An Adrenaline Junkies Path to Emergency Medicine

We’d like to introduce you to Emily Fleming, an emergency medicine resident at Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium. Learn all about Emily’s fascinating med school adventure by reading our interview below, as well as Emily’s blog, The Doctors Fleming. Thank you for sharing your story with us Emily!   Accepted: Wed like to get to know you! Where are you from? Where and what did you study as an undergrad? Whats your favorite flavor ice cream? Emily: My family moved around a lot growing up, so I dont really have a hometown, per se, but the state we spent the most time in was Florida. I went to Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, FL for undergrad, and took a painfully predictable path to medical school by studying Biology and Chemistry. Fortunately, I got to be a part of an Honors program and was able to use a Great Books curriculum to study liberal arts. This allowed me to stretch the right side of my brain in a way that the sciences didnt really permit, which made up for me not majoring in something more creatively stimulating like Philosophy or Communications. Somehow through it all, I managed to get into medical school, despite my university being a half mile from the beach. And Id have to say my favorite ice cream flavor is either rainbow sherbet or cookie dough, depending on how rich I want my dessert to be. Accepted: Where did you go to med school? What was your favorite thing about that program? Least favorite thing? Emily: I went to Midwestern Universitys Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. I loved that the program was affiliated with so many different hospitals in the Chicago metropolitan area. It allowed me to experience so many different patient populations and practice environments. My least favorite thing about the program was the weekly exams, though in hindsight, it was nice to constantly be tested on the topics presented, and it gave you a really good idea of how well you were performing as the semester progressed. Accepted: Where are you doing your residency? Emily: Im currently in my third and final year of Emergency Medicine Residency at the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium in San Antonio, Texas. Accepted: Do you plan on staying in San Antonio when youre done with this phase of your practice? Emily: Hopefully the Air Force will let me continue on as a Staff Physician here at the San Antonio Military Medical Center. My husband is a resident in a 4-year Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation program here in San Antonio, and has one more year of training. With a baby on the way, were really hoping to be able to stay together in the same town. Accepted: Can you talk about your career path – choosing to go into emergency medicine and serving in the armed forces? Emily: Emergency Medicine has always been the reason I went to medical school. I tried hard to follow all the advice I got heading into medical school and keep an open mind about choosing a specialty, but in the end, it was always Emergency Medicine that captivated my interest. Im well-suited for the field, as an adrenaline junkie with a short attention span and a modicum of interest in every field of medicine. Choosing to go into the military was a bit more uncharacteristic for me. I was initially motivated to pursue the Health Professions Scholarship Program more as a means to pay for medical school than out of a vested interest in serving my country. But the sacrifice of military service seemed like a price I was willing to pay for the financial freedom the scholarship provided. I still feel that way to a large degree, but there are aspects of military service that I wish I had more carefully considered prior to joining up. I am honored to wear the uniform and feel privileged to be able to provide excellent medical care to our countrys heroes. That said, it is undeniably challenging to be faced with the certainty that I will deploy to a war zone, leaving behind a baby and a husband that need me. Accepted: Congratulations on your future baby! With that and working in the ER, you must be exhausted! How do you manage? Emily: Thank you! Were very excited about our babe on the way. I have been incredibly fortunate with this pregnancy so far, and only felt exhausted for a few weeks in the first trimester. Now, with the exception of my ever-expanding waistline, I feel pretty much like myself. Though I do have to be more conscientious about stopping to eat and drink while on shift; if I dont, I pay for it miserably. My body isnt quite as resilient these days, given the extra baby body it is having to support. All in all, I anticipate that residency will have prepared me well for the sleep deprivation that comes with having a newborn. Check back with me in a few months. (; Accepted: Looking back on the med school application process (if you can remember that long ago!), what would you say was your   greatest challenge? What did you do to overcome that challenge? Emily: My biggest challenge in applying for medical school was failing to get in. I had known since I was 16 years old that I wanted to be a doctor, and I believed wholeheartedly that it was my calling. I took the MCAT late in the year (it was only offered in April and August at that point – no idea how they do it now), and sent off my applications without knowing my score. Much to my embarrassment, I had grossly overestimated my ability to do well on that exam, and had sent my applications in to schools that I didnt stand a snowballs chance in hell of getting into. So I watched painfully as the seventeen rejection letters rolled in, doubting myself and whether I was truly cut out for this. But anyone who knows me knows I am not easily deterred. I took a prep course and took the MCAT again the following April, then sent out my applications again – this time knowing my score, and choosing schools that were more realistic. It was painful to experience rejection and failure, but the involuntary year off I took ended up being one of the best years Ive had yet. I got a job as a Tech in an Emergency Department, learned a ton and gained great exposure to medicine and trauma. I built incredible friendships and mentor relationships at work that I still maintain, and got to live with some of my best friends in the meantime. The second time around, I sent out thirteen applications and got two interview requestsand a single acceptance. But one is all it takes. Now Im a licensed – and almost Board Eligible – Emergency Physician, who was selected as Chief Resident in my program. There was a time I wondered if Id ever get here, but traveling this journey has made me thankful for the struggles and challenges Ive overcome. Accepted: Can you share some residency application tips with our readers? Emily: Applying for residency is a lot more like a job interview than applying for medical school. Programs look for personalities that are going to be a good fit with their existing residents and attendings; its important to like the people that youre slaving away next to at 2:00 in the morning. The sentiment goes both ways. Pay attention to the residents at the programs youre applying to: would you want to hang out with them? Can you see yourself working well with them? Its of the utmost importance to be yourself. If youre a good fit, everyone in the room will know. By this stage of the game, senior residents and Attending Physicians have very finely tuned abilities to detect bullshit; if youre pretending to be someone youre not, theyll be able to tell. Accepted: Can you tell us about your blog? When and why did you start blogging? Emily: Oh the blog. I started blogging during a string of not-particularly-time-intensive rotations during my third year of med school as a way for me to keep in touch with my friends back home, who all had blogs as well. Call it an extension of Facebook, social media, etc, if you will. Now blogging has become more of a form of catharsis. Its been helpful to go through the process of filtering my thoughts and emotions about my life – experiences, travels, patient encounters, having a baby, losing my dad – in a way that is palatable to the internet at large. The writing has become a creative outlet for me. Arguably, I could gain the same benefit from the writing by confining it to a journal, but the relationships Ive built through blogging – both on the internet and in real life – have made the sharing worthwhile. Blogging is not for everyone, to be sure. There is an element of narcissism that one must come to terms with when willfully displaying their lives on the internet. But when strangers email me about how something Ive written has helped them or encouraged them in some way, it makes the world feel a little more small and cozy. And I like that. Do you want to be featured in Accepted.coms blog, Accepted Admissions Blog? If you want to share your med school journey with the world (or at least with our readers), email us at bloggers@accepted.com. Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Dakosaurus - Facts and Figures

Name: Dakosaurus (Greek for tearing lizard); pronounced DACK-oh-SORE-us Habitat: Shallow seas of Eurasia and North and South America Historical Period: Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (150-130 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 15 feet long and 1,000-2,000 pounds Diet: Fish, squids and marine reptiles Distinguishing Characteristics: Dinosaur-like head; primitive rear flippers About Dakosaurus Like its close relatives Metriorhynchus and Geosaurus, Dakosaurus was technically a prehistoric crocodile, even if this fierce marine reptile was more reminiscent of the mosasaurs that appeared tens of millions of years later. But unlike other metriorhynchids, as these sea-going crocodiles are called, Dakosaurus looked like it was assembled out of the bits and pieces of other animals: its head resembled that of a terrestrial theropod dinosaur, while its long, clumsy, leg-like hind flippers pointed to a creature only partly evolved beyond its terrestrial origins. Overall, it seems unlikely that Dakosaurus was a particularly fast swimmer, though it was clearly just speedy enough to prey on its fellow marine reptiles, not to mention assorted fish and squids. For a marine reptile, Dakosaurus has an unusually long pedigree. The type species of the genus, initially mistaken for a specimen of Geosaurus, was named way back in 1856, and before that scattered Dakosaurus teeth were mistaken for those of the terrestrial dinosaur Megalosaurus. However, the real buzz about Dakosaurus began in the late 1980s, when a new species, Dakosaurus andiniensis, was discovered in the Andes Mountains of South America. One D. andiniensis skull discovered in 2005 was so large and fearsome that it was dubbed Godzilla by the excavating team, one paleontologist going on record as saying that this dinosaur-like reptile represented the most drastic evolutionary change in the history of marine crocodiles.

Choosing Essay Topics For the 2020 Commonwealth Competition

Choosing Essay Topics For the 2020 Commonwealth CompetitionLast year I was lucky enough to win a Commonwealth essay competition, and this year I am doing my best to beat that record. And why not? The subject is really interesting.This year's Commonwealth competition will start at the end of February and run through until the beginning of March. As with previous years, essay topics for the competition cover a wide range of things, including economics, social science, literature, philosophy, history, current affairs, etc.Judging for the Commonwealth essay competition is pretty simple: most people are judging based on the composition of the essay. However, I have seen some people judging based on the authors' teaching experience, or the degree of involvement in their community. While I don't feel that it's fair to evaluate someone based on their teaching experience, I have heard of people being unfairly penalized for their participation in the community.My overall advice for choosing es say topics for the Commonwealth essay competition is to write as much as you can about the subjects you feel strongly about. If you don't write anything else about those subjects, it's easy to get bored or frustrated. Writing about these subjects will also make you think more about them, which will in turn increase your enjoyment. It might even be a good idea to research your topic a little before the writing begins, just to familiarize yourself with it.A common strategy I've heard for picking essay topics for the Commonwealth essay competition is to choose an area that you've never written about before. If you have no prior knowledge of this topic, it will be difficult to come up with an engaging topic, but it will still be worthwhile for judging purposes. If you know what you're getting into, though, it might be a good idea to explore this topic before actually starting the project.It's also important to keep your thinking fluid and to keep it simple. No matter how good the materi al is, if you spend the entire essay trying to figure out the meaning of a word or how to make a point you will not be writing well. Be clear and simple.In addition to knowing what to write about, you also need to know what to avoid when researching the topics for the Commonwealth essay competition. Just like with any major writing assignment, take the time to read up on the topic. You don't want to waste your time or the time of your judges by researching material that is irrelevant or offensive.Finally, don't be afraid to revise your Commonwealth essay from time to time. Make sure you don't get too caught up in the project, so you don't miss anything important. If you find that you need to go back and fix something, take the time to try to fix it.

The American Dream Essay - 755 Words

A great dream, The American Dream. Or is it? Is my American Dream the same as your American Dream? Does it help? Or is it harmful? Do you know? â€Å"To achieve wealth, status, business, family, house, and (a) car(s).† That is the modern american dream. That’s is quite different compared to the original American Dream, â€Å"Every person has the opportunity to achieve their own idea of happiness.† Which version is your version? Or maybe your version is different. Have you thought about what different versions of the American Dream might do? What if one version, stressed homeownership? Well, it might move people to buy houses. Like the housing bust of 2016-7. That wasn’t good. Or what about the materialistic American Dream? People start spending more†¦show more content†¦Be safe, and well. And that’s what I want for people. But I digress. Back to the topic. I want you to compare two different versions. Modern vs Founding The American Dream. The one I’m referring to is made by the current president, Donald Trump, in one of his talks. We have already had versions like this (housing). Let’s take a look at the main points. (Modern/Materialistic) 1. Everyone should own a house 2. Everyone should own 1 or more vehicles 3. Everyone should be wealthy 4. Everyone should be of high status. Like celebrities. 5. Everyone should own a house 6. Everyone should have a family. Now I want you to compare that with the version in the declaration of independence (Founding). â€Å"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness† What does this mean? It almost doesn’t look like a version does it? Well, no, not the typical version, the typical version looks only at the surface. While this is targeting more complicated issues that plague both society and the individual. Let me summarize. (Founding) 1. All people are free 2. All people deserve life 3. All people have the right to pursue their own happiness. Now let’s compare that with the modern version. The Founding version 1. Is stating. 2. Is giving. Giving rights, to want makes you tick. The modern version is telling you to be some way. 1. Is judging.Show MoreRelatedEssay On The American Dream1004 Words   |  5 PagesThe American Dream: Is it Only a Dream? From the moment colonists stepped foot on American soil, freedom flowed through their skin. The new country would bring endless opprotunities to anyone who wished to pursue their dreams. Through years of effort, the United States was born and along with it a sense of equality and meaning. Today, America has much to stand for. Although times were rough along the way, the American dream is one of being free and having a voice. America has proven itself to beRead MoreAmerican Dream Essay3358 Words   |  14 PagesTHE AMERICAN DREAM THE AMERICAN DREAM Section #1 a. The impact cultures in North America have on the United States is that each region adapted the traditions and/or beliefs of those who settled in that area by maintaining dance, music, and crafts. Many English settlers did not respect the Native American cultures, and were seen as uncivilized and/or savages. Basically there was a clash of cultures, with new ideas pushing away old ways and mayor cultures oppressing others. b. ImmigrationRead MoreThe American Dream Essay1480 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Dream is a concept that has circulated around the world and has caused people from other countries, and those who live in America, to come to our nation and take advantage of the opportunities in place to better their lives. The definition of the American Dream, provided by James Truslow Adams in his book The Epic of America (1931), is â€Å"a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement†¦It is not a dreamRead MoreThe American Dream Essay819 Words   |  4 PagesGrowing up, I always thought the â€Å"American Dream† was having a nice suburban house with a husband, a few kids, and a golden retriever. I think of people within the Middle Class had it pretty good because of the nice house and adorable, tightknit family. The dream has never really changed, and I don’t think what my imaginatio n of it ever will. Something else I think of when thinking about the â€Å"American Dream,† I immediately think about is all the people that come to the United States from all overRead MoreThe American Dream Essay799 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is the American Dream? In America, numerous cultures and ethnic backgrounds are present. The American Dream is a subjective phrase, with different meanings for different people. The novels Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou, portray different definitions of the American Dream. In theory, the American Dream is the thought that through hard work, anyone can achieve their goals in this country. In Into the WildRead MoreEssay On The American Dream936 Words   |  4 Pagespersecution. Starting with the European settlements in the 1600s and many waves of diverse groups of people migrated after thus creating this ideology known as the America Dream which encompasses the opportunity at a better life and growth in all aspects political, economic religious etc. But at what cost what is often forgot is the American nightmare which is included the perverse and horrifying accounts of colonialism, diaspora and slavery. Slaves were not migrants they did not come here on their ownRead MoreEssay on The American Dream1459 Words   |  6 PagesThe American Dream in Death of a Salesman, The Great Gatsby, and Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Millions of immigrants come to America each year to seek their American Dream. Many people believe that rising social mobility and success is possibleRead MoreEssay On The American Dream1456 Words   |  6 Pagesorder for them to come to the United States and pursue the American Dream. The American Dream has a different meaning for everyone. Many people might think of the American Dream as being able to get a job in order for them to be able to help their family members who they left back in their native country, while for others the American Dream will be to be able to purchase their first home in the United States, while for others the American Dream might be to have a good job in order for them to pay forRead MoreAmerican Dream Essay992 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent issues as they settle in the United States. Although these problems may vary, the message is the same; the American dream is a lot more difficult to achieve than previously thought. Although every immigrant is different in the problems they face while in the country, one problem seems to stand out from the rest. The biggest obstacle for immigrants to overcome to achieve the American dream is in the field of jobs. The biggest problem immigrants face is finding work in which they can support themselvesRead MoreEssay On The American Dream1328 Words   |  6 Pagestheir personal needs. But of course, as many other families in America did and still do, they had a dream. The American Dream. Which was to come to America for a better life and provide a better future for their family and the future generations of the family. And I am proud to say that they accomplished that American dream. Because I, as an American who comes from Latino origins am the American dream. My family s past has had a very profound influence on me as a person. Since I was a child, I

Separting the Components of Panacetin free essay sample

The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the composition of a simulated pharmaceutical preparation Panacetin, a proposed type of pain-killer. Panacetin is typically made up of sucrose, aspirin, and acetaminophen, but the third component in this experiment is unknown. The unknown component is suspected to be a chemical relative of acetaminophen, either acetanilide or phenacetin. Using techniques such as extraction, evaporation, and filtration, the three components will be isolated based on their solubilities and acid-base properties. The percent composition of Panacetin will also be deduced based on the masses of the three dried components; this is done to verify the composition attained is consistent with those listed on the preparations label. As a result of this investigation, my teammates and I allowed the Panacetin to undergo gravity filtration and separation techniques in order to identify whether there are any discrepancies in the components of the Panacetin. Furthermore, recrystallization and purification methods were used to determine if the unknown substance were similar in properties to either of the suspected unknown substances by comparing factors such as melting points to the chemical properties of phenactin and acetanilide. We will write a custom essay sample on Separting the Components of Panacetin or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The results were as expected, based on the molecular weights and ratios of each separated chemicals, as well as the boiling point of the unknown it was determined that these ranges were close enough to indicate that the label is reasonably accurate in its composition. To add on however the identity of the unknown component differed from what the label indicated. In the end, the percentage composition attained based on our observations and yield confirmed that indeed the chemical composition of Panacetin were as indicated on the preparations label. The identity of the unknown component however suggested that the preparation did not contain acetaminophen as indicated, but instead was consistent with the chemical properties of acetanilide.