A quick update:
This past Wednesday morning my mother was admitted to the transplant floor at 8 AM. She received her radioactive antibody (I-131 radiolabled CD20) infusion shortly after. I talked to her briefly around noon, and she stated she is feeling quite fine and hoping she won't be too bored.
She is allowed visitors, but because she's radioactive they literally have to sit around another wall and scream at my mother while she screams back -- there isn't even a glass window or anything. Very few of us are visiting (my father only because he's in close proximity); perhaps once she's post-stem cell transplant, I'll visit.
It will be approximately a week before she starts to feel heavy effects from the antibodies and then shortly after that, she'll get her megadoses of chemotherapy.
27 June, 2008
21 June, 2008
AMCAS
Evidently the process of applying to medical school is almost entirely mysterious to the general public (which is fine, but it's really quite interesting and daunting).
First, you must take the prerequisite courses. This can vary from one year each of biology courses, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics to also including a year of biochemistry, a year of calculus, required humanities or ethics courses. Many applicants also have research experience or even publications. All applicants should have clinical exposure through volunteering, shadowing, or paid work. Most schools require an undergraduate degree.
Then in June each year, "AMCAS" opens. This is the primary application used by most of the 126 MD medical schools. It costs $160 for the first school and then $30 for each additional school. I've personally already accumulated over a thousand dollars worth and this isn't including the hidden fees of the background check, mailing of letters of recommendation, and requests for transcripts. This application is also very, very long. I have to manually enter every single college course I've ever taken, the grades, the credits, the institution, the course number, course name and any other information. I also have an essay for that application that I've been working on since January -- the longest and largest amount of time I've ever spent on an essay (well over 30 hours). There are many other sections and subsections; I'll probably spend about 10 hours alone just on the application.
After submission, it takes about 4-8 weeks for validation of the transcripts. The AMCAS is then forwarded to the schools of interest.
At this point, the medical schools themselves may or may not institute a screening process. If they like the applicant, then there is a secondary application to fill out. Many schools automatically forward them and other schools have a "cut-off" score for GPAs and MCAT scores. The secondary application also requires a fee ranging from $0 to about $100 (though most are around $25-50).
After reviewing the secondary application, then the schools decide whether to offer an interview. This is generally where the final decision is made whether to accept or reject the applicant. The interviews of course are all on-site, requiring travel, lodging, food, and so on. The interviews are fairly rigorous, spanning a day or two between on-site visits, interviews, and possibly a social event.
To give you an idea, the University of Washington School of Medicine receives approximately 1000 "in-state" applications per year. They interview 700, and ultimately accept 120. Some other medical schools receive as many as five or ten thousand applications. There are roughly 50,000 applicants per year, of which approximately 50% are accepted eventually (roughly 200 students per MD school).
So... hopefully my AMCAS application will stand out. I'll keep you posted!
First, you must take the prerequisite courses. This can vary from one year each of biology courses, general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics to also including a year of biochemistry, a year of calculus, required humanities or ethics courses. Many applicants also have research experience or even publications. All applicants should have clinical exposure through volunteering, shadowing, or paid work. Most schools require an undergraduate degree.
Then in June each year, "AMCAS" opens. This is the primary application used by most of the 126 MD medical schools. It costs $160 for the first school and then $30 for each additional school. I've personally already accumulated over a thousand dollars worth and this isn't including the hidden fees of the background check, mailing of letters of recommendation, and requests for transcripts. This application is also very, very long. I have to manually enter every single college course I've ever taken, the grades, the credits, the institution, the course number, course name and any other information. I also have an essay for that application that I've been working on since January -- the longest and largest amount of time I've ever spent on an essay (well over 30 hours). There are many other sections and subsections; I'll probably spend about 10 hours alone just on the application.
After submission, it takes about 4-8 weeks for validation of the transcripts. The AMCAS is then forwarded to the schools of interest.
At this point, the medical schools themselves may or may not institute a screening process. If they like the applicant, then there is a secondary application to fill out. Many schools automatically forward them and other schools have a "cut-off" score for GPAs and MCAT scores. The secondary application also requires a fee ranging from $0 to about $100 (though most are around $25-50).
After reviewing the secondary application, then the schools decide whether to offer an interview. This is generally where the final decision is made whether to accept or reject the applicant. The interviews of course are all on-site, requiring travel, lodging, food, and so on. The interviews are fairly rigorous, spanning a day or two between on-site visits, interviews, and possibly a social event.
To give you an idea, the University of Washington School of Medicine receives approximately 1000 "in-state" applications per year. They interview 700, and ultimately accept 120. Some other medical schools receive as many as five or ten thousand applications. There are roughly 50,000 applicants per year, of which approximately 50% are accepted eventually (roughly 200 students per MD school).
So... hopefully my AMCAS application will stand out. I'll keep you posted!
05 June, 2008
Her Own Words
From my mother:
We have learned good news today. Based on the recent tests (CT, PET, bone marrow, lumbar puncture) I am in remission, so I am cleared for the autologous stem cell transplant. With the second harvest recently, I have plenty of stem cells, with many to spare for the future. We decided to do a research arm of the transplant, with I-131-labeled CD20 antibodies replacing the total body irradiation, followed by the usual “conditioning” chemo, and then the stem cell infusion. My therapeutic radioactive dose is scheduled for 6/25, with a tentative stem cell infusion on 7/9 – depending on a safe radiation level by that date. I will be in radiation isolation for the first 10-12 days (= jail), and then transferred to the transplant floor, with an expected total hospital stay of 5 weeks or so (starting from 6/25).
I will spend the next two weeks with preparations, including a test dose of the radioactive antibody, and multiple scans, to calculate the safe dose for me. I thank you all for your support; please keep us in your prayers in the next few weeks.
We have learned good news today. Based on the recent tests (CT, PET, bone marrow, lumbar puncture) I am in remission, so I am cleared for the autologous stem cell transplant. With the second harvest recently, I have plenty of stem cells, with many to spare for the future. We decided to do a research arm of the transplant, with I-131-labeled CD20 antibodies replacing the total body irradiation, followed by the usual “conditioning” chemo, and then the stem cell infusion. My therapeutic radioactive dose is scheduled for 6/25, with a tentative stem cell infusion on 7/9 – depending on a safe radiation level by that date. I will be in radiation isolation for the first 10-12 days (= jail), and then transferred to the transplant floor, with an expected total hospital stay of 5 weeks or so (starting from 6/25).
I will spend the next two weeks with preparations, including a test dose of the radioactive antibody, and multiple scans, to calculate the safe dose for me. I thank you all for your support; please keep us in your prayers in the next few weeks.
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