1 week until the Old Pre Med Conference: The line up

Rebecca J. Patchin, MD, (keynote address) Immediate Past Chair, Board of Trustees, AMA Past Chair, Council on Medical Education, AMA Past Co-Chair, Council on Graduate Medical Education, AMA Faculty, Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Kenneth Geller, MD, MEd, FACS (featured speaker) Director, Academic and Advising Program for USC College-Keck School of Medicine Vice Chair, Department of Surgery and Head of the Division of Otolaryngology Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Miriam Bar-on, MD (featured speaker) Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education, University of Nevada School of Medicine

Terri Richardson, MD, MS Consultant Special Projects University Corporation & California State University Chancellor's Office, Health Professions Advisor, California State University, Northridge

Judy Colwell, MA Former Assistant Director of Admissions Stanford University School of Medicine presenting "The Nuts and Bolts of Applying"

Jacqueline DuBose, MD  Department of Family Practice Medical College of Georgia presenting "I’m Not Old, I Have Short Telomeres"

Tara Cook, MD  Department of Neurology, Malcolm Grow Medical Center, USAF, presenting "Choosing a Residency (and other things I wish I had known"

Gina Moses, M Ed Associate Director of Application Services, American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine

Trena Gologan, MBA Admissions Coordinator/Recruiter Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (Georgia campus) presenting "Professionalism and Admissions: a viewpoint from the other side"

Gabriel Lerman, DO, MS  Internal Medicine Resident, Mercy Fitzgerald Medical Center presenting "You've Been Accepted! Congratulations. Now What?"

Richard Levy, MA  Executive Director, National Society for Nontraditional Premedical & Medical Students presenting "Lexicon for the New OldPreMed"

This year's raffle grand prize is an Amazon Kindle New E Ink Pearl Technology Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 3G Works Globally and Marware Eco-Vue Leather Folio Black. Also on the raffle are a pair of consulting hours with our own Judy Colwell, former Ass't Director of Admissions at Standford University School of Medicine, a Kaplan MCAT course scholarship, and some OldPreMeds goodie bags

This year's exhibitors feature our major sponsors
Physician Assisted Student Success (PASS) Program
Georgia Campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM)

Additional Sponsors
University of Guadalajara School of Medicine (UAG-SOM)
Lincoln Memorial University - DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM). 

Other Exhibitors scheduled include:

American Assoc of the Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM)
American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC)
Apprentice Doctor
A.T. Still University (ATSU)
...Kirksville School of Osteopathic Medicine (ATSU-KCOM)
...School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA)
Des Moines University including:
...College of Osteopathic Medicine
...College of Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions (KAPTEST) 
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (
Mid-Western University (MWU) including: 
...Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine (AZCOM)
...Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM)
...Arizona Podiatric Medicine Program (AZPOD)
Oceania University School of Medicine (OMU-Samoa)
The Princeton Review (TPR) 
Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUNCOM-NV)
University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine
Western University Of Health Sciences including:
...Osteopathic College of Medicine of the Pacific (COMP)
...Lebanon Oregon/Northwest Campus (COMP-NW)
...College of Podiatric Medicine (CPM)
MedEdPath - Univ. Queensland Australia & Ochsner Health Systems
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – School of Osteopathic Medicine (UMDNJ-SOM)

Me with Degree in Hand!!!!!!!

Can't Forget the Award I gave my wife. 

It is Done!!!!!!!!

Yesterday, I ended my very long career as a student and started my dream of being a Doctor. I graduated yesterday and would like to thank many people for their support.

1) My wife. Who without her love, her dedication, and her support I would never have been able to do this.
2) My daughters. Who without their love and their support I would have forgotten to live
3) To my Brother, who without his support and love things would have been very difficult
4) To my parents for their guidance, love, support, and unwaivering faith in me.
5) My in-laws, who not only helped me, but more importantly supported my wife and emotional support during these very hard time.
6) To my friends who always supported my dreams.

Thank you all and now, a rest followed by residency.

1 week to go

So here I am, one week before convocation where I officially become a doctor. It has been something. These last 2 weeks, unlike many of my fellow students, I have had to make up my radiology rotation. And since they are very laid back about it, I have been going in the mornings and getting my fill of CT images, MRIs, and flat plates. Once I have seen a bunch I usually go. The radiologists prefer that since they have a lot of work to do, and I ask questions and go over the chest images with them. But I am learning. Also, I am taking it easy since there are no exams or other requirements for this rotation. It gives me something to do in the morning.

This past weekend, I went with my father to get a new car. It was great, not only spending some quality time with my father but also it is a sign that I am finally getting on with my life where it should go. Up until recently, I had a 2000 Chevy tracker that I needed to get a couple of years ago because my car at the time was always going back to the mechanic for breaks. Well, this car just kept leaking like a sieve and it was not very reliable. I was throwing good money after bad in order to get it to stay on the road. Finally I decided to drive it into the ground until I can get a more reliable car. And this happened late last week.

I was able to get a 2009 PT Cruiser with very, very low mileage on it. And with the help of my parents, I was able to finance it. And when I finish fellowship, it will be all mine!!!! It is a sleek black color, which is what I was looking for. It kind of feels like a graduation present, but one that I bought myself and that I have to pay the bank to eventually own outright. Heck, when you are $250,000 in debt when is another few thousand right?

Now that the car headache has been taken care of, I can focus on the loan repayment headache. But, that is nothing that I have not dealt with before.

Well dear readers, till next time.