finance so he loves to analyze numbers in different applications. He sent me this last night to compare and contrast the different accredited Caribbean medical schools that is worth looking into. When I looked at the chart I knew he is thinking long and hard of the long term costs and benefits. He went to each school's website and looked into which school is approved in which states. I thought this is an interesting find and it would very useful for prospective medical students who are considering going to a Caribbean medical school; Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara is actually not located in the Caribbean, it's located in Mexico.

The chart involves the factors the differentiates one school from another including:

FAFSA eligibility and school code
OSAP (Ontario Assistance Student Program)
Establishment dates for each school
Approval for the states of NY, CA, TX, and FL.
MCAT requirements
Basic Science cost, as of January 2012
Clinical Science cost, as of January 2012
The foreign country/island each school is located at
And finally the estimated total cost, minus the junk fees, for each school

In the following school list, I put a * next to the so called "big four" medical schools which medical students talk about on forums. The big four Caribbean medical schools are supposed to be approved in all 50 states, but according to the chart Saba is not.

American University of Antigua
American University of the Caribbean*
Atlantic University School of Medicine
Medical University of the Americas
Ross University School of Medicine*
Saba School of Medicine*
Spartan Health Sciences University School of Medicine
St. George's University*
St. James School of Medicine Bonaire
St. Matthews School of Medicine
Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine Mexico
University of Health Sciences Antigua
University of Medicine and Health Sciences St. Kitts (UMHS)
Windsor School of Medicine
Xavier School of Medicine Aruba

(Click on the chart to enlarge)

Obviously it took him a while to do this, he has the time that I don't so I give him, Sean, the credit. Also if you liked this post and find it helpful then please Google+ it and Tweet it, thanks.

AICM USMLE Step 1 Lecture Topics

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:29:00 +0000

First of all, Happy New Year people. It's been a crazy past year for me as the Bonaire to USA transition; on top of that with only three week break after finishing Bonaire I started AICM right away in January 2011 and finished it in April 2011.

I know AICM is on the minds of MD3 and MD4 and so I'm trying to gather a lot of information about it and luckily I stumbled on information about it. As you scrolled down you will see the topics in detail on what to expect when you attend the USMLE Step 1 lectures in AICM in Chicago. Also, the following may seem overwhelming, but once you go through it once it's not that bad.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Gene expression: DNA structure, replication, and exchange, transcription, translation, including defects.
Structure and function of proteins
Metabolic pathways of small molecules and associated diseases
Biosynthesis and degradation of other macromolecules and associated abnormalities, complex
Carbohydrates glycoproteins, and proteoglycans

Human development and Genetics

Embryogenesis: programmed gene expression, tissue differentiation and morphogenesis, homeotic genes, and developmental regulation of gene expression
Congenital abnormalities: principles, patterns of anomalies, dysmorphogenesis
Principles of pedigree analysis, including inheritance patterns, occurrence and recurrence risk determination
Population genetics: hardy-Weinberg law, founder effects, mutation-selection equilibrium genetic mechanisms: chromosomal abnormalities, mendelian inheritance, multifactorial diseases clinical genetics, including genetic testing, prenatal diagnosis, newborn screening, genetic counseling/ethics, gene therapy

Behavioral Sciences, Ethics, Statistics

Progression through the life cycle, including birth through senescence
Psychologic and social factors influencing patient behavior
Patient interviewing, consultation, and interactions with the family
Medical ethics, jurisprudence, and professional behavior
Quantitative methods
- Fundamental concepts of measurement
- Fundamental concepts of study design
- Fundamental concepts of hypothesis testing and statistical inference

Pharmacology

General principles of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic
General properties of autacoids, including peptides and analogs, biogenic amines, prostanoids and their inhibitors, and smooth muscle/endothelial autacoids
General principles of autonomic pharmacology
General properties of antimicrobials, including mechanisms of action and resistance
General properties of antineoplastic agents and immunosuppressants, including drug effects on rapidly dividing mammalian cells

Microbiology

Microbial classification and its basis
Bacteria and bacterial diseases
Viruses and viral diseases
Fungi and fungal infections
Parasites and parasitic diseases

Immunology

Production and function of granulocytes, natural killer cells, and macrophages
Production and function of t lymphocytes, t-lymphocyte receptors
Production and function of b lymphocytes and plasma cells; immunoglobulin and antibodies.
Antigenicity and immunogenicity; antigen presentation; cell activation and regulation; tolerance and clonal deletion
Immunologic mediators: chemistry, function, molecular biology, classic and alternative complement pathways, cytokines, chemokines
Immunogenetics; mhc structure and function, class i, ii molecules; erythrocyte antigens
Immunizations: vaccines, protective immunity
Alterations in immunologic function
Immunologically mediated disorders
Immunologic principles underlying diagnostic laboratory tests (e.g., ELISA, complement fixation, RIA, agglutination)

Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Systems

Normal processes
- Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
- Organ structure and function
- Cell/tissue structure and function
- Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
Abnormal processes
- Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- Traumatic and mechanical injury
- Neoplastic disorders
- Metabolic and regulatory disorders
- vascular and endothelial disorders
- Systemic disorders affecting the hematopoietic and lymphoreticular system (e.g., nutritional deficiencies, systemic lupus erythematosus)
- Idiopathic disorders
Principles of therapeutics
- Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the hematopoietic system
- Other therapeutic modalities

Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems

Normal processes
- Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes, including neural tube derivatives, cerebral ventricles, neural crest derivatives
- Organ structure and function
- Cell/tissue structure and function
- Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
Abnormal processes
- Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- Traumatic and mechanical disorders
- Neoplastic disorders, including primary and metastatic
- Acquired metabolic and regulatory disorders
- Vascular disorders
- Systemic disorders affecting the nervous system
- Idiopathic disorders affecting the nervous system
- Congenital disorders, including metabolic
- Degenerative disorders
- Paroxysmal disorders
- Disorders of special senses
- Psychopathologic disorders, processes and their evaluation
Principles of therapeutics
- Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the nervous system
- Other therapeutic modalities (e.g., radiation, CSF shunting, surgery)

Skin and Related Connective Tissue

Normal processes
- Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
- Organ structure and function
- Cell/tissue structure and function, including barrier functions, thermal regulation, eccrine function
- Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life or ethnicity
- Skin defense mechanisms and normal flora
Abnormal processes
- Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- Traumatic and mechanical disorders
- Neoplastic disorders
- Metabolic, regulatory, and structural disorders
- Vascular disorders
- Systemic disorders affecting the skin

Principles of therapeutics
- Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the skin and connective tissue, including anti-inflammatory agents emollients, sunscreen, retinoids, antimicrobial agents, cytotoxic and immunologic therapy
- Other therapeutic modalities

Musculoskeletal System

Normal processes
- Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
- Organ structure and function
- Cell/tissue structure and function
- Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
Abnormal processes
- Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- Traumatic and mechanical disorders
- Neoplastic disorders
- Metabolic, regulatory, and structural disorders
- Vascular disorders
- Systemic disorders affecting the musculoskeletal system (e.g., diabetes mellitus)
- Idiopathic disorders
- Degenerative disorders
Principles of therapeutics
- Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system
- Other therapeutic modalities (e.g., radiation, surgery, casts, rehabilitation)

Respiratory System

Normal processes
- embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
- organ structure and function
- cell/tissue structure and function, including surfactant formation, alveolar structure
- repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
- pulmonary defense mechanisms and normal flora
Abnormal processes
- infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- traumatic and mechanical disorders
- neoplastic disorders
- metabolic, regulatory, and structural disorders
- vascular and circulatory disorders
- systemic disorders affecting the respiratory system
Principles of therapeutics
- mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the respiratory system
- other therapeutic modalities

Cardiovascular System

Normal processes
- Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
- Organ structure and function
- ell/tissue structure and function
- Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
Abnormal processes
- Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- Traumatic and mechanical disorders
- Neoplastic disorders
- Metabolic and regulatory disorders
- vascular disorders
- Systemic diseases affecting the cardiovascular system
- Congenital disorders of the heart and central vessels
Principles of therapeutics
- Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the cardiovascular system
- Other therapeutic modalities

Gastrointestinal System

Normal processes
- Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
- Organ structure and function, including alimentary canal, liver and biliary system, salivary glands and exocrine pancreas, motility, and digestion and absorption
- Cell/tissue structure and function
- Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
- Gastrointestinal defense mechanisms and normal flora
Abnormal processes
- Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- Traumatic and mechanical disorders
- Neoplastic disorders, including benign and malignant
- Metabolic and regulatory disorders
- Vascular disorders
- Systemic disorders affecting the gastrointestinal system

Principles of therapeutics
- Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal system
- Other therapeutic modalities (e.g., surgical procedures, stents, feeding tubes)

Renal/Urinary System

Normal processes
- Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
- Organ structure and function
- Cell/tissue structure and function, including renal metabolism and oxygen consumption, hormones produced by or acting on the kidney
- Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
Abnormal processes
- Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- Traumatic and mechanical disorders
- Neoplastic disorders, including primary and metastases
- Metabolic and regulatory disorders
- Vascular disorders
- Systemic diseases affecting the renal system
Principles of therapeutics
- Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the renal and urinary system
- other therapeutic modalities (e.g., dialysis, renal transplantation)

Reproductive System

Normal processes
- Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
- Organ structure and function
- Cell/tissue structure and function, including hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, sex steroid and gestational hormones
- Reproductive system defense mechanisms and normal flora
Abnormal processes
- Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- Traumatic and mechanical disorders
- Neoplastic disorders
- Metabolic and regulatory processes
- Systemic disorders affecting reproductive function
- Disorders relating to pregnancy, the puerperium, and the postpartum period
Principles of therapeutics
- Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the reproductive system
- Other therapeutic modalities affecting the reproductive system (e.g., tampons)

Endocrine System

Normal processes
- Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
- Organ structure and function
- Cell/tissue structure and function, including hormone synthesis, secretion, action, and metabolism
- Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
Abnormal processes
- Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
- Traumatic and mechanical disorders
- Neoplastic disorders
- Metabolic and regulatory processes
- Vascular disorders
- Systemic disorders affecting the endocrine system
- Idiopathic disorders
Principles of therapeutics

Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the endocrine system

Source: Advancedpreclinical.com

MedicalSchoolMemoirs.com is now online!

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:26:00 +0000

Lurking Shadow, who writes on the SJSM blog medstulife.com, registered his domain recently and I was planning to register my domain after passing Step 1. However, it was very tempting to register right away because of the new 2012 year. Also, the timing is perfect because the domain will not be randomly be registered in the middle of the year; it will be renewed at the end of the year. So from now this site is on MedicalSchoolMemoirs.com and also the old address, imgstudent.blogspot.com, will be redirected to the new domain.

It’s been almost 28 months (2 years and ~4 months) since I started my journey to get my MD and this blog has come a long way. This site has become very successful over the years with significant readership growth. My readership has grown exponentially with as high as 129 visitors per day and growing. It would grow further if I write more posts but with my busy schedule I only find 20-30 minutes to write these posts once a week. Since this site has an official domain now, I plan to write every day while I’m in clinical clerkship so you’ll get the most detailed information for every subject possible.

Big Warning for Upcoming MD4 Students and AICM Students

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:13:00 +0000

I received some info from a friend who is finishing up AICM in Chicago and I was surprised that the instructors in AICM are still forcing students to do something inefficient to studying. In AICM, you will be required to sign up for a QBank, USMLE World particularly; and you are required to complete at least 50% of the Qbank before finishing the semester. They require you to start the Qbank after the USMLE Step 1 prep review and at the beginning of the rotations of AICM. There are around 2100 questions from USMLE World QBank and completing 50% of it in 2 months is possible but with full concentration. However, in AICM you are required to complete around 1050 questions, which is 50% of the Qbank, with clinical rotations. In clinical rotations you will have to do presentations for each rotations, you will be at the hospital majority of the day, plus you are required to do overnight on calls for Internal Medicine rotation, and USMLE World is a very difficult Qbank. USMLE World requires a person full concentration and commitment to successfully get the most out of the Qbank. One of my friends, who was on dean’s list in Bonaire, took an entire day to do one block of the QBank because of the extreme difficulty of the questions.

AICM Schedule includes the first 2 months of USMLE Step 1 review in a classroom, then the next 2 months the students do orientation and clinical rotations in the clinical floor. With rotations one cannot complete 1050 questions and fully get through the explanations. The only way to get through the questions is to blindly and randomly click answers so the AICM instructor sees that you are doing the questions. By blindly clicking on the questions you are just satisfying the teacher and you’re wasting your money because you are required to pay for USMLE World questions which goes from $99 for 30 days to $400 for one year.

My advice to the upcoming MD4 students is to do USMLE World questions starting from MD4. You will have a lot of time in MD4 semester because MD4 classes not as difficult as MD3 classes. Most MD4 students in SJSM make the mistake of relaxing in the last semester because the hardest semester is over. However, MD4 semester is a perfect opportunity to get started in being better prepared than the previous students. If you are consistent with USMLE World questions then you can finish all of it before MD4 semester is over. If you just do 20 questions a day from USMLE World, and thoroughly go over the answers and explanations then you will have time to study for MD4 classes plus enjoy having fun in the last four months in Bonaire/Anguilla.

For upcoming AICM students, if you have at least 2 months before AICM semester begins, then finish on round of USMLE World questions for Step 1, and trust me you won’t regret it. By doing so you will be able to go over the questions faster in AICM and you will satisfy the requirement for a grade and you will get the most out of it.

If you finish USMLE World questions in Bonaire or Anguilla, then the USMLE Step 1 review in AICM will be very effective in helping you because it will be a very good review. However, if you don’t do the questions then the USMLE review will be a waste of your time, and you have no choice about it because you have to attend it for a grade.

If I knew then what I know now I would not have wasted so much time ; therefore, take my advice and start early. I write these blog posts to help my fellow students in SJSM because no one else does; that’s why I take the time to write them because valuable information can make or break a student. The information is presented to you so, it’s up to you to use it, good luck.

One Year Since I Left Bonaire

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 08:18:00 +0000

A year from today I was on the plane back to the United States of America. I was one of the happiest and relived persons among my classmates. I only had 4 hours of sleep that day because of all the time I spent having fun the night before and packing to leave. The day before we had the white coat ceremony and saying goodbye to everyone who I saw for 16 months took time. Since I have been back, I developed regrets from my experience in Bonaire. I know it’s been a year but I still think about the little good times I had and if I knew then what I know now I would make the best of my stay in Bonaire.

Regret #1
I didn’t get out as much. I was too worried about getting A’s in Bonaire, but at the end of the day grades in Bonaire didn’t matter, it was as if you passed or not.

Regret #2
I didn’t make enough friends. Living in Bonaire is a one in a lifetime experience and you learn a lot when you intermix with other people of different backgrounds.

Regret #3
I didn’t enjoy the island. The island is one of a kind, and there are somethings on the island that you will not find anywhere else in the world. If you missed out all the fun you had on the island then you should also regret it.

I advise my readers to learn from my regrets and enjoy your time in Bonaire so you don’t have the same regrets as me. I know studying medicine is a serious matter, but life is short and enjoy as much as you can. You have to sacrifice at least 7 years to become a practicing physician in the US, and so take every opportunity you can get to have fun.

Hematopoietic & Lymphoid Pathology Videos

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 00:17:00 +0000

Here is a another installment of videos for studying for the USMLE Step 1. Here are the videos of hematopoietic & lymphoid pathology. I am providing these videos for my record but my readers can benefit them also. These videos should set a foundation for the pathology for hematopoiesis and lymphatics. Watch them at least twice consecutively to get the full grasp of the concepts.

Like mentioned before, please use the latest versions of Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox in order to view them correctly.

USMLE Step 1 MCQ: Exertional Dyspnea, Fatigue, and Palpitations

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:24:00 +0000

I write these USMLE style questions to help me study and perhaps help my readers as well. I get these questions from concepts mostly from USMLE Step 1 First Aid book. If I am wrong in the explanation of these concepts then please pointed it out by posting a comment. The title of the post indicates the symptoms of the clinical scenario without revealing the answer to the question. NOTE: I did not copy and paste the MCQs from anywhere, I actually wrote them.

A 50-year-old male presents to clinic with a three weeks history of exertional dyspnea, fatigue, and palpitations. The patient’s heart rate is irregular and measures 124/min, with a blood pressure of 112/75 mm Hg. Echocardiography involving the esophagus reveals a thrombus in the dilated left atrium. If the thrombus enters circulation and obstructs a blood vessel, which of the following structures is least likely to be affected by the thrombus?

A) Heart
B) Liver
C) Kidneys
D) Spleen
E) Brain

Explanation
The correct answer is the liver, because the thrombus of a blood vessel leads to infarction and the liver has a dual blood supply, which consists of the portal vein and the hepatic artery. If the hepatic artery is occluded, the portal venous supply and retrograde arterial flow through accessory vessels is typically sufficient to perfuse the liver. The only time there is an exception is when a patient has a liver transplant and due to the transplant, a thrombus develops in the hepatic artery; and the collateral blood vessel can get severed during surgery so, there would not be a retrograde perfusion.

Image Source: Google Images with the keyword "hepatic dual supply"

The organ that is least susceptible to withstand occlusion is the brain and the organ that can withstand occlusion the greatest is the liver; the other organs are between. The organs that are susceptible to infarction due to blood vessel occlusion are as follows: brain > heart > kidney > spleen > liver. The brain is very sensitive and can be damaged permanently once perfusion is occluded for more than couple of minutes.

Reference: FIRST AID USMLE Step 1 - 2011 version; p. 313

Learn the Basics of Microbiology Easily

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:16:00 +0000

Staphylococcus Aureus is a gram positive, catalase positive, coagulase positive bacteria that presents as clusters of cocci.
Streptococcus Pneumoniae is a gram positive, catalase negative, alpha-hemolytic bacteria that presents in lancet shaped coccus in pairs. Now there are many other organisms that have features that requires understanding their classification for memorizing for the USMLE Step 1. The question is how will you memorize them. It all comes down to understanding the basic foundation of Microbiology. I provided videos below which will make it easier to understand the basics of microbiology.

Learn Immunology Easily for the USMLE Step 1

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:14:00 +0000

Before you start reading this post, you may want to bookmark this post, because the contents in this post is GOLD.

Immunology is one of the most difficult subjects to learn for the USMLE Step 1. Kaplan doesn't do that well in explaining the subject in their videos; the Kaplan book however is well organized. When watching videos you're actually passively learning and that needs to be done well. If you can't understand what you're learning in the videos then you shouldn't be watching it; you're just wasting time then.

Here is an easy way to easily learn immunology. I found these videos online which explains immunology very thoroughly and clearly. If you have the Microbiology & Immunology: Board Review Series or Kaplan's Imunology book then keep that on the side while you are watching these videos and taking notes. I made this library for myself but you can watch these videos while you're in MD3, because that's when you have to take Immunology with Microbiology or whenever you're reviewing the subject.

If you watch thse videos at least 2 times then you will have high confidence in the subject.

NOTE: Use either Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer in order to watch these videos well.

Cytokines

Complement System

Immunoglobulins

MHC Molecules

Hypersensitivity Reactions

Thymus and T-Cell Development

Bone Marrow and Hematopoeisis

B Lymphocytes and TH2 Lymphocytes

This image is a basic scenario of an immune response to an antigen.
Image credit to University of Illinois at Chicago.

Here is another source, this immunology movie from Southwestern Medical Center.

What Are your Chances in Getting into Saint James School of Medicine?

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:55:00 +0000

This question is asked so many times by so many people on ValueMD and everyone has different answers but they all have a common answers with their different answers. I got an email regarding the question above.

Note: few things are omitted from the original email to respect the sender’s privacy.

I know you went to the Bonaire campus but I'm interested in the Anguilla campus. My advisor, Mr. R, has all of my information (transcripts, letters of rec., etc) and has scheduled my interview for this coming Tuesday. What can I expect to experience in the interview? My undergraduate GPA was 2.8 but I have extensive pre-hospital medical experince. In reading your posts I relate to you very well in that I haven't applied to any other school (I'm from the US) nor did I take the MCAT. Any information regarding the interview process would be greatly appreciated!!

The answer to this is not very complicated. The only pre-condition in getting into SJSM and most of the other Caribbean medical schools is the ability to pay for your tuition; that’s it. There are no loan programs for SJSM and the Delta loan program comes and goes each year, I don’t know why; and when it does come it’s only for Basic Science classes. So you have to be very resourceful in getting the money that’s required for tuition.

Of course there are other things also, like pre-requisite classes but they are lenient regarding it. Usually you have to have all the pre-medicine requirements in order to get into the MD program in SJSM and they are strict about it. However, recently I met someone who did not have the pre-medicine requirements but he had the ability to pay and he got in. Therefore, that issue can be debated. And regarding the GPA, if you have a 2.4 or above and you can pay then you’re in. Somewhere from Bonaire told me that the new MD1 class had over 90 people; that’s crazy unless they are expanding the classroom sizes.

Also note SJSM doesn’t require an MCAT score; not just SJSM, but also IAU and Windsor. Any medical school that doesn’t require MCAT is very lenient on their admissions. However, this could change with time as SJSM is gaining accreditations. I remember in 2003 one of my friend’s brother went to Ross Medical University and he got in without a Bachelor’s degree and without taking the MCAT. Now Ross requires an MCAT because of how big they’ve gotten; and it also plays a role in their accreditation.

So to summarize in your chances of getting into SJSM, ask yourself these questions:
Do you have over 2.4 GPA?
Do you have the pre-medicine pre-requisites?
Can you pay the full tuition?

If you say yes to all those things then you’re good to go, and don’t be tense about the interview process, because it’s over the phone.

Do you Want to be a Medical Doctor to Make a Six-Figure Income?

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:52:00 +0000

Did you go to Saint James School of Medicine because you want to make money? I hope the answer to that question is a big NO, but not just at SJSM it applies to any medical school. When I was doing my undergrad I was with about 140 students in the pre-medicine program in my class. Half of the students were Chemistry majors and the other half were Biology majors, the group that I was with. And about 7 out of 60 that I know of in the class have gone through to finish pre-medicine. For a good majority of the 7 people I know of, most of them went through to dental school and pharmacy school, while another student and I went along with regular medicine.

After coming back from Bonaire I caught up with those students and I asked those students why didn’t they go medical school like they originally planned, their answer was that it was too hard or they were not willing to go through “all that”. They explained to me what they have to do to get a PharmD or a DMD (doctor of dental medicine). When they explained to me their path to getting their degree and what awaits them at the other end of the light, I was stunned that they don’t have to go through what MDs have to go through plus they are paid more. Yes you read it right, they are paid more in the long run than MDs. A pharmacists and a dentists gets paid very well but not as well as an MD, however, they have less liability and therefore they get to keep more money at the end of the day than a regular medical doctor. Some doctors, depending on their insurance or whichever hospital they work for, have to give up 45% of their hard worked money. It includes government overhead fees, insurance, and income tax.

It’s funny and ironic how the system works in America. Sports players get paid millions of dollars just for entertaining us and they get to live lavish lives and have fun. However, doctors have to sacrifice at least 7 years of their lives to learn to save people. On top of that they are overworked and underpaid and at the end, half of their paycheck gets taken away. That’s one of the reasons I get ticked off when someone, non-medical person, starts the argument “doctors get paid too much”.

So if you think you can make big money becoming a doctor, think again. You’re better off as a financial analyst at a consulting firm on Wall Street, but then again Wall Street has problems now for corporate greed.

The Best Study Method for the USMLE Step 1

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 04:31:00 +0000

So what is the best method of studying for the USMLE Step 1?
Believe it or not the best method is your method. Yes you got it; it’s your own method. You can look online and find so many methods by medical students who already took the test. However, do you really think those methods will work for you? Everyone is different and so every method goes with different people. Just because one method worked for that particular student doesn’t mean that method will work for you.

Let’s say you found a study method for the USMLE Step 1 from a medical student who took the test and passed, that medical student may be single, and you may be married; therefore, the study may not work for you. If your’re married you may need more time because you need to attend to your family. Some of these study methods are very complicated because they get into details on what to do during the day.

So should you look into those methods you found online?
Of course, you should always learn from others who’s been there but don’t imitate them and think you will get their high scores. Learn their strong points and their weak points. Usually when medical students write their methods of studying they also point out their mistakes and what they should’ve done; that’s what you should pay attention to.

So how do you know if your method is effective?
First think about if you are understanding the concept and then think about if you are memorizing what you need to memorize. Don’t attempt to memorize anything unless you understand what you’re memorizing because you memorize faster and far more efficiently if you understand what you’re memorizing.

How I Avoided Paying my Airline and the Bonaire Government Extra Money

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 02:49:00 +0000

This is actually one of the forgotten stories of my time in Bonaire. Sometimes I don’t realize how many times I mentioned something because of so many blog posts that I have written. As you know the Bonairians will try to squeeze every cent out of you if you have an American or Canadian passport. Trust me when I tell you, the vast majority of Bonairians are not your friends. Only a small handful of Bonairians are good people, but that can be said for any group of people, even in America. However, in Bonaire, if you are an American or Canadian citizen you are venerable. The native Bonarians fear the European Dutch, not the Americans, surprising I know…j/k. And when they see that you are a white person, they think you are loaded with cash. My landlords are very unsympathetic, they know I'm a venerable foreign student and even then they asked me to pay extra rent money when I wasn't staying for the entire month. So for the last month I left for a friend's house and my landlords couldn't find anyone to replace me for that month; sucks for them, they could've made some money instead of no money.

The Bonaire government will charge you over $40 in exit tax when you leave the country. So someone told me that if you’re still going to USA or Canada through local flights then tell them you are going to Aruba or Curacao or whichever part of the Netherlands island your connecting to. By doing so you avoid paying so much and you just have to pay less than $10 in local tax. I did and it worked.

I took Insel Air to Curacao and trust me when I say this; that airline is run by idiots. Insel Air left my luggage in Bonaire and the officials standing around didn’t know what to do. So I had to go and ask around to different officials in what do to. I had to call back and forth until I found an official who spoke English. I filled out a lost luggage form and got their office number, cell phone number, their manager’s number, just enough numbers for me call constantly to drive them insane. I went to American Airlines in Curacao and told them what happened and they just assured me that they’ll do whatever they can to get it. Unfortunately the luggage wasn’t lost in a domestic USA flight; otherwise the airline who lost it would just send me a check in the mail.

Two days later after I got back home I called the non-English speaking official in Curacao and understood his broken English enough to confirm that my luggage came at my local airport. And yes I communicated well with him because I had Google Translate right in front of me when replied back in Spanish to the guy. I went to my home State's airport and apparently no available airport official could help me, what a surprise. I made a mistake of asking a TSA officer of where to go, those idiots don’t know much, except of how to use their authority to feel on women passengers; I’m kidding. Luckily I found an official of the airline, which was supposed to bring my luggage, and we resolved things out after a while. The problem was that the Curacao airport official gave me 6 out of the 8 tracking numbers over the phone; and the missing two tracking numbers were two zeros, go figure. Anyways, I was taken to a back room where a lot of lost luggages were and I found my luggages half beaten up. So, I avoided paying luggage fees to the airline and I avoided paying extra money to the Bonaire government. I don’t feel guilty about it because Bonaire government charged me on this and that, even to get my deposit back from immigration office; and I know all SJSM would've done the same. At the end everything worked out well, except for the half-beaten up luggages which cost me over $300.

By the way, this happened when I returned to USA last December.

Set Your Goals High As a Medical Student

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0000

This is supposed to be a motivational post because that’s all everyone needs in order to be successful from Bonaire/Anguilla and also in Chicago and elsewhere. When you find something very tough, don’t give up because it’s hard, the words “give up” should not even be in your vocabulary if you’re a medical student.

If you think about it, when you set your mind on something and be passionate about it then your body will shape your actions to reach that goal. The keyword in the last sentence was being “passionate”. People who are passionate in what they do are the successful ones. For example, the late Steve Jobs who died recently, was passionate in creating innovational products and he created very successful products like the iPod, the iPhone, and the iPad.

If you think about something in your past, there was something you always wanted and you kept on thinking about it and you wanted that something really passionately and eventually you go it. Now think, how is that any different than getting and MD, or a residency of your choice? It’s not; it’s the same concept and by following that concept is how I survived Bonaire. In my mind my goal was to pass all my classes in Bonaire and get out ASAP, and that’s what I did.

What I’m trying to say is you want something really badly then you will willingly and passionately work for it then eventually you will get it, God willing. A normal person has the mental and physically capacity to reach his or her goals regardless of what they are. And make sure you set your goals very high because if you work harder then you are supposed to then the results are satisfying.

SJSM Tuition Increase and Warning about AICM

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:27:00 +0000

Here’s the news people, SJSM raised their tuition $300 for basic science and $350 for clinical science. Here is the news letter with the updated info. SJSM was known to be the cheapest medical school in the Caribbean that had descent accreditation but I guess that change. I hope loans come out soon and stay permanently otherwise students will have trouble paying so much for clinicals. In my opinion if you want to go to SJSM but you don’t have money then take 2 years and save up the money, of course by then the tuition can go up even more. SJSM is gaining good accreditation and it’s developing very fast if you look into it. People in Bonaire told me the new MD1 class has 90+ students plus more students from the pre-med group. I don’t know how they could fit so many people in those two campuses. My class had 50+ students and we felt crowded.

As I progress through the months, I realized that AICM could’ve been well optimized if and only if I was better prepared in Bonaire. AICM can be a good program if taught by certain teachers but it can be a waste if it was taught by other teachers; however, the same can be said with Kaplan and Falcon review courses as well. My biggest mistake was that I started to prepare late. I cannot emphasize enough on that enough. When you’re an MD4 use every second of your free time to prepare for the USMLE Step 1. Of course you have to keep up with the MD4 courses, and that should come first, because without passing those you’re not getting off the island. Preparation early is the best option, but the living conditions in Bonaire was horrible for me so I was tired and I was not motivated to study. In MD4 semester all I could think of is how much longer till I get off the island and get back to the beautiful United States of America. But anyways that’s my two cents for now.

Worrying about the Board Exam

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:04:00 +0000

I know I know; it’s been about 3 months since I updated this blog but you can’t blame me. I’m in the preparation/hibernation mode for the USMLE Step 1. There is nothing much more to say since I haven’t gone further than the AICM semester. No one is allowed to do any further clinical rotations until they complete USMLE Step 1 unless you do the PASS program after AICM.

More Clinical Rotations before USMLE Step 1
After AICM, if you want to do further rotations before taking USMLE Step 1 then sign up for the PASS program. You can do a combined 7 weeks course with 4 weeks of Family Practice rotations incorporated with it; this is in Champaign, Illinois, which is a 6 hours drive from Chicago. It’ll be regular semester tuition but you have to pay for your living expenses in Champaign, Illinois. If you do the PASS program then you will take off 4 weeks off Family Practice rotations from the 96 weeks mandatory rotations for Saint James School of Medicine. So overall that’s 96 weeks minus 16 weeks from AICM, minus 4 weeks from the PASS program. So that’s 76 weeks left to do before taking Step 1. It’s not bad in my opinion, but I’m not a fan of Illinois nor their high living expenses. I’m from the South so, I’m NOT used to paying $1000 for a one bedroom apartment with a private parking space. From the time I was in AICM till now they could've changed the program or the option so call the SJSM office in Chicago to confirm and get the details.

What I would do different if I knew then what I know now
Basically after all the things I learned I can point out my wrong doings and mistakes which I could’ve avoided that I recommend you readers/prospective students to consider.

1. Go to Bonaire to study in a comfortable environment. Don’t stay in a cheap place. Before you go to Bonaire, make sure you got money to spend, which means you’re monthly expense should be $1200/month so you don’t have to worry about starving yourself in order to stay in your budget. Also, if you can live walking distance to school that would be perfect, otherwise get a car. If you have to walk more than 5 minutes from your house to school then get a bike or a car because the sun, humidity, and the heat will burn you out.

2. MD4 in Bonaire should not be the time to relax. MD3 is hell in SJSM because it is the hardest semester and students don’t study as much in MD4 but you should use the easiness of MD4 and extra time to start preparing for USMLE Step 1. In MD4 you should finish going over Kaplan material; after you graduate from Basic Science you should not touch Kaplan at all. You can sign up for Kaplan web program and go through it at least once. Don’t waste time relaxing in MD4; and don’t let others persuade you to do so.

3. AICM semester in Chicago is mandatory from now on for all SJSM students finishing basic science classes. Don’t figure out how to study for Step 1 in AICM; figure that out before graduating basic science. You should not waste time in trial and error methods in AICM or even after AICM. Before you graduate basic science classes have a solid plan in what to do and what not to do so you can avoid wasting time.

So these are important points I can think of at the moment. Of course at the moment I have a tight schedule and blogging is not a priority because I start reading in the morning and before you know it I see that 4 hours passed by in a blink of an eye I constantly worry at the moment and I have a lot of anxiety because this is the when all medical students will have their performance tested. But with hard work everyone can succeed God willing.

Taking Medical School Memoirs to the Next Level

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sat, 28 May 2011 04:24:00 +0000

I never imagined this blog would go as far it has gone with its clean content without exhibiting pictures of booty and cleavage. In terms of popularity I heard it got very popular among SJSM students who go to the Bonaire campus, especially those who are prospective students. Apparently this blog answers a lot of questions to students who can’t find the information they’re looking for anywhere else. If you like this blog or if it’s been helpful for you then please spread the word to your buddies who are thinking about coming to the Bonaire campus of SJSM. I'll have more info on Clinical Clerkships once that time comes around.

I also found out that the Saint James School of Medicine's official blog has linked to this blog. SJSM not only linked this site from their main site, but they also follow this site on Twitter.

There are other blogs written by SJSM students: Southern Doc: Caribbean Style, Life of a Medical Student, Prostudent4life (Anguilla campus), and MD Odyssey. Benji Ho, another Caribbean medical student who blogs, attends American University of the Caribbean, and it was he who found out about all the SJSM blogs and listed them on his site. To my surprise he recommends my blog to his readers in regards of SJSM; thanks Benji.

What’s the Plan

Follow via Twitter

I plan to register a domain for this blog. Yes, you read it right a “.com” for Medical School Memoirs. I haven’t quite gotten a solid decision on the name yet, but I got my choices of domain names. I want a domain name which is simple and easy to remember and it would be a general name on medical school and/or medicine as a whole. I don’t quite know when to register for it though; may be after I take Step 1 or perhaps sometime before during my break. Let’s see how it goes so far. It only takes 2 minutes to register a domain and a wait of 48 hours, and another 2 minutes to activate the domain and link it to this blog.

Follow Me on Twitter
Yes you read it right, you can follow this site on Twitter. Twitter is a great tool for updates; whenever, a new blog post goes public the link to the new blog post gets published automatically on the Twitter’s minifeed.

Subscribe to RSS Feed
If you have Google reader or any other RSS Feed reader then subscribe to my feed.

SJSM Blog Added on 06/12/2011
A Piece of Mind (SJSM Anguilla Blog)

Q&A from a Prospective Medical Student

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Tue, 24 May 2011 12:42:00 +0000

These questions were emailed to me by a prospective medical student. I think it's far more beneficial for everyone if I made it public. I’m going to answer them to the best of my abilities from what the instructor told me while I was studying in Bonaire. I would not know if there were any new changes. The email I received is in black bold and my answer is in maroon red.

Hello,

I came across your blog "Medical School Memoirs" and found it really interesting! Thanks! I got a lot of useful information regarding the school. I am interested in attending the school and I wanted to ask a current student some questions to help me finalize my decision.

I read your post regarding Bonaire becoming part of the Netherlands.

So did SJSM finally become accredited by the Netherlands?

I’m not sure about Netherlands, I would ask the SJSM main office about that. But us AICM students can still register for the USMLE Step 1 and a lot of graduating students got residency this year so the school is accredited.

If so does that mean students can practice medicine in the Netherlands as well? If it isn't NVAO approved does it mean it gets taken of the IMED listing?

That would be the case but SJSM is in favor of the Dutch government since it’s established very well. Initially there were two medical schools in Bonaire, one is Xavier Medical School and the other is SJSM. Xavier Medical School was told to leave and SJSM was offered free land to build a new campus in Bonaire by the Dutch government. Research projects were added to the curriculum and to gain further accreditation.

Do you think the school provides enough equipment for the student to do well such as microcopes etc?

The school has a lot of microscopes but they are collecting dusts because it’s far convenient to project the Histology slides on the projector. In Histology class in MD1 we use the projectors but in Pathology II Lab in MD4 the instructor does get the students to use the microscopes.

Is there a fully functioning library? Are there good quality journals?

SJSM paid for a hug online science journal subscription. I still haven’t used it because I haven’t started my Clinical research yet. As for in Bonaire, the library is small but they were expanding while I was there.

Do you understand the professors?

That’s the million dollar question isn’t it? Most of the teachers are from India and they have the Kwik-E-Mart accent. First week it is difficult; however, with time you start to understand the teachers. One thing I noticed among these teachers is that instead of saying “muscles” they pronounced it as “muzles”. And the embryology teacher says “jygote” instead of “zygote”, which is the stage when the male and female gametes fuse during fertilization for those who don’t know.

Wifi/broadband internet?

Yes there is Wifi-Brodband internet in both the new and old campus. I tested the speed the highest I’ve got from the library was 14+ Mbps. Which is fast enough to stream High-Definition movies, not that you should do that since you got a lot of studying to do while you’re there.

Gym/Recreational facilities?
You get what you paid for, and with $5,000/semester for basic sciences in Bonaire, it will not get you that. However there is a gym right across the street with $20 sign up free and first month and $6/month after the first month. However, the equipment is old and rusty but it does get the job done. There is a premium gym, located a 5 minutes walk from the school, and it’s $60/month.

Cafeteria?

No, there is no cafeteria but there are shops all around the old campus to get something to eat. However, I can’t say the same for the new campus, it’s near 1000 steps landmark near the water and there are no stores to get something to eat. The MD1s and MD2s who attend class in the new campus usually take food from home.

Are lectures taught with diverse multimedia?
Lectures are taught in a typical time-consuming manner with PowerPoint slides. But for the most part those lectures hardly taught me anything when I was there. And I can say the same for more than half of my class. Some teachers just read of the slides which was a waste of our time. So what I did was watch Kaplan Medical videos while the teachers talk.

Is it normal for the school to ask for $1000 deposit in a short period of time?

I paid $1000 to reserve my seat so everyone has to do it, and I started in the Fall of 2009. As for it being normal, no it’s not normal; however, keep in mind that SJSM is a “for-profit” school so each seat is valuable for the school to make a profit.

How is the student population like?

The student population is very diverse. Every one is either American or Canadian but they’re mother countries are elsewhere in the world. I would say 40% of the student body are of Indian subcontinent origin, while the rest of the student population are from Eastern Asia, Poland, Africa, South America.

CORRECTION
Dr2016 from ValueMD.com states that
"SJSM is a non-profit medical school; the only one in the Caribbean actually. And, it is not unusual to require a seat deposit for medical school. Most U.S. schools require the same; however, not as immediate, unless, you are accepted late in the process."

I hope this helps in making your decision.

USMLE Step 1 oh USMLE Step 1

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sat, 14 May 2011 17:23:00 +0000

The USMLE Step 1 is all you can think of in the months after AICM and the time before clinical clerkships because that’s all you should be thinking of. To get prepared I basically asked over 13 medical students who are doing rotations and another 3 students who were applying for residency at the hospital I did my AICM at. I asked one question to all of them and that was “how did you study for Step 1”. Now, several times I did ask how long they studied but that’s not as important because some students study longer than others. The important factors to look for when these senior students answer were what tools they used to study for Step 1.

Don’t be shy about asking them about Step 1 because 99.9% of the time they will be more than happy to tell you about their study plans and experiences. If you are in a room with them waiting for the doctor, then kick off a non-academic conversation such as sports or cars and work your way to the Step 1 conversation; that’s what I did. But sports or cars is what I asked regarding guys, for the girls I asked them what school they came from because SJSM students are not the only ones doing clerkship in that hospital. I got what I wanted because I knew what I was looking for and that’s what you have to do. Becoming a doctor is not an easy process; one has to be fast and cunning in order to reach his/her goals.

I also got advice from a Kaplan tutor, who apparently got 99s on both USMLE Step 1 and Step 2. He basically confirmed what the rotation students told me and he summed it up in a easier study plan. I wish I can tell you what they told me but I have to apply it first to see if it works then I’ll write about it.

However, one really good advice I can tell you is, start studying for Step 1 from MD4. I don’t know much about Anguilla campus, but in Bonaire MD4 is less difficult than MD3 because Pharmacology is done in MD3. During MD4 semester spend more time reviewing for Step 1 than studying for that class notes.

Keep in mind, PDI class in MD4 will have everything you need to get prepared for clinical clerkships. Dr. P’s taught well in PDI and they went so well with AICM rotations.

Also if you haven't done so get the First Aid for USMLE Step 1 2011; it's what every student uses to get a reference of what will be on the test.

Budgeting to Live in Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Wed, 04 May 2011 22:48:00 +0000

I know budgeting is a big factor for the MD3s, MD4s, and the upcoming MD5s. By now MD5s are probably settled, but I hope any advise I give will be helpful. Now the reason students from SJSM needs to settle in Chicago is because they need to complete 8-weeks of USMLE review and 8-weeks of introduction to clinical medicine. So those 16 weeks will be subtracted from the 96-weeks of rotations SJSM requires students to complete in order to finish the MD program.

Keep in mind, living in Chicago is expensive but if you spend smart then you will save a lot of money. The following is an idea of how much you should spend per month if you live in Chicago.

Rent, Utilities -> $600 (You will get that price if you live near Hyde Park)
Public Transportation -> $86 for Unlimited Rides for 30 days
Food -> $150

Now if you drive in Chicago then transportation will be a bit more expensive because Chicago is one of the cities with the highest gas prices in America. By this summer gas prices will reach $5.00/gallon for regular gas in Chicago. Also, most SJSM students live near Hyde Park, which is where President Obama’s house is located. Hyde Park is where a lot of students from University of Chicago stay. There is also the medical library which is free to access for SJSM students as long as they show their hospital ID. Most SJSM students study in the library because it’s clean, resourceful, quiet, and it’s free to all medical students.

Also, please include the AICM requirements of paying $180 for 3 months of a Qbank. Most students signed up for 6 months to a year because they refused to do the Qbank questions during rotations because they don’t get enough time to rest and study. Also include the $50 per NBME exam which must be taken at the beginning of AICM and at the end of AICM to measure your improvement. The NBME exams will not count for the certification to take USMLE Step 1 that SJSM requires which a score of 650 or above. A third NBME exam with a 650 or above is required by SJSM along with 75% or above in ExamMaster final. Keep in mind the ExamMaster exam is included in the tuition but not the NBME exam. So basically you will be spending $150 for the NBME exams.

So for food, living, and traveling with public transportation, a monthly expense will come out to $836; now multiply that by 4, the total comes out to be $3,344. In the 4 months of AICM also add $330 on top of the total; it comes out to be $3,674.

I know it’s a lot but if you gain a lot of connections in Chicago, your spending could be lower; good luck.

Priority Selection among American, International, and Foreign Graduates

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sun, 01 May 2011 13:01:00 +0000

Let’s get some things cleared, because like most first year medical students in the Caribbean, I didn’t have much of an idea of what is what. But the information that I have presented below is from another doctor, a Canadian doctor. I can’t say much from my side because I haven’t been through the residency process.

AMG, IMG, and FMG
AMG stands for American Medical Graduates, IMG stands for International Medical Graduate, and FMG stands for Foreign Medical Graduate. AMG should be a no brainer; students who graduate from US medical schools. IMG are US Citizens/Canadian citizens who graduated in a medical school outside of the US. FMG are non-US citizens who graduated outside of the US.

Priority in Selection
Did you know there is a priority selection in getting selected for residency. For example Anesthesiology, Radiology, and Dermatology are three fields where AMGs are most likely always selected. And IMG and FMG must do a lot in order to get a fellowship in those three fields, such as doing and extensive amount of research. The following is the selection priority for residency.
1. American Medical Graduates
2. International Medical Graduates (US-Citizens)
3. International Medical Graduates (Canadian Citizens)
4. Foreign Medical Graduates

Yes you got that right, they will choose a US IMG over a Canadian IMG. I know it’s discriminatory, but I think it has to do with the whole paying taxes thing, but I can be wrong, don’t quote me on that. The residency board will always select a US citizen over a Canadian citizen if both have the same level of scores. However, if a Canadian IMG has a 95% and a US IMG has a 85% score on the Step 1, the choice is obvious, they will choose the Canadian.

If I was wrong in anything in this blog post, then by all means please point it out by commenting below.

TCA Cycle Explained

noreply@blogger.com (SJSM Student) — Sun, 01 May 2011 00:14:00 +0000

One of the most important pathways in USMLE Step 1 is the TCA Cycle. In the Biochemistry section TCA Cycle is well explained. I found this video online which explains the cycle very well. What I love about these medical videos is that if the teacher goes too fast you can pause, rewind to watch again, and absorb the information before going to the next concept. On top of that, you are learning from the understanding of instructor on the video so, you don't have to guess what you're learning. Of course, you should know the details of the TCA cycle and you should start from page 1 in Biochemistry.

This video is just an example of how videos can enhance the understanding of medical concepts.