~NonTraditionals~: Ages

26. 27 within my first month of med school...

Focus isn't an issue if you're driven. I left an great paying IT job to go back and finish 24 credits of premed pre-reqs (CHM, OCHM, PHYS) in one year, as well as study up for the MCAT. I knew what I wanted, and I knew I'd have to be stellar, otherwise I wouldn't have a shot.

If you're going to go for it, just remember to take a step back and look at the big picture. Good Luck

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~NonTraditionals~: Ages

The Republic of Texas XXXIV: Whoever doesn't like Whataburger needs to leave

Random Stuffs

I don't know a lot of conformation-only breeders, but I do know a lot of people who work and breed dogs (who maybe do conformation on the side just to get the titles on their dogs). The reason a well-bred puppy from a responsible breeder may (and I mean MAY, some of them are around the same price as the sad genetic wastelands you find at Petland or whatnot) cost more is that these people put a whole lot more into their dogs too. Genetic testing, training, show/trial entering fees, travel to all of those...it's not cheap. Most really good breeders aren't really making $$$$ on their puppies at all despite the prices. And usually there's a variable price per puppy anyhow, dependent on whether the animal is a good work/show/breeding prospect or will be sold as a pet.

And yes, bulldogs are screwed up as they currently are bred.

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Random Stuffs

piercings and tattoos

In terms of body mods/hair shyte, I've had/have

gauges (currently 9/16')
vertical labret
multiple cartilage
double nostril
10g septum
dreadlocks
bleached buzzcut
bright purple bob

Right now I'm sporting pretty lapis lazuli plugs, small nosering, and a skrillex-style pastel pink hair. I still have my septum but I don't wear it at work. I've been slowly toning things down the farther up in the ranks I go. I contrast it by always dressing very professionally whenever I am with students or clients (long skirts, suits, etc), braiding my hair back, etc. Then again, I'm in pathology. Probably not the best benchmark of conservatism as we all tend to be a tad funky.

If you are going into general practice, most if not all of the above will be a no-go. Sucks to say, but that how it goes. People will judge you. I know we all like to say that people shouldn't judge you on appearance but on skill. Problem is, that's not how it works in the real world. Yet.

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piercings and tattoos

Faragon vs. National Pharmacy Tech Association Certification

I've been researching the different compounding/IV/Chemo CE-Cert courses run by the various non-profit associations in hopes of building my resume as I look for my first post-grad gig. PCCA is about 2.5-3k dollars; Medisco is 3k, depending on the course.

Fagron is much cheaper at 1.5k/course. However, the National Pharmacy Tech Association (NPTA) is accredited by ACPE for training pharm techs and pharmacists in compounding/IV/Chemo courses for only 1.5k for all three. I would obviously like to go for all three courses; however, the "pharm tech" in the NPTA is scaring me. What kind of decline in value would it be for a pharmacist that gothis certification/CE from NPTA as opposed to a straight pharmacist organization. If forced to do Fagron or PCCA, I will likely just do one course due to the expense.

Thanks in advance.

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Faragon vs. National Pharmacy Tech Association Certification

Major Challenges Facing Family Medicine

There are several challenges in my opinion.

Low Pay
Low respect
Overwhelmed doctor. too many patients in one day, excessive paperwork etc.

No job shortages. But then in most fields when there is a shortage of qualified staff the pay goes up. But not much in FM.

Salaries haven't gone up much since the 90's.

FM docs have a vast knowledge but the specialist (especially in major university centers) don't seem to think that's true. This kind of thinking has eroded into the general population to some extent.

At the end of the day there are many many unhappy FM docs. There are many unhappy docs but I think more in FM.

That does not mean that you won't be happy in FM. You have to make an informed decision based on good research and understand that there are many issues in medicine that need attention and these are shared by every specialty. It's just that some specialties get paid much better and perhaps can tolerate these issue a little better for the trade off in pay.

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Major Challenges Facing Family Medicine

2015-2016 University of Colorado Application Thread

I applied last year and sent the application in midway through the fall, and the prompt was:

"Part A. The School of Medicine regards the diversity of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. Please write about things in your background that have been important to your development or that have been challenging to you on your path to a career in medicine. These could include your socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, and work or life experiences. Explain how these have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.

Part B. Please write about the “fit” between your experiences and goals and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. If you are a reapplicant, please include information on how your application has changed.
Please answer both parts in this single essay. Limit the essay to 15000 characters, including spaces (approximately 2000 words)."

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2015-2016 University of Colorado Application Thread