Critique of Med Obsession Blog

November 29th, 2009

Med Obsession is a blog written by a medical student in order to share her experiences in med school and in hospital work. A good example of this post is Postpartum Hemorrhage. In this blog, she shares not only her experiences in the field of medicine, but also her experiences as a student of life. She also talks about her family and friends. There is also a useful section for advice.

Things to like about Med Obsession

One of the things I like about Med Obsession is the theme, which is quite attractive. I also like the layout of the blog. The site is easy to explore because of this design feature. The categories are strategically placed in the upper left part of the layout, where they are easily seen. Another thing that makes this site excellent is its neatness. The sections in the home page are located in places that make the home page look well-organized. The neatness of the blog and the color of the theme are very refreshing to the eyes. Although the blog has wide empty spaces, it does not look bare. The wide expanse even encourages visitors to explore the site further. The entries are good and the style is consistent that I am really convinced that the posts are only written by a single person. The topics didn’t fail to arouse my interest as well.

Things that are not really very impressive about Med Obsession

Overall, I don’t find any serious problem with the blog. I only think that one of the minor issues is that the blog lacks pictures and other images. Since the approach of the blogger is personal, it would be better if she also provides photos related to her experiences. Occasional posting of video clips could also add to the appeal of the site.

Student-teacher ratio is the number of teachers with respect to the number of students in a given academic institution. To ensure the effective conveyance of knowledge from teacher to students, the preferred student-teacher ratio is between 10:1 and 15:1. Here are some examples of medical schools with low student-teacher ratio:

Washington University School of Medicine

An example of a medical school having low student-teacher ratio is Washington University School of Medicine. Only a limited number of students are admitted to this St. Louis, Missouri medical school because the administration wishes to preserve the quality of its graduates. Washington University School of Medicine, by limiting its annual enrollees, is able to provide equal opportunities and quality education to each medical student.

Harvard Medical School

With over 10,000 faculty members to educate its medical students, Harvard Medical School has one of the lowest student-teacher ratios in the country. To preserve the school’s academic excellence, the Harvard faculty sees to it that each medical student is given enough attention and education to become a great medical practitioner. Harvard Medical School, aside from having a low student-teacher ratio, is also the current number one medical school in the country according to many experts.

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Like Washington University and Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine maintains a low student-teacher ratio to ensure the proper education of its students. Johns Hopkins medical school started the “Hopkins Model” of teaching, which is a combination of basic science education and intensive clinical mentoring.

Top medical schools have low student-teacher ratios

Most medical schools with low student-teacher ratios also do well in overall top medical school rankings. Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Washington University School of Medicine all managed to secure top 5 spots in the 2008 list. One of the main reasons for this is that the teachers find it easier to teach in an intimate setting than a crowded room. Learning, after all, is easier when you share a classroom with ten more students than a lecture hall that can accommodate almost a hundred people.

Photo Credit : NCinDC

Just because you received your medical school diploma while wearing a graduation cap and gown, it doesn’t mean that you have to forget about your student loans. Yes, your student loans – the mere reason you were able to make it all the way to graduation. You don’t need to be a hot shot celebrity doctor to pay off your debt, all you need is this set of tips on how to pay off your student loans.

* Calculate your debt

How are you going to pay off your student loan if you are not even sure how much money you owe? To determine your total debt, gather all your student loan notices. If you can’t find them all, you can always ask your school’s financial aid office for a computation. Before you end up paying more than you should, make sure that your debt total is exclusive of any other financial obligations besides the student loan.

* Contact your lender

Upon discovering how much money you owe, contact your lenders and arrange a meeting. Although your lenders were generous enough to pay for your medical education, you have to remember that they expect to be paid. The purpose of your meeting is to ask for a payment term extension, and if possible, an interest rate reduction. Explain your current financial situation and, who knows, maybe they will grant your requests or at least come to an agreement that benefits both you and the lender.

* Consolidate your loans

To save money on interests, you should consider consolidating your loans. Loan consolidation is the process of combining all your existing debts into one loan. This means that instead of managing multiple loans with different interest rates and payment terms, you only have to pay for a single loan with a fixed interest rate and a fixed payment term. Consolidating loans is advisable for fresh graduates like you because it allows you to simultaneously pay off all your debt while saving more money on interest.

* Save your money

After consolidating your loans, you must now start saving money to pay off your debt. Saving money is easy if you have enough discipline to do so. Spend money only on important things such as food, transportation, and bills. Refrain from buying unnecessary items like concert tickets or designer shoes. Always save up for your consolidated student loan so you can be worry-free when the monthly deadline comes.

Photo Credit : VirtualErn