發表評論-百草園-萬維博客-萬維讀者網（電腦版）

一般來說，男孩子不是很早熟，但是他們很有潛力。我的兒子在高中和大學裡，並不是那種刻苦學習的人。當他一進入醫學院後，他意識到，如果不在step1（第一次broad test，一般在讀完醫學院二年後考））考試中取得好成績，你就不能進入好的醫學 residency program，兒子他改變了，最後進到top residency program。

在考大學時，有些大學有8年制的直接入取到醫學院的premed program ，這個program不好進，但一旦進去了，以後就容易的多了，像百草寫的申請醫學院的那一步就可以免去了。

（百草加一點：大家請讀明白了，這個program是孩子在申請大學時申請，威州的麥迪遜大學曾經有過這個program。每年招收幾千學生的大學，招收40名學生進這個program。許多年前，孩子進了這個program，就不用考MCAT，也不用申請醫學院，大學畢業直接進醫學院，當然大學期間有一些特殊的講座，也必須保持一定的成績。後來，又要求這個program里的孩子也要考MCAT，但可以越過申請醫學院這一步。再後來，由於有人認為這個program不公平，聽說好像是已經停止了。但其它的地方可能還有這個program。）

看百草寫的這個醫學院系列，又使我想起了同兒子一起走過的那幾年，感慨良多。醫學院並不需要什麼天才，但需要極大的努力和定力；聰明才智不是最重要的，最重要的是持之以恆, 是能夠在眾多紛擾中能堅持你的目標，保持專注。

我的兒子現在是在第一年plastic resident 在UC的一個醫院。說實話，這不是我的選擇（中國家長都喜歡控制他們的孩子），但我知道：這是最高的match，也是競爭很激烈的領域，要有3年一般手術實習加3-4年plastic surgery。

一旦孩子們進了醫學院以後，他們都會沿着醫學院設計的課程走，他們不會再聽家長的了（百草也非常同意這一點）。他們會向高年級的學哥學姐了解情況。如果你的孩子知道以後要做什麼專科，他們應該在那個專科（系）找科研指導，在時間和精力允許的情況下，參加科研項目。Step1 考試對以後他們的match非常重要，尤其是在那些競爭激烈的專科，諸如 Plastic surgery, Dermatology, Orthopedic Surgery or Ophthalmology等科。Step1 成績Orthopedic Surgery至少要230分，Plastic surgery則要求至少242分。大家可以用First Aids is good book for Step 1,Kaplan Qbook and Qbank來複習。如果你的step1 成績很高，你就不用step2考試了。

如果你的step1成績很好，再加上幾篇論文，你還需要成為AΩA 學生成員，這是the national medical honor society。

每個醫學院選最好的百分之十到六分之一的學生做為AΩA成員。每個學校如何掌握這個協會不太一樣。有些不選醫學院三年級的學生，有些在四年級畢業之前的春天選。選的學生除了學習好，還看領導才能、學術水準、判斷力，總之是保證選上的那些以後會在醫療界成功、又會給社會做貢獻的人士。所以光學習好也不行。

而match是全國性的活動，醫學生會發現他們將在哪裡進行住院醫師訓練。。 match =學生申請其培訓計劃的選擇,宣布希望能“匹配”與他們喜歡的醫院和專業，他們知道他們的匹配與否，今年的match是今天3月18日發表。學生們將知道他們將去哪裡，畢業生將會知道他們要在什麼地方繼續他們的residency training。學生們當然都希望他們能進到他們想去的專科和實習的地方。

去年我們的等待，幾乎讓全家都很焦急，這是真話，我們做家長的又何嘗不是在這幾個月漫長黑夜中，望眼欲穿地等待着黎明的到來呢? 和那種如梗在喉的感覺的折磨呢? 我兒子說他一定要 match plastic Surgery residency .我很欣慰他有這樣的抱負。他8歲來美國，不會說英語.開始很艱苦, 從醫學院裡他懂了自己要努力，要有自信心。

Some examples for 3rd yearM studentCareer Advising Calendar
April - June 2009 First Meeting With Career Advisor
• Discuss career choice
• Discuss plans for 4th year
• Individual 30 - 60 minute meeting with career advisor
June – September MSPE Meeting & Advisor Meetings
• Meet with Associate Dean for Residency Advising
• Meet with specialty advisor
• Individual meeting with career advisor
• Personal statement

July 16, 2009 5:00 pm MS 4 Career Advising Class Meeting #1
ERAS Overview
• ERAS application process
• Senior class updates
• Timeline for the application process
August 27, 2009 5:00 pm MS 4 Career Advising Class Meeting # 2
ERAS Application Updates
• Senior class updates
• Application updates
• General application information
October-November TBD Third Meeting With Career Advisor
• Review program list for depth and breadth
• Interview strategies
• Individual 30 minute meeting with career advisor
October 8, 2009 5:00 pm MS 4 Career Advising Class Meeting #3
Interviewing for Residency
• Alumni host program
• Senior class updates
• MSPE update
• Preparing for interviews
January 21, 2010 5:00 pm Fourth Year Career Advising Class Meeting #4
Preparing Your Rank List
• Entering your rank list
• Post-interview follow up
• Class updates
January –Early February TBD Fourth Meeting With Career Advisor
• Evaluating and ranking programs
• Individual 30 minute meeting with career advisor
Late January TBD Rank List Due for Regular Match
March 18, 2010 10:00 am Match Day
Early Match: Ophthalmology, Pediatric Neurology, Urology, and all residency programs run by the military
are early match programs. Applicants in Ophthalmology and Pediatric Neurology apply and match through
the San Francisco Matching Service (http://www.sfmatch.org/), while applicants in Urology apply via ERAS
and match via the American Urological Association (http://www.auanet.org). For the early match,
applications are generally due in August/ September, rank lists are submitted in December/ January, and
match results posted in January/ February.

ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service): ERAS is a service that transmits applications, letters
of recommendation, Medical Student Performance Evaluations (MSPEs), medical school transcripts, USMLE
transcripts, and other supporting documents from you and your designated dean's office to residency
program directors using the Internet. ERAS begins transmitting applications on September 1st.
Match Day: Match Day is held on Thursday of the third week in March. All US seniors open their match
envelopes from the NRMP at 12:00 eastern standard time to find out at which residency program they have
matched.
MSPE (Medical Student Performance Evaluation): A letter of evaluation (not recommendation) which
describes a student’s performance in medical school. The MSPE includes an assessment of both the student’s
academic performance and professional attributes. The MSPE is released to residency programs on
November 1st.
NRMP (National Resident Matching Program): The NRMP (http://www.nrmp.org/) conducts a
residency match that is designed to optimize the rank ordered choices of students and program directors. On
Thursday of the third week of March, the results of the match are announced. With the exception of early
match programs, all residency programs use the NRMP. The applicant registration deadline is the end of
November and the Rank Order List deadline is the end of February.

Preliminary Residency Positions: A “preliminary” position offers only 1-2 years of training prior to entry
into advanced specialty programs. Many internal medicine and surgery training programs offer preliminary
positions in addition to categorical positions. Transitional year programs are also considered preliminary
programs.
ROL (Rank Order Lists): Rank order lists are the lists of programs in order of preference submitted by
applicants to the NRMP before the deadline (last week of February). The NRMP collects data on the
relationship between the average length of the rank order lists of matched applicants vs. unmatched
applicants. Matched applicants consistently have longer ROLs than unmatched applicants. In 2007, the
average number of ranks for matched applicants was 9.96.

Away Rotation :4 yMS can do Away Rotation
If you want to match with a good program at different city, it is a good idea to do an away rotation. Away rotations will increase the chance that you will match and lets applicants know the program well.
Research Advice:
Students should choose a research project they are interested in, not just one to pad their resume.
According to data from the NRMP, US seniors who match in plastic surgery have an average of 3.6research experiences and 6 abstracts, presentations and publications.