MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSION AND RESIDENCY SELECTION MENTORING
Jerry Thrush, MD
Medical School Admission Mentor
There is no question that the study of medicine is difficult, competitive, and a lifelong commitment. There is often a fine line between those accepted and those rejected, and acceptance involves a great deal more than simply grades and MCAT scores.
Every year students with lower than average grades and scores are admitted, and conversely, some with higher than average scores and grades are rejected. This is where mentoring has a role. Although mentoring is most effective while students are still in high school it becomes critical at the outset of college and through all stages of the application process. There is no point where it is too early. Likewise, medical students applying to residency often face stiff competition for limited specialty training spots in the Match. Mentorship is key for those selecting a specialty and for the residency application process as well.
MENTORING SERVICES
Q & A
Q: Who does the mentoring?
A: Dr. Thrush himself. You are not assigned to a physician with less experience.
Q: What are Dr. Thrush's qualifications for mentoring?
A: Dr. Thrush served on the Admissions Committee at Stanford University School of Medicine as well as the Resident Selection Committee for the Emergency Medicine Residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center–both as Chief Resident in Emergency Medicine as well as faculty of the Loma Linda University Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency Program. These experiences, as well as mentoring experience over the years, qualify him for serving as your guide to the difficult, often confusing, and stiffly competitive world of medical school application and residency selection.
Q: What services are provided?
A: Guidance and mentorship specific to your needs.
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High School Students: From those just curious about how medical school admissions work to those committed to preparing early to give themselves the best opportunity for admission to a medical school that is right for them.
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University Students: Wherever you are in the application process, mentorship is key. Freshmen are determining course mix, extracurricular activities, research, clinical time and leadership that are right for them. Later, students must prepare for the MCAT in a manner that is most efficient, decide which schools to apply to, preparing personal statements, and completing applications. Finally, interview preparation and practice with someone experienced in admissions can be pivotal to success.
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Medical School: During medical training in the United States students are frequently asked to make a specialty selection without adequate exposure to the various specialties to determine the optimal specialty for themselves. Residency application and interview process is nuanced in a different manner than medical school admissions and requires more preparations for optimal results than most understand.
Q: How does it work?
A: First Dr. Thrush does a one hour intake evaluation to get to know your situation and goals. determining where you are in the process, identifying your personal goals and refining your specific objectives for mentorship. After the first session, subsequent sessions are usually 30 minutes with specific objectives for each session.
Q: Does mentorship include review of personal statements?
A: Yes, however Dr. Thrush doesn't write them for you. And he always recommends proofreading by a specialist to chase out easily overlooked punctuation and syntax errors before submission.
Q: Does mentorship include interview practice?
A: Yes. Dr. Thrush feels this is particularly important.
Q: How many sessions are required?
A: The number and frequency of sessions are tailored to your specific goals and needs.
Q: What services are not provided?
A: Mentorship is not MCAT preparation. Discussion of common MCAT review programs to determine what type of review would be best suited to your specific needs is included.
Q: How much does mentorship cost?
A: Billing is $350 per hour. There is a discount if you wish to purchase a block of three hours in advance. Considering the average yearly cost of medical school is $57,574 according to the Education Data Initiative, mentoring is a small part of a large investment.
Q: What if I still have questions?
A: Simply call the office at (858) 240-7097 to schedule a brief complimentary call back by Dr. Thrush. Depending on his availability he can usually return calls within a few days, and answer some preliminary questions in a 5 - 10 minute call.
Q: How do I sign up?
A: Simply call the office at (858) 240-7097 to schedule. A $100 deposit is required to hold the appointment, and the balance is collected at the time of service.
A MESSAGE FROM DR. THRUSH
ABOUT MENTORING
When considering medicine as a career I faced an uphill battle. Nobody was a doctor in my family, and in fact none of my direct ancestors attended a four year college. Furthermore, my forebears arrived in this country by boat and signed their name with an "X" on the ship's register. They were illiterate!
Although my own parents were high school graduates, I was raised in part by my grandparents who lived nearby, but they only completed an 8th and 9th grades. To complicate matters, I left high school without a diploma.
In spite of it all, I managed to graduate from a university and be accepted to a top medical school while I was still a teenager. I often wished that I had a mentor to guide me through the process.
I want to share what I learned as an applicant, as a member of various admissions committees, and from years of guiding others in the process.