Showing posts with label Pre-med. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pre-med. Show all posts
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Much-needed thank yous
I want to take the time now, the night before I start my medical school orientation, to thank those who have helped me get to this place in my life, on the eve of starting medical school. In particular, I am blessed with loving parents who have supported me at every step: morally, materially when needed, and otherwise. I also want to specifically thank my two sisters, my Nana, my best friend John, and my mentor Walt, who have all ushered me through the ups and downs of applying to medical school. Throughout this process, I have come to understand that the endeavor of becoming a doctor is truly a collaborative effort.
Settling into my new home
The day after arriving in Denver, my father and I unloaded the moving truck and started the process of unpacking boxes. We made a couple gargantuan trips to the Super Target, located just a 5-minute drive away, to stock my new home with the essentials for living.
We also explored my new neighborhood, which is a 1950's track home development that is blue collar and for the most part well maintained. Families sit in rockers and benches on the front porch in the evenings, and kids ride their bikes and play ball in the streets. There's a shopping center just a half-mile away, well within walking distance: King Soopers (super market), Ace Hardware, post office, a really good Mexican food restaurant, a thrift store, a liquor store, a carniceria (Mexican meat store), a Spanish language movie theater, and all other sorts of goodies.
My mom flew out the next day and helped my father and me with other aspects of settling in, like putting things away in the proper place and making the house feel more like a home. Most importantly, she brought my cat Ollie, who is essential for my survival of these next four years. I know that, if I had to, I could have moved in by myself, but having both my mom and dad helping me made both the logistics and the emotions of this transition that much easier.
As difficult as it was to leave San Diego, I can see a new life - a good life - taking root for me here in Denver (or, more specifically, Aurora).
We also explored my new neighborhood, which is a 1950's track home development that is blue collar and for the most part well maintained. Families sit in rockers and benches on the front porch in the evenings, and kids ride their bikes and play ball in the streets. There's a shopping center just a half-mile away, well within walking distance: King Soopers (super market), Ace Hardware, post office, a really good Mexican food restaurant, a thrift store, a liquor store, a carniceria (Mexican meat store), a Spanish language movie theater, and all other sorts of goodies.
My mom flew out the next day and helped my father and me with other aspects of settling in, like putting things away in the proper place and making the house feel more like a home. Most importantly, she brought my cat Ollie, who is essential for my survival of these next four years. I know that, if I had to, I could have moved in by myself, but having both my mom and dad helping me made both the logistics and the emotions of this transition that much easier.
As difficult as it was to leave San Diego, I can see a new life - a good life - taking root for me here in Denver (or, more specifically, Aurora).
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Saying goodbye to San Diego, and the drive to Denver
Saying goodbye to San Diego was much more difficult than I expected. But I squeezed in as much as possible during the last few hectic weeks before moving: walking around Balboa Park, a play at the Old Globe, beach time at La Jolla Shores, a bonfire on Mission Bay, sharing a pie at Bronx Pizza with my wonderful friends who helped me pack up the truck, and lots of other fun stuff.
My father and I set out for Denver at 5 in the morning towing my car with a 16-foot Budget rental truck loaded with the majority of my worldly possessions. Most people wouldn't be able to sleep the night before such a voyage, and I was no exception. Throughout the day, as I ran my last-minute errands and tied up loose ends, I reflected that I had been working toward this move, directly, for over a year and a half, and indirectly ever since I was a little boy when I formed a vague notion in my mind that I wanted to become a doctor when I grew up. The whole day felt like that particular psychosomatic nervousness in the moments before a big race, combined with the jittery restlessness of too much caffeine. But I don't drink coffee (yet) and hadn't drank any tea or eaten any dark chocolate (my preferred source of caffeine). A monumental shift in my life lay waiting for me on the other side of midnight, but when midnight came and went, I wasn't yet ready to say goodbye. I forced myself to sleep in the early hours of the morning when common sense more than exhaustion overcame me.
Despite getting only 2 hours of sleep, I held up pretty well, driving my fair share of the marathon 21-hour trek from San Diego to Denver. Like my recent travels to Honduras on medical relief missions, I viewed this sleep deprivation as a challenge to prepare me for the exhaustion that lies ahead during medical school and residency. I now firmly believe what they say, that driving while tired is like driving drunk, and if that's true, it should make one question the presence of mind of medical interns and residents.
Next entry: settling into my new home.
My father and I set out for Denver at 5 in the morning towing my car with a 16-foot Budget rental truck loaded with the majority of my worldly possessions. Most people wouldn't be able to sleep the night before such a voyage, and I was no exception. Throughout the day, as I ran my last-minute errands and tied up loose ends, I reflected that I had been working toward this move, directly, for over a year and a half, and indirectly ever since I was a little boy when I formed a vague notion in my mind that I wanted to become a doctor when I grew up. The whole day felt like that particular psychosomatic nervousness in the moments before a big race, combined with the jittery restlessness of too much caffeine. But I don't drink coffee (yet) and hadn't drank any tea or eaten any dark chocolate (my preferred source of caffeine). A monumental shift in my life lay waiting for me on the other side of midnight, but when midnight came and went, I wasn't yet ready to say goodbye. I forced myself to sleep in the early hours of the morning when common sense more than exhaustion overcame me.
Despite getting only 2 hours of sleep, I held up pretty well, driving my fair share of the marathon 21-hour trek from San Diego to Denver. Like my recent travels to Honduras on medical relief missions, I viewed this sleep deprivation as a challenge to prepare me for the exhaustion that lies ahead during medical school and residency. I now firmly believe what they say, that driving while tired is like driving drunk, and if that's true, it should make one question the presence of mind of medical interns and residents.
Next entry: settling into my new home.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Last day of work: the end of an era
My last day of work was on Friday. I've been so busy trying to wrap up the last remaining projects that there's hardly been time for me to notice that my time there was coming to a close. This past week has been full of goodbye lunches and dinners and co-workers dropping by my office in faux tears begging me not to go. It feels good to be leaving my job of 3.5 years on such great terms.
Yet I leave with mixed emotions:
sad to be leaving a mentor who has done so much to help me along in my career, and co-workers who have genuinely been a pleasure to work with, and a job that at once is intellectually challenging and provides a large measure of satisfaction that I'm doing something worthwhile;
but also excited for the adventures that lie ahead, in persevering through the trial-by-fire rites of a medical education, exploring a new city, and forging new friendships that will last a lifetime.
What I write sounds grandiose, but on the threshold of such grand changes in my life, I think it accurately and appropriately reflects how I feel right now.
Yet I leave with mixed emotions:
sad to be leaving a mentor who has done so much to help me along in my career, and co-workers who have genuinely been a pleasure to work with, and a job that at once is intellectually challenging and provides a large measure of satisfaction that I'm doing something worthwhile;
but also excited for the adventures that lie ahead, in persevering through the trial-by-fire rites of a medical education, exploring a new city, and forging new friendships that will last a lifetime.
What I write sounds grandiose, but on the threshold of such grand changes in my life, I think it accurately and appropriately reflects how I feel right now.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Home Sweet Home
I finally found a place to live! I'll be sharing a 3br/2ba brick home with a guy named Josh, who is entering into a physiology Ph.D. program. The third bedroom will be used as a study, and the house is just a mile from campus, which is close enough for me to walk, run, or ride my bike to school on most days. Not knowing where I was going to live was a major stress for me, so I'm very relieved to have that item checked off my list.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Hurry up and wait
Getting into medical school is like traveling: a lot of hurry-up-and-wait. Now, I'm waiting to hear back about my financial aid package, which should come sometime around the first of June. I will be very relieved once I know that funding for my education is secure. I am also knee-deep in the housing hunt, which despite the conveniences of the internet, is rather difficult to do while living in another city. I'll be flying out to Denver at the end of the month to look at neighborhoods and potential places to live. It's all very exciting! But in spite of my excitement and eagerness to start already, I'm savoring these last few months of freedom before the real grind begins.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
After the dust has settled
It's been a week or so since I learned that I would be heading to Colorado for medical school. My excitement for what's to come has only grown stronger over the past week as the disappointment of UCSD's rejection fades.
I decided on a tentative Last Day of Work: Friday, July 24. I contacted the admissions office and told them that I was "most likely" going to be matriculating. The 2009-2010 academic calendar isn't ready yet, but I did find out that the White Coat Ceremony will be held on my birthday (!), information that my parents needed so they could make plans to attend. I started the craigslist search for housing and have booked airfare to check out different neighborhoods in person to see how safe they are. A bunch of people I met during the open house have been very helpful in pointing me in the right direction or steering me away from bad areas.
Each of these steps have made the fact that I'm about to start medical school feel all the more real, even as I am literally fulfilling a dream. It's a wonderful feeling.
My future classmates have set up a group on Facebook for the Colorado University School of Medicine, Class of 2013. They seem like a great group, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better. One guy who lives in Denver was kind enough to post a map of restaurants, bars, and things to do in Denver.
I decided on a tentative Last Day of Work: Friday, July 24. I contacted the admissions office and told them that I was "most likely" going to be matriculating. The 2009-2010 academic calendar isn't ready yet, but I did find out that the White Coat Ceremony will be held on my birthday (!), information that my parents needed so they could make plans to attend. I started the craigslist search for housing and have booked airfare to check out different neighborhoods in person to see how safe they are. A bunch of people I met during the open house have been very helpful in pointing me in the right direction or steering me away from bad areas.
Each of these steps have made the fact that I'm about to start medical school feel all the more real, even as I am literally fulfilling a dream. It's a wonderful feeling.
My future classmates have set up a group on Facebook for the Colorado University School of Medicine, Class of 2013. They seem like a great group, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better. One guy who lives in Denver was kind enough to post a map of restaurants, bars, and things to do in Denver.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
More silver lining than cloud
UCSD rejected me:
I finally have some measure of certainty in my life, now. I can look forward to going to medical school at Colorado and actually envision myself studying and living there. I can make plans for housing. I can tell my friends who I met during the open house last weekend that I will definitely be seeing them in August.
More importantly, I am genuinely excited about going to Colorado. Numerous people have commented on my animation and enthusiasm when I talk about both my interview and open house experiences at Colorado. "You came away with such a positive gut-level feeling," my mom said, and she's right. In spite of the negativity of being rejected, I see more silver lining than cloud in this situation.
I regret to inform you of the decision not to consider your application further. The Committee feels that applicants who do not have any possible chance of hearing of an acceptance from us during the summer should be encouraged to pursue other opportunities for acceptance.My first reaction was a visceral flash of disappointment. But almost in the same moment, a wave of relief washed away all of the anxiety that surrounded the uncertainty of my medical education and my life, as well as the looming decision between UCSD and Colorado.
I finally have some measure of certainty in my life, now. I can look forward to going to medical school at Colorado and actually envision myself studying and living there. I can make plans for housing. I can tell my friends who I met during the open house last weekend that I will definitely be seeing them in August.
More importantly, I am genuinely excited about going to Colorado. Numerous people have commented on my animation and enthusiasm when I talk about both my interview and open house experiences at Colorado. "You came away with such a positive gut-level feeling," my mom said, and she's right. In spite of the negativity of being rejected, I see more silver lining than cloud in this situation.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Colorado open house: impressions
My distilled impressions of Colorado after the open house:
Aside from getting a second look at the program itself, meeting my potential classmates was one of my primary goals of attending the open house. I was struck by how many people are "non-traditional" candidates like me, not straight out of college but with some real life experiences. A lot of them have advanced degrees, are in committed relationships, and some even have children. As part of the program, a panel of students addressed issues such as housing, living on a budget, balancing work and play, and having a family during medical school. It was helpful to hear directly from current students how they are coping with the pressures of school.
There was a barbecue after the scheduled presentations and panels, and after the barbecue, a big group of us went to the Rockies game downtown. That was when I felt I made some meaningful connections with the people who I might be going to school with for the next four years.
That was also when I realized that Colorado is beer country. Being a wine guy, this revelation was cause for concern (said tongue-in-cheek). "We're sitting in Coors Field," one person told me. "Of course we like our beer!" At a bar later that night, I took a beer taste test of sorts. "That one tastes fine, I guess," and wouldn't you know, it turned out to be Coors!
I came away from the Colorado Open House with overwhelmingly positive feelings about the prospect of going to medical school here. Despite the drastic difference of tuition between UCSD and Colorado, should I be given the opportunity to go to UCSD, deciding between UCSD and Colorado would be difficult.
I really like it here. I like the program, I like the people, and I like the environment. I can see myself being happy here for the next four years - at least, as happy as one can expect to be while going through medical school.However, I feel that my experience this weekend was to some extent hampered by the uncertainty in my situation, not knowing whether I will end up here or at UCSD. The majority of my potential classmates are definitely coming to Colorado, but I did meet a significant number of people who are in the same boat as me, who either have multiple acceptances and are here to get a second look, or are on a waiting list at a school that they may very well choose over Colorado.
Aside from getting a second look at the program itself, meeting my potential classmates was one of my primary goals of attending the open house. I was struck by how many people are "non-traditional" candidates like me, not straight out of college but with some real life experiences. A lot of them have advanced degrees, are in committed relationships, and some even have children. As part of the program, a panel of students addressed issues such as housing, living on a budget, balancing work and play, and having a family during medical school. It was helpful to hear directly from current students how they are coping with the pressures of school.
There was a barbecue after the scheduled presentations and panels, and after the barbecue, a big group of us went to the Rockies game downtown. That was when I felt I made some meaningful connections with the people who I might be going to school with for the next four years.
That was also when I realized that Colorado is beer country. Being a wine guy, this revelation was cause for concern (said tongue-in-cheek). "We're sitting in Coors Field," one person told me. "Of course we like our beer!" At a bar later that night, I took a beer taste test of sorts. "That one tastes fine, I guess," and wouldn't you know, it turned out to be Coors!
I came away from the Colorado Open House with overwhelmingly positive feelings about the prospect of going to medical school here. Despite the drastic difference of tuition between UCSD and Colorado, should I be given the opportunity to go to UCSD, deciding between UCSD and Colorado would be difficult.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Colorado open house
Around this time of year, medical schools hold open houses to give accepted applicants a "second look" at their program. I was invited to the Colorado open house this coming Friday, April 24. Regardless of my current state of flux (I won't hear back from UCSD for weeks, yet, if not months), I am moving forward with the assumption that I will be going to Colorado for medical school. I am very excited about this open house to meet my future classmates and professors and to get a better feel for the program. Here are some of the highlights of the day:
- Faculty Panel on Tracks/Program Opportunities related to the Mentored Scholarly Activity (MSA)
- Global Health Track
- Rural Track
- Research Track
- Leads Program
- Financing your medical education
- Student panel topics: Maintaining Relationships, Choosing a Track and enjoying it, Managing Debt with good planning, surviving academic and personal challenges as a medical student.
- Student barbecue and ice cream social
- Rockies versus Dodgers game with current medical students
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The bucket list
My 81 year old grandfather (who, incidentally, is strong and healthy) told me this afternoon over a couple glasses of lemonade that attending my medical school graduation made it on his bucket list. This is a list of things that one wants to do or accomplish before kicking the bucket. I was touched that my personal journey of becoming a doctor means so much to him.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Drexel: Wait List
Well, I finally heard back from Drexel in a snail mail letter dated April 8. This is a week and a half longer than the long estimate they gave me of 6-8 weeks. It would have felt good knowing that I got into Drexel, but the reality is that I decided almost immediately after getting into Colorado that I would prefer Colorado over Drexel.
Interestingly, Drexel requested that I confirm my continued interest in writing:
Interestingly, Drexel requested that I confirm my continued interest in writing:
- I choose to accept your offer to be placed on the "Wait List."
- I choose to decline your offer to be placed on the "Wait List."
Jefferson: Rejected
Knew it was coming. Would take Colorado over Jefferson, anyways. No more needs to be said.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
UCSD: "Acceptable Pool"
I got an e-mail rather than a phone call from UCSD this morning, which means that I was placed in what they call the "Acceptable Pool" of applicants.
What this means for me is that I have quite a bit more waiting and uncertainty ahead. Although I am obviously disappointed in the immediate outcome, I cannot say that I am all that surprised. It's a tricky business balancing hope and positive thinking with the pragmatism of acknowledging that the odds of acceptance are long in such a competitive process. Regardless of the final outcome, I feel comfortable knowing that I had my fair chance at getting into UCSD and that I did everything in my power to maximize that chance.
Still, though, the game is not over. UCSD will be admitting applicants from the Acceptable Pool starting early May and even up through July. Given that I will be preparing for a move to Colorado in the absence of a UCSD acceptance, I have to consider: At what point do I write off UCSD? Early June? Mid-June? July? Right up until the first day of classes at Colorado?
This pool is essentially an unranked waiting list. As the admissions season continues, individual applicants within the Acceptable Pool will be selected for admission – we anticipate that the first acceptances from this pool will occur in early May 2009.
What this means for me is that I have quite a bit more waiting and uncertainty ahead. Although I am obviously disappointed in the immediate outcome, I cannot say that I am all that surprised. It's a tricky business balancing hope and positive thinking with the pragmatism of acknowledging that the odds of acceptance are long in such a competitive process. Regardless of the final outcome, I feel comfortable knowing that I had my fair chance at getting into UCSD and that I did everything in my power to maximize that chance.
Still, though, the game is not over. UCSD will be admitting applicants from the Acceptable Pool starting early May and even up through July. Given that I will be preparing for a move to Colorado in the absence of a UCSD acceptance, I have to consider: At what point do I write off UCSD? Early June? Mid-June? July? Right up until the first day of classes at Colorado?
Saturday, April 4, 2009
UC Davis: Rejected
Like Irvine, UC Davis sent me a rejection e-mail (with a typo, even). They probably send e-mails rather than real letters to save costs, which is understandable, but it still comes off as cheap.
At this late stage in the game, I am only waiting to hear back from four more schools: UCSD should notify me on Tuesday (!); Drexel told me 6 to 8 weeks from the interview date, which was January 30; and I expect rejections from both Temple and Jefferson, schools that never invited me to interview.
At this late stage in the game, I am only waiting to hear back from four more schools: UCSD should notify me on Tuesday (!); Drexel told me 6 to 8 weeks from the interview date, which was January 30; and I expect rejections from both Temple and Jefferson, schools that never invited me to interview.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tel Aviv: Accepted!
It is with great pleasure that, upon the recommendation of the Admissions Committee, the Tel Aviv University Sackler School of Medicine - New York State/American Program wishes to offer you a place in the Class of 2013
Very exciting!!!
I knew that I would choose Colorado over Tel Aviv even before I got this letter. Regardless, it feels good to have the "right of refusal," as one friend put it, as well as confidence from knowing that I had options, as another friend framed my admittedly enviable position.
My interview with Dr. XXX, an alumnus of Tel Aviv practicing in San Diego County, was even more relaxed than my UCSD interviews. The most probing questions he asked were related to how serious I was in applying to Tel Aviv and how likely I was to complete the program should I matriculate. Can I handle the language barrier and culture shock? Do I have a support network in Israel, or could I function well half a world away from home?
Dr. XXX stated outright, in fact, that the admissions committee understands that Sackler is a backup school for many if not most applicants, and that those who are accepted to a program in the United States tend to stay in the country. Knowing this makes it a bit easier to turn down Tel Aviv. But, if I had not been accepted into any program in America, I would have been thrilled to go to Tel Aviv for medical school.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
UCSD Decision: Still Waiting
The admissions committee didn't end up discussing my application on Monday, which means that I have to wait another two weeks. As my friend who is a second-year medical student said, "Boo application process!" I agree. But as agonizing as this waiting is, another two weeks (April 7th) won't kill me.
Monday, March 23, 2009
UCSD Decision: March 24?
If my application was discussed in today's meeting, I will hear back from UCSD tomorrow. I'm nervous and hopeful. Regardless of what happens, and whether I find out now or in a few weeks, I have to keep reminding myself that things usually have a way of working themselves out.
UCSD Interview #2
I had about an hour of free time between my first and second interviews. I used that time to do some research on Dr. YYY - to find out what his specialty is, what kind of research he does. A quick PubMed search in the library gave me a whole list of his publications on alcohol and opioid abuse. It occurred to me that I was able to do this so easily because I have the home court advantage here at UCSD.
Finding Dr. YYY's office was frustrating, but I arrived on time in spite of the rat's maze that is the VA Medical Center. Dr. YYY asked me to wait for a few minutes. This gave me some time to take some meditative deep breaths and contemplate a tropical scenery painting hanging on the wall. Dr. YYY greeted me warmly and apologized for keeping me waiting. Like Dr. XXX, he began the interview in a conversational tone, though not quite as carefree.
Soon, he did start asking me real questions, ones that I have already faced and answered satisfactorily in previous interviews.
At the end of the interview, Dr. YYY asked me if I had any questions for him. I asked him about the impact of the California state budget on the educational experience at UCSD, and he was very good at answering this concern. I also asked him about his own personal experience with UCSD. Dr. YYY wrapped up the interview by giving me his e-mail address and saying "Please contact me if you have any more questions. I'd be happy to help."
That was definitely a good sign, a good way to end the interview. I was impressed that he made himself so accessible. I left the interview feeling good about the intangibles, e.g. rapport and ease of conversation, but feeling less good about the quantifiable aspects of the interview. I felt like I didn't answer his direct questions as well as I had answered them in my Colorado interviews. I am far from objective in this matter, though. It is possible that Dr. YYY had an entirely different perspective of my interview performance.
Finding Dr. YYY's office was frustrating, but I arrived on time in spite of the rat's maze that is the VA Medical Center. Dr. YYY asked me to wait for a few minutes. This gave me some time to take some meditative deep breaths and contemplate a tropical scenery painting hanging on the wall. Dr. YYY greeted me warmly and apologized for keeping me waiting. Like Dr. XXX, he began the interview in a conversational tone, though not quite as carefree.
Soon, he did start asking me real questions, ones that I have already faced and answered satisfactorily in previous interviews.
- How did you end up at a small liberal arts college on the East Coast?
- What attracted you to that school?
- Since you took all my pre-med courses in undergraduate, did you go into college intending to become a doctor?
- Is this the first time you have applied to medical school?
- Why did you decide to go to graduate school instead of medical school?
- Why did you go to graduate school straight out of college?
- Why did you leave graduate school with a terminal Master's?
- What was your plan when you left your program?
- What made you decide to go back to medicine?
At the end of the interview, Dr. YYY asked me if I had any questions for him. I asked him about the impact of the California state budget on the educational experience at UCSD, and he was very good at answering this concern. I also asked him about his own personal experience with UCSD. Dr. YYY wrapped up the interview by giving me his e-mail address and saying "Please contact me if you have any more questions. I'd be happy to help."
That was definitely a good sign, a good way to end the interview. I was impressed that he made himself so accessible. I left the interview feeling good about the intangibles, e.g. rapport and ease of conversation, but feeling less good about the quantifiable aspects of the interview. I felt like I didn't answer his direct questions as well as I had answered them in my Colorado interviews. I am far from objective in this matter, though. It is possible that Dr. YYY had an entirely different perspective of my interview performance.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
UCSD Interview #1
The office of admissions didn't give us applicants our interview schedules until literally 15 minutes before the first interview. One person had to take the shuttle bus down to the Hillcrest campus. I got lucky and had both of my interviews in the VA Medical Center, which is just a five minute walk from the admissions office.
I couldn't have been more lucky to get Dr. XXX as my first interviewer. He had a calming voice and demeanor that helped set me at ease when I most needed it. He started the interview by talking about the UCSD program, as if he were trying to anticipate questions that I might ask him later. "The way I see it is that at this point we're beyond the evaluative stage," he said. Good to know, I thought. I let him talk, since that's what he seemed to want, and also as he proved to be very informative, but at the same time I grew increasingly concerned that I was not maximizing this time to convince him that I belong at UCSD.
The entire interview was conversational, though Dr. XXX did ask me a few direct questions about my application. The first direct question was about my experience working with magnetoencephalography (MEG), which is a technology that measures tiny magnetic fields emanating from the brain and infers brain activity from that information. "Why hasn't MEG caught on? Why isn't it being used clinically?" I told Dr. XXX that the fundamental hurdle facing MEG as a clinically relevant tool is the complexity and unreliability of its data analysis. A magnetic field is generated when a current flows in a straight line, such as during an action potential along axons. The problem is that, if two action potentials travel parallel to each other but in opposite directions, the magnetic fields that each action potential creates would cancel the other out. Another problem limiting the usefulness of MEG is that you can only really measure magnetic fields generated close to the brain surface - in the cortex, but not in deeper brain structures like the thalamus or striatum.
This entire MEG-related interaction lasted only about 2-3 minutes. Dr. XXX did seem genuinely curious about a rather obscure experience in my application, but I got the sense that the secondary purpose of the question was to evaluate how I discussed my past research experience.
The conversation then shifted to running and triathlons. I got the sense that Dr. XXX knew that this subject would make me more comfortable. He showed me a picture on his wall of him finishing a triathlon while holding the hands of his two children. "They don't let you do that anymore," he said. I asked, "Did you do triathlons in medical school?" It turns out that he did, and that he surfed. "Sounds like you had a well-rounded life while in medical school." Dr. XXX actually went to medical school here at UCSD, so this fact was very relevant to me. He also got married during his fourth year.
Toward the end of the interview, I found an opportunity to tell him about my recent medical relief mission to Honduras, since it isn't included in my application. Dr. XXX raised his eyebrows and said that he in fact participates in a very similar program in Fiji. He then explained to me how the cultural history of the island has created a sort of health care crisis. There are essentially two separate populations on Fiji: native islanders and Indians brought over during British colonial rule. There is a distrust between the two groups such that the native islanders won't even accept medical care from someone of Indian ethnicity; most doctors there are Indian. People in Fiji also have to deal with tropical diseases, and recently there was a big flooding problem. So, Dr. XXX talked about his experiences volunteering with the Loloma Foundation (I pulled out a pen in the middle of the interview and wrote down the name of the organization). I felt good that this was yet another topic on which we had something in common.
I left the interview with a decidedly positive feeling. If we really are "beyond the evaluative stage," then this interview was about personality and making connections. I think I did that very well with that in both the running and international volunteer work parts of the interview. Still, it's difficult to get a sense of how this interview will impact the committee's decision.
I couldn't have been more lucky to get Dr. XXX as my first interviewer. He had a calming voice and demeanor that helped set me at ease when I most needed it. He started the interview by talking about the UCSD program, as if he were trying to anticipate questions that I might ask him later. "The way I see it is that at this point we're beyond the evaluative stage," he said. Good to know, I thought. I let him talk, since that's what he seemed to want, and also as he proved to be very informative, but at the same time I grew increasingly concerned that I was not maximizing this time to convince him that I belong at UCSD.
The entire interview was conversational, though Dr. XXX did ask me a few direct questions about my application. The first direct question was about my experience working with magnetoencephalography (MEG), which is a technology that measures tiny magnetic fields emanating from the brain and infers brain activity from that information. "Why hasn't MEG caught on? Why isn't it being used clinically?" I told Dr. XXX that the fundamental hurdle facing MEG as a clinically relevant tool is the complexity and unreliability of its data analysis. A magnetic field is generated when a current flows in a straight line, such as during an action potential along axons. The problem is that, if two action potentials travel parallel to each other but in opposite directions, the magnetic fields that each action potential creates would cancel the other out. Another problem limiting the usefulness of MEG is that you can only really measure magnetic fields generated close to the brain surface - in the cortex, but not in deeper brain structures like the thalamus or striatum.
This entire MEG-related interaction lasted only about 2-3 minutes. Dr. XXX did seem genuinely curious about a rather obscure experience in my application, but I got the sense that the secondary purpose of the question was to evaluate how I discussed my past research experience.
The conversation then shifted to running and triathlons. I got the sense that Dr. XXX knew that this subject would make me more comfortable. He showed me a picture on his wall of him finishing a triathlon while holding the hands of his two children. "They don't let you do that anymore," he said. I asked, "Did you do triathlons in medical school?" It turns out that he did, and that he surfed. "Sounds like you had a well-rounded life while in medical school." Dr. XXX actually went to medical school here at UCSD, so this fact was very relevant to me. He also got married during his fourth year.
Toward the end of the interview, I found an opportunity to tell him about my recent medical relief mission to Honduras, since it isn't included in my application. Dr. XXX raised his eyebrows and said that he in fact participates in a very similar program in Fiji. He then explained to me how the cultural history of the island has created a sort of health care crisis. There are essentially two separate populations on Fiji: native islanders and Indians brought over during British colonial rule. There is a distrust between the two groups such that the native islanders won't even accept medical care from someone of Indian ethnicity; most doctors there are Indian. People in Fiji also have to deal with tropical diseases, and recently there was a big flooding problem. So, Dr. XXX talked about his experiences volunteering with the Loloma Foundation (I pulled out a pen in the middle of the interview and wrote down the name of the organization). I felt good that this was yet another topic on which we had something in common.
I left the interview with a decidedly positive feeling. If we really are "beyond the evaluative stage," then this interview was about personality and making connections. I think I did that very well with that in both the running and international volunteer work parts of the interview. Still, it's difficult to get a sense of how this interview will impact the committee's decision.
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