Before I learn if I need to quit my day job or not, I thought I'd let you guys know what I do... Right now, I teach Anatomy and Physiology at a local community college. In the past I have been a medical researcher in the neuroscience field. I have also had a short stint working for a pharma company. I'm only teaching as an adjunct and don't have much chance of ever getting tenure. The school I teach for doesn't offer tenure. I have thought about doing teaching full time instead of medicine, and if I don't get in then I might... To teach at a school that offers tenure I would have to probably get a PhD. Alternatively, I could join the ranks those holding cushy high school teaching jobs. (*note sarcasm*)
I do feel that my previous jobs have prepared me well for a career in medicine.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Two things...
First of all... It is snowing where I am right now! Ridiculousness!
Second, I don't know when, but sometime today somewhere in new jersey a committee is deciding my Ross University fate...
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Why Med School WILL NOT BE a Vacation
I think it is obvious that I am being sarcastic by the titling of my blog. While my med school is likely to be on an island and I will be separated from the lives of those 'back home', it will not be a real Vacation. Here are some reasons why I think that Med School in Dominica will not be a real vacation.
- Culture shock. Coming from surburbia in the states to a third world island country will be a shock to the system
- Lack of US cell phone service
- Hurricanes
- Earthquakes/ Volcanoes (unlikely, but possible as in I could win the lottery possible)
- BUGS!!!
- Propane stoves instead of electric
- Buying electricity from a grocery store and then putting it on a meter for credits
- Becoming aware of the unique culture and customs of the island
- Meeting and bonding with a group of people who are strangers to me today
- Cows
- Going from a living situation of private home ownership to renting an island appartment
- Clean but sometimes questionable water from the tap
- Dealing with negative stereotypes regarding getting my education from a Caribbean Med School when it is time for me to return to the states and compete for a residency.
- Lack of some types of funding options (such as the Navy)
Monday, March 28, 2011
Navy and Ross
Just got off the phone with my US Navy recruiter. I faxed in forms to him last Saturday and he had some changes for me to make. He asked me about the med school ap process and I said that I had an interview with Ross last week. He then mentioned that since Ross was not LCME accredited that I could not use a navy scholarship there. I still could use federal stafford loans and private loans but this was one funding source that I was counting on. I also have aps out at several other do and md schools but I still feel that Ross is my best shot so far. It would really suck to get accepted only to not be able to pay for school. It would also suck even worse to go through med school, get loans, and then not be able to get into a residency because of not going to an LCME accredited school. The Ross website says that they have been deemed "LCME equivalent" at four different states. Which still means that they don't have this accreditation. Anyway this is something to think about as I move forward.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Reflections on loosing 40 lbs
As of today, I have lost approximately 40 pounds since last October, and am at the halfway point of my weight loss journey. I recently looked at photos that were taken last June, and was amazed at the transformation. I have gotten rid of all of my 'before' clothes and am selectively getting new clothes but not going crazy because I anticipate not being able to wear them for a very long time either.
There has been a lot of change in the way society has perceived me. One of the first things I noticed was I was shopping in a local grocery store and had bought some generic brand of pizza sauce. Someone just asked me out of the blue, "Hey is that any good?" I was surprised that someone would just start talking to me. I quickly came up with a response and chatted with the lady while we were waiting in line at the checkout. This never happened when I was bigger. This also happened to me when I was waiting in line at the Wall-Mart photo center waiting on photos.
While thinking about this situation later a few possibilities came into mind. First, I thought that perhaps after loosing weight I might have better self esteem and probably dress better and might even exude more friendly vibe to strangers. The other option was that people are just more friendly to thinner people than they are to bigger people.
I had the opportunity to discuss it with a friend, and she thinks that if you fit into the cultural perception stereotype of what people want to see then you are more visible than those that do not. In other words, I was somewhat invisible to the rest of the world when I was bigger, and as I got smaller I once again fit people's expectations and became more visible.
I think that same thing happens to other groups of people. For example, those who do not fit into typical gender stereotypes may be invisible, as do those in different racial/ age/ disability/ homelessness, etc... stereotypes. I'm not really saying that this is necessarily a good or bad thing but more of an observation on one thing that I noticed. Some people may or may not want to be visible at times.
The lesson I learned from this experience is to be more aware myself of the cultural blinders I may have on at times. I can't change all of society, but I can change the way that I comport myself in the society I currently live in.
There has been a lot of change in the way society has perceived me. One of the first things I noticed was I was shopping in a local grocery store and had bought some generic brand of pizza sauce. Someone just asked me out of the blue, "Hey is that any good?" I was surprised that someone would just start talking to me. I quickly came up with a response and chatted with the lady while we were waiting in line at the checkout. This never happened when I was bigger. This also happened to me when I was waiting in line at the Wall-Mart photo center waiting on photos.
While thinking about this situation later a few possibilities came into mind. First, I thought that perhaps after loosing weight I might have better self esteem and probably dress better and might even exude more friendly vibe to strangers. The other option was that people are just more friendly to thinner people than they are to bigger people.
I had the opportunity to discuss it with a friend, and she thinks that if you fit into the cultural perception stereotype of what people want to see then you are more visible than those that do not. In other words, I was somewhat invisible to the rest of the world when I was bigger, and as I got smaller I once again fit people's expectations and became more visible.
I think that same thing happens to other groups of people. For example, those who do not fit into typical gender stereotypes may be invisible, as do those in different racial/ age/ disability/ homelessness, etc... stereotypes. I'm not really saying that this is necessarily a good or bad thing but more of an observation on one thing that I noticed. Some people may or may not want to be visible at times.
The lesson I learned from this experience is to be more aware myself of the cultural blinders I may have on at times. I can't change all of society, but I can change the way that I comport myself in the society I currently live in.
Friday, March 25, 2011
What Island are You On?
I've been reflecting on spending 16 months on an island. At first, I thought about how strange it will be to be living on an island for such a long time - isolated from so many things that I find to be 'normal'. However, I realized that many people are isolated on their own islands all the time. These are not islands of geographic separation but rather barriers based on demographics, religion, social status, politics, work status and probably many other things that I am not thinking of here. While I might possibly be separating myself from the 'real world' soon by being situated on an island in the Caribbean, how are you separated from the rest of the world? I know personally, there are several barriers I have between myself and other groups of people. I try to break down these barriers as much as I can, but they still exist and probably some always will.
Interview was yesterday
I had my med school interview with Ross University yesterday.
I am torn between becoming a Med student and continuing the teaching career. Going to Med school is something I have wanted to do since high school. It is the reason I went to Midway and became a Bio major. Upon graduation it is not something that I pursued because I thought my GPA was too low. As I progressed in my career I always wondered ‘what if???’. Finally, after being laid off from Lilly I decided to begin the process and took a Kaplan class to prep for the MCAT, took the test, and started the ap process. I have applied to more schools than I care to mention, but it was a LOT. I have now had my interview with Ross University. One would think that this would be clearly exciting, but I look at this upcoming interview with a bit of trepidation. My first concern is that Ross is a Caribbean med school. It is probably the best Caribbean med school, but in the US students who went to these schools are often looked at differently. In the hierarchy of med schools first is MD then DO then Caribbean then all other foreign med schools. As I am typing this I realize that my decision on this is sort of based on ‘what will others think’? My second concern about Ross is that I will be separated from my family for 18 months while on the island. This isn’t a whole long time and certainly military families do this sort of thing all the time. Finally, for once in my life I have a pretty cushy career in teaching college classes via an online environment. I had an interview last Tuesday with Western Governors University. While I have seen first-hand the ups and downs that come with corporate bubbles, and I think that these for profit institutions are now in a bubble situation. I don’t think that they would last more than 10 years or so. Part of the reason I’m wanting to do Med School is to get away from the cycle of ups and downs related with the market. I feel that med school is going to keep me away from these cycles.
While in my interview and discussing possible start dates, my admissions officer said that all I would really need is my books and clothes and personal effects. Reflecting on this later, I pictured med school as a sort of vacation. I am possibly going med school on an island and bringing my clothes to go to a resort like area and study. While there is still the possibility that I won't get into med school or I won't go to Ross, it is still similar to a vacation. First of all, I have been out of school and in the working world for about 10 years. I will be 'taking a break' from working to go into med school. Most likely, I will be away from my family, and so this is also an aspect of vacation-dom, and so, I begin this blog with the title of "My Med School Vacation". I will be also reflecting on different aspects of my life outside of med school. Stay tuned!
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