With ever-increasing competition to get into medical school -- only one of three applicants gets accepted -- the need for a comprehensive guide for prospective medical students became evident to Kenneth Iserson, M.D., a professor of surgery at The University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson and director of the Arizona Bioethics Program.
The result is Get Into Medical School! A Guide for the Perplexed, a new 550-page book by Dr. Iserson that contains everything a pre-med student needs to know to turn a dream of a medical career into reality.
The recent popularity of television programs about physicians was another impetus for writing the book, says Dr. Iserson, who feels that such programs present an incomplete picture of what it takes to get into medical school and to become a physician. Beginning with the question "Why do you want to be a physician?" the book examines every aspect of pursuing a medical career, from preparing for and selecting a medical school to obtaining a position after medical school.
The soft-cover book provides practical information about medical school admission, including preparation during high school and undergraduate years, the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), applications, interviews and what to do once accepted. The book covers a wide range of topics, including women, minority, physically impaired and older applicants; foreign medical schools; accelerated programs; specialty options, including osteopathy; alternatives to medical school; and financing a medical education.
Throughout his career, Dr. Iserson has counseled students regarding the medical profession and helped countless medical students obtain residency positions. In addition to his latest book, Dr. Iserson has authored Getting Into A Residency: A Guide for Medical Students and Death To Dust: What Happens To Dead Bodies, and is co-author of Ethics in Emergency Medicine.
Get Into Medical School! A Guide for the Perplexed is published by Galen Press Ltd., Tucson, Ariz., and is available at bookstores nationwide.