Blog Archives

Happiness: Be All That You Can Be

Medical school and residency training usually decrease one’s happiness for several reasons. Happiness researchers have demonstrated that a feeling of control and the amount of spare time one has both correlate with happiness. Both of those factors are limited during med school and residency. Relationships are also correlated with happiness, and those can be squashed during medical training as well.

I’m not trying to be a downer here! I want to encourage applicants to consider this happiness quotient when selecting an institution and training program. If you are able, maximizing your contentment by choosing an institution that fosters your greatest happiness is key. Geography; proximity to family, friends and community; and a location that provides an opportunity to enjoy hobbies during limited free time is significant.

Excellent training is important, but, in the end, many programs turn out equally qualified clinicians. At least consider your well-being as a factor in selecting where you might be for the next three plus years of your life.

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Acceptances

It’s early in the season, but some of my clients have already been accepted to

UCSD
University of Chicago
Vanderbilt
Case Western
USC (Keck)
Mayo
UCI
Rosalind Franklin and
Wake Forest!

Most medical school applicants are still early in the interview process. Consider hiring me for mock interviews to improve your chances of success.

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Facebook and Twitter

I have re-launched my social media networks to better share relevant information with applicants. Please stay connected with me on Facebook and Twitter!

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New “Getting Into Residency” CD-ROM Available

Dr. Michelle Finkel, a former Harvard Medical School faculty member, draws on years of admissions experience to lay out concrete steps you can take to distinguish yourself as a candidate for competitive residency programs. Supporting her assertions with hard statistics, Dr. Finkel’s multimedia CD-ROM offers her unique expertise on topics of immediate relevance such as:

  1. Choosing rotations and extracurricular activities to highlight your commitment to your field
  2. Selecting letter of recommendation writers and improving the content of those letters
  3. Writing a cohesive and compelling personal statement
  4. Avoiding common pitfalls in the ERAS®
  5. Preparing for interview questions and distinguishing yourself from the multitude of strong candidates on interview day
  6. Creating a final Match list
Buy Your Copy Today
Single Copy: Getting Into Residency: An Insider’s Tips – $29.95
(Multimedia CD-ROM includes Audio, Video, Transcript and Printable Slides)


Super Duper Creepy

Here‘s a disturbing article in the Chronicle of Higher Education about a man who writes papers for students. (Even he is troubled by his work.)

I want to point out that I do not generate materials, and I am not a “secret weapon” for my clients. On the contrary, I am thrilled when applicants are forthcoming about my assistance. One of my clients was asked during her interview day if she had obtained professional help with her residency candidacy. When she said yes, the interviewer congratulated her on her initiative.

Contact me now for mock interview assistance. I have only a few slots left in December.

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: