Medical school can be quite expensive. One way to lessen the financial burden of pursuing your study in a medical school is through a student loan. When you come to a point when you need financial aid, you can come to your school’s financial aid office or money lenders for loans. You don’t have to worry too much because paying off student loans has become quite convenient. You don’t have to be a big shot professional to be able to pay off your student loans. You just have to bear in mind the following tips:
* Determine the specifics of your debt
Calculating your debt is the first step in paying off your student loans. What you should do is to gather all your student loan notices or inquire the school’s financial aid office about your debt. You have to make sure that your total debt is exclusive of any other financial obligations.
* Contact your lender
When you have already an idea of how much your debt is, you have to phone your lender and ask if you could meet. Persuade the lender to extend your payment term or to reduce the interest rate of your loan. You have to make the lender see your financial situation to broaden the chances that he or she will grant your request.
* Consolidate loans
Consolidating loans simply means that your various debts are combined into a single loan. By consolidating your debts, you will only have one loan to think of. You will also have a payment term and a payment rate. Loan consolidation is beneficial to fresh graduates for through this they can simultaneously pay off debts and they can save more money.
* Save money
When you have consolidated your loans, you have to exert that extra effort to save. To save enough money to pay off your loan, you have to cut down on some unnecessary activities such as going out for a movie or a concert. Saving will also let you deal with the monthly due dates better.
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Being a mother and a doctor at the same time is difficult but manageable if you’ve prepped yourself for both. So you don’t have to quit your dream to have an M.D. attached to your name even if you have a baby. You just have to persevere and cultivate determination to succeed in your Dr. Mom role.
How to be a mother and a med student at the same time
To succeed in performing your roles as a mother and as a med school student, you have to take things one at a time. Multi-tasking might work for you, but you should remember that it is still best that you focus on a task before you do another; bear in mind that concentrating on doing a task will ensure an excellent outcome.
Beating stress
Stress, either physical or mental, is one of the usual thing a medical school student suffers from. Just imagine the stress you will have if you are a med school student and a mother at the same time. So if you are one of those people who perform the roles of a student and a parent, you have to conquer stress to succeed in both fields. One way to survive in your course as both a mother and a medical school student is by knowing how to avoid stress. And one way of doing this is by taking pleasure in little things. You may, for instant, find pleasure in the excellent grade you got in a subject, your husband’s welcoming greetings, and your child’s smile.
Another way to avoid stress is by not worrying too much. You have to stop worrying about your child all the time. You have to concentrate in your studies so that you can understand the lessons well and you can give your best performance in your pursuit of medical degree.
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What if you realized that after all those grueling years of studying medicine, a medical career is not for you? With all those expenses that you or your parents paid and with hardships you faced in the academe, you can’t probably just turn back and start all over again with a new field to study. The thing that you should do instead is to find other careers where you can still use what you have learned in medical school. This way, all the money, time, and effort that you have spent will not be put to waste. The following are some of the career paths you can take if you have a degree in medicine:
* Medical journalism
If you have passion for writing, you can use your knowledge on medicine as a medical journalist. This career requires you to write articles based on the studies of doctors and scientists. Your background on medicine is beneficial because it will help you easily understand complex scientific concepts. It will also be easy for you to translate medical jargons into simpler terms, making your articles accessible to those who are not medical professionals.
* Teaching career
You may also pursue a career in teaching when you are a medical degree holder. You can be a thesis adviser to undergraduates or consultants in online classes. You may also teach general biology in high school, molecular genetics in college, and gross anatomy in medical school.
* Research
If you want to be in the field of research, you can work as a biomedical researcher. In a biomedical research career, you have to do studies and make experiments for the development of medicine. The scope of your research may include topics such as diseases, reproduction, health, growth, and development of organisms.
Through these different career options, you will still have chances to help other people and make a difference on their lives even without really performing surgery.
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There are a variety of movies you can choose from. There are fantasy movies and there are many movies that depict reality. If you want to watch realistic movies, you can also choose from many different genres. There are movies that depict war, teenage life, and romance. If you are interested in entering a medical school, you might take interest in movies that portray the everyday affairs and once-in-a-lifetime experiences of med students. The following are some of these movies:
Bad Medicine (1985)
The movie is about Jeffrey Marx who gets himself into a medical school somewhere in Central America after he was rejected by various medical schools in the US. Marx and his fellow medical students established an underground clinic in a certain village to provide medical assistance to the needy.
Gross Anatomy (1989)
The movie centers on a troublesome yet smart Joe Slovak. Slovak is studying in a medical school with students above his own social strata. Part of his struggles is his dealings with his demanding teacher Dr. Woodruff. Another interesting aspect of the movie is about the love interest of Slovak, which is his lab partner.
Of Human Bondage (1934)
The movie is about Paul Carey, who pursued a medical career in London after he realized that he doesn’t have enough artistic talent to excel in painting. In London, he met and fell madly in love with a slutty and illiterate waitress.
Vital Signs (1990)
The story is about competitions and love affairs among third year medical students from LA Central. Each of the medical students is vying for the internship, but they later realized that the essential thing in life is not just about surviving their medical career.
Anatomy (2000)
This is a thrilling movie where the main character, Paula Henning, has to fight for her life. Henning’s dream is to attend a special summer course in the University of Heidelberg Med School. But this dream turns into a nightmare when she found out where the school gets the cadavers for the anatomy class.
After graduating from medical school, you will have to decide between becoming a general practitioner or a medical specialist. Your decision will have a great impact on your career life. To help make this decision a little easier for you, here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of becoming a medical specialist.
Pros of becoming a medical specialist
* Earning respect and recognition – You will probably stay in the field of medicine that you choose for a majority of your career life. The continuous training, education, and experience that you undergo allows you to get better in your career with time. This means that, eventually, you can easily become recognized and respected as a master in your field. Colleagues will turn to you for the knowledge and experience that you possess in your specialization.
* Compensation for your expertise – Another advantage to becoming a medical specialist is that you can earn more money than your colleagues who are general practitioners. The salaries of general practitioners are at least $20,000 less than the salaries of medical specialists, such as surgeons and neurologists.
Cons of becoming a medical specialist
* You get what you specialize in – When you specialize in a certain field, most of the cases you work on will have to do with your specialization. For example, cardiologists mainly deal with patients who are experiencing cardiovascular problems. General practitioners, on the other hand, deal with many more patients with varying conditions.
* Getting there – Becoming a medical specialist requires a lot of hard work. First, you must graduate from medical school. Then, you have to spend a few years working at a hospital. On top of that working experience, you are required to become a resident doctor for a number of years as well.
The bottom line
In the end, whether you become a general practitioner or a medical specialist, you will be rewarded for your hard work and dedication. Not only will you earn a nice salary, but you will also earn the respect, gratitude, and admiration of others – and you can’t put a price tag on that.
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Though many people perceive that applying to a US medical school is especially difficult for foreign students due to the extra requirements, many medical schools are actually looking forward to welcome non-Americans. This is because some US medical schools, like many US colleges, want to be recognized as culturally diverse institutions. Foreign students desiring to study medicine in the US should have the following things in mind.
Choosing a US medical school
Because you will be studying away from home, you need to choose a medical school that will at least be near someone you know in the United States. A little emotional support is always welcome, especially when you are going through two difficult changes at one time: moving to a new country and starting medical school. Another thing that you must consider is financial aid. Apply to schools that offer aid to foreign students like you. This will be a big help to a financially demanding course.
Submitting the usual requirements
There are application requirements that all applicants, American or foreign, must submit. Your resume and transcript of records will give the medical school info about your grades and achievements. You must of course have taken the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), so you have to present your official results.
To get a peek at your personality, medical schools will also require you to submit recommendation letters and medical school application essays. Recommendation letters must be written by those who know your academic and extra-curricular capabilities and experiences. Personal statements, or your medical school application essays, will reveal your values and goals in your own words. Medical school application essays are very important factors in your applications because the admissions committees find out through them if you are capable of becoming not just a medical student but also the potential of becoming a fully fledged doctor.
Special requirements
As a foreign student, you will be asked to submit some extra requirements. You first have to settle all of your affairs at immigration and must have all documentation ready at all times. Then, if you are from a non-English speaking country, you must present your Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) result. Some medical schools may even require you to study for at least one year in the United States or Canada before accepting your application. So, if you still lack some required courses, you can opt take them in the United States. Take note also that you will be paying a higher tuition than American students. So, US medical schools require you to submit proof that you are, or your family is, financially capable.
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Even with unique requirements from some institutions, the medical school application process is a generally common one. Knowing the basic steps will prepare you for applying into any medical school. You will have the varying deadlines left to worry about.
Step 1: Narrowing down your choice
Because each application will require you to pay a fee ranging from $35 to $100, it is best to select a few medical schools to apply to. Know the medical schools better by checking out their official websites and reading reviews about the institutions. You may also include your own criteria, including proximity of the medical school, fees, and opportunities for scholarships and financial aid. Once you have selected the medical schools you will apply to, take note of their requirements and deadlines.
Step 2: Going through the requirement checklist
Next, you need to tackle down your requirement list. Here are the things you need to do:
- Request your college transcript if you have not yet done so.
- Ask respected people who know you well to write recommendations.
- Have your MCAT score ready.
- Prepare your resume.
- Write your medical school personal statement.
To know what to include in your personal statement, study examples of medical school application essays. These medical school application essays will also give you ideas on what angle you will write your own personal statement.
Step 3: Meeting deadlines
Being able to submit on or before the prescribed deadlines is a must. If done so, you will be creating a positive image of yourself. If the institutions are quite accessible, you can always hand over your requirements in person. You can also mail each application to its destination. However, there is a more convenient way to submit your application requirements. Make use of the American Medical Application Service (AMCAS). It can send your application requirements to about 90% of medical schools in the US.
Step 4: It’s time to wait…and follow-up
Once you have submitted all your requirements, you must be on the alert for responses from any of the institutions you applied to. The response may be in the form of scheduling for an interview. Make sure that you can make it on the agreed date and time of your interview. While waiting for the interview to take place, get some additional research and advice from people who have experienced the whole medical school application process. A few days after your interview, follow up by phone or email about your application status.
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When about to face a new challenge in life, it is important to be prepared. Medical school is a hurdle one must get through to achieve the desired medical degree. It can be an intimidating experience but having the best preparation, and not mere anticipation, can make you handle the new pressures better. Keeping a few things in mind, you will be in a much better position to face medical school.
Getting your mind geared up for medical school
Motivation is an important factor that will make your medical school experience an exciting goal to achieve. You must not wait for classes to start to get to know the profession and the professionals behind it. So, conduct some interviews with hospital directors and family physicians to find out about the medical school experience. Preparing for medical school also requires some self-discipline. You know that you will be entering a world full of hours spent in studying.
Planning for the long term
Preparing for medical school must be traced further back to college. During your college years, you must have already prioritized related subjects like biology, chemistry, and physics. Your activities should have already been related to the field of medicine. Having some extra-curricular activities or community work related to the health sciences may help you in writing medical school application essays, which is one of the requirements of medical schools. Admissions committees are poring over submissions of the personal statement medical school for that unique and related experience. Aside from honing your knowledge in the sciences, you must already be exposing yourself to different kinds of people.
Tackling requirements
Before applying to medical school, make sure that you will have all requirements ready. You must take the MCAT prior to your application. However, the MCAT itself requires careful preparation because the test can cost as much as $500. So, better study hard in order to make the result worth the money you paid for the exam. Study for the MCAT in advance; in your junior year, for example, it may be a good idea to take review classes to supplement your personal review. Browse bookstores and the Internet for extra review materials.
When you finally visit the medical school of your choice, get a list of all the other requirements to know how much work is still left to do. You will need to submit transcripts, recommendation letters and your medical school application essays.
Prepping for the interview
If you get to the interview section, make sure you come to your appointment armed with information about the institution and the medical profession itself. You must also be already clear about your goals and must be confident that you can put them into words.
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To become a doctor, you will need to go through several years of study and training. So, if you do decide to pursue a career in medicine, it is best if you do it for the right reasons. However, there are still some reasons that may be considered less noble or, curiously enough, too noble in the wrong way. This article will discuss the five worst reasons for wanting a medical degree.
Fame and fortune
Two of the worst reasons for aiming to become a doctor are all about the prestige attached to the career. One wrong reason for wanting a medical degree is for the prospect of making huge earnings.If you are striving to become a doctor just for the money, you may not be able to last through the long hours exposed to disease and suffering. Without love for the profession, you may just burn out quickly. Another wrong reason is the desire to be admired by other people. You can be still be admired in other fields as long as you do your job well. Imagine medical school application essays with getting fame and fortune as the reasons for wantig to become a doctor. These medical school application essays will not be taken seriously by the admissions committee.
Doing it all for love
Becoming a doctor out of love may seem noble, but maybe it is plain unnecessary martyrdom. If you are doing it to please your parents, remember that you will be the one taking your rounds at the hospital – not them. Love for medical subjects won’t do as a reason either. Remember that theory is different from practice. Even if you are stocked with plentiful knowledge but if you cannot lend comfort to your patients, you know that you are considering the wrong path. Being a doctor requires sensitivity and an ability to connect with people. The top medical student does not necessarily translate to the best doctor in the future.
Unexplainable reasons beyond the call of vocation
Good medical school application essays will not quote a vague reason for wanting a medical degree. If you are not going to medical school for the vocation’s sake, you are doing it for the wrong reason.
Doing it the right way
It may sound cliché but people who truly love the profession and believe in caring for others are really compatible to become doctors. Being a doctor is about being able to heal and care for others. So, a certain measure of love for the profession and for the patients will be needed in order to be a real doctor.
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