How Much Does a Gastroenterologist Make?

What does a gastroenterologist do?
A gastroenterologist deals with the body’s digestive system, which includes anything from the mouth to the anus. It can involve any organ that deals with digestion such as the pancreas, the duodenum, the stomach (obviously), the colon, the small intestines, etc. Those who have colon cancer or ulcers go to a gastroenterologist. Gastroenterologists also deals with prevention of cancers by removing polyps from the digestive tract. Polyps are pre-malignant which can lead to cancers so, gastroenterologists remove those polyps. Gastroenterologists also deals with liver diseases but that deals with a hepatologist, which is a subspecialty of gastroenterology.

How much does a gastroenterologist make?
The US national average recorded shows that the lowest salary recorded is $210,599, and the highest salary recorded is a whopping $514,033; the median salary $323,417.

How to be a gastroenterologist?
First, one has to complete 4 years of medical school (duh), then three years of internal medicine residency. Then 2-4 years of gastroenterology specialty fellowships. For concentrating to a particular organ, such as the liver, they can go into subspecialty for further training.  Keep in mind the longer the training the more money one can earn.

Source: Salary.com

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How Much Does an Endocrinologist Make

What does an endocrinologist do?
Endocrinologists diagnose, treat, and manage diseases that affect the glands of the body.  Diseases that manifest abnormal hormonal levels such as in diabetes, hyperparathyroidism, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia to name a few.  They counsel patients in following a healthy lifestyle to manage their endocrine illness.  You could also say they are sex doctors in a way since they do deal with managing sex hormones.

How to become an endocrinologist?
Well going to medical school is the obvious part.  After 4 years of medical school, one must complete 3 years of internal medicine residency and specialize in endocrinology afterwards.  Specializing in endocrinology after internal medicine residency requires 2-3 years of fellowship.

How much does an endocrinologist make?
According to the survey published by American Medical Group Association, as of 2009 the starting salary for an endocrinologist is $175,000 and the median salary for an endocrinologist is $212,281.  So if you break it down by month, the Physician would get $17,690 with the median salary, now that’s not bad, especially in this economy.  As of 2009, the highest paid salary for endocrinology is $226,054 and the lowest is $202,820, which is on the East Coast of US.  Keep in mind these salary figures are before the deduction of income tax, government overhead fees, and malpractice insurance.

A career as an endocrinologist is an ideal choice for those who have a strong desire to serve patients and have good bedside manner.  Endocrinologists must have good communication skills as they must counsel their patients and be able to interact with other medical personnel.

Sources: DegreeFinders, eHow

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Where to Live and Where to Park in Chicago

I got this question via email from someone who looking to settle in Chicago.  I gave a detailed and important answer and it might be helpful to those who have never been to Chicago before.  Don't mind if there are any grammatical errors because I typed it up very quickly. 

so I'm starting to look for a place to live in Chicago. Any good neighborhoods with nice apartments or condominiums that you know of near the Jackson park hospital? 

Thanks

And this is what I replied to him:

Live in apartments near Hyde Park (near President Obama's House) or around the University of Chicago, that's where most students from University of Chicago and medical students live. Also, a warning, avoid living near the hospital, that's dangerous area. Live north of 60th street; do not live south of 60th street.

Another warning is about parking of you're going to bring your car, come around 7:30 AM to get a parking space in the parking lot in front of the hospital. The parking lot is right in front the hospital on the same side facing Stony Island Ave. Do not park in the back parking lot behind the hospital; one secured parking lot is for doctors, where medical students cannot park, and the other parking lot, across the street, is insecure but whoever parks there gets their car window broken into. In the insecured parking lot, people who have cars with an out-of-state (not Illinois) license plate are targeted.

Also, if you're going to take public transportation, do not carry a laptop bag. I suggest a book back that has a laptop pouch inside. I recommend a Targus book bag with a laptop pouch from Amazon; it's the same type that I got and it's cheap. Carrying a laptop bag in front of the bus stop is asking to get mugged at knife point. I'm telling you this because one student got mugged at knife point last year at broad daylight; however this didn't happen in front of the hospital because there are police around the hospital. The bus stop closest to the hospital is 10 minute walk away.

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Analysis of Different Caribbean Medical Schools

One of my friends is considering to go to a Caribbean medical school.  He is a business major with concentration in finance so he loves to analyze numbers in different applications.  He sent me this last night to compare and contrast the different accredited Caribbean medical schools that is worth looking into.  When I looked at the chart I knew he is thinking long and hard of the long term costs and benefits. He went to each school's website and looked into which school is approved in which states.  I thought this is an interesting find and it would very useful for prospective medical students who are considering going to a Caribbean medical school; Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara is actually not located in the Caribbean, it's located in Mexico.

The chart involves the factors the differentiates one school from another including:

1. FAFSA eligibility and school code
2. OSAP (Ontario Assistance Student Program)
3. Establishment dates for each school
4. Approval for the states of NY, CA, TX, and FL.
5. MCAT requirements
6. Basic Science cost, as of January 2012
7. Clinical Science cost, as of January 2012
8. The foreign country/island each school is located at
9. And finally the estimated total cost, minus the junk fees, for each school

In the following school list, I put a * next to the so called "big four" medical schools which medical students talk about on forums.  The big four Caribbean medical schools are supposed to be approved in all 50 states, but according to the chart Saba is not.

American University of Antigua
American University of the Caribbean*
Atlantic University School of Medicine
Medical University of the Americas
Ross University School of Medicine*
Saba School of Medicine*
Spartan Health Sciences University School of Medicine
St. George's University*
St. James School of Medicine Bonaire
St. Matthews School of Medicine
Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara School of Medicine Mexico
University of Health Sciences Antigua
University of Medicine and Health Sciences St. Kitts (UMHS)
Windsor School of Medicine
Xavier School of Medicine Aruba

(Click on the chart to enlarge)

Obviously it took him a while to do this, he has the time that I don't so I give him, Sean, the credit. Also if you liked this post and find it helpful then please Google+ it and Tweet it, thanks.

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AICM USMLE Step 1 Lecture Topics

First of all, Happy New Year people.  It's been a crazy past year for me as the Bonaire to USA transition; on top of that with only three week break after finishing Bonaire I started AICM right away in January 2011 and finished it in April 2011.

I know AICM is on the minds of MD3 and MD4 and so I'm trying to gather a lot of information about it and luckily I stumbled on information about it.  As you scrolled down you will see the topics in detail on what to expect when you attend the USMLE Step 1 lectures in AICM in Chicago.  Also, the following may seem overwhelming, but once you go through it once it's not that bad.

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

• Gene expression: DNA structure, replication, and exchange, transcription, translation, including defects.
• Structure and function of proteins
• Metabolic pathways of small molecules and associated diseases
• Biosynthesis and degradation of other macromolecules and associated abnormalities, complex
• Carbohydrates glycoproteins, and proteoglycans

Human development and Genetics

• Embryogenesis: programmed gene expression, tissue differentiation and morphogenesis, homeotic genes, and developmental regulation of gene expression
• Congenital abnormalities: principles, patterns of anomalies, dysmorphogenesis
• Principles of pedigree analysis, including inheritance patterns, occurrence and recurrence risk determination
• Population genetics: hardy-Weinberg law, founder effects, mutation-selection equilibrium genetic mechanisms: chromosomal abnormalities, mendelian inheritance, multifactorial diseases clinical genetics, including genetic testing, prenatal diagnosis, newborn screening, genetic counseling/ethics, gene therapy

 

Behavioral Sciences, Ethics, Statistics

• Progression through the life cycle, including birth through senescence
• Psychologic and social factors influencing patient behavior
• Patient interviewing, consultation, and interactions with the family
• Medical ethics, jurisprudence, and professional behavior
• Quantitative methods
  
  • Fundamental concepts of measurement
  • Fundamental concepts of study design
  • Fundamental concepts of hypothesis testing and statistical inference

Pharmacology

• General principles of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic
• General properties of autacoids, including peptides and analogs, biogenic amines, prostanoids and their inhibitors, and smooth muscle/endothelial autacoids
• General principles of autonomic pharmacology
• General properties of antimicrobials, including mechanisms of action and resistance
• General properties of antineoplastic agents and immunosuppressants, including drug effects on rapidly dividing mammalian cells

Microbiology

• Microbial classification and its basis
• Bacteria and bacterial diseases
• Viruses and viral diseases
• Fungi and fungal infections
• Parasites and parasitic diseases

Immunology

• Production and function of granulocytes, natural killer cells, and macrophages
• Production and function of t lymphocytes, t-lymphocyte receptors
• Production and function of b lymphocytes and plasma cells; immunoglobulin and antibodies.
• Antigenicity and immunogenicity; antigen presentation; cell activation and regulation; tolerance and clonal deletion
• Immunologic mediators: chemistry, function, molecular biology, classic and alternative complement pathways, cytokines, chemokines
• Immunogenetics; mhc structure and function, class i, ii molecules; erythrocyte antigens
• Immunizations: vaccines, protective immunity
• Alterations in immunologic function
• Immunologically mediated disorders
• Immunologic principles underlying diagnostic laboratory tests (e.g., ELISA, complement fixation, RIA, agglutination)

Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Systems

• Normal processes
  
  • Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
  • Organ structure and function
  • Cell/tissue structure and function
  • Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
• Abnormal processes
  
  • Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • Traumatic and mechanical injury
  • Neoplastic disorders
  • Metabolic and regulatory disorders
  •  vascular and endothelial disorders
  • Systemic disorders affecting the hematopoietic and lymphoreticular system (e.g., nutritional deficiencies, systemic lupus erythematosus)
  • Idiopathic disorders
• Principles of therapeutics
  
  • Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the hematopoietic system
  • Other therapeutic modalities

Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems

• Normal processes
  
  • Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes, including neural tube derivatives, cerebral ventricles, neural crest derivatives
  • Organ structure and function
  • Cell/tissue structure and function
  • Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
• Abnormal processes
  
  • Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • Traumatic and mechanical disorders
  • Neoplastic disorders, including primary and metastatic
  • Acquired metabolic and regulatory disorders
  • Vascular disorders
  • Systemic disorders affecting the nervous system
  • Idiopathic disorders affecting the nervous system
  • Congenital disorders, including metabolic
  • Degenerative disorders
  • Paroxysmal disorders
  • Disorders of special senses
  • Psychopathologic disorders, processes and their evaluation
• Principles of therapeutics
  
  • Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the nervous system
  • Other therapeutic modalities (e.g., radiation, CSF shunting, surgery)

Skin and Related Connective Tissue

• Normal processes
  
  • Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
  • Organ structure and function
  • Cell/tissue structure and function, including barrier functions, thermal regulation, eccrine function
  • Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life or ethnicity
  • Skin defense mechanisms and normal flora
• Abnormal processes
  
  • Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • Traumatic and mechanical disorders
  • Neoplastic disorders
  • Metabolic, regulatory, and structural disorders
  • Vascular disorders
  • Systemic disorders affecting the skin

• Principles of therapeutics
  
  • Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the skin and connective tissue, including anti-inflammatory agents emollients, sunscreen, retinoids, antimicrobial agents, cytotoxic and immunologic therapy
  • Other therapeutic modalities

Musculoskeletal System

• Normal processes
  
  • Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
  • Organ structure and function
  • Cell/tissue structure and function
  • Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
• Abnormal processes
  
  • Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • Traumatic and mechanical disorders
  • Neoplastic disorders
  • Metabolic, regulatory, and structural disorders
  • Vascular disorders
  • Systemic disorders affecting the musculoskeletal system (e.g., diabetes mellitus)
  • Idiopathic disorders
  • Degenerative disorders
• Principles of therapeutics
  
  • Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system
  • Other therapeutic modalities (e.g., radiation, surgery, casts, rehabilitation)

Respiratory System

• Normal processes
  
  • embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
  • organ structure and function
  • cell/tissue structure and function, including surfactant formation, alveolar structure
  • repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
  • pulmonary defense mechanisms and normal flora
• Abnormal processes
  
  • infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • traumatic and mechanical disorders
  • neoplastic disorders
  • metabolic, regulatory, and structural disorders
  • vascular and circulatory disorders
  • systemic disorders affecting the respiratory system
• Principles of therapeutics
  
  • mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the respiratory system
  • other therapeutic modalities

Cardiovascular System

• Normal processes
  
  • Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
  • Organ structure and function
  • ell/tissue structure and function
  • Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
• Abnormal processes
  
  • Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • Traumatic and mechanical disorders
  • Neoplastic disorders
  • Metabolic and regulatory disorders
  • vascular disorders
  • Systemic diseases affecting the cardiovascular system
  • Congenital disorders of the heart and central vessels
• Principles of therapeutics
  
  • Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the cardiovascular system
  • Other therapeutic modalities

Gastrointestinal System

• Normal processes
  
  • Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
  • Organ structure and function, including alimentary canal, liver and biliary system, salivary glands and exocrine pancreas, motility, and digestion and absorption
  • Cell/tissue structure and function
  • Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
  • Gastrointestinal defense mechanisms and normal flora
• Abnormal processes
  
  • Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • Traumatic and mechanical disorders
  • Neoplastic disorders, including benign and malignant
  • Metabolic and regulatory disorders
  • Vascular disorders
  • Systemic disorders affecting the gastrointestinal system

• Principles of therapeutics
  
  • Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the gastrointestinal system
  • Other therapeutic modalities (e.g., surgical procedures, stents, feeding tubes)

Renal/Urinary System

• Normal processes
  
  • Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
  • Organ structure and function
  • Cell/tissue structure and function, including renal metabolism and oxygen consumption, hormones produced by or acting on the kidney
  • Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
• Abnormal processes
  
  • Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • Traumatic and mechanical disorders
  • Neoplastic disorders, including primary  and metastases
  • Metabolic and regulatory disorders
  • Vascular disorders
  • Systemic diseases affecting the renal system
• Principles of therapeutics
  
  • Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the renal and urinary system
  •  other therapeutic modalities (e.g., dialysis, renal transplantation)

Reproductive System

• Normal processes
  
  • Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
  • Organ structure and function
  • Cell/tissue structure and function, including hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, sex steroid and gestational hormones
  • Reproductive system defense mechanisms and normal flora
• Abnormal processes
  
  • Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • Traumatic and mechanical disorders
  • Neoplastic disorders
  • Metabolic and regulatory processes
  • Systemic disorders affecting reproductive function
  • Disorders relating to pregnancy, the puerperium, and the postpartum period
• Principles of therapeutics
  
  • Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the reproductive system
  • Other therapeutic modalities affecting the reproductive system (e.g., tampons)

Endocrine System

• Normal processes
  
  • Embryonic development, fetal maturation, and perinatal changes
  • Organ structure and function
  • Cell/tissue structure and function, including hormone synthesis, secretion, action, and metabolism
  • Repair, regeneration, and changes associated with stage of life
• Abnormal processes
  
  • Infectious, inflammatory, and immunologic disorders
  • Traumatic and mechanical disorders
  • Neoplastic disorders
  • Metabolic and regulatory processes
  • Vascular disorders
  • Systemic disorders affecting the endocrine system
  • Idiopathic disorders
• Principles of therapeutics
• Mechanisms of action, use, and adverse effects of drugs for treatment of disorders of the endocrine system

Source: Advancedpreclinical.com

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