It's Graduation Day!

So many milestones are happening at this time of year:

Congratulations to all of our graduating MSTP students and also to the MSTP friends, classmates, and significant others who may also be celebrating at commencement this weekend!

Good luck to all of our Med2 (now Med3!) students who will be studying for the USMLE Step 1 exam in the coming weeks!

The current keepers of the MSTP Blog will also be making that big switch from grad school back to med school soon, so until we figure out how to work daily updates into being on the wards (or until the blog gets some new keepers), internet updating will be on semi-hiatus starting tomorrow.

It's been quite the adventure so far -- congratulations again, everyone!~


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Good Luck to Our Med2's Today, Taking the PDS4 Exam, Also Known As the Last Exam of Med2 Year!

The PDS exam might feel evil (although likely less evil than 

exams for some of the other blocks you've tackled this year), but

at least we don't make you take them on scantrons, and at least

the answer patterns are extremely unlikely to be as evil as 

those shown above. 

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New KNowledge WedNesday!

This week, we bring you more clarifications to

address a number of common misconceptions about disease. 

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

It's Finals Week for Our Med1's and Med2's

We're cheering you all on, Med1's and Med2's! 

We're also cheering on all of our senior graduate

students scrambling to finish up their thesis work

this month before heading back to Med3 year this summer!

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Career Goals

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The Annual MSTP Picnic Is Happening Today!

We hope to see you out there this afternoon at the 

Westmoreland Park Shelter to celebrate summer, 

the program, and the graduation of our awesome Med4's!

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The Med School Is Always Emailing Us About Wellness and Taking Care of Ourselves, So...

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As the Last Week of Lectures for the Semester (and Subsequent Block Exams) Come Hurtling Towards Us

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Fun Fact Friday

There's quite of bit of German(-American) culture to be enjoyed 

around the state of Wisconsin, but have you ever wondered

why different languages all seem to have such different names for

Germany? Arika Okrent explains how this came to be. 

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

New KNowledge WedNesday!

See how many of these clarifying facts you can 

remember from this video about common

misconceptions about memory. 

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

Sometimes in Science (and Medicine and Life) the Instructions Are Actually Super Important

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Today's Fun Facts Friday Teaches You About The History Behind Yet Another Everyday Object

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

When I Return to Medical School After Finishing My PhD and My Intern/Resident/Supervisor is a Former Med School Classmate

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Reasons to Attend Today's MSTP Seminar

1) The Med4's will be sharing some of their 902 projects with us.

2) Snack on some DELICIOUS PIZZA from Madison's very own Glass Nickel.

3) Come catch up with your MSTP BESTIES. You know you miss seeing everyone after a long week of benchwork/studying/meetings/etc. 

4) It's the LAST SEMINAR OF THE SEMESTER! Which means you probably want to stop by and congratulate our Med4's not just on their 902 projects but for matching so excellently last month (if you haven't already).

Hooray!

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It's Monday, Yet Again.

We hope everyone out there is doing okay. Don't forget to take care of yourselves this week (and every week). Med school and Grad school are stressful, but the end of the academic year is right around the corner!


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Science Science Sunday!

Video brought to you by Youtube.

When I Get All of My Med3 Grid and Location Assignments from the Medical School

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Think You Know All About Exercise? See How Many of These Misconceptions Are News to You

Video brought to you by Youtube.

Presenting My Poster at MSTP Symposium

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Remembering that I Still Need to Create and Print My Poster for Tomorrow's MSTP Symposium

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A History Lesson on the Amazingly Unfortunate Medical Treatments Carried Out During Washington's Final Days

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

How to Ace Your Next Interview

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DISCLAIMER: We here at the Blog of the UW MSTP are not responsible for any interview-related or other consequences of following any advice posted on this blog. We do not represent UW MSTP admissions. We can neither confirm nor deny if events similar to those depicted in the above internet comic have occurred.

Science Science Sunday!

Its Science Science Sunday here at the Blog of the UW MSTP, and today we encourage you to take a seven-minute study break and check out this awesome video in which a group of astronomy enthusiasts constructs a true scale model of our solar system.

When I Attend "Open" Discussions About ~Issues~ on Campus

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True Story, Bro.

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New Knowledge WedNesdays

Light is both a particle and a wave, or something like that. 

We can observe doppler shift from moving light sources as

changes in wavelength, but what happens when gravity 

shows up to complicate things?

Video brought to you by Youtube.

Trying to Prepare for My Block Exam/Prelim/Thesis Defense/Shelf/Boards

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This Chart in Comic Form Brought to You by PhD Comics but Also Sourced from a Published Study

 

Content submitted by Chelsea H.  

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When Considering Whether or Not I Think My Committee Member Will Read My Dissertation

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In Case You Were Low on Science-Related Gif Jokes

Everybody likes a good gif reaction post. We generally try match original commentary to the gifs we post here on the Blog of the UW MSTP, but if the whatshouldwecalluwmstp tag isn't providing you with enough academic and science-y reaction gif goodness for you on this blog, do check out some Confessions of a Bad Chemist, starting with this one submitted by Chelsea H.

Really the Chances that April Fools Will Fall on a Friday are Only About 1/7*

Video brought to you by Youtube.

*There are seven days in the week. The chances of this event on a given day over the course of infinite days is exactly 1/7.

A Dose of Science on this Fine Thursday

It's no secret that the cell phone signal around the HSLC

can be pretty abysmal, but is it worse than in a microwave?

Check out this video by Physics Girl to learn more about

cell phones, microwaves, and Faraday cages.

Video brought to you by Youtube.

Somce Classic Overly Honest Methods

 

Submitted by Chelsea H. 

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Aaaaaaand, We're Back!

 

It's the end of spring break for our M1's and M2's, and

the MSTP blog is also back from it's brief hiatus. 

Updates resume today! Did you miss us? 

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Trying to Defend my Dissertation at the Last Possible Minute before Heading Back to Med School

The Blog of the UW MSTP will be taking a short break for the 

next couple weeks as the people in charge of the blog struggle to 

get things in order to graduate so that we don't end up trying

to defend our dissertations at the actual last possible minute

before heading back to med school. 

Updates will resume once at least one of us has wrapped up the whole

thesis defense process and all that other jazz. 

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Monday Pun Day!

Pro tip for the applicants interviewing with us during today's mini-visit: 

quite a few students associated with the UW MSTP are big fans of 

bad puns (also good puns). Do you know any ridiculous 

puns? How about some Dad Jokes? If so, you might fit right in!

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When the Gunner is Also on Rotation with Me

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Test Your Science Knowledge

Are you a science whiz? Check out the science knowledge quiz here to see how you stack up relative to a large sample of randomly selected U.S. adults.

When the NIH Review Comments Imply that Internal Medicine and Pathology are the Only Appropriate Residencies for MD-PhD's

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New Knowledge WedNesdays?

Always trying to expand the horizons of your knowledge, 

if you're unfamiliar with Zipf's Law, check out this fun

and interesting short video to learn a little more about

the weirdness of our world. 

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

When I Finally Submit the Manuscript Only to Receive Some Extra Harsh Reviewer Comments

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Today the UW MSTP Brings You Another Medically-Related Answer You Might Not Have Learned in Medical School

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

When I Get Asked What Percentage of Interviewing Applicants Are Given Acceptance Offers from the UW MSTP

Fun fact: the vast majority of the students you'll interact with

during our recruitment weekend are NOT on the admissions committee

and therefore have no hard statistics to offer those who ask. 

(However, the number of applicants accepted from each 

recruiting weekend is definitely higher than 10-15%.) 

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Our Last Recruiting Weekend of the Season has Arrived!

February Recruitment Weekend is here! 

We're welcoming 17 bright-eyed applicants to 

spend some time eating cheese with us this weekend. 

Fun activities planned include opportunities to watch a 

UW Hockey Game against Michigan State, 

attending a performance by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, 

and enjoying some tasty eats around town. 

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Interview Strategies

The last recruiting weekend of the season is almost here; 

we're so excited to welcome to new faces to visit

our program, we thought we'd share a pro tip

to help everyone ace their interviews!

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*Disclaimer: The students who run the Blog of the UW MSTP operate independently of the UW MSTP Admissions committee and have absolutely no power whatsoever with regard to UW MSTP admissions. We do not claim that any of these suggestions will be successful and are not responsible for any outcomes, good or bad, that may result from applicants taking our advice during their interviews.

The 2013 Great Science Cake Off

The UW MSTP has its fair share of skilled bakers among our student scientists. For those more practiced in the art of tasty themed treats, check out this post and this article on the 2013 Great Science Cake Off to see some of the entries,

No word on what happened to the cake off in subsequent years, although in 2014 there was a regional science cake competition that you can ready about here.

Submitted by: Chelsea H.

Even Service Animals Adhere to Safety Guidelines about PPE in Lab!

Submitted by Chelsea H. 

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When the PDS Leader Makes Everyone Go Around and Share Something "Relevant"

Speaking of feeling, Happy Valentine's Day from the UW MSTP!

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When Friends Ask About My Valentine's Day Plans

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It's Important to Set Realistic, Attainable Goals when In Medical and Graduate School

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New Knowledge WedNesday?

Everyone vaguely knows about the Rosetta Stone, but how much do

we really know about it? 

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

When the PI Walks Past My Cubicle/Bench

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Perhaps Some Inspiration for Those Who Have to Change their UW or VA Password YET AGAIN.

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

It's Superbowl Sunday Today! (Or so we're told.)

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It's Saturday!

A day for sleeping in and broadening your academic horizons. For those of you who may not have taken a math course in a while, check out this great vintage instructional math review, titled Look Around You, that demonstrates just how pervasive math is in our everyday lives.

When PDS is Scheduled Right Before Lunch and the Speaker Runs Long

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Positive Thinking Thursday: Undeterred Taco

Sometimes you just have to pick yourself up and keep going!

Submitted by Chelsea H.

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When I Get Out of Mandatory Small Group and then Have to Go Study

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Yes, We Missed a Post Yesterday. Clearly We Would Be in Among the Procrastinator in this Comic.

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Trying to Diplomatically Describe a Nearly Insufferable Labmate or Classmate

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Today's UW MSTP Blog Offering, Preparing You for Yet Another Question Patients Might Ask that Med School May Not Have Taught Us the Answer To

Video brought to you by Youtube. 

Going Over my IDP with the MSTP Program Director at Our Yearly One-on-One Meeting

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