Free Mobile Medical Calculator – MedCalc

MedCalc is a free medical calculator offering easy access to medical formulas, scores, scales and classifications.  It is available for the iPhone, Palm OS and Windows Mobile.

Review the complete list of formulas and calculators included in MedCalc here.

MedCalc

Common Residency Interview Questions (Part II)

Why do you wish to join our residency program?

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Where do you see yourself in ten years, after your residency?

Do you have any medical research experience?

What made you join medicine?

What made you choose this residency specialty (Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Family practice, OB/GYN, Anesthesiology etc.)?

If you were asked to describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be?

In your Curriculum Vitae (CV), there is a gap of 1 year. Why?

How many residency interviews have you completed so far?

What is your medical career plan?

What do you do in your spare time?

What are your interests?

Are you applying to any other residency specialty?

How do you handle adversity?

What is your most memorable patient encounter?

Which residency programs have you interviewed at?

Tell me about an interesting case you have seen?

Tell me about yourself.

Usmle Interview Questions [DoctorsHangout]

Correlate: Top 10 Most Common Residency Interview Questions

Rapid Learning Strategies for Medical School

#2 – Metaphor

Here’s a quick way to separate the rapid learners from the average learners. Ask them to give you an analogy for whatever they are learning. The rapid learners probably have already thought of at least one analogy, application or metaphor. Slower learners usually are baffled by the question.

Linking ideas allows you to retain them longer and understand them better.

#5 – Linking (Or How to Remember a Grocery List Without the Paper)

The idea here is that you form a chain, linking each item in a sequence to the next item. You form these links by imagining bizarre and surreal pictures which combine the two elements.

For a simple list like Milk -> Honey -> Apples, you would need to form a link between milk and honey, which you could imagine a giant cow that had bees which came from its udders instead of milk. For the honey and apples, you could imagine an giant apple beehive swarming with tiny apple seeds.

#6 – The 5-Year Old Method (Try explaining quantum physics to a first grader)

Most rapid learners know how to simplify an explanation. Obviously, actually explaining your masters thesis to a first grader might be impossible. But the goal is to reduce the complexity, by explaining, breaking down and using analogies, so that someone far below your current academic level could understand it.

If you can teach an idea, you can learn that idea.

9 Tactics for Rapid Learning [Scott H Young]

Mobile Radiologic Learning Tool – Lieberman’s iRadiology

Lieberman’s iRadiology app offers 500 radiology cases designed to help medical students and residents improve their plain film,CT, and MRI reading skills.  Available for iPhone.

Multitasking: An Open Discussion

A stimulating discussion on multitasking is underway at Britannica Blog.  Stop by for insights from authors Maggie Jackson, Howard Rheingold, Heather Gold, & Nicholas Carr.

Multitasking: Boon or Bane? [Britannica]

Correlate: The Cost of Multitasking

Essence of Medical Training – Everybody is My Teacher

Everybody is my teacher -  I think I held this idealistic view prior to entering medicine, though my belief in this has only strengthened with time.

Sure, professors, attendings, senior residents, and other “formal” authority figures taught me a lot of stuff. Patients—people—often were (are) the best instructors of all.

Example: I had learned about Familial Mediterranean Fever when I was a medical student… and never saw a “real” person with that diagnosis. Thus, I had forgotten what this condition entails (other than a fever). Recently, I met someone with that diagnosis and this person provided a clear description of the symptoms, how the diagnosis was made (”avoid passive voice”), and how the condition is treated (”did you not read what I just advised?”).

Things I Learned in Medical Training That Have Influenced Me in My Non-Medical Life [inteuri]

How to Succeed During Residency Interviews

By Jessica Freedman, MD of MedEdits:

The question “why THIS specialty” will undoubtedly come up at every interview, and your answer to this question must be clear and well thought out.  Don’t just say the obvious, but try for a response that will set you apart from other applicants. For example, as the associate program director in emergency medicine (EM), when I asked the question, “why EM,” I heard this response more times than I can count: “Well, I liked everything in medical school and I enjoy caring for high acuity patients so EM was an easy choice.” A more memorable response was, “I have been interested in EM ever since I was a patient in the ED during my second year of medical school. As I watched what was going on during that roughly six hour visit, I realized that the emergency physician who cared for me represented the type of doctor I hoped to become: someone who could manage anything that came through the door, was kind and compassionate and cared for a diverse group of patients. My time in the ED as a patient really made it clear that EM was the ideal specialty for me.” You should also try to substantiate your answer by using examples from your rotations in that specialty to illustrate what you like about it.

Acing Your Residency Interview [Student Doctor Network]

Correlate: Top 10 Most Common Residency Interview Questions

President of MedEditsMost residency applicants have not found themselves in the interviewee seat since they applied to medical school. Well, the residency interview is somewhat different from the medical school interview. Because you have now nearly graduated from medical school (for the traditional applicant), no one is trying to assess your commitment to medicine; rather, they are specifically evaluating your commitment to the specialty to which you are applying. They also are evaluating your ability to perform well as a resident and if you will be a good fit for their program. This article will provide some tips to help you succeed, whether you are applying to residency this interview season or in the future.

Clearly articulate your interest in the specialty to which you are applying.
Residency program directors must be convinced that you have a genuine interest in the specialty and a clear understanding of what it means to practice in that specialty. They also want to know that you are motivated and that you will work hard to become an outstanding clinician. The question “why THIS specialty” will undoubtedly come up at every interview, and your answer to this question must be clear and well thought out.  Don’t just say the obvious, but try for a response that will set you apart from other applicants. For example, as the associate program director in emergency medicine (EM), when I asked the question, “why EM,” I heard this response more times than I can count: “Well, I liked everything in medical school and I enjoy caring for high acuity patients so EM was an easy choice.” A more memorable response was, “I have been interested in EM ever since I was a patient in the ED during my second year of medical school. As I watched what was going on during that roughly six hour visit, I realized that the emergency physician who cared for me represented the type of doctor I hoped to become: someone who could manage anything that came through the door, was kind and compassionate and cared for a diverse group of patients. My time in the ED as a patient really made it clear that EM was the ideal specialty for me.” You should also try to substantiate your answer by using examples from your rotations in that specialty to illustrate what you like about it.

Be personable, energetic and communicative.
A large part of your residency interview will focus on the evaluation of your interpersonal skills, including not only how well you communicate but your demeanor, enthusiasm, compassion and general attitude. These skills are important not only because any physician, regardless of specialty, must be an effective communicator, but also because program directors are seeking applicants who will be pleasant to have in their program. You will be spending three to five intensive years in this program so interviewers try to match with people who will be a joy to train. To assess an applicant’s ability to communicate, many program directors ask them to describe an interesting case. International medical graduates (IMGs) who are not US citizens are most likely to be asked this question.

Have a clear idea of what you want to convey during your interview.
Why is this important? Many residency interviewers have little interviewing experience and simply do not know the best questions to ask or what information they should obtain. Your interviewer is your advocate on the residency admissions committee, but he or she can present the committee only the information you provide. If interviewers fail to ask you pertinent questions because of a lack of experience, their presentations in support of your candidacy may be weak. So, it is your job as a residency applicant to be proactive; tell them specifically why you are interested in the specialty, what you have done to explore this interest and what makes you a unique applicant.

Be sure to bring up “red flags.”
These red flags include board failures or major gaps in time. Even if such topics do not come up during your interview, they will likely be discussed in behind-the-scenes discussions, and you are sunk if your interviewer does not have a defense for you because the issues were not addressed.

Project a good image.
No, you won’t be evaluated on your attire, but you must appear to be mature, professional and well-balanced. This means you should have good posture, make eye contact with everyone whom you meet, speak clearly and articulately and convey confidence but without any hint of arrogance. Your interviewers are also trying to rule out any underlying psychopathology; a program’s worst nightmare is to have a resident who might have a personality disorder, a hidden substance abuse problem or a tendency to cause trouble.

Have a sense of why you will be a good fit for the program.
It is important to have as much information about the program before you interview. Sometimes this information is easy to find on websites but, if not, you can also learn about programs at dinners or events the night before the interview day (if offered) and at presentations during the interview day itself. While it is important to be authentic during your interview day (most seasoned interviewers can sense if someone is misrepresenting himself or herself), you can tailor your responses to become a better “fit” for the program. If a program is largely community based, for example, you don’t want to emphasize that you hope to become a physician scientist in the future. In contrast, for the large academic program that boasts residents’ scholarly pursuits, you would want to highlight your past academic achievements and mention that you might consider an academic career.

Be friendly and respectful towards the residency coordinator and residents.
Residency coordinators and the residents you meet have tremendous influence in this process. The residency coordinator who has a negative impression of someone often will mention this to the program director. By the same token, residents’ opinions of applicants are also taken in to consideration, especially when they are extremely positive or negative.

Be prepared for specific questions if you are an IMG.
The IMG who is a United States citizen likely will be asked about his decision to go abroad for medical school. When I do mock interviews with residency applicants, I find that most clients initially give this type of answer: “I wanted a different experience and to learn about a new culture.” When I ask for the “real” reason, they reveal the truth: “I couldn’t get into a US school because…. After doing research, I realized I could do well by going to XXX medical school.” I encourage applicants to always tell the whole truth. The IMG who is not a US citizen should be able to discuss why he decided to pursue residency training in the US and his path to residency. As discussed above, most non-US citizen IMGs will be asked to talk about an interesting case.

In summary, remember that most residency interviews are directed and conversational. In my work with clients I find that some interviews are becoming shockingly brief – some clients tell me that interviews last only 10 to 15 minutes. Depending on the program and the specialty, you will have at least two interviews but may have up to five or six. Usually, the more interviews you have, the shorter each individual interview will be.  On average, though, an interview will last 20 minutes. This brevity makes it important to have a clear idea of what you would like to talk about on interview day. Also be prepared to talk about the same topics repeatedly since most interviewers are trying to ascertain the same general information.

Here are some topics that you should be prepared to discuss at your residency interview:

* Tell me about yourself.
* Why XXX specialty?
* Where do you see yourself in the future?
* Why do you want to come to this program?
* Tell me about an interesting case.
* Tell me about your rotations in XXX specialty.
* Tell me about your greatest strength and weakness.
* What are some issues in health care today and how will they impact this specialty?
* What are the negative aspects of practicing this specialty?

Jessica Freedman, MD, a former medical admissions officer, is president of MedEdits (www.MedEdits.com), a medical school, residency and fellowship admissions consulting firm. She is also the author of the MedEdits blog, a useful resource for applicants: (www.MedEdits.blogspot.com).
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How to Create a Rank Order List of Residency Programs

Kendra Campbell shares her approach to the creation of her rank order list at The Differential:

I created a spreadsheet with 10 different variables across the top. Next, I added each program as a separate row, and then put a ranking (1-5) for each variable …For each program, I added up all the numbers, sorted them from highest to lowest, and voila! I have a rank order list of residency programs… here are the variables I used (in no particular order):

1. Location
2. Patient population
3. Faculty
4. hospital setting
5. Residents
6. Salary/benefits
7. Opportunities for research
8. Hands-on/procedural experience
9. Hospital and facilities
10. hospital’s reputation

How Do I Choose a Residency Program? [The Differential]

How to Master Humility on the Wards

The clinical years of medical school are, in large part, a game of appearances.  Medical students must find there place at the bottom rung, and they must excel in this place.  An air of humility is often interpreted by the rest of the team in a positive light.  Many of your evaluators use humility as a surrogate marker for other personality traits valued in health care (work ethic, cooperation, compassion, intelligence).  Any behaviors that smack of condescension will come back to bite you, even if you are the most productive worker on your team.  Learn humility by avoiding it’s opposite.  Here are a few tips to unlearn condescending behaviors from wikiHow:

3.  Be compassionate, not condescending …see others for all the struggles, triumphs, achievements, doubts, fragility, and strengths that they are really made of.  We are all in positions of unique perspective. Every person you see is a wealth of information and ideas that you haven’t come across. Learn how to approach people looking to find the hidden gem in them. Look for that unique thing in them that makes them special. You will find that you don’t have to fake it.

4. Try something new. Do something you have never done before, something that requires you to rely on somebody else’s knowledge and abilities. Let yourself trust them and keep your mind and ears wide open …Learning is a process of being humble and in being humble, you unlearn condescension.

5.  Be assertive, not biting. make your points using the skills of assertive speaking. If you are afraid that people won’t respect you or listen, think again – people respect the differing views of others when they are put calmly, clearly, and with a view to discussion rather than cutting off further communications

How to Stop Being a Condescending Person [WikiHow]

Create Professional-Quality Flowcharts with Gliffy

Create professional-quality flowcharts, diagrams, & technical drawings with Gliffy, the online diagram editor.  Terrific for poster presentations and manuscript figures.

Example: