wait i believe i recall you posting an mcat of 36 or something (i've read here for many years now) and you seem like a smart and interesting dude on here too, just have a good answer to "why minnesota in particular?"
― E. Bast, Wednesday, 26 December 2007 21:54 (sixteen years ago) link
34
answering that is easy! i am from here!
― gbx, Wednesday, 26 December 2007 22:31 (sixteen years ago) link
also genuinely interested in fl3x md and their school of public health/int'l health opportunities
― gbx, Wednesday, 26 December 2007 22:35 (sixteen years ago) link
That's maybe not actually a good answer. The first one.
― Casuistry, Wednesday, 26 December 2007 22:42 (sixteen years ago) link
:/
― gbx, Wednesday, 26 December 2007 22:50 (sixteen years ago) link
I'm also trying to do this right now.
The thing that is terrifying me is that I had every Secondary application done by like, mid-September, and I still haven't heard anything from ten of the twenty schools I applied to. I heard from four schools pretty quickly after sending my secondaries in, and so I thought it was all going to keep on moving as fast as the secondary process. And then my inbox just stopped dead after the first week of October. I still check it like three times a day though.
― C-L, Thursday, 27 December 2007 19:06 (sixteen years ago) link
Or rather it's a good answer but not one the interview is looking for, i think?
― Casuistry, Thursday, 27 December 2007 19:40 (sixteen years ago) link
Whenever I have gotten the "Why do you want to come here out of everywhere else in the country?" question, it's sounded more like they were trying to make sure they didn't offer a seat to someone who was just going to turn and run as soon as a better offer came along.
I live in California, but my first round of interviews were all on the East Coast, and I guess past experience with Californians suggests that we act interested in the East Coast until the UCs come along and offer $20000 less in tuition. The only time the interviewer didn't actually say something like, "Why in the name of God would you want to leave California" is when I had an interview during the October brushfires.
If you show them that you are a dude who really wants to go to medical school in Minnesota more than anywhere else, hopefully they'll bite. And if they like you, but are afraid you might ditch them for somewhere else, they'll waitlist you and give you the chance to write an impassioned letter about how everyone else is playing for second place in your heart. Or something.
― C-L, Thursday, 27 December 2007 20:00 (sixteen years ago) link
:D :D :D
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:11 (sixteen years ago) link
i go to minnesota
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:12 (sixteen years ago) link
congrats!
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:17 (sixteen years ago) link
thanks, pal!
i am going to fix healthcare
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:17 (sixteen years ago) link
is the plan
Yowza! Rah!
― Casuistry, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:18 (sixteen years ago) link
Though I guess this means you're not moving to Portland.
now have a beer or two to celebrate--that is an order
― Mr. Que, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:18 (sixteen years ago) link
HAHAHAHAHA! A doctor fixing healthcare!
― kate78, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:19 (sixteen years ago) link
Yeah :-/
Though I'm still thinking I might try and do a mid-school MPH out there. We'll see.
xp - i bought a bottle of "bubbly" and split it with my roommates already. Now I am taking beers to the bike workshop and will celebrate by fixing a bottom bracket that sounds like the Xhosa
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:21 (sixteen years ago) link
kate78: quiet, you.
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:22 (sixteen years ago) link
hey, way to go
― jergïns, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:22 (sixteen years ago) link
yaaaaaaay congratulations!
― horseshoe, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:22 (sixteen years ago) link
you can be the white atul gawande
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:23 (sixteen years ago) link
I guess this means "no" to vet skoo?
― Laurel, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:24 (sixteen years ago) link
quiet, you, too, Laurel. i was just into animals that day.
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:25 (sixteen years ago) link
"into" "animals"
i'd be cool with being jonathan kaplan
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:26 (sixteen years ago) link
SO MANY RESPONSES, I CANNOT CHOOSE.
― Laurel, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:26 (sixteen years ago) link
Go sleep with some cute Israeli nurses.
― Laurel, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:27 (sixteen years ago) link
how come nobody ever tells me to do that
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:30 (sixteen years ago) link
actually i'm just gonna be a dermatologist with a time-share in florida
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:30 (sixteen years ago) link
I hear the skiing is choice.
― Laurel, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:31 (sixteen years ago) link
cio and sky me
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:32 (sixteen years ago) link
nobody got my joke about the Xhosa :-(
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:35 (sixteen years ago) link
Sorry, I don't know about any bike parts made after 1974.
― Laurel, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:36 (sixteen years ago) link
i should have said !Kung instead, huh
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:37 (sixteen years ago) link
IT WAS A JOKE ABOUT PEOPLE THAT SPEAK A LANGUAGE WITH CLICKS, LIKE MY BOTTOM BRACKET
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:38 (sixteen years ago) link
Ahahahah I just assumed it was a manufacturer I didn't know. Clearly this is why a Laurel does not go to medical skoo.
― Laurel, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:39 (sixteen years ago) link
!Kung would have worked. I figured you were talking about some noise album or psych band or some shit
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 01:43 (sixteen years ago) link
congrats
― gabbneb, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 02:14 (sixteen years ago) link
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
― Sara R-C, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 04:38 (sixteen years ago) link
way to go duderoo
― max, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 04:43 (sixteen years ago) link
oh man i said duderoo i need to stop smoking
congrats, plz don't get co-opted by the system
― Rock Hardy, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 04:51 (sixteen years ago) link
this is awesome!! congratulations, e!
― rrrobyn, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 04:56 (sixteen years ago) link
Congrats, plz drink everything in MN for me.
― HI DERE, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 05:25 (sixteen years ago) link
Congrats, Elk hunting is back on then, plus dissection for tasty meats.
― Ed, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 07:48 (sixteen years ago) link
Congrats, I'm attempting to do the same at the age of 32, got to redo my school exams first though.
― leigh, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 08:54 (sixteen years ago) link
:D
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 10:34 (sixteen years ago) link
thanks, dudes!
leigh, are you in the states? like, you're retaking the MCAT?
― gbx, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 14:39 (sixteen years ago) link
Nope, I'm in Scotland, I'm going to have to retake my high school exams as they're well out of date and I'm not a graduate then do the UKCAT.
― leigh, Wednesday, 27 February 2008 15:06 (sixteen years ago) link
haha ok bookmarked, curious to hear your thoughts
― k3vin k., Saturday, 28 April 2018 04:13 (six years ago) link
oh boy cardiology
seconded
― gbx, Saturday, 28 April 2018 04:33 (six years ago) link
just graduated from fellowship (but still have a couple weeks of work left), incrementally closer to being a Real Boy
― gbx, Saturday, 9 June 2018 03:06 (five years ago) link
congratulations! it's a long haul
― Dan S, Saturday, 9 June 2018 03:17 (five years ago) link
― The Desus & Mero Chain (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 9 June 2018 03:18 (five years ago) link
anyone else making this mistake
― gbx, Wednesday, December 26, 2007 2:49 PM (ten years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
thanks yall, and yes, it is a haul
― gbx, Saturday, 9 June 2018 03:19 (five years ago) link
hey that's awesome, well done!
― call all destroyer, Saturday, 9 June 2018 03:21 (five years ago) link
Sounds hard. Good job!
― valorous wokelord (silby), Saturday, 9 June 2018 03:25 (five years ago) link
huge if true
― laurel or hardyhearin (darraghmac), Saturday, 9 June 2018 03:30 (five years ago) link
still a chance i could fuck it up, we've got time
― gbx, Saturday, 9 June 2018 03:43 (five years ago) link
I have no doubt you will be patient-oriented and outstandingly compassionate in your chosen specialization, gbx. And keep on fuckin with climb cuz climb pays!
― A is for (Aimless), Saturday, 9 June 2018 03:59 (five years ago) link
thanks man!
planning on some climbing up in the pecos p soon, it's a pretty good place
― gbx, Saturday, 9 June 2018 15:10 (five years ago) link
gbx it has been so awesome to follow your IAAD journey! Huge congrats. What's your next gig?
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Saturday, 9 June 2018 16:03 (five years ago) link
congrats gbx!
― k3vin k., Saturday, 9 June 2018 16:06 (five years ago) link
thanks pals!
today's gig is tele-conferencing a seminar on mental health evals for asylum seekers, next gig is working at everyone's favorite federal agency for veterinarians
― gbx, Saturday, 9 June 2018 16:22 (five years ago) link
I am doing psych evals for asylum seekers too!
such a humbling and frankly frustrating process. let them all in imo
― k3vin k., Saturday, 9 June 2018 16:29 (five years ago) link
very same
my friend is an immigration lawyer and tells me that asylum seekers that have psych evals have a much higher success rate (at least in this jurisdiction)
― gbx, Saturday, 9 June 2018 16:36 (five years ago) link
that's great that you're doing them -- is that a formalized thing through school?
― gbx, Saturday, 9 June 2018 16:41 (five years ago) link
lol thinking gbx is going to the USDA
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Saturday, 9 June 2018 16:50 (five years ago) link
a couple of lawyers came to give a talk about it last year at school, and I got in touch with their group who does this stuff. when they get a case they have one of the psychiatrists do an evaluation while we take notes. then we draft an affidavit and the psychiatrist reviews it and signs it. what your friend said about the usefulness of the psych eval is what I've heard too
― k3vin k., Saturday, 9 June 2018 17:10 (five years ago) link
so great that you're doing that, the lawyers need as many docs as possible -- there's basically three (!!!) doing it in new mexico
― gbx, Saturday, 9 June 2018 17:55 (five years ago) link
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/11/us/politics/sessions-domestic-violence-asylum.html
fuck
― k3vin k., Monday, 11 June 2018 22:13 (five years ago) link
k3vin are you a cardiologist now
― gbx, Saturday, 17 February 2024 01:51 (two months ago) link
nooo I am a simple semi-academic hospitalist, and I love my job so much! general medicine is endlessly fascinating and I love our pts and learning new stuff every day. I did seriously consider cards and ID but came to the conclusion that I am v v old and in a lot of debt and it’s hard to beat what I’ve got going now. as it turns out for partner-related reasons I’m moving across the country this summer and just accepted a new job at UCLA.
what’s new with you?
― truly humbled underdog (k3vin k.), Saturday, 17 February 2024 02:47 (two months ago) link
that's really great! semi-academic sounds like a dream rn
i'm the medical director of the BH service at our local hospital and while i very much enjoy clinical work i do not enjoy all the other stuff, i just wanna see patients
― gbx, Saturday, 17 February 2024 04:47 (two months ago) link
I am very glad you did not pursue cardio, those guys (and by guys I mean TOO MANY MALES) are like the dorky orthobros.I am 90 miles north of LA and my amazing PCP and cancer docs are with the Santa Barbara outpost, also spent time on main campus and am jealous of all the delicious Persian food you will have at your disposal. Keep in touch and we can do LAFAP!Gbx I bet you are super awesome at your job, even the dreaded admin parts. Thank you for going where quality care is most needed.
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Saturday, 17 February 2024 15:08 (two months ago) link
*Santa Barbara outpost of UCLA. That org sure knows how to follow the money
― mom tossed in kimchee (quincie), Saturday, 17 February 2024 15:09 (two months ago) link
Currently studying for the med school entry test (GAMSAT). Absorbing my whole life, but enjoying the process.
― H.P, Saturday, 17 February 2024 15:38 (two months ago) link
hey quincie! i think i am just generally OK at my job (the admin parts) but i appreciate the encouragement. i'm learning that in some important and also very stupid ways that the admin part is pretty essential in our very broken healthcare system (esp here in NM)
HP -- how does med school 'work' in australia? like do you apply after undergrad or are you applying right out of high/secondary school?
― gbx, Saturday, 17 February 2024 23:30 (two months ago) link
There's two routes! Not as familiar with the out of high school one, but from what I know it's for the top 99.99% achievers who do a small but not quite so hard test, followed by a 6 year degree, 2 year fast tracked bio-science undergrad, 4 year med school proper.I'm taking the other route, where you do any undergraduate (literally any, I did a bachelor of philosophy/bachelor of theology) and then take this ridiculous gamsat test. To get an interview, universities weight your undergrad marks and your GAMSAT marks 50/50. The combined score needed for an interview is about 170%, I.e. 100% top marks in university and a 70% on the test, or vice versa/any combination of the two. I'm going into the test having received straight high distinctions for my degree filling 100% of the 170 quota, but still to get a 70 on the gamsat feels like a nearly impossible task. It's a 3 part test, humanities, two essays and sciences run over a whole day. It is ridiculously difficult, but I'm committed to the journey and think I can notch a 70 after a few trys. I'll be happy with myself as long as I can get 50+ on this first attempt next month. That's something I can build from
― H.P, Sunday, 18 February 2024 00:28 (two months ago) link
Loving your job, no regrets gbx? Any advice you'd give? I'm very much excited for this ride, have tentative plans of pursuing anaesthetic and less tentative plans of giving myself to some humanitarian work down the line. That's my drive for this whole thing really, which I'm glad to have as it is a very powerful motor to making sure this happens
― H.P, Sunday, 18 February 2024 00:33 (two months ago) link
I can confidently say I'd hit a 70 (or at least very close to it) on the test first time If there was no time limit, but the amount of info they ask you to absorb to answer a question 90 seconds seconds is absurd. It really feels like primarily a stress test from all the practice exams I've done.
― H.P, Sunday, 18 February 2024 00:36 (two months ago) link
If you're a rural applicant the combo score drops to 1.55 and my wife and I live 20 minutes away from a "rural" area which we have dreams of moving to in a decades time.... its not feasible to move now tho and you need to live rural foe 5 years for it to count. So close but so far!
― H.P, Sunday, 18 February 2024 00:40 (two months ago) link
I'm taking the other route, where you do any undergraduate (literally any, I did a bachelor of philosophy/bachelor of theology) and then take this ridiculous gamsat test.
that's roughly the process here in the US as well. I was an English major and did ultimately have to go back for some post-baccalaureate classes in order to qualify for admission
i love...parts of my job. the US healthcare system is pretty busted and that can lead to a lot of indirect moral injury if you're not careful (eg my clinic is so short-staffed, and my patient panel so large, that there have been times that the soonest follow-up appointment I can get someone is months out. this is Not Great for when someone is in crisis). but ultimately very rewarding, yes. do i sometimes think that i should have been an electrician? also yes
― gbx, Monday, 19 February 2024 16:16 (two months ago) link
Combine careers. Go into surgeries in a jumpsuit and explain loudly why the previous electrician really fucked up the cables and didn't know what they were doing as you blare loud music of some sort from your iPhone, all while the surgical team are anxiously waiting for you to fix the issue with the essential piece of equipment for the ten-hour procedure that stopped working halfway through.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 19 February 2024 16:21 (two months ago) link
hmmmm yknow maybe not
― gbx, Monday, 19 February 2024 16:31 (two months ago) link
Lol Ned. Sorry to hear about that. The US healthcare system does give me the heebie jeebies but glad to know there's doctors that care working in it
― H.P, Tuesday, 20 February 2024 00:11 (two months ago) link
Test finished, now the painful 2 month wait for results......
― H.P, Saturday, 23 March 2024 04:54 (one month ago) link
good luck! these exams, and the wait for the results, are always excruciating. and if it’s anything like the US, there will be another 2-3 tests with similar stakes. it does get better eventually!
― brony james (k3vin k.), Saturday, 23 March 2024 10:44 (one month ago) link
Thank you! I have no patience so these two months will be painful. Just this one and then an interview and we get into med school! Obviously that's where it REALLY begins. You're Dr.'ing? Or just in the know?
― H.P, Saturday, 23 March 2024 12:24 (one month ago) link
I am doctoring!
― brony james (k3vin k.), Saturday, 23 March 2024 12:29 (one month ago) link