The Osteopath Option

The Osteopath Option

Did you know the M.D. is not the only medical degree out there? The D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) degree entitles a physician to all the same rights and opportunities as an M.D. Furthermore, the D.O. education focuses on preventive health care, the role of the musculoskeletal system, and treating the patient as a whole person. Sound interesting? Note that, compared to a list of allopathic (M.D.) schools of the same average U.S. News Primary Care ranking, the top osteopathic (D.O.) schools had 68% more graduates choosing careers in primary care (49.4% vs. 82.9%).

This statistic reinforces the claims of osteopathic institutions that, compared to traditional medical programs, their students receive more personal attention and are more likely to become primary care physicians. Furthermore, osteopathic schools receive 3.5 applicants for each person admitted compared with 2.4 for allopathic schools. This may be due to the fact that osteopathic school admissions are more geared towards identifying other variables besides grades and test scores, a process intended to produce more empathic physicians.

D.O. vs. M.D.

The field of osteopathy was pioneered in 1874 by Andrew Taylor Still, a religious medical doctor who became fed up with traditional medicine. He purported the idea that diseases were curable by manipulating the "deranged, displaced bones, nerves, muscles—removing all obstructions—thereby setting the machinery of life moving." Since then, osteopathy has made significant strides, most of them away from "alternative" methods and towards traditional medical practice. D.O.s these days are very similar to M.D.s. Consider the following:

* Both typically start with a scientific 4-year degree.
* Both undergo a four-year medical program.
* Both complete a residency afterwards (osteopaths can enter traditional residencies).
* Both can specialize, although a lower percentage of osteopaths do.
* Both take state licensing exams.

Read more about the Osteopath Option.



Verbal Strategy

Don't Expect an Entertaining Read

The passages you'll confront on test day probably won't be fun to read. Odds are, they'll be boring.

As a part of the challenge, you must be able to concentrate and glean meaning regardless of the nature of the text. This will involve working through your resistance to dry passages and overcoming any anxiety or frustration. The more control you can muster, the quicker you can move through each passage, through the questions, and to a higher score.

Remember, Verbal Reasoning isn't there to entertain or provide relief from the science sections, but to put you through a mental obstacle course.




MCAT News Update! The MCAT Test Change Resource Center

Have you visited our new MCAT Test Change Resource Center recently? We've updated our site to include the most recent information about the computer-based MCAT, 2007 MCAT test dates, CBT FAQs, and even a fully working sample test in the format of the new 2007 version of the exam! Plus, you can see Kaplan's course schedules for the 2007 MCAT. Visit the MCAT Test Change Resource Center now and take control of the new MCAT.




Pop Science

Laughter and Health

We've long known that the ability to laugh is helpful to those coping with major illness and the stress of life's problems. But researchers are now saying laughter can do a lot more—it can basically bring balance to all the components of the immune system, which helps us fight off diseases.

Laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones. In doing this, laughter provides a safety valve that shuts off the flow of stress hormones and the fight-or-flight compounds that swing into action in our bodies when we experience stress, anger, or hostility. These stress hormones suppress the immune system, increase the number of blood platelets (which can cause obstructions in arteries) and raise blood pressure. When we're laughing, natural killer cells that destroy tumors and viruses increase, as do Gamma-interferon (a disease-fighting protein); T-cells, which are a major part of the immune response; and B-cells, which make disease-destroying antibodies.

Laughter may lead to hiccupping and coughing, which clears the respiratory tract by dislodging mucous plugs. Laughter also increases the concentration of salivary immunoglobulin A, which defends against infectious organisms entering through the respiratory tract.

What may surprise you even more is the fact that researchers estimate that laughing 100 times is equal to 10 minutes on a rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Laughing can be a total body workout! Blood pressure is lowered, and there is an increase in vascular blood flow and in oxygenation of the blood, which further assists healing. Laughter also gives your diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles a workout. That's why you often feel exhausted after a long bout of laughter—you've just had an aerobic workout!

The psychological benefits of humor are quite amazing, according to doctors and nurses who are members of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor. People often store negative emotions, such as anger, sadness, and fear, rather than expressing them. Laughter provides a way for these emotions to be harmlessly released. Laughter is cathartic. That's why some people who are upset or stressed out go to a funny movie or a comedy club, so they can laugh the negative emotions away (these negative emotions, when held inside, can cause biochemical changes that can affect our bodies).

Increasingly, mental health professionals are suggesting "laughter therapy," which teaches people how to laugh—openly—at things that aren't usually funny and to cope in difficult situations by using humor. Following the lead of real-life funny doc Patch Adams (portrayed by Robin Williams in a movie by the same name), doctors and psychiatrists are becoming more aware of the therapeutic benefits of laughter and humor. This is due in part to the growing body of humor and laughter scholarship (500 academics from different disciplines belong to the International Society for Humor Studies). Here are some tips to help you put more laughter in your life:

* Figure out what makes you laugh and do it (or read it or watch it) more often.
* Surround yourself with funny people—be with them every chance you get.
* Develop your own sense of humor. Maybe even take a class to learn how to be a better comic—or at least a better joke-teller at that next party. Be funny every chance you get—as long as it's not at someone else's expense!

Adapted from howstuffworks.com.





School Spotlight
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Website: http://www.wfubmc.edu
U.S. News rank (research): 41
Average GPA: 3.63
Acceptance rate: 4.7%

Average MCAT score
Composite: 10.1
Verbal reasoning: 10.1
Physical sciences: 10.1
Biological: 10.1
Writing: P

2005-2006 Expenses
Tuition: $34,006
Required fees: $0
Room and board: $15,040

Celebrating 100 years in existence, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM) is the centerpiece of Wake Forest University Health Sciences, a $100-million research community that maintains nationally recognized research centers in cancer, human genomics, investigative neuroscience, stroke, women's health, and many other disciplines, including the newly established Maya Angelou Research Center on Minority Health. This stimulating environment provides an ideal situation for the study of medicine, anchored by a renowned medical curriculum and a commitment to endow students with an understanding of the awesome role and responsibility of physicians in society.

WFUSM students study the basic and clinical sciences in a variety of settings including classroom lectures, core clinical clerkships, small-group problem-based learning, laboratory sessions, and more. Acclaimed nationally as a model for medical education reform, the WFUSM curriculum aims to educate students according to seven core goals: 1) proficiency in self-directed learning and lifelong learning skills, 2) appropriate core biomedical science knowledge, 3) clinical skills, 4) problem solving/clinical reasoning skills, 5) interviewing and communication skills, 6) information management skills, and 7) professional attitudes and behavior. Community-based clinical experiences in the first year, as well as a focus on general population health, are hallmarks of the curriculum. Furthermore WFUSM, recognized as one of America's "most-wired" campuses, integrates information technology into its program, and all incoming students are provided with a laptop computer.

WFUSM students have access to a number of cultural and athletic resources in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area. Winston-Salem is located less than an hour from the mountains, has a vibrant science and arts community and is right in the center of ACC basketball and football, as well as world-class golf.
Back to Top



What's New at Kaptest.com

Don't procrastinate—start your MCAT prep today!

Here are 3 good reasons you should start prepping for the MCAT—now!

* Longer prep means more flexibility with testing dates in case you get closed out of your first-choice date or location.
* You'll have ample time to re-test (if necessary) and still make the June application deadlines.
* If you enroll in one of our comprehensive MCAT courses by October 31, 2006, we'll give you MCAT Online Science Review—free!†

The MCAT Online Science Review's effective overviews, intensive practice sessions, and timesaving tips serve as a refresher for the must-know science concepts so you hit the ground running when you start your Kaplan course. Maximize your score with three months of unlimited access, accessible anytime from the convenience of your own computer.

Complete preparation for the computer-based MCAT.
Kaplan can help you score higher on the computer-based MCAT—guaranteed or your money back.** To learn more about our MCAT prep options, including our Classroom Course, Class + 5 Hours, Private Tutoring Program, or Online Course, visit kaptest.com/mcat or call us at 1-800-KAP-TEST. And don't forget: Enroll by October 31, 2006, to get MCAT Online Science Review—free!