National Health Insurance!?

Posted on August 19, 2008
Filed Under Health Care Policy and the Student Doctor, Medical (MD, DO) | 15 Comments

A review and interview with the author of Do Not Resuscitate, the controversial book about the current status of America’s health insurance system.

John Geyman, MDby Lee Burnett

A recognized pioneer and leader in family medicine, John Geyman, MD has written a number of articles and books on American healthcare. He has just released his latest book on the health insurance system, Do Not Resuscitate.

Dr. Geyman’s books are known for detailed research and facts. Do Not Resuscitate is a natural follow-up to his earlier texts, deftly tackling the latest and most complex data and concepts and distilling them into a captivating and quick read.

This book could be compared to the writings of Noam Chomsky with Dr. Geyman delivering a searing indictment of today’s health insurance companies and the US Government. This book has a single point: the insurance industry has failed America and it should be replaced with a single-payer nonprofit fund.

Read more »

Leavin’ on a Jet Plane: International Healthcare Experiences

Posted on August 13, 2008
Filed Under Pharmacy (PharmD), Dental (DDS, DMD), Medical (MD, DO) | 10 Comments

by Brittany Warrick
SDN Staff Writer

There are many learning opportunities for student doctors while they are in school, including a healthy blend of didactic and practical lessons. By the end of their training, most students in the U.S. have their fingers on the pulse of domestic medicine, but medical education cannot always impart the same lessons learned by students who participate in medical missions to developing parts of the world.  The experience that I have gained personally from traveling outside the United States has undoubtedly shaped me into a better student and I have become increasingly confident in my abilities as a a future clinician.

One of the first realizations many students experience when traveling abroad is that, despite its flaws, our medical system in the U.S. is often much more efficient than the those in developing countries. In many areas, conditions may go completely untreated and seemingly “simple” things such as diarrhea can take child’s life. Infrastructure is also an area of major concern; privileges that many doctors take for granted (some as simple as admitting patients to the hospital) are not as easily accomplished in underdeveloped areas.  Read more »

SDN’s New Partnership Quartet

Posted on August 9, 2008
Filed Under News | 1 Comment

by Adam Haydt
SDN Contributor

Continuing with its mission of representing doctoral-level healthcare fields, the Student Doctor Network (SDN) has recently added four new partners to its growing list of partners that span the health professions.

GlobalRPH is a useful website designed and operated by David McAuley, Pharm.D. & R.Ph., of the Detroit VA Medical Center. McAuley launched this practical resource in 2000 and has developed it into a valuable tool that is a comprehensive drug library. It features dosage guidelines, calculators, and many other information sources that will be able to aid pharmacists and other healthcare professionals that come in contact with patient medications daily.  Read more »

Adventures in Healing: The U.S. Public Health Service

Posted on August 4, 2008
Filed Under Medical Students, Medical (MD, DO) | 4 Comments

Contributed by the United States Public Health Service

CAPT Richard Caldwell, a physician in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, is an experienced medical officer who is the sole health care provider for the Havasupai American Indian community in Arizona. His dedication to his job ensures that he is always available to provide calm, confident, and experienced medical care to a community that is underserved and lives in a very remote location. CAPT Caldwell also works with wilderness rescue in the Grand Canyon to respond to emergencies involving visitors to the National Park. “Serving as the sole medical officer for the community is demanding, but it is also extremely rewarding,” says CAPT Caldwell.  Read more »

Atypical Drugs of Abuse

Posted on July 27, 2008
Filed Under Continuing Education | 20 Comments

by Emily Forest
SDN Staff Writer

While some associate prescription drugs with expense and inconvenience, others seek out the drugs, lying to get prescriptions, and buying pills illegally. Such “drug seeking behavior,” familiar to medical professionals when it involves Ritalin, OxyContin, Xanax, or any number of drugs noted to increase productivity, sink patients into an opiate-induced haze, or sedate those wishing to evade the stresses of life, abuse of anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, antihistamines, and others, represents a new frontier of drug abuse.

One of the more well-known and well-documented drugs of abuse, diphenhydramine is an antagonist to the H1 receptor, which seems, given its over-the-counter status, to be innocuous. Like many sleep aids, including the more recently developed Ambien, the drug was at first touted as having low associated risk of dependency (1). However, there has been much evidence to the contrary.  Read more »

Boost Your Career with SDN!

Posted on July 25, 2008
Filed Under News | Leave a Comment

PRESS RELEASE

Student Doctor Network Career Center Launched!

Student Doctor Network has partnered with HEALTHeCAREERS Network - the world’s largest online community specifically for healthcare job seekers and employers - to connect you directly with career opportunities and resources in your field.

HEALTHeCAREERS Network is a recruitment and career resource for the healthcare industry. It is a Network of more than 70 professional healthcare associations, MedHunters.com and channel distribution partners that will facilitate connections for SDN members with the best employers and expand your career options with free, immediate access to a selection of entry-level job postings.

Nearly 10,000 healthcare employers use HEALTHeCAREERS Network to post their opportunities and search for qualified candidates, bringing you all medical specialties and a job selection that spans all settings - from hospital-based positions to private practice placement.  Read more »

SDN Launches Aspire - Pre-Health Professions Forums for High School and Pre-College Students

Posted on July 18, 2008
Filed Under Pre-Veterinary, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Dental, Pre-Pharmacy, Premedical Students | 1 Comment

PRESS RELEASE

The Student Doctor Network forums now have a home for high school and pre-college students seeking advice about the health professions.

At the request of many SDN users, we are proud to launch Student Doctor Network Aspire. Aspire is staffed by moderators and mentors from the medical, dental and pharmacy fields, as well as parents of current students. Aspire provides information to help high school and pre-college students start their health professions career on solid footing.

Current topics include questions of interest to high school and pre-college students, and cover the areas of pharmacy, dentistry, and medicine. Included are descriptive explanations of the paths to each career, brief explanations of each profession as well as specialties, and links to information provided by other professional organizations and agencies.  Read more »

Can’t be a Doc… For Now.

Posted on July 11, 2008
Filed Under Interview Advice Column, Premedical Students | 24 Comments

by Jeremiah Fleenor, MD, MBA
Author of The Medical School Interview: Secrets and a System for Success

Another summer is upon us. As you enjoy the warm days and break from classes, let’s consider another commonly encountered interview question. This one is almost certain to pop up during your interview conversation.

What would you do if you couldn’t be a doctor?

I’ve seen this question take many an applicant aback. When asked this question during my interviews I recall being confused and wondering whether there was a hidden meaning. Here’s what would go through my mind: “Why do they want to know what I’d do if I wasn’t able to be a doctor? Are they somehow trying to see if I’m really serious about my career choice? Is it appropriate to say there is no other option and that becoming a physician is the only reality for me?” Read more »

Get Your Pharmacy School Admissions Guide!

Posted on July 5, 2008
Filed Under Pre-Pharmacy, Pharmacy (PharmD) | 3 Comments

PRESS RELEASE

This February, SDN introduced the first admissions guide for pharmacy school applicants. The Student Doctor Network Pharmacy School Admissions Guide aims to help prospective pharmacy students make an informed career decision and to guide them through the school selection, application, interview, and admissions processes. The 140 page guide contains perspectives from a wide variety of students and practitioners who share their advice and real life experience and other helpful features such as a mock interview outline, an overview of the profession, and recommended reading links. To order a copy of The Student Doctor Network Pharmacy School Admissions Guide, please visit Amazon.com.

Table of Contents

Get yours today!

Medical Students and Residents – Transitioning to Practice

Posted on July 2, 2008
Filed Under Medical Students, Medical (MD, DO) | 8 Comments

American Medical Association Alliance

Reprinted with Permission

Any transition, be it from college to the work world, or the common transitioning between jobs, can be difficult. But most transitions happen fairly quickly, in a matter of a couple months, compared to that of the medical transition. Transitioning in the medical profession is a way of life, whether it be from student to internship, internship to residency, or residency into a fellowship, specialty or private practice. The family of medicine is always there to support their physicians in training and make the transitions as smooth as possible.

Planning—The Key to Success

The first step in any transition is planning. How much time depends on each person and his or her priorities. For example, for Gary and Ashlie Schooler, physician and spouse started planning at different times. Gary Schooler, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Oklahoma, began planning on the first day of medical school. Read more »

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