For nearly 20 years, an organization known as the Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) has been compiling a “demand index” of medical specialties.

Each year, the CHWS surveys residents and fellows in New York State, inquiring about things like the number of offers received by respondents, trends in starting income and the percentage of respondents having difficulty finding a satisfactory practice position. When the CHWS first began measuring demand, family medicine was close to the bottom of the list. Since 2008, however, family medicine has seen increasing demand. And in 2015, it ranked at the very top.

Because about 15 percent of all residents and fellows in the US (including graduates of Medical University of the Americas) do their training in New York State, the rise in demand for family doctors there is seen as an indicator of the growing importance of family medicine.

Overall, the survey found that demand for generalists—family medicine, emergency medicine, adult, psychiatry, dermatology, and general internal medicine—appeared very strong. Efforts to reform healthcare delivery, such as the Affordable Care Act, are seen as likely factors in the changing demand index.

See the Health Affairs Blog for a summary of the report, co-authored by one of the original designers of the demand index. And you can read the full report here.

Should doctors be seen as skilled workers, adhering to rigidly proscribed protocols, or as medical professionals constantly called upon to exercise independent judgement?

Critics say that slavish adherence to medical protocols and evidence-based procedures are introducing an era of “cook book medicine.”  Others say that the protocols are right far more often than they are wrong and that giving doctors the kind of latitude that they enjoyed in years past is not good medicine.

Here at Medical University of the Americas, we focus on questions like these throughout our curriculum. Our students wrestle with these issues in the clinical training modules that begin in their first semester, in classes on medical ethics, and in the research program on medical literature all MUA students are required to complete by the end of their fifth semester. Learn more about MUA’s curriculum.

There is no single answer to this question and it is likely our students will be searching for the correct middle ground throughout their careers. While today’s protocols are in many cases based on extensive clinical research, no protocol can be right 100% of the time. And the history of medicine is filled with examples of practitioners who challenged the prevailing wisdom/protocols and were proved right.

For interesting discussions of these questions see Doctors are more than just skilled workers. Here’s why. And "Protocols are for nurses."

 At Medical University of the Americas, like many other medical schools, first semester students are presented with a short white coat symbolizing your status as a medical student. It’s a rite of passage and upon being awarded your MD from MUA, you will replace that short white coat with a long one that you will wear throughout your career as a physician.

But it turns out that you won’t be the only one wearing a long white coat. You might well be joined by a nurse, a physical therapist and others.  To an anonymous, young, female physician blogging on KevinMD, this is troubling: “It seems unfair that as someone who worked exceedingly hard for many, many years to earn the right to wear a long white coat, this ability is simply granted to other practitioners without any significance.”

 She notes that it is a particular problem for female physicians: “I often will enter a room and introduce myself as Dr. (last name), and I cannot tell you how many times the patient or family member will remark to another person in the room or on the phone, and say “Oh, the nurse is here.”

This physician isn’t casting aspersions at non-physician colleagues—simply wondering if there isn’t a way that other medical practitioners can acquire a distinctive, professional attire, symbolizing the dedication and skill they bring to healthcare, without it being the long white coat traditionally worn by physicians.

For Shivam Joshi, MD, the issue is not who wears the white coats, but where. Writing in his blog AFTERNOONROUNDS, he is troubled when he runs into fellow physicians wearing their white coats outside a clinical setting, i.e.,  buying groceries.

The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology in America (SHEA) recently recommended that healthcare providers should possess two or more white coats, launder them regularly and have access to hooks where the white coat (or other long-sleeved outerwear) could be placed prior to patient contact.

So, that first-semester White Coat ceremony? Yes it was a rite of passage–in more ways than you might ever have imagined.

It’s the biggest fear of every pre-med student: doing everything you can to realize your dream of becoming a doctor, but being done in by a low GPA

Linda Abraham (@Accepted) a leading med school admissions consultant, tackles this issue head on in 4 Ways to Get Accepted With a Low GPA.

Abraham counsels students to focus on showing that you have overcome whatever flaws led to the low GPA in the first place e.g., you had a bad freshman year, but great grades since then) while also providing positive reasons for a school to be excited about accepting you now (your experiences in medical settings, volunteer work, research projects, etc.)

According to Sarah Russell, director of admissions at MUA, a GPA should never be looked at out of context. “We want your whole story, including what steps you have taken to address your GPA score. That tells us much more about you and it’s a proven way for us to identify the students who have what it takes to graduate.” For more about MUA’s admissions policies, go to www.mua.edu/admissions

Your clinical rotations are a critical part of your medical education. Now you are out of the classroom and into the hospital, learning directly from practicing physicians. As these are your final semesters in medical school, you are also making major decisions about your residency and what kind of medicine you will practice.

• At MUA, we focus our clinical program around the needs of our students, creating a “customized road to residency.” For a great video describing how the clinical program at MUA works, click here
• The MUA clinical program extends across nearly two-dozen medical centers located throughout the US. The size of our clinical program gives our students broad exposure to a wide range of medical conditions and also enables them to complete their clinicals in a timely way.
• Once your core rotations are completed, you can take elective rotations at virtually any medical center in the US and Canada. MUA students have completed electives at scores of institutions in nearly every medical specialty.

How much has medical education changed over the years? Quite a bit: everything from the courses that a first-year med student takes to the hours that a medical resident spends on call has undergone an overhaul.

As What Medical Schools Are Doing Now That They Weren’t 20 Years Ago notes, today’s med students study anatomy and pharmacology, but they also take courses in medical ethics. They learn how to interpret symptoms, but they also learn how to crunch the numbers and evaluate the biostatics needed to support evidence-based medicine. And in addition to being required to assimilate vast quantities of information, today’s med students are also evaluated on how well they convey that information to the patient, aka their bedside manner.  All of that is a big difference from what medical school was like in the past.

Finally, a physician trained years ago might be surprised by the workload of today’s medical resident: Instead of being on call almost around the clock, regulations now limit a resident’s weekly workload to 80 hours.

The world of medical treatments never stands still—and the same is true for going to medical school.

Applying to medical school can be a difficult and emotionally draining process. ”Am I good enough?”, “Did I score high enough on my MCAT?” “Is the GPA I earned in my science courses high enough to get me in the consideration pool?” 

As Director of Admissions here at Medical University of the Americas, I know well the anxieties that today’s applicants wrestle with as they embark on the process of looking for a fit with the right medical school.

Let me tell you a bit about how we approach the admissions process here at MUA:

We now have nearly 20 years of experience in looking at med students. And there’s a truism that I think every med school admissions director knows, but may not want to acknowledge: having a stellar GPA and a fabulous MCAT are not necessarily predictive of what it takes to become a great physician. (There is interesting research to back this up.)

That’s why when we look at applicants to MUA, we take a very holistic approach. Yes, we look at GPAs and MCAT scores, but we look at them to tell us not just how much you know, but also how serious you are about becoming a physician. We see them as one piece of a puzzle.

There is no question that med school is one of the most demanding academic experiences anywhere.  If you don’t positively relish the idea of hitting the books every night and being tested over and over, it may not be for you. But one of the big things that the medical professional has grappled with in recent years is the realization that, as difficult and demanding as med school is, it’s really just the start of your journey as a physician. It’s not the end of your learning process—it’s the beginning. Are you the kind of person who is willing to constantly explore and be surprised? Who will make the commitment to being a life-long learner? We want to know that.

Also, do you take communication seriously and are you prepared to devote the time and effort to becoming a good communicator? There was once a time when developing an effective bedside matter was seen as being unimportant, something you might get to long after you mastered anatomy. Not any more. Here at MUA, as in most top medical schools, we have changed our curriculum in recent years in part to incorporate far more emphasis on the diagnostic and clinical skills that are critical to a successful  physician-patient relationship.  

Finally, what can your actions as a person today tell us about the physician you will be tomorrow?

Are you a responsible, and trusted member of your community? Have you displayed integrity in your work, and your relationships with others? Have you shown a commitment to service, a selflessness through the community service you have performed or other areas of leadership that speak to your willingness to contribute to society? How motivated are you to become a doctor, and do you persevere through tough times?

Lastly, have you displayed a desire to be a doctor through work you have undertaken (volunteer or paid)? What has led you to this very important decision?

Yes, demonstrated aptitude is important when applying to MUA…but so is who you are as a person and how you will contribute to the MUA community, and the larger world of medicine when you graduate.

At MUA, we believe great physicians can take many forms, and while GPAs, MCATs and other tangible measurements are valuable, they alone can’t tell you whether an individual is going to be a great physician.

For every medical student, it’s the big decision—really a series of decisions: the what and where of your residency. How do you make these choices that will have such an outsized impact on your entire career? The Student Doctor Network has a great article providing an overview of how to go about getting into the right program. It goes through all the decision points and provides lots of practical information, such as Kaplan’s estimate of the effort required for a competitive vs. a non-competitive residency: you might have to do as many as 35 applications to get 5-6 interviews for a competitive residency, while for less competitive programs, you might do as few as 20 applications and get offers for 12-14 interviews.

Another great thing about the article is its list of references to other sources:

Choose Your Speciality. American Association of Medical Colleges. 2016.
https://www.aamc.org/cim/specialty/

Choosing the Right Medical Residency Specialty. Kaplan. 2012.
www.kaptest.com/blog/residency-secrets/2012/08/14/choosing-the-right-medical-residency-specialty.

Gottlieb, A. How Should I Choose a Residency Program? Medscape. 2006.
www.medscape.com/viewarticle/548628

How to Choose (and Get Into) the Residency that is Right for You. Waco, TX Family Medicine
Residency Program. 2015.
www.residency.wacofhc.org/choosing-a-residency

Medical University of the Americas is one of just a few medical schools in the Caribbean where US students can obtain federal loans to help finance their education.

MUA is approved to participate in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford and Grad PLUS Loan programs, which are both administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

To apply, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online (www.fafsa.ed.gov).  You will need to create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID), which you can do here.

MUA’s school code is G39003.

As part of its ongoing effort to improve the affordability of medical education, MUA is pleased to announce the availability of a Private Student Loan Program for financing for tuition and other school expenses associated with attending MUA’s Pre-Med program.

The loans, which are available to new applicants as well as current students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, are designed specifically to accommodate the education timetable of a medical student, including deferred payment until after residency and a 20-year repayment term.

For additional information, contact the MUA Financial Aid office at finaid@mua.edu or by calling 978.862.9500, ext. 3.

Or visit http://www.mua.edu/admissions/financial-information/financial-aid

What’s the best predictor of success in residency and beyond? The answer is critical thinking, according to a recent study. When researchers analyzed four different sets of data on a group of Canadian medical residents—including the results on a family medicine certification exam, MCAT scores, the resident’s Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) file and the results on a critical thinking test (known as the California Critical Thinking Skills Test or CCTST)—it turned out that it was the results on the CCTST that were the best harbingers of a successful residency outcome.  According to the researchers, while many residency programs use a variety of criteria and tools to choose students, “the results of this study suggest that [critical thinking test] may be useful as a tool for improving resident selection.”

The seven-hour MCAT exam is considered by many to be the most difficult of all the graduate school entrance exams. About 60,000 students take it every year and, but only a third ultimately get accepted to med school. Should you be worried about it? Not if you really prepare.

According to 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Studying for the MCAT, by a student who “flunked” the MCAT the first  time around, one of the mistakes many students make is treating the MCAT as just another end-of-semester exam—i.e., a few hours spent going over notes and readings. Instead, treat it like you are training for a marathon, allocating solid, dedicated time every day. How much is enough? According to 4 MCAT Myths, most students who do well on the MCAT spend between 200 and 300 hours preparing for the exam.

And it’s not just about hitting the books. You also need to eat right, manage your social life, avoid straining your eyes and don’t plan something big for right after the exam—that’s likely to be an unnecessary distraction that will rob you of precious points on your score.

Specialists driving taxi cabs instead of practicing medicine? An over-abundance of anesthesiologists? Those are some of the past projections about the physician workforce that have missed the mark. According to a frank assessment in the January 2016 issue of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, the same thing could happen with current estimates of a coming physician shortage in the US. Prepared by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)--its lead author is Atul Grover, MD, PhD, executive vice president of the AAMC--this report presents a concise snapshot of the recent AAMC research (which argues forcefully that a physician shortage is looming), while also providing a clear-eyed look at past projections that have not panned out.

Medical University of the Americas is located on an island in the Caribbean that most people have never heard of. And if you are planning on going to medical school—or even just enjoying a real Caribbean experience—that’s a good thing.

The island is Nevis. It’s a beautiful and historic. Here are nine things you might want to know about Nevis:

1. Nevis is just 36 square miles. To some people, it's the most beautiful 36 Square Miles in the Caribbean.
2. The name Nevis is derived from "Nuestra Senora de Las Nieves" which means "Our Lady of the Snows." And when you first glimpse the cloud capped Nevis Peak that stands over the island—as Columbus did in the 15^th century—you’ll understand the name.
3. Prior to Columbus, Nevis was named Dulcina "Sweet Island" by the Arawaks. For centuries after its discovery by Europeans, Nevis was a major source of sugar cane and remnants of that world—plantation houses, deserted cane processing mills and beautiful churches—dot the island.
4. On Nevis, the language spoken is English. The island has one of the highest literacy rates in the world.
5. Conde Nast Traveler named Nevis one of the 20 Most Romantic Islands—not just in the Caribbean, in the entire world.
6. The charming Montpelier Plantation on Nevis has been voted the third-best resort in the entire Caribbean.
7. Princess Diana stayed on Nevis 20 years ago with the young Princes William and Harry. As the Daily Mail noted, to say that little seems to have changed in the meantime is a compliment, rather than a criticism. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-3325705/Nevis-Island-Caribbean-loved-Princess-Diana.html#ixzz4Bl2cdWvi
8. No cruise ships nor long-haul flights stop at Nevis, but it is still easily reached via St. Kitts (a ferry ride away), St. Maarten or Antigua.
9. With just 12,000 inhabitants, Nevis isn’t crowded. When you need a break from your studies, you may very well have an entire beach all to yourself.

Going to medical school is very challenging, very rewarding and also very expensive. There is no question that the cost of higher education in general, and graduate education in particular, is a major challenge and keeps many promising students out of careers they are more than qualified for.

MUA has always been committed to maintaining an affordable tuition. In fact, among the top tier international medical schools located in the Caribbean—those with the important approvals and accepted for Title IV US Federal Direct Student Loans—MUA is the most affordable tuition: a full 30-40 percent lower than some of the others. (See the chart below.)

We publish our fees and tuition on our website (http://MUA.edu/admissions/financial-information) and work closely with students on loans and payment arrangements. Our goal is to make the process as straightforward and transparent as possible. We don’t do a lot of marketing and advertising. We also don’t suddenly discover “scholarship” funds to attract students. We focus on being affordable and attracting the best possible students.

In addition to being one of the very few international medical schools that are approved to be part of the U.S. Federal Direct Student Loan program, MUA’s tuition structure fits in with the financial resources available to Canadian students, both for provincial loans and private sources of funding. (Learn more at http://MUA.edu/admissions/financial-aid)

For the first time in over a century, medical school curriculum’s are undergoing a major overhaul. A wide range of medical schools, including Medical University of the Americas, have changed their learning strategies to better prepare students for a medical world that is more patient-centered and focused on achieving measureable outcomes.

According to Dr. James Bruzik, Associate Dean for Medical Education who spearheaded the curriculum update at MUA, the new approaches are taking place on several levels:                                                                

Organ, systems-based approach: At MUA, basic sciences and clinical studies are now being taught in an integrated, organ-systems-based approach. That means (for example) when you’re learning about a developmental abnormality in a specific organ you also study the anatomy, genetic background and pharmacological approaches to treating it—all in one, integrated learning module.

Early exposure to clinical experiences: Students are exposed to clinical experiences from the very start. In your first weeks of classes at MUA, you may be learning about the basics of a particular medical condition and then attending a class where you’re doing role-play exercises or taking an oral assessment on how well you’re able to communicate with patients and medical colleagues about that condition.

Active learning: There is a great emphasis on active learning and classroom interaction. MUA has “flipped classrooms” designed for small group interactive learning and also incorporates much more in terms of ongoing formative assessment: in an ungraded format, students get the opportunity to take tests and see where they stand. 

Research: Because so much of medical practice today requires the ability to evaluate medical literature and advise patients on the latest developments, students at MUA complete a research project involving an in-depth review of medical literature on a specific topic. For many students, this research has become a key asset in getting selected for a top residency.

Medical education is changing. As a leader in international medical education, MUA is committed to being at the forefront of these changes. Learn more about the MUA curriculum, including an interview with MUA administrators and deans, at http://www.mua.edu/curriculum

For many doctors, medicine was the only career they ever considered. Not Dorothy Ann Sparks. She came to MUA after a career in academia, teaching Engineering. Earning her MD with honors at MUA in 2006, she is now an acute care surgeon at the University of Tennessee Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, double board-certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care and teaches surgery at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Read Dorothy’s full profile at http://www.mua.edu/for-alumni/alumni-spotlight

Sickle cell disease (or sickle cell anemia) is a devastating, genetic condition that is prevalent among populations that trace their ancestry to Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. While some progress in countering the disease took place decades ago, the pace has slowed since the late 1980’s, but Ahmar Urooj Zaidi, a 2011 MUA graduate, is looking to change that. He is part of a major research project at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, part of a three-year fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology. Read Ahmar’s full profile at http://www.mua.edu/for-alumni/alumni-spotlight

 A native of Florida, Sasha Klemawesch headed north for her undergraduate years, attending New York’s prestigious New York University and getting a degree in nursing. But as she neared graduation, she realized her true calling was to be a doctor.Switching gears at this point can mean an extended (and expensive) period of makeup classes. Instead, Sasha chose a more direct route: MUA’s pre-med program. Two semesters later, she entered MUA’s MD program. Today, she’s a resident at Tampa General Hospital and on her way to becoming double board certified in internal medicine and emergency care. Read Sasha’s full profile at http://www.mua.edu/for-alumni/alumni-spotlight

Surgery is one of the most competitive residencies, doubly so for a graduate of an international medical school—even a top tier school such as Medical University of the Americas. But Adnan Qureshi, a 2011 MUA graduate, was undaunted. “They have [surgery] spots available.  Those spots are available to everybody.  It’s about deciding you want to do it and demonstrating you’re the right person.” Today Adnan is completing his residency in General Surgery at one of Canada’s leading medical centers, the University of Toronto.  See the video interview with Adnan (hotlink to http://www.mua.edu/graduate-success/meet-our-graduates) and read his complete profile at http://www.mua.edu/for-alumni/alumni-spotlight