Appendix A
 
AAMC: Association of American Medical Colleges
AMCAS: American Medical College Application Service
GPA: Grade Point Average
GRE: Graduate Record Exam
HMO: Health Maintenance Organization
MCAT: Medical College Admissions Test
M.D.: Doctor of Medicine
MSTP: Medical Scientist Training Program
NIGMS: National Institute of General Medical Sciences
NIH: National Institutes of Health
PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction
Ph.D.: Doctor of Philosophy
P.I.: Principal Investigator

Appendix B
 
Course of Study: Streamlining the Program
 
Years 1-2: Basic Medical Sciences
·        Summer lab rotations before and after Year 1
·        Graduate course requirements during the Years 1-2
·        USMLE Step I
 
Years 3-5 (or more): Graduate School and Thesis Research
·        1-2 Clinical clerkships
·        Remaining graduate courses, seminars, journal clubs
·        Qualifying exam
·        Full-time thesis research
·        Longitudinal clinical experience
 
Years 6-7: Clinical Clerkships
·        Remaining core clerkships
·        Subinternships
·        USMLE Step II
·        Residency applications

Appendix C
 
Useful Web Sites:
 
M.D./Ph.D. Information
 
U.S. Medical School M.D. - Ph.D. Programs
http://www.aamc.org/research/dbr/mdphd/programs.htm
 
Medical Scientist Training Program Institutions (NIGMS)
http://www.nigms.nih.gov/funding/mstp.html
 
AAMC: Careers in Medical Research
http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/research.htm
 
M.D./Ph.D. Directors Association
http://www.aamc.org/research/dbr/mdphd/start.htm
 
The Careers and Professional Activities of Graduates of the NIGMS Medical Scientist Training Program
http://www.nigms.nih.gov/news/reports/mstpstudy/mstpstudy.html
 
UCSF Medical Scientist Training Program
http://www.som.ucsf.edu/som/education/admission/mstp/
 
Literature Searches
 
PubMed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/
 
National Center for Biotechnology Information
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
 
Interviews
 
Interview Feedback.com
http://www.interviewfeedback.com/
 
General Medical School Forums
 
StudentDoctor Network (SDN)
http://www.studentdoctor.net/

The Princeton Review
http://www.review.com/medical/
 
Advice Guide
 
"I WANNA BE LIKE MIKE" Premed Coaching -

Michael Greger's Advice Guide to Med School Applicants
http://premed.edu/belikemike.html