When You Weren’t Looking, They Were Working

"In 2003, roughly 85 percent of graduates had medical school loan debts."

Surprisingly, 15% pay over 120K for their child to attend medical school. When much is given, then much should be expected back. This is the pressure the 15% are forced to live with. They are expected to outperform. In Medicine, this probably means going into a ROADS specialty. This is to pay homage to the parents who pay for their children to attain success. A recent article in the NYTimes explained,

“O, brilliant kids, I was a fool just like you. I was in my mid-40s before I properly thanked my father for his decades of hard work — paying for me to laze around in the cars he bought me, to get drunk in the frat house whose dues he paid, to spend the afternoons with my girlfriends looking at trees and rivers while Pop worked and got so anxious that he took up smoking three packs of Kents a day.

“O, brilliant kids, you get to put on the garments of the morally righteous and upstanding while your parents work — because mothers work now and always have worked — and your parents must say, ‘Yes, sir,’ or ‘No, sir,’ to those who hire them. O, golden children, you get to talk about how you’ll never ‘sell out,’ and meanwhile your parents stay up late in torment, thinking of how they can pay your tuition. Because, brilliant kids, work (business) involves exhaustion and eating humble pie and going on even when you think you can’t. And you are the beneficiaries of it in your gilded youth.

How to pick a lover

Ben Stein explains the economic strategies to pick the right lover.

In every long-term romantic situation, returns are greater when there is a monopoly. If you have to share your love with others, if you have to compete even after a brief while with others, forget the whole thing. You want to have monopoly bonds with your long-term lover.

Realistic expectations are everything. If you have unrealistic expectations, they will rarely be met. If you think that you can go from nowhere to having someone wonderful in love with you, you are probably wrong.

MILFs on craiglist

There are MILFs on craiglists that look for sex.

Dentistry

It always seems greener on the other side of health care.

Screw Penis

What could you possible see in the ER? Use your imagination with this one...

Diabetes

Wheel Chair

Feminist Trash

So what would happen if suddenly, magically, men could menstruate and women could not?

Clearly, menstruation would become an enviable, worthy, masculine event:

Men would brag about how long and how much.

Young boys would talk about it as the envied beginning of manhood. Gifts, religious ceremonies, family dinners, and stag parties would mark the day.

Green Homes

A new coat of paint or stain can make a room feel fresh again, but it often has the opposite effect on the air quality in your home. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, paints, stains and other architectural coatings produce about 9 percent of the volatile organic compound (VOC)emissions from consumer and commercial products, making them the second-largest source of VOC emissions after automobiles.

VOCs are carbon compounds that evaporate at room temperature and react in sunlight to help form ground-level ozone, an integral component of photochemical smog. VOCs can cause respiratory, skin and eye irritation; headaches; nausea; muscle weakness; and more serious ailments and diseases, according to the EPA. Formaldehyde, a VOC commonly found in paint, is a probable carcinogen. The EPA has found that indoor concentrations of VOCsare regularly up to ten times as high as outdoor concentrations, and can climb up to a thousand times as high as outdoor concentrations when you are applying paint.




While it is important to check VOC content on labels and Material Safety Data Sheets, those sources won't necessarily tell the whole story. When considering the VOC content of any product, keep in mind that EPA and state and local rules are intended to reduce emissions of VOCs that cause smog, not to improve indoor air quality. These rules allow paints labeled "zero-VOC" or "no-VOC" to contain up to five grams of VOCs per liter (g/L) in addition to VOCs that have been exempted from the rules.

Beyond VOCs, many paints and coatings are made with toxic substances and chemicals that come from nonrenewable resources or are energy-intensive or polluting to produce, so even no-VOC paints and stains can affect the environment. Maximize ventilation, in addition to selecting the highest quality, lowest toxicity coating that fits pocketbook and project. When buying furniture or flooring ask for finishes to be factory applied. If that's not possible, install porous materials in your home well after finishes have dried.

Retail Clinics Go Espanol

Finally, a retail clinic getting more of a competitive edge. Its refreshing to see a possible successful business model in medicine. The usual stories of the poor abusing the ER making it red on the balance sheets, or physicians taking low paying Medicare/Medicaid patients is so somber. I'm tired of the crying and want to see some damn entrepreneurial innovation in medicine!

If you had to guess, I was in favor of the 10.6% cut in Medicare. Physicians are too few especially among the growing shortage. When patients are not seen, they will complain and vote for the politician to solve the health care issue. There is power in numbers and physician are enablers for a corrupt system. Let the hate mail roll in...

The retail clinics will be staffed by bilingual physicians (a departure from the standard practice of employing nurse practitioners), and they’re affiliated with a Miami hospital. The clinics are owned by Samoho, a Mexico City-based company that already runs a few retail clinics in Wal-Mart stores there.

Genetech DNA Acquistion

Was Roche’s $89 per share offer for Genentech a true “fair and generous” offer, or just the first move in a long chess match? Genentech’s independent directors seem to believe the latter.

Physician to Olympic Athletes

Being a doctor to one of the most decorated swim teams in history is not as glamorous as it might seem. Scott Rodeo, M.D., of Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, is currently poolside in Beijing, tending to Michael Phelps and his teammates as they strive for medals. And according to Rodeo, they’re doing so with upset tummies.

“On the medical side, I have kept busy treating gastrointestinal upset and traveler’s diarrhea,” Rodeo writes on the blog he has been keeping since his arrival in China. “This type of thing, it’s a lot of travel medicine: GI problems, upper respiratory problems,” he said later.

While all of these complaints are common for travelers, anything out of balance on an Olympic athlete’s body during competition could throw them off their game — so Olympic docs treat aggressively, pushing fluids and antibiotics when anything seems amok.

And what of Phelps? As part of his duties overseas, Rodeo also looks after the swimming phenomenon, who — in addition to eating a remarkable 12,000 calories a day to keep up with his vigorous training — apparently has a “remarkable” ability to recover, something Rodeo attributes to his ability to clear lactic acid from his system after physical activity.

Female General Surgeon

John Hopkins is being sued by a female General Surgeon because of sexual bias.

Fischer alleged that her objections to her male colleagues’ posting sexually suggestive photos of women on their computers or office walls met with hostility from Colombani and ultimately no sympathy from Freischlag.

She claimed she was forced to undergo treatment for “personality disorder,” denied lab space to do National Institutes of Health-sponsored research, and eventually ordered to stop scheduling surgeries

Why I Hate Text Messaging

Text messages are destroying normal conversations through cell phones. While I'm talking to someone, they ignore my questions or space out. Why is this? They are texting on their phone while trying to hold a conservation at the same time. Next time, I am going to send the person a txt saying go f* your self.

You know you are apart of a new generation when you have a break up through texting.

Price Analysis

"Price analysis for me is essentially a top down approach, working from the macro level of Market Structure (so we analyze the big picture first), then down to the current Trend within that structure, and only then do we look at the current price pattern, whether through candlestick analysis or whatever other method works for you."

Chitika with Blogger

There is an error trying to add Chitika Banner Code to a post. When you add the HTML, your post will display an eMiniMall instead of a Banner. The reason is because Blogger adds <br /> tags on each line of HTML of the Banner code. To display a banner, edit the post in HTML mode and delete all blank spaces.

The code for a 300 x 250 Banner is,
<script type="text/javascript"><!--
ch_client = "Chitika_ID";
ch_type = "graphic";
ch_width = 300;
ch_height = 250;
ch_non_contextual = 1;
ch_default_category = "200001";
ch_sid = "Paid Graphic Ads";
var ch_queries = new Array( );
var ch_selected=Math.floor((Math.random()*ch_queries.length));
if ( ch_selected < ch_queries.length ) {
ch_query = ch_queries[ch_selected];
}
//--></script>
<script src="http://mm.chitika.net/eminimalls/mm.js" type="text/javascript">
</script>

This code will need to be condensed to,
<script type="text/javascript"><!-- ch_client = "Chitika_ID"; ch_type = "graphic"; ch_width = 300;..........

Hedge Fund Salary

Institutional Investor Magazine has released their 2008 Hedge Fund Salary report

The Salary of Single-Manager Firms








Funds-of-Funds Firm

Do Women lower their Standards?

Settle for less in love - Times Online

I do not agree with settling; however, adjusting one's expectations is perfectly fine. The main theme is that women change their value system around 30 to include "will he make a good father?", which may trump those other geeky behaviors.

"My advice is this: settle. Don’t worry about passion or intense connection. Don’t rule out a guy based on his annoying habit of yelling “Bravo!” in the cinema. Overlook his halitosis or abysmal sense of aesthetics. If you want the infrastructure in place for a family, settling is the way to go. Based on my observations, in fact, settling will probably make you happier in the long run, because many of those who marry with great expectations become more disillusioned with each passing year."

"Marriage isn’t a passion fest; it’s more like a partnership formed to run a small, mundane and often boring not-for-profit business."

Trance DJ Pearl & Pelio

Who are DJ Pearl & Pelio?

Pearl & Pelio are a dynamic Trance/Progressive duo hailing from Santa Monica, CA. Their performance and productions are marked by a combined 15 years of formal musical education in both classical guitar and classical piano.

The two met at University and immediately clicked on likes and dislikes of electronic dance music – leading to a musical partnership. With Pelio continually working towards better mastering the art of the DJ, and Pearl taking the reigns for the majority of their 2007 productions, Pearl & Pelio are building a name in circles in southern California and beyond.

What defines their performance?

Possibly one of their most defining elements is their approach to the live show, where simply jockeying records takes a whole new approach. In their performances, Pelio’s harmonic mixing, perfectly Platinum Noted tracks, and his unique DJ tricks are blended into a rich, smooth sound that is then output to a laptop where Pearl adds “on the fly” live elements via software applications and live instruments. This marriage of the traditional DJ to the progressive, effects/sample oriented live element has caught the ears of Moda nightlife of Orange County, California, where the two hold a monthly residency.

In addition, they host a bi-monthly radio show entitled “Coastal Sessions” on PURE.FM internet radio where they have followed such acts as Duderstadt, Solarstone, Mike Mikhijian, and Kyo to name a few.

Finally, Pelio has been highlighted as the guest DJ on Bob Motamedi’s “California Trancient” monthly ETN.FM program. 2007 saw the official remix of Ambrosial’s “All Day,” which is currently in its final stages of post-production. In addition, their current original mix “Aquarius,” already has artists such as Mike Esco of Ambrosial (Coldharbour Recordings) hyping the release of both tracks with their friends and labels. Looking forward to 2008, the duo’s next recording project will be for the local rock band “The Neon Calm” in an attempt to bring a wider audience to their Los Angeles following.

Currently, Pearl & Pelio are in negotiations with an Independent filmmaker for the licensing of one or more tracks for an upcoming film to be released at the Sundance Film Festival. Pearl & Pelio are seeking to expand their performance schedule. It is in the live performance that they take their greatest pride, as this is where they see their efforts come to fruition. The love of the music and more so, the love of making people move, is what drives this duo’s passion.

To contact this formidable pair, send a message through this post.


Glenn Morrison vs Three Drives - Feel The Cosmic Flight (Pearl & Pelio Mashup)
Three Drives - Feel the Rhythm (Ton TB remix)
F-Dive - Random Girl (Jerome Isma-Ae remix)
Sultan & Ned Shepard vs Oliver Moldan & Jerome Isma-E - Eye Spy a White Lobster (Pearl & Pelio Mashup)
Oliver Moldan & Jerome Isma- e - White Lobster (Original mix)
Antidote - Freez Me (Original mix)
ATB - Desperate Religion (Mikkas remxi - Pearl & Pelio Edit)
Myon - Albion (PAFF remix)
Menno De Jong vs Myon - Solid State Albion (Gareth Emery remix vs PAFF remix - Pearl & Pelio Mashup)
New Identity - Tranceparent (Mr. Pit Club Mix Pearl & Pelio Edit)
Galen Behr & Hydroid - Shift of the Ages (Hydroid remix)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/l5fjdm

If you loved this set, I'll post more per requests.

How to Add Amazon Associates Product Preview to Blogger

As an Amazon Associate you have a variety of widgets you can add to your site. Product Preview brings up a dynamic container featuring a product instead of annoying pop ups. For example,
Chris Brown's Exclusive-The Forever Edition Album



When you hover your mouse over "Chris Brown's Exclusive-The Forever Edition Album" or the picture, it will display a product preview.

Here are the steps you need to take,

1. You will have to copy and paste the generic Product Preview code into your template before the last <body> tag. Here is what the generic code looks like,
   
   <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/link-enhancer?tag=My_Associate_ID&o=1">
   </script>
   <noscript>
   <img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/noscript?tag=My_Associate_ID" alt="" />
   </noscript>
   
   
   When you save your blogger template an error will be thrown: "Your template could not be parsed as it is not well-formed. Please make sure all XML elements are closed properly. XML error message: The reference to entity "o" must end with the ';' delimiter."
   
   Convert the HTML generic Product Preview code to XML. Replace all "<" with lt; and ">" with gt; This will solve the above error.
   
   Additionally, eblog templates has an Ad Code Converter that will do it for you.
   
   
2. Go to Associates Central >> Build Links >> Product Links. Find the product you want
   
3. You have three options to select from,
   
   1. Text and Image (Enhanced Display)
      
   2. Image Only (Basic Display)
      
   3. Text Only (Basic Display)
   
   Image Only & Text only allow Product Preview but Text and Imagine does not.
   
   
4. Copy the HTML code provided and paste it into your post in Blogger. You will only be able to see Product Preview when you publish and not during preview. If you select Image Only, you have to copy the image and upload it through blogger.
   
   If you select Image Only, you will need to modify the code so it uses the picture you uploaded. For example, here is the code for the picture of Chris Brown
   
   <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017V7GJY?ie=UTF8&tag=My_Associate_ID&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0017V7GJY"gt;lt;img src="51xLoAnzYML._SL160_.jpg" border="0" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=My_Associate_ID&l=as2&o=1&a=B0017V7GJY" alt="" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" border="0" height="1" width="1" />
   
   In my case, "src="51xLoAnzYML._SL160_.jpg" was replaced with the src of the picture uploaded.

Conclusion

The text link and picture will both dynamically bring up a container showing the featured product. If you have any questions, leave a comment. If you like this post, subscribe via RSS.

Harvard DormAid Cleaning

The NYTimes featured a company called DormAid started by some sophomore Harvard students.

"Hiring someone to clean dorm rooms is a convenience, but it is also an obvious display of wealth that would establish a perceived, if unspoken, barrier between students of different economic means," the editorial said. "It's up to each one of us to ensure that our peers feel comfortable on campus, and if that means plugging in a vacuum every two weeks, then so be it."

The Idiots Guide to Buying a Used Car

For you college graduates buying your first used car, those down sizing to a more economical car, lets find out how to buy a used car properly. This is not your typical 5-point inspection. This is how you buy a used car regardless of what you know or where you are.

There are 3 options to improving your chances of buying a good quality used car.

1. Know basic symptoms for a used car with problems
   
2. Bring a friend who has some mechanical knowledge of a car
   
3. Take the car to a car repair shop BEFORE you buy!

1. Here is a basic checklist guide to follow when purchasing a used car.
   
   Tires
   Run your finger across the outer edge and inner edge of the tire. If your fingered is poked or the rubber is really smooth, then the tire will have to be replaced. Remember this as this will prove useful later during negotiations. When looking at the tire if you see deep horizontal wrinkles as in the picture that means the rubber is splitting meaning a new tire is needed.
   
   Breaks
   Get down on the ground and look directly behind the wheel in the center. You are looking for dripping brake or seal fluid. Rust in this area will be a good indicator the car leaks either of those fluids. Look at the Master Cylinder in the engine to see if it is rusted as well, which probably means it leaks brake fluid also.
   
   
   Clutch
   "On a manual-shift vehicle, accelerate hard in a higher gear (third or fourth) or while going uphill. If engine rpms rise without a corresponding increase in vehicle speed, the clutch could be slipping. It may need to be adjusted or replaced."
   "On a manual-shift vehicle, try shifting to a lower gear when going slowly. Does the transmission shift easily, without grinding?"
   
   The clutch wizard has 3 basic types of problems easily detected for clutches
   
   
2. All of the checks above plus more can easily be done when you bring a friend who has worked on cars.
   
   
3. Take the used car to a shop and have them do an inspection of it. Midas typically charges $20 for a brake inspection. A $20 brake inspection could save you a $500 brake repair job. Typically a shop charges $100/hr for any repairs with most repairs taking more than a hour. Obviously do not take every car you look at to the shop. When you have narrowed down your selection and you are serious about buying, take it to the shop is a MUST!
   
   As an example, they will be able to take the tires off and check the brake rotors. Most people when they buy a used car do not take the tires off.
   
   East coast states have a state inspection sticker, which does not mean much. You should still have the vehicle taken to the shop for a brake inspection b/c a state inspection will only check to see the car stops when the brake pedal is pressed (not a great check of the breaks). Also, beware of buying cars on the east coast b/c they salt their roads, which will cause vehicles to rust faster.

Negotiating Price
If you follow any of the 3 pts I listed above, it will put you at an advantage. You should list off all major problems and roughly the total cost. Then, ask for a lower price. Most people just ask for the lower price. By listing the flaws, you strengthen your position for why the car should be a little cheaper and make you a little richer. Good luck everyone!

Fake Shopping

Radar gives you the scoop on purchasing counterfeit goods Everything from Ferarri's to Vera Wang products.

"At around $27,000, the F355 Spyder replica is considered the best on the market. Knockoffs of the Spyder often boast a full leather interior, quality stereo, high-powered substitute engine, and the prancing Ferrari logo on the steering wheel. And, hey, it's that Ferrari logo that really counts."

Louis Vuitton - Rent a Purse

BusinessWeek's review of Bag Borrow or Steal.

"A Seattle startup wants to be the Netflix for ladies’ luxury goods from Tiffany’s jewelry to Chanel handbags. You pay a monthly fee, about $20, $50 or $100, and get to “rent” handbags or jewelry and keep them as long as you like. When you’re sick of an item, you mail it back and get a new one."

This is a company catering to a high-end market. Here is the price to borrow a Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas Papillon Handbag,


Member Preferred Price: $202.00/week or $595.00/month

Non-Member Guest Price: $208.00/week or $619.00/month

There are three options for enjoying the benefits of Bag Borrow or Steal membership.

1. 1 MONTH for $9.95
2. Save 33%! 3 MONTHS for $19.95 (Only $6.65 per month)
3. Save 50%! 1 YEAR for $59.95. (Only $5 a month)
   

Do not forget about shipping. Shipping will cost $9.95 round trip.

Aside from the price, the program has many benefits:

1. Choose from thousands of designer accessories for one low monthly price.
2. Carry the same item featured in this month's fashion magazines, or worn by your favorite celebrity.
3. Keep an item as long as you want. When it's time for something new, simply return one item and borrow another.
4. Shop for the season's hottest new accessories from the comfort of your home without travel to big cities or trendy boutiques.
5. Save money by resisting the urge to accumulate a closet full of items that cost a fortune - but are quickly outdated.
   

There are two great reason behind their business model. First, retail stores have difficulty with customers who buy an item and then return it the next week after using it. This company has basically turned the "sneaky" consumer behavior already present into a business, how great is that!?

The biggest concept to catch my attention was the concierge service offered with a fashion consultant. The explosion in growth in this market was featured in The Middle Class Millionaire.

MCAT Score 30 plus

A heart surgeon gave me advice before I started studying for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). His advice was not an elaborate 30 day all night study session with red bull


The advice was to practice and read what you DO NOT know. The biggest mistake someone can make is thinking they have to read their textbooks again in order to do well. You need to take practice questions and exams with and without time limits.

How do you practice? There is alot of bogus material out there. Let me explain. They are marketed as review books with questions at the back. I went through many of these books. The problem with these type of books are the questions are designed from the review material. You can usually guess the right answer b/c the question will mimic some point in the review material. Well, the actual exam will be broad and they will present detailed material only to ask basic principles.

The bottom line is you need questions almost exactly like the real questions asked. The following are my recommendations for each section of the MCAT, which have questions almost exactly like the MCAT.

1. 
   
   
   Examkrackers 1001 Questions in MCAT Biology - There is no better preparation for the BIO section than this book. When you are asked a question on endocrinology and you do not know the answer, go to your text book and only read the sections pertaining to endocrinology. There is no need to start reading about the nervous system or basic cell biology, just focus on material pertinent to the question.
   
   
2. Examkrackers 101 Passages in MCAT Verbal Reasoning - Verbal can be a frustrating section especially if your first language is not English. You may feel verbal is one of those sections you are either good or bad at. Unlike the SAT, which tests pure memorization of dictionary definitions of words, the MCAT will all be reading passages. During the real MCAT, you will probably read a scientific article, an art article, a history article, a political article & a pop culture article. Examkrackers presents all these types of articles. This is a big deal b/c some of these articles are so dry you will start to lose focus.
   
   
3. Examkrackers 1001 Questions in MCAT Chemistry (Examkrackers) While this is a decent book, it feels more like a book of homework questions. The best way to go through this book is very quickly. You should pick and choose the questions to answer. It will take too much time to answer every question some of which are trivial.
   
   
   
4. Examkrackers 1001 Questions in MCAT Organic Chemistry,ExamKrackers 1001 Questions in Physics are not worth buying. Unlike the Biology & Verbal books, which are arranged in passages like the real MCAT, these books are individual questions. Once again, if you are going to use the Physics book please chose your questions to work on. It will take too much time to do all the questions especially with all the trivial questions. For Organic Chemistry, I recommend you take the MCAT immediately after O-Chem. If you do not, you are going to have alot of work cut out for you going over S1,S2,E1,E2 & etc reactions.
   

How to live out of a car

The number of foreclosures is rising to all time highs. There may come a time when you will have to consider your living options. I will be your urban Bear Grylls, so lets find a way to live out of your car.

You will need some essential supplies,

1. A quality sleeping bag is an absolute necessity.
   It's a safe bet that on at least one of your adventures, the nighttime temperature will drop unexpectedly. That's why it's smart to buy a bag that's rated for the lowest possible temperature you expect to face on your trips. For summer trips, a bag rated at +35 degrees or higher will likely do the trick. If you like to camp in higher elevations in the summer, or if spring and fall outings are in your future, consider bags rated from +10 to +35.
   
   
   
2. Gym Membership
   This will be a facility you can take showers at and maintain personal hygiene as well as keep in shape. Most gyms will offer annual contracts costing $40/month.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. A Nalgene water bottle will be another essential item to keep you hydrated.
   

Vehicle

The ideal vehicle would have enough space for you to lay completely down. A vehicle with tinted windows or a van will prevent people from seeing you. You will have at least ONE jerk tap on your glass window if they can see you.


Places to not Park

1. You should not park in commercial areas. Do not park in parking lots & behind buildings. Cops will patrol commercial offices to prevent theft & some will occasionally park in commercial areas to spot suspicious behavior.
2. Do not stay in parks. Most cities by law do not allow over night parking. Cops will occasionally check these lots to find suspicious behavior.
3. Do not park within 1 mile of a main street. Cops will constantly patrol main streets and the perimeters surrounding them.
4. Do not park at rest stops because they have a patrol guard plus cops pull in every few hours. These rest stops have a restriction on the number of hours you can stay, usually less than 5 hours.
   

Places to Park

1. Park in residential areas but not directly in front of someone's home. Most people will get suspicious of you constantly parking your car in a certain area, you will have to park in multiple residential areas in a single night. An exception is to not park near apartment complexes. There are too many people out late at night and generally the safety will be low.

University at Buffalo State University of New York School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences - Admission Interview MD Program

Buffalo knows they are not the big dog of the medical school world. Sorry, but it's true. I arrived at the school the night before my interview. As I was walking around inside the school, I found a posting on a door. It was the name of every interviewee and the academic institution they attended. Over half the students were from Columbia.

Buffalo is facing two problems,
1. Since they are a state school, they are going to interview people who have a close connection to the school. They interview students who attend NY institutions, some of whom are residents of another state, who will most likely attend their state institution.

2. Buffalo is the guy who takes his sister's friend to the prom so he has a date. The students who attend Buffalo are some of the brightest; however, they have a perception problem. NY kids hope to go to Columbia, Albert Einstein, NYU School of Medicine, Cornell & etc. Isn't it great the number of medical schools NY has compared to the rest of the USA?

There are two important tasks when you interview. First, they will give you a pep talk followed by lunch except during your lunch they will hand out an essay. If you read SDN, you'll read people saying it's not a big deal. Well, I do not buy it!


Some medical schools have applicants interviewed by two interviewers. One simply fills out the form grading you on your interview. The second ACTUALLY reports to the committee. You can always spot who reports to the committee by the pointed questions they ask. The one who does not report is usually relaxed while the one who does report has an agenda. If you had to attend an art history class and you had to teach the class the next day based off what you learned, would you act different? would you have an agenda? Yes, its obvious in the behavior. My interviewer who reported to the committee immediately started asking me questions about my essay topic by playing devils advocate.


Second, you will need to be prepared for the TWO types. The first type, usually the one who reports to the committee, will diligently ask questions about your background and experiences. For example, if you volunteered in Mexico would you treat a Hispanic in the ER if he/she had no insurance. What is the right answer? You need to realize two aspects: Medicine + Business. You should treat the patient since your the sweet loving doctor, but you also realize the hospital will collapse when too many patients are like this.

The second type of interviewer has no f*** clue what they are doing. This individual will start reading standard questions off a list. They do this b/c they have not read your file diligently. This leads to questions such as,
1. Tell me when you did something unethical
2. Tell me your best and worst 3 traits
3. Tell me when you led a team and failed? How did it turn out?

If the interviewer is nervous and new, then fine read the questions. However, when its due to poor preparation then get the bloody hell out of the room. A few standard questions is fine, but I had an interviewer ask over 15 standard questions. The conversation was about as stimulating as my conservations through the drive through at McDonald's.

ME(interviewer): Tell me the hamburger you are most proud of?
CASHIER: The Big Mac b/c my father would buy me one after baseball practice

ME: writing response while never looking up
CASHIER: Is this person interested in this?

ME: Tell me the hardest decision you have had to make
CASHIER: (Internal dialog: Thanks for showing zero interest in my last response. I'm 22years old, not much has happened) I've had to fire Jose, an employee, b/c they were a no-show twice.

ME: How did that turn out?
CASHIER: Bad. Actually, he thanked me for reducing his income. Then Jose realized his past mistakes and went on to get his MBA.
ME: Writing while never looking up... Tell me when you had to.....

America's Best Dance Crew

Spoiler ahead........

For those of you who watch America's Best Dance Crew, how great was it for Fanny Pak to go home! Now do not get me wrong, they can dance. Their style is not hip-hop enough for me. There is a reason why ballroom and tap dancing crews are not purely featured on this show. The show should really be called America's Best Hip-hop Crew. Fanny Pak can not break, lock, pop or tick yet they made it to #3. If anyone says Fanny Pak can break, please watch this. You call that a windmill!? If you can not do power moves (windmill, flares, Halos, etc), then do not!! He could have easily done a knee drop to a six-step then pop up into a freeze. It's clean and simple.

After tearing apart Fanny Pak, why did everyone like them!? I'll tell you why. They represent being different and creative. They tapped into a certain section of the audience craving creativity over flash. They had no outstanding dancing, but they worked hard and were likable. That is something everyone can relate to. They were the average Joe Dance Team that people respected. Now, most of the dancers on this crew should not be dancing. Fanny Pak was great at choreography, but poor at dancing. They should be working behind on the scenes on the MTV's dance videos, but should not be in them. Its very similiar to writers for comedians. The writer comes up with a joke, then a comedian like Seinfeld tells it. The creativity came from the writer, but the performance came from Seinfeld. In my analogy, Fanny Pak are the writers. I'm calling it like it is, if you disagree lets hear it.


While I have much respect for SuperCrew, the format of the show is ruining them. Bboy Benji vs Crumbs is one of the most electrifying bboy battles you can watch. The first 30 seconds bboy Crumbs is doing pure top rock followed by a power move, ending with a freeze. On MTV, these crews have 2.5 minutes to put a routine together, it simply is not enough time for 5 bboys. Lets also talk about being a team player. Traditionally, battles (dancing) is one bboy vs another bboy even when its team vs team. Breaking is more of a individualistic dance than a group dance. This is why SuperCrew was accused of having no choreography. They did a good job on ep. 8 - 80's Theme Challenge; however, when you see 5 dancers each do a flare, it takes away the awww of the move. They should choreograph their locking, popping, tutting and then have one dancer step out and do some floor work (bboying), which is what the Jabbawockeez did.

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Engineering vs Medicine Money

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If you are in college, currently in the workforce, or desire to change career fields, lets analyze Engineering & Medicine. This post will examine the financial costs and profits from choosing either career; however, this post will not examine "satisfaction" for the given profession.

The cost of medical school has been out pacing inflation and is continuing to go up, up and up. If there was an market index-fund tracking medical tuition, I'd buy calls. According to the AMSA,

"With the recent downturn in the economy and the resultant tightening of federal and state budgets, funding for medical education has been compromised, particularly for public schools. This has provoked an array of responses including the rescinding of scholarships, record increases in tuition, as well as the institution of mid-year and retroactive tuition hikes."

"Over the past twenty years, median medical school tuition and fees have increased by 165% in private schools and by 312% in public schools."

Lets do a case study of Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU),

You only know what you can afford until you know what you can sacrifice. The following explores in detail the cost of medical school.

Annual in-state tuition $30,277
Annual living expense~ $15,000 (my approximation)

Cost of Year 1 of Medical School (MS1): $45,277
Cost of Year 2 of Medical School (MS2): $45,277
Cost of Year 3 of Medical School (MS3): $45,277
Cost of Year 4 of Medical School (MS4): $45,277
Total cost : $181,108 (not including compounding interest)

Assuming an applicant will be undertaking financial aid for 2008,
Annual Subsidized Stafford Limit fixed at 6.8%: $8,500
Annual Unsubsidized Stafford Limit fixed at 6.8%: $32,000
Total Stafford Loans: $40,500

The difference in Stafford Loans and Medical Cost per year is $4,777. Lets assume you take out a Grad PLUS loan fixed at 8.5% to cover the differences. At this point, the only loans capitalizing interest are the GRAD PLUS & Unsubsidized Stafford loans.

Upon graduating medical school, the principal of $128K in unsub loans becomes $181,291. The original principal of $19,108 in GRAD PLUS loans turns into $23,529. The total interest accrued is $57,711. The compounding interest was calculated using my money chimp, seriously!

Total cost of Medical School including compound interest: $238,820



Residency

Graduation has finally arrived, so lets go buy a BMW. Wait! How does the salary post-graduation look? Lets say you'll be loving it like my friend porky the pig. I should let you be the judge.

Lets assume you match into a residency spot at OHSU for a higher paying specialty such as General Surgery. Most general surgery programs are 5 years in length, I'm adding PGY-6 for a one year fellowship, though fellowships can be two years in length. The fellowship will turn a General Surgeon into a Vascular Surgeon, or Cardiothoraic Surgeon & etc. The income earned for Post-Graduate education by Year (PGY) is

PGY-1	$45,600
PGY-2	$47,800
PGY-3	$50,000
PGY-4	$52,500
PGY-5	$55,100
PGY-6	$57,800

Does being a resident have perks? Here is one:

"The university provides residents/fellows an opportunity to participate in a limited retirement plan on a voluntary basis, and there is no employer contribution."

One of the benefits of working for an Engineering company is they will provide a match in the 401(k). I used to work as an Engineer and here is how it worked, they match 50% of the first 8% an employee contributes. If you make 100K, then you contribute 8K with the company freely giving you 4K into your retirement portfolio. The company also provided a pension, which was annually 3% of my salary.

Since OHSU does not provide a match, you are better off contributing to a ROTH IRA as opposed to a employer based 401(k) with limited funds to invest in. Anyways, here is the breakdown of the resident's salary assuming no pre-tax deduction for 401(k)

Net annual salary after Federal & State taxes

PGY-1	$31,622
PGY-2	$32,916
PGY-3	$34,189
PGY-4	$35,648
PGY-5	$37,165
PGY-6	$38,741

The monthly payments on the $238,820 with a 10 year repayment period of medical school debt is

Loan	Principal	Monthly Payment	Annual Payment
Stafford	$215,291	$2,478	$29,736
GRAD PLUS	$23,529	$292	$3,504
Total	$238,820	$2,770	$33,240

You can calculate your monthly student loan payments at finaid.

The annual student loan payments are more than the annual net salary of a resident. Hence, most resident go into forBEARance, which capitalizes interest and kicks your ass like a bear. Congress has recently passed into law a bill to restrict forbearance in order to reduce medical debt by stopping capitalization. This is one of the most jaundice bills to be introduced.

The following would be the cost of forbearing medical debt for 6 years

Loan	Starting Principal	Interest	Ending Principal
Stafford	$215,291	$104,196	$319,487
GRAD PLUS	$23,529	$14,858	$38,387
Total	$238,820	$119,054	$357,874

The transition from resident to attending physician brings a multiple increase in salary. The following are starting salaries,

Family Medicine: $158,307
Internal Medicine: $171,365
Hospitalist: $183,557
Emergency Medicine: $231,222
General Surgery: $289,410
Cardiology: $439,801


For a more detailed look of the salary of a Family Medicine doctor, look at Dr. Chan's post


Its going to take years to pay off the student debt. However, you are a militant individual willing to live in an apartment with a roommate driving a beater of a car. Buying a house is a great investment; however, I said live in an apartment because physicians have a tendency to leave their first job after 1-2 years. I'm not advocating a hard rule for an apartment, but crunch the numbers for worst and best case scenarios. Lets assume 20K for living expenses. A family doctor with an annual salary of $158,307 nets ~95K, after federal and state tax, in Oregon.

It will take the Family Doctor 4.8 years to pay $357,874. A General Surgeon with an annual income of $289,410 nets $161,450, after federal and state taxes, taking 2.5 years to pay back the same debt. Now I could be wrong, so you tell me how long it took you to pay back your medical debt and your situation.

After 10 year of medical training and $357,874 of debt, one may want to pursue a career with a sooner payout. Maybe being an Engineering, a lawyer or MBA student is better financially.

As an Engineer we were assigned a rank from 1 to 7. A rank of 1 is entry level and a rank of 7 is VP. It takes many years to get promoted up levels. Here is the number of years required with only a BS degree,

Salary	Level	Years Experience
50-84K	1	1
61-101K	2	2
76-127K	3	5
98-164K	4	9
123-205K	5	14
139-233K	6	20

For a master degree subtract one year and for a PhD subtract 3 years.

Assuming an Engineer works in Oregon as the scenario as the physician, the following is a breakdown of earnings. We will also assume 15K living expenses. The net salary is after a 8% deduction to a 401(k) in order to capture the 4% match by the company and after federal & state taxes and living expenses.

Year	Level	Salary	Net Salary	401(k)
1	1	$60,000	$25,000	$7,200
2	2	$69,000	$27,055	$15,840
3	2	$72,450	$28,907	$25,326
4	2	$76,073	$30,851	$35,721
5	2	$79,876	$32,893	$47,092
6	3	$91,857	$39,181	$60,469
7	3	$96,450	$41,520	$75,067
8	3	$101,272	$43,976	$90,973
9	3	$106,336	$46,555	$108,282
10	4	$118,033	$52,511	$127,860
11	4	$123,934	$55,516	$149,125
12	4	$130,131	$58,673	$172,197
13	4	$136,637	$61,985	$197,203

The cumulative net salary after 13 years is $544,623. The salary was calculated using generic formulas employed at my company. A standard increase of 5% is given for a high performer and 3% for a poor performer. The above table assumed 5% for all years. A promotion of 10% is given for levels 1-3 and 5.99% for level 4 on top of the standard increase. The 401(k) assumes a contribution of 8% with a 4% matching at a growth rate of 5%.

A General Surgeon by the end of 13 years, 10 years training plus 2.5 years repayment of debt, will have a net worth of zero while an Engineer will have a net worth of $544,623 with $197,203 in a 401(k).


Conclusion

If you are going to become a primary care physician (PCP), then becoming an Engineer will surpass or equal a PCP. The higher paying specialties with an annual salary of $300K and up will surpass an Engineer in the long run. This post has assumed frugality to reach these high yielding numbers. Additionally, capital gains and investments were not factored into this analysis. Investments outside one's own career is dependent upon a person's own business acumen and motivation, which is beyond the scope of this post. Another assumption of this post was the status of employment, which was assumed to be an employee. Business changes everything including tax structure, risk and reward. Business is the downfall and upside to medicine and Engineering, which will be the topic of the next post.