doctorpdg

Standard duration of medical school is 4 years. I completed school in that timeframe, but post-graduation, the standard timeline is to start residency after about 2 months of graduation. I did not immediately start, because I had other plans in mind. I have currently applied, and I will let you guys know how it turns out. The residency process is very intricate, and I would like to dedicate a post to that specifically later, so keep an eye out. I will also describe what I did during my gap year in the same post. Keep posted! However, I will mention this: to increase my chances to match into residency and with the goal to complete all three USMLE Step examinations, I sat for Step 3. This exam is a little difficult prior to completing intern year. I would say my experience was alright. Taking it after Step 2 CK was definitely a good idea, as the same subjects were on the exam. However, the questions were were clinically based. I want to take this time to fully describe the exam: USMLE St...

 MS4 is very different in the structure to MS3, because now you have a choice of what electives you would like to do. At RUSM, a student is required to complete 36 weeks (of which 12 are Internal Medicine electives). I chose to do 9 of the 4-week electives to make it easier for me to keep track. Below are the names of the electives and at location I completed them at. 1. Infectious Disease, St. John's Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, Queens (N.Y.) 2. Cardiovascular Disease, Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, Illinois  3. Sub-Internship in Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital in Staten Island, N.Y. 4. Radiology, Staten Island University Hospital in Staten Island, N.Y. 5. Cardiology, University of Miami Gordon Center in Miami, Florida  6. Anesthesia, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Jamaica, Queens (N.Y.) 7. Sub-Internship in Medicine, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Jamaica, Queens (N.Y.) 8. Sub-Internship in Medicine, Flushing Hospital Medical Center in Flush...

MS3 is known as the first year of clinical sciences, while MS1 and MS2 are 2 years of basic sciences. Medical school consists of 4 years (the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree).  Between MS2 and MS3, I had a break for about 7 months. This is because after completing my coursework on the island, I wanted to take time out to study for the USMLE Step 1. In order to be eligible for Step 1, we have to take an exam called Comprehensive Basic Sciences Exam (CBSE) a.k.a. 'Comp'. If you would like to know how I studied for both, Comp and Step 1, please see my stories under the 'Medical School' highlight on my Instagram page.  After sitting for Step 1, we are required to complete a 6-week clinical 'training' session that primes us for third and fourth year clinical rotations in hospitals in the U.S. of A. This 'training' is called Internal Medicine Foundations (I.M.F.), and is held in Miramar, Florida. I lived about 10 minutes from campus and about 1 hour from the...

If you have not already read my MS1 post, please read that first. MS2 was very different in comparison to the other two semesters in MS1, because each semester was formatted differently. Additionally, I was on the accelerated track at RUSM, which consists of 4 semesters (versus the 5-semester regular curriculum). Feel free to read more on the RUSM website .  Semester 3 was very similar to Semesters 1 and 2 in terms of the schedule. However, for Semester 4 (and 5), class is only three days a week: Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Classes are all day long from 8 AM to 5 PM. My schedule looked like: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 6:00 A.M.: Wake-up 6:15-7:00 A.M.: Work-out 7-7:45 A.M.: Get ready & breakfast 8 A.M.-12 P.M.: Class 12-1 P.M.: Lunch 1-5 P.M.: Class 5-6 P.M.: Dinner 6-9 P.M.: Study 10:00 P.M.: Sleep Tuesdays and Thursdays: 6:00 A.M.: Wake-up 6:15-7:00 A.M.: Work-out 7-7:45 A.M.: Get ready & breakfast 8 A.M.-12 P.M.: Study 12-1 P.M.: Lunch 1-5 P.M.: Study 5-6 P.M.: D...

For those who know, MS1 is the first year of medical school. After being accepted to Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) as a non-traditional student, I attended MS1 on the island of Dominica, West Indies. Post-hurricane relocation is to Barbados, where they have permanently situated now.    MS1 was quite a challenge, not only in terms of academics, but adjusting to a new environment. For those who know me, I am born and raised in New Jersey. I have never really left the country or the state, for that matter, unless it was for vacation. Moving to a new country, which is not like the United States of America was definitely difficult. Nonetheless, with the support of my cousin, who at the time was in his last semester of the accelerated program was there (he was the one who encouraged me to apply and start when he was still on the island), I was able to adjust better. Assimilating to a new culture was enhanced through the rich transition I had via the help of my stron...