UA professor lends helping hand to medical school hopefuls

Robert H. Becker Arizona Daily Wildcat Dr. Kenneth Iserson, professor of surgery at the College of Medicine, points to a chapter in his newly published book, Get Into Medical School! A Guide for the Perplexed. His book helps clarify details involved in applying to medical school.

Dr. Kenneth Iserson, professor of surgery at the College of Medicine, has written a book to help students get into medical school. He is also an emergency room physician at University Medical Center and director of the Arizona Bioethics Program.

Get Into Medical School! A Guide for the Perplexed was published about three weeks ago. The book addresses the decision of becoming a doctor and transferring between medical schools, among other topics.

Iserson said he decided to write the book because parents of some pre-med students told him they could not find sufficient answers to their questions.

They asked him to write a medical school book that was similar to his book for students looking for a medical residency.

"I didn't really want to write it because there were a lot of books out there," Iserson said. When the parents showed Iserson the other books, he realized that he could write a more complete guide.

Esther Berren, program coordinator in surgery at UMC, has a daughter considering medical school. She said material she read lacked pertinent information and failed to answer her questions.

"We really needed a good resource. Dr. Iserson's book is great," Berren said. "It provides what students and parents need. If parents read it, they become knowledgeable about the process of applying to medical school and become a good support for their ch ildren."

Steven Galper, a third-year medical student, said a student applying to medical school has to be a marathon runner in order to get everything finished and turned in to the right people.

"You've got to be very methodical and do it the way they want," he said. "The process is incredibly time consuming."

Iserson said he wrote his book in five months. It includes charts listing the admission requirements of every medical school in the United States and Canada.

The book contains stories from students and interviewers, examples of typical interview questions and answers, and questions that the applicant should ask.

Iserson said he is excited by the book's publication enjoys hearing from people who have read his books.

"I hear from a lot of people who have decided to attend school at the University of Arizona because of my books," he said.

Iserson wrote Getting Into a Residency: A Guide for Medical Students and Death to Dust: What Happens to Dead Bodies. He also co-authored Ethics in Emergency Medicine. All are published by Galen Press Ltd. of Tucson.