Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds- Part 4: Nursing

This is Part 4 of my Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds series, intended to give a brief introduction to some alternate careers in health care that premeds might consider pursuing.

I would like to introduce nursing as a career, and accelerated nursing programs that you can enter after having completed some university work. 

What does a nurse actually do?

• Nurses perform a wide range of duties, from:
• Technical- i.e. monitoring the patient's vital signs, I.V.s & medical devices, collecting samples.
• Administrative/Educative- maintaining records, triage, educating public & families.
• Clinical- assess the patient, evaluate care diagnostic testing, dispensing medication, small procedures.
• Counseling support for patients and families as well as personal hygiene.
• ...and many more. There are thousands of things that nurses do and I can't compress that into a neat list.
• Nurses work in a variety of settings- direct care, research, education, public health, etc. Find out more at the Canadian Nurses Association.

I think one of the greatest benefits for nursing is that there are a lot of things you can do with a nursing degree after graduation- there are a lot of choices that you can take advantage of. Furthermore, the role and scope of nursing is always expanding in Canada.

Possibility of further training

• With further training, nurses are able to extend the scope of their practice. There are advanced training opportunities available for Registered Nurses, such as:
• Anesthesia assistant, advanced life support (cardiac, pediatric, etc) certificates
• Procedure-based training such as ultrasound, sonography
• Research training- clinical research associate
• Clinical nurse specialist
• Administration
• Nurse practitioner- NPs act as primary health care providers, functioning autonomously at a similar level of scope and authority as family physicians/physician assistants/etc. You can become an NP by going through advanced programs (usually Master of Nursing, Nurse Practitioner programs) after becoming a RN.

With that said, since this is a "Back-Up" series I will only write regarding Accelerated Nursing programs which have shorter time frames (~2 years) than regular nursing programs (~4 years).

Important points regarding Accelerated Nursing Programs in Canada:

• Generally 2-year long programs entering at Level III (third year) of regular nursing programs, includes both theory and clinical components.
• Often require X number of university credits (usually 10 full course credits= 2 full years), and ~B averages (~75%, 3.0).
• Prerequisite courses generally include physiology, anatomy, psychology, statistics. Check school websites for details.
• There are plenty of accelerated nursing programs, ranging from 1.8 to 3.5 years in length.

For the purpose of this post, here are some Accelerated Nursing Programs at major universities (all 2 years or under):

Less than 2 years:
UBC- Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, with advanced standing
Western- Compressed BScN Program
McMaster- BScN Basic- Accelerated Stream (20 Months)

2-year programs:
Alberta- BScN-After Degree Program
Memorial- Bachelor of Nursing Fast-Track Options
Dalhousie- BScN Degree Accelerated Options (2-3 years)
York- 2nd Entry Bachelor of Science in Nursing
U of T- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Queen's- Advanced standing track program

Potential salary & Job security/market

As you may already know, nurses usually have no problem finding a job. In 2010, 93.4% of RNs were employed in nursing, 1.8% outside of nursing, while only 2.7% were unemployed. For Nurse Practitioners, 97.3% were employed in nursing, 0.6% outside of nursing, and only 0.9% unemployed. Considering there were 287,344 RNs and 2554 NPs in 2010, I would say the job security for nurses look great.

Salaries are based on:

• Seniority/experience
• For example, hospital nurses in Ontario are paid according to a "grid" where salary increases with each year of experience for RNs.
• Starting salary is $30.17/hr ($58,831.50 annual), while after 5 years it's $36.12/hr ($70,434.00).
• Amount of additional training
• RNs with advanced training are paid slightly more, along with increased flexibility and scope of their practice in terms of locations, hours, etc. For example, salary for NPs range from $80,000 to +$100,000, which is significantly higher than average RN salaries.
• Location
• Similar to other healthcare professions, pay differs from province to province.

Nurses have a huge variety of options in employment and practice along with great job security- which makes nursing all the more attractive as an alternative profession in healthcare. Consider nursing before thinking about leaving Canada for international medical schools that are associated with increasing restrictions & difficulties (along with a huge price tag) of coming back to Canada.

Matt

How to really, really screw up important interviews: a ragecomic presentation

I'm not in med school- as much as I'd like to be, I'm not. This is because I am apparently terrible at interviews (or severely lack experience with interviews, which is also the case), which led me to screw up my med school interviews in the past cycle. Here I have a graphic presentation on how to really, really screw up a med school interview. There are lessons to be learned:

Figure 1. Three awesome people I wish I would never meet again.

Figure 2. One does not simply walk into med school.

My MMI went similarly- few excellent, some good, average, and 2-3 terrible stations. Fortunately, I learned some things:

• Prepare. Prepare early and intensely if you don't have a lot of experience with interviews, or if you're just not good with such situations (especially with MMIs).
• Don't try to be something you're not.
• This was my biggest mistake. Panels 6, 7 clearly show my failed attempts at trying to be someone I wasn't and the disastrous consequences that followed. You hear this advice all the time regarding interviews, but you don't actually realize it until it's too late (i.e. halfway through the interview).
• Never get nervous.
• Never. I was told that I lost points (during an MMI) because I seemed too nervous. I'm guessing they're not looking for people who'll grow up to be twitchy, emotionally wrecked doctors...

On the bright side, I'm really enjoying my lab work and for the first time actually glad that I got rejected (yes, seriously. Science is hard but research is awesome). Hopefully in time I'll be able to draw on some good news!

Matt

Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds- Part 3: PT/OT

This is Part 3 of my Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds series, intended to give a brief introduction to some alternate careers in health care that premeds might consider pursuing.

I would like to introduce physiotherapists (PT) and occupational therapists (OT)- both professions play critical roles in healthcare, helping patients improve in ways different from medicine. They work in a variety of healthcare settings- hospitals, private practice, home care, industry, government.

PTs are responsible for "evaluating, restoring and/or enhancing physical function and independence" through their "knowledge of the muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones of your body along with a thorough understanding of how they all work together." (Manitoba Physiotherapy Association)
OTs  "provide the skills for the job of living and solves the problems that interfere with peoples ability to do the activities or occupations that are important to them." (CAOT)

PTs and OTs perform a wide range of services for patients to improve their quality of life- you can find out more from Canadian Physiotherapy Association and Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.

Important points regarding PT/OT Programs in Canada:

• Generally 2-year long course-based Masters programs with integrated clinical education.
• GPA is most important factor in admissions (sometimes the only factor in admissions), with some schools placing emphasis on extracurriculars and interviews.

Here are some large charts summarizing general information and prereqs regarding PT/OT programs in Canada- information regarding francophone schools (Laval, Montreal,  Ottawa) has not been included because all information is in French only:

Figure 1. Canadian Physiotherapy Programs-click to enlarge

Figure 2. Canadian Physiotherapy Programs prereqs- click to enlarge.

Figure 3. Canadian Occupational Therapy Programs- click to enlarge

Figure 4. Canadian Occupational Therapy Programs prereqs- click to enlarge

Statistics
Regarding Ontario OT/PT programs, there are ~600-1300 applications for ~60-80 seats per school- see stats at ORPAS. For other programs, competition seems fairly lax- anywhere from 100-700 applications for a decent number of seats.

Non-academic
Most schools require you to submit CVs, personal statements/letter of intent detailing your personal aspirations and extracurricular activities. Check school websites for more details.

Potential salary & Job security/market

In both professions, salaries can vary greatly depending on your experience, scope and location of practice (hospital or private, Ontario or Alberta, for example).

In 2010, PTs' hourly wages ranged from $26.55 to $41.52. In Alberta, pay scale can range from $32.00 to $48.00. According to CAOT, new OTs earn from $40,000 to $45,000- hourly wages for OTs ranged from $29.32 to as high as $42.50 in Toronto (2010). 

Links to school websites

Dalhousie University: PT OT
McGill University
Queen's University
McMaster University
University of Toronto: PT OT
Western University: PT OT
University of Manitoba: PT OT
University of Saskatchewan (PT only)
University of Alberta
UBC: PT OT

You wouldn't believe how long it took me to make those charts... definitely longer than what was needed. I think I will stop with overly-detailed charts from now on. Part 4 will feature Nursing, Accelerated/Compressed Nursing programs in Canada.

Matt

How I got my first research position: a ragecomic illustration

I've been fairly inactive lately, but I made some comics to explain why I've been so quiet/useless for a while.

So this past summer was quite a frustrating time for me, what with getting rejected from med schools and finding myself without a backup plan. The only plan I had was to get a position in research since I had really bad luck with research in the past--this was an area in my application that was definitely lacking since I had absolutely no research experience whatsoever.

As a result, I found myself applying to (literally) a hundred different research positions in a month.

Figure 1. Before it all began.

Figure 2. Why applications for anything anywhere generally suck all the time.

Of course, I didn't get a single callback. Not only did I have no experience in research, I also didn't have any legitimate employment experience either (just a couple of "self-employed" positions that really holds no value). 

In the second month, I applied as a volunteer research assistant to dozens of labs. I received one reply, had an interview, and was accepted into a lab. Even though what I did was very basic, I worked ridiculously hard considering I was a volunteer. I was extremely grateful for the opportunity since this position gave me what was needed to get my first research position, as well as my first legit paid job.

After two months of volunteering, an opening for a paid research position opened up in the same hospital I was volunteering at. I applied, and somehow got an interview.

This is how the interview went (slightly dramatized):

Figure 3. Getting a job with sheer will and eagerness.

...and that's what I've been doing for a few weeks now, living up to my promise of insane work ethics. I'm having a lot of fun so far but still working like a lunatic, hoping for a publication. Although,

Figure 4. At the end of the day.

...but this really is the best opportunity I've ever had and I've learnt some ridiculous amounts of stuff since I started. Persistence really does pay off.

On another note, I will be posting some stuff that are actually useful in the near future. Stay tuned.


Matt

10,000 views & Update on ongoing projects

So the blog recently hit 10,000 views (now past 11,000) while I was away for a bit last week. I made some memes to celebrate the occasion:

Figure 1. I guess I am... only slightly.

Figure 2. How I feel about the recent rise in pageviews.

Figure 3. What I'm constantly reminded of any time I mention the blog to family.

Figure 4. I'm actually kind of worried that this might happen/already happened.

An update on ongoing projects- Here's what I've been working on these days:

1. Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds

As you may or may not have noticed, this is going quite well (at least, imo). I plan to write up to Part 15 before the end of the year, ideally before deadlines for such programs pass.

2. Just for fun- Guide to a 45T on the MCAT.

Just a hypothetical, "for fun" guide if I ever wanted to try for a higher MCAT score... with lots of money + resources.

3. How to Get Rejected Like a Boss- a rage comic story.

Self-explanatory.

4. Guide to Canadian med school admissions + School-specific Admissions Guides

This is pretty much ready for a quick write + posting, but I can't help but feel I'm screwing myself over for sharing "secrets" (not really, but you get the idea)... will have to think for a while.

5. The Bible of Medical School Interviews- Advice, Testimonials, and Sample Questions

At the risk of sounding like a douche, this is also something that might be indirectly harming myself but more importantly, it has the possibility of giving an unfair advantage to those that read it because it will contain:

• The biggest collection of traditional interview questions (without duplicates/similar questions), categorized into 8 distinct areas for specific practice- pretty much complete.
• The biggest collection of MMI questions, with detailed answers & guides to answering for some of the more difficult questions- nearing completion.
• Select documents, scoring sheets, statistics, advice/tips/testimonials from experienced interviewers/interviewees, and other fun stuff- in progress.

I always had a thing for collecting information that might be valuable- as a result, I built up quite a large collection of materials regarding interviews, school-specific admissions, MCAT, etc... hence the possibility of something like the above. The problem: I don't know what to do with this even if I complete it, without raising serious issues with fairness/interview standards. Unfortunately, this may never see the light of day.

Finally, I would like to say that it would be nice to get more feedback considering I've been getting an average of 120+ pageviews per day. Comments, compliments, criticism, threats, or even a comment from a disapproving admissions committee member would be very appreciated. 

Matt

Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds- Part 2: Physician Assistant

This is Part 2 of my Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds series, intended to give a brief introduction to some alternate careers in health care that premeds might consider pursuing.

Physician Assistant Programs as well as the profession itself are very new in Canada, considering PAs were recognized by the CMA as health care professionals only in 2003.  At McMaster, the first class started in 2008 while the program was fully accredited in 2012. In Ontario, PAs are being introduced to the health care system through a 2-year demonstration and supported by the PA Employment Support Program. Considering the significance of Physician Assistants in the US (83,466 in 2010), you can expect a similar trend in Canada with the successful integration and use of PAs into the Canadian health care system.

Some important points regarding Physician Assistant Programs in Canada:

• 2-year long, with the first year consisting of clinical sciences and second year of clinical rotations—similar to the medical school curriculum, but compressed.
• Regarding admissions- it is hard to say what is competitive, but it has been said that GPA of 3.55 would be competitive. However, with the ever-increase in applications into health care fields (medicine, dentistry, PA, etc), competitive GPA for PA programs will definitely increase in the coming years, especially as the programs gain more public acknowledgement.
• There are 156 programs in the US, while only 3 in Canada. Canadian PA programs are not accredited in the US, but US programs are accredited in Canada and graduates from PA programs in US can practice in Canada after writing the Canadian licensing exam.

Here is a very small chart summarizing admissions requirements for Canadian PA programs:

Figure 1. Canadian Physician Assistant Programs requirements- click to enlarge. 

As you can see, the only programs that an average applicant would be interested in are the McMaster and Manitoba programs that do not have clinical experience requirements. As such, I chose not to include any further information on the Consortium of PA education.

Statistics
For McMaster, there were ~300 applications for ~60 interviews, and 24 accepted. Other than that, there is very little data available.

Non-academic
Both Manitoba and McMaster have supplementary applications that include sections such as Employment, Volunteer/Community experiences, Awards/Distinctions/Honours, Scholarly Activities, etc. Links to supplementary applications below:

http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/medicine/media/PAEP_Suppl_App_Form_2013_INTAKE.pdf
http://bhsc.mcmaster.ca/pa/pa_application_2011.pdf

Deadlines
Similar deadlines as graduate programs: McMaster (February 1st), Manitoba (November 30th). 

Potential salary & Job security/market
As the field is still very new, there is no reliable data as of yet- however, PA income has been quoted as anywhere from 80k- 100k, sometimes higher. In the US, the mid-career median pay has been stated as $98,900. 

A publication from CMA in 2011 states "This year the University of Manitoba program graduated 13 PAs and they all had jobs within 30 days, and I know that all the McMaster graduates are employed." The same report expects that at least 3 new programs will open in the next 10 years, with the number of PAs increasing dramatically in the coming years.

Links to school websites

McMaster
Manitoba
U of T (Consortium of PA Education)

I apologize for the lack of any concrete statistics, however as previously stated there is very little data available due to the profession's recent emergence. However, it seems certain that the field shows a lot of promise as Physician Assistants could play a critical role in alleviating healthcare shortages in Canada.

Part 3 will feature Pharmacy Occupational/Physical Therapy programs in Canada.

Matt

How to destroy the MCAT with minimal study time (Part 4- Putting it All Together)

Update (7/18/2014): Commenting has been disabled- it's been more than 4 years since I wrote the MCAT & I don't think I should continue giving out random advice & the new MCAT will render a good chunk of my MCAT-related writing obsolete. Good luck to everyone, regardless.

In my past posts I focused on strategies for each section of the MCAT as well as the best study materials/tactics. I noticed that a lot of Google search words that lead people to this blog are something along the line of:

• average mcat study time, how to study for mcat in a month
• studying for MCAT in a month
• did well on the MCAT with minimal study
• ...and a lot more. These are actual search words I get from Traffic Sources statistics.

So I thought I would elaborate a bit more on how to really destroy the MCAT with minimal study time (<1-2 month) based on my (and other's) experience, and why it works:

• Acquire a very large amount of practice tests, both full-length and sectional (as in my previous posts, I prefer Kaplan for science sections due to its difficulty and EK 101 for its awesomeness).
• As you solve through the questions, your mind begins to form a sort of database of patterns, questions & answer types/stems that's typical for each section of the MCAT.
• There are only a finite number of types of questions and answers that can be used in an exam like the MCAT- over time, your subconscious and/or conscious mind begins to recognize similar patterns, questions/answer types and solving them becomes easier.
• After a certain point of solving & registering a large number of said patterns & types, you begin to realize that all the other questions types will basically be derivations of previously seen patterns and types. 
• If done over a short period of time, there is greater retention of the "data"- you remember more of the patterns and types.
• At the end, you will be able to intuitively solve & pick out answers.

This is how I improved my score- by solving through a very large number of practice questions, I improved my "MCAT intuition".  I solved through the following:

• 5 online full-length tests
• 10 paper full-length tests
• 8 sectional tests on paper for each BS, PS, VR + 12 EK 101 Verbal tests
• ~13 topical tests for subjects I was weak on (electrochemistry, thermodynamics, etc)
• 2 AAMC tests
• Paper tests totalled ~1800 pages.

...in 10 days. I solved all my questions using the methods I wrote in previous posts, and always under timed conditions. For some of them I even solved 2, 3 times as I went through and reviewed wrong answers/particularly bad tests. Solving through so many questions in a short period of time really helped me see "through" the MCAT.

I always say (IRL and on premed101) that "studying" and memorizing the material helps very little for exams like the MCAT- but rather solving through as many questions as you can (or as many as you can get your hands on) is the best way to go, not just for short-term but for long-term studying as well. This holds true for undergraduate exams as well- I think most will agree that solving past exams and sample questions works best for midterms & finals in university.

A method like this may not work for everyone, but probably will for most with a good grasp of English (VR would not work out well using my method for someone who struggles with English). 

Figure 1. How I feel after answering inquiries regarding MCAT studying.

A final caveat: if you think you will be unable to commit yourself entirely, don't go for short-term studying. If you're writing after < 1 month of studying, you seriously have to go all out crazy or you'll have a bad time.

Matt

Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds- Part 1: Dentistry

This is Part 1 of my Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds series, intended to give a brief introduction to some alternate careers in health care that premeds might consider pursuing.

Dentistry is not a "Back-Up" in the traditional sense, in that it's almost as difficult to get into compared to medical schools (in Canada). Instead of "Back-up", "alternate" should be more appropriate. However, it is true that there are many people that switched from medicine to dentistry for various reasons.

Some important points regarding Canadian Dental Schools:

• Limited # of programs & very limited # of seats.
• Required/competitive GPA is often higher than med school admissions, unless you're considered in-province in certain provinces.
• Much more emphasis on GPA, while there is much less on DAT and extracurriculars.

I noticed that when people start looking into fields other than medicine, some of the things that everyone is concerned about are: GPA, DAT scores, number of interviews vs seats, prerequisites, as well as extracurriculars. So I tried to compile most of them here:

Figure 1. Most recent statistics available for Canadian Dental schools admissions- click to enlarge.

Figure 2. Required courses for Canadian Dental schools- click to enlarge. 

Non-academic
As previously stated, dental schools tend to put much less emphasis (or almost none) on ECs- check individual school websites for further information.

Deadlines
Generally much later than med apps, often in December. Again, check websites for information.

Potential salary & Job security/market
Average income: $166,885 (2005). Similar to physicians, dentists are also decently saturated in urban areas, but still needed in less-than-urban regions. Consult the Dental Student section on Premed101 for more information.

Links to school websites

Dalhousie University

McGill University

University of Alberta

University of British Columbia

University of Manitoba

University of Saskatchewan

University of Toronto

University of Western Ontario

Université de Montréal

Université Laval

Note: All statistics used for this post were retrieved from individual school websites.

Part 2 will feature PA (Physician Assistant) programs in Canada.

Matt

Coming Soon

So it's been a while since I did anything with the blog... thought I should let people know about some awesome posts that will be coming soon-ish.

People's (Premed101's) Guide to the U of T Essay

• Comprehensive guide based on compiled/analysed accounts of those (on Premed101)  that were successful in receiving interview invitations for U of T med. Will aim to post by August at the latest.

EDIT: U of T no longer requires the essay, starting this year I guess. They now have 4 questions, similar to the ones that McMaster had a couple of years ago.

Big List of "Back-Up" Plans for Premeds

• An all-inclusive, easy-to-read list of alternate plans for applicants that were rejected from medical schools and considering (a) gap year(s), or another career in health care.
• Will include factors such as minimum, average, "competitive" GPA, tests required, deadline to apply, program locations, prereqs, potential salary, job market, etc.
• Multi-part series (~15?), including a short guide to US medical school admissions.
• This one will take quite a while, will post intermittently throughout the year. 

Guide to Canadian med school admissions

• An up-to-date admissions guide with recent statistics and honest advice. No BS.

...and possibly more. Probably the most useful stuff I'll ever write.

Incidentally, daily view count of this blog has almost doubled due to MCAT writers this summer (I can see google search keywords that led people to this blog)... good luck to you all. 

Matt

Premed Memes

Here are a collection of random premed-themed memes I made for premed101- thought it would be nice to see them all in one place. Most were made during times of frustration, boredom, or simply procrastination. 

Rage comic and meme made while waiting for rejection email from U of T med.

First world problems- premed 

My "Premed Bad Luck Brian" series

Just for fun, while I'm still working on the more "useful" posts.

Matt

How I destroyed the MCAT with minimal study time: a ragecomic post

After all the useful posts about "How to Destroy the MCAT with Minimal Studying", I decided to write about how I actually got through with minimal studying. In 2010, I decided to take the MCAT in May, giving myself exactly 18 days to study for the MCAT. In hindsight, it was stupid and insane- I originally planned on studying during the school year, but second year was too much so that all went to hell... but thankfully, things worked out better than I expected.

Here is a graphical + text representation of how the studying went down:

Figure 1. Started studying for the MCAT

Figure 2. Days 1-10- Reviewing general chemistry, physics, biology section, and solving problems for each section.

Figure 3. Day 11- First practice MCAT (Kaplan)- PS 7 BS 10 VR 7. Printed out dozens of practice exams for PS, and went through those for the rest of the day.

Figure 4. Day 12- Second practice MCAT (Kaplan)- PS 13 BS 9 VR 10. For the rest of the day, solved PS problems, started on VR and BS as well.

Figure 5. Day 13- Third practice MCAT (Kaplan)- epic fail, PS 8 BS 6 VR 9. For the rest of the day, solve BS problems until some sort of hemorrhage.

...and the rest:

Day 14- Practice MCAT- PS 9 BS 7 VR 9. Continue practicing BS, PS.

***Massive panic- realized I've barely practised for verbal reasoning. 

Day 15- Practice MCAT+ rest doing VR practice.

Day 16- D-4. AAMC MCAT #10, started mental prep for the actual thing.

Day 17- D-3. AAMC MCAT #8. Verbal reasoning still not good.

Day 18- D-2. Still in panic for verbal reasoning, resulting in 4 EK VR exams in a day. NOT a good idea (Refer to Part 2 of MCAT series). End of studying.

Figure 6. D-1- Dead for the entire day.

D-Day- The MCAT was a traumatic experience and my memories of it started to come back weeks later.

Figure 7. Self-portrait after writing the MCAT.

As you can see, it was a mad, frantic rush of desperation and frequent bouts of hopelessness and depression.

But by the end...

Figure 8. After receiving test scores three weeks later.

Thanks to all my previous research and the resources I got from that research, I somehow pulled it off... but this approach is too risky, and I think (and I should have as well) anyone should put aside at least 1.5 months to prepare (up to 4 depending on your major). In the end, I ended up studying ~8 hours per day, totalling ~1800 pages of work while completely fried by the end of the day, every day.

Thanks for reading, good luck!

Matt