Med School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Medical School Experience: By Students, for Students [Paperback]

Robert H. Miller (Author), Dan Bissell M.D. (Author), Harold M. Friedman (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2006

Med School Confidential uses the same chronological format and mentor-based system that have made Law School Confidential and Business School Confidential such treasured and popular guides. It takes the reader step-by-step through the entire med school process--from thinking about, applying to, and choosing a medical school and program, through the four-year curriculum, internships, residencies, and fellowships, to choosing a speciality and finding the perfect job.
With a foreword by Chair of the Admissions Committee at Dartmouth Medical School Harold M. Friedman, M.D., Med School Confidential provides what no other book currently does: a comprehensive, chronological account of the full medical school experience.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Miller, author of Law School Confidential and Business School Confidential has teamed with Bissel, a doctor of emergency medicine, for the latest entry. A guide for readers thinking about attending medical school, or in the early stages of beginning an M.D., Miller and Bissell begin upbeat: "It's hard to argue with a career choice that allows you to save lives, or at least improve them every day." The arduous and complicated seven-to-ten year path they lay out, however, is another story. Reading the book straight through may do more to discourage readers than to help them on their way, but Miller and Bissell are clear and thorough, from undergraduate pre-med work to med school applications to grueling med school coursework to the various standardized tests, clinical duties and internships until, finally, the all-important career choice: where to spend your residency. Comments from several young practicing doctors ("Med School Confidential Mentors") don't illuminate much, and the authors can resort to banal generalizations that are little help: "The key is not knowing what you want to do, but what kind of person you want to become.". This book reveals very little of the personal, emotional journey of becoming a doctor, but as an overview of the academic rigors of the med student life, this guide is top-notch.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Robert H. Miller graduated from Yale University in 1993 and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was senior editor of the Law Review, in 1998. He is presently a trial lawyer at Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he specializes in intellectual-property and commercial litigation. He is the author of the critically acclaimed grad school preparatory books Law School Confidential, Business School Confidential, and the hot new college preparatory book Campus Confidential.
 
Dan Bissell, M.D., graduated cum laude from Middlebury College in 1993 and from the University of Colorado School of Medicine as an Adler Scholar in 2002. He recently completed his residency in emergency medicine at the Maine Medical Center. During residency, he received the Gold Foundation Award as Resident Teacher of the Year and was appointed chief resident of the emergency medicine program. He is now in practice in Portland, Oregon.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312330081
• ISBN-13: 978-0312330088
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert H. Miller graduated from Yale University in 1993 and from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he was senior editor of the Law Review, in 1998. He is presently a trial lawyer at Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he specializes in intellectual-property and commercial litigation. He is the author of the critically acclaimed grad school preparatory books Law School Confidential, Business School Confidential, and the hot new college preparatory book Campus Confidential. Dan Bissell, M.D., graduated cum laude from Middlebury College in 1993 and from the University of Colorado School of Medicine as an Adler Scholar in 2002. He recently completed his residency in emergency medicine at the Maine Medical Center. During residency, he received the Gold Foundation Award as Resident Teacher of the Year and was appointed chief resident of the emergency medicine program. He is now in practice in Portland, Oregon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great read for someone interested in med school, January 9, 2007

By 

D. Vrecko (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Med School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Medical School Experience: By Students, for Students (Paperback)

I bought this book with the hopes that it could be of some insight as to whether or not med school would be for me. After reading it, I can say that it was that and much more. Not only did I get what seems to be an acurate portrayal of what it takes to get into med school and the road to being a doctor, but also extremely practical ideas and tools to help be successful on every major step along the way. The writing was clear and concise and seemed to be geared towards an extreme usefulness for a serious med student or potential med student. I will be applying for med school and reading this book along the way to help me excel through it. I definitely recommend this book to anyone seriously considering med school or who is in med school and would like some useful pointers on how to choose your clinical rotations, pre-pare well for the USMLEs, apply for residencies, etc.

EDIT March 2010:
I am in my first year of medical school and I still fully endorse this book. I can finally say from the other side of the application, that it was very helpful in the application process. I have lent out this book to a number of friends interested in the idea of pursuing medicine and they seem to have appreciated the content as well.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A road map through medical school, July 25, 2006

By 

Globe trekker "Hope" (Portland, ME, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Med School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Medical School Experience: By Students, for Students (Paperback)

Awesome Book! This book is part instruction manual and part personal account of the journey through the premed/med-school/residency world. It is everything you need to know and everything you were afraid to ask about what you are about to get into, or are into already. It is step by step from premedical programs to applications,and from "matching" to life after residency. The authors speak to real world issues of finances and family as well as the academics involved. I have just purchased a copy for my best friend on her way to her first year of medical school. No one contemplating, or even mildly interested in what it takes to prepare for and become a doctor should be without this book.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good, September 5, 2009

By 

Smk14 (PA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Med School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Medical School Experience: By Students, for Students (Paperback)

Book is actually a few years outdated to the med school process. Still good info but not if you need guidelines on the correct steps to take b/c that part is out of date.