Career and Medical School ResearchCHANDLER RICHARDSONINTERNSHIP PREPMRS. MEYER

Introduction

During my search for future career options I found that Pediatric Medicine seemed to fit my ideal profile for a fulfilling career option. I have always had the desire to work in the medical field in order to

help those in need while being able to expand my knowledge on how the human body reacts and works with its environment.

In addition to wanting to work in medicine I have also always enjoyed working with children. I grew up with two younger siblings as well as being one of the oldest of my cousins. This taught me how to interact with children as well as given me a great deal of patients and practice in working with kids.

In order for me to achieve this I will need to attend medical school. My schools of preference are Vanderbilt University and MUSC in Charleston.

Pediatric History

In June 1802 the first accepted pediatric hospital opened up in Paris. The Idea behind Pediatric hospitals had begun in the late 1600s as a

means of keeping the sick children away from sick adults, but the separate facilities didn’t come to fruition until 1802.

In 1931 the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) was formed, but they didn’t consider Pediatrics to be a specialty medicine at the time.

In 1933 the ABP (American Board of Pediatrics) was founded as a means of making sure that doctors were specialized in childrens medicine. Their goals were to review accredidations for training programs, develop criteria that for certifications, and examine future applicants to Pediatric Medicine.

Pediatric History Continued…

In order to test future pediatricians on their knowledge of children’s medicine they developed a standardized test that everyone must pass before becoming a pediatric doctor. Initially doctors only had to pass the exam once to be certified for

life. In 1988 they made it so that all doctors must pass the exam every 7 years in order to stay in practice.

Today Pediatrics has 14 subspecialties recognized by the ABP in the area of pediatric medicine including cardiology, emergency medicine, infectious disease, and rheumatology.

What makes Pediatrics different from all other medical professions is that it focuses on the health of children from birth to the age of 18-21 in order to keep track of their growth and development.

Pediatrics Today

Today pediatrics is a growing industry with a growth estimate of 18% from 2012- 2022.

The average training time for Pediatricians is 11 years. 4 years of undergraduate, 4 years of medical school, and 3 years of a residency training program in Pediatrics. You must receive either an M.D. or D.O. degree as well as certification

in all states before you can begin practicing. The average salary in 2014 for Pediatricians was $178,197

according to Salary.com. General Pediatric practitioners are needed in the Northwest as well

as the Midwest regions, whereas the Northeast and Southeast have some of the highest concentrations of pediatric doctors.

Vanderbilt University

Requirements- They no longer have required classes in order to apply, only recommended classes such as Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Statistcs, Biochemistry, and Mathematics. They require a valid MCAT score An official college transcript from a US approved institution, or a

foreign university transcript as well as one years course work at a US university.

You need 3 letters of evaluation/ recommendation from professors or doctors you have worked with or shadowed.

A criminal background check is needed before acceptance into the university

Vanderbilt University Continued…

Over 80% of Vanderbilt’s medical school students are from outside the state of Tennessee.

A majority of accepted students are male. The cost of attendance is $74,324 for both in-state and out-of-

state students. They have a mean GPA of 3.88 and mean MCAT of 36.

MUSC in Charleston

Requirements- They have no requirements but recommend taking classes such as Math, Statistics, General Chemistry with Lab, Organic or Biochemistry, Biology with Lab, Anatomy and Physiology with Lab (2 semesters), Microbiology with Lab, Medical Terminology, and Psychology or Sociology. They require an MCAT score Must have 91 hours of pre-requisite courses. Need 3 letters of recommendation from professors or doctors.

MUSC in Charleston Continued…

South Carolina residents or students with ties to SC are preferred over students from out of state.

81% of those given interviews are in-state residents The cost of attendance is $59,663 per year for in-state students

with a mean GPA of 3.77 and mean MCAT scores of 30.

O*Net Profiler Results

Social- I would fit these medical schools because they like students who are involved in their communities.

Realistic- With a realistic personality I would do well working with people in order to solve problems with my hands.

Investigative- This personality trait makes me good at problem solving and looking for facts which is a desirable trait for those going into the medical field.

Conclusion

Pediatrics is a relatively new field of practice in medicine compared to many other medical subgroups, and it has just recently begun regulating its practitioners through standardized tests.

Pediatricians are needed throughout the West coast and are paid less than the average specialist but more than most general practitioners.

Both Vanderbilt and MUSC do not have any required courses in order for you to apply to their M.D. or D.O. programs, but they both require MCAT scores and an undergraduate degree from an accredited University in the United States.

Conclusion Continued…

Vanderbilt and MUSC are both good schools for me to apply to because MUSC wants their students to be from SC or have gone to a SC public University while Vanderbilt accepts mostly out of state students for their medical programs.

I feel much more confident in my application process as well as my chances of getting into either medical school now that I have done a more in-depth research on what each school recommends or requires of their applicants.

Works Cited

“General pediatrician: Salary and career facts.” Learn.org. 2003. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <http://learn.org/articles/General_Pediatrician_Your_Career_and_Salary_Questions_Answered.html>.

“History of pediatrics: Pediatrics.com.” Net Med Pediatrics. 2016. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <http://www.pediatrics.com/history-pediatrics>.

“History of the ABP.” The American Board of Pediatrcs. The American Board of Pediatrics, 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <https://www.abp.org/content/history-abp>.

Howard, Sharlena. Entrance requirements. 26 Mar. 2015. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/com/admissions/applying_college/>.

“Medical schools.” 2016. Web. 28 Aug. 2016. <http://medical-schools.startclass.com/>. Vanderbilt. “MD admissions.” Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. 2016. Web. 28

Aug. 2016. <https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/md-admissions/>