My name is Dr. Gerard A. Silvestri. I’m an international expert in lung cancer and interventional pulmonology. I am the President of the American College of Chest Physicians, the George Sr. and Margaret Hillenbrand Professor of Thoracic Oncology, and Vice-Chair of Medicine for faculty development at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. I am a writer and editor of the American College of Chest Physicians lung cancer guidelines; I’ve authored more than 200 scientific articles, book chapters, and editorials; and have had the opportunity to serve on multiple editorial boards of medical journals, including the journal CHEST®. My passion to find new treatments and create guidelines for lung cancer is truly to help inform the public on a disease that takes the lives of many annually and assist in any way I can.
Lung cancer, the second most common cancer in both men and women, is responsible for nearly one in five cancer deaths annually. There are many factors we come across daily that can cause lung cancer, including: air pollution, exposure to radon, aging, history of cancer in other parts of the body, secondhand smoke, and air pollution, and lung cancer can even run in families. While smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer, as it accounts for 80% to 85% of all lung cancer cases, we need to change the viewpoint that lung cancer is something that patients bring onto themselves. There are several factors that play into lung cancer, and many patients who receive this diagnosis are, in fact, nonsmokers.
There are two types of lung cancer: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents 80% to 90% of all lung cancer cases each year, while small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 10% to 20% of cases and tends to grow more quickly than NSCLC. Due to the various types of the disease, there is no one-size-fits-all method to treating lung cancer. Different types of lung cancer often behave differently in the body, and treatment decisions are normally based on the patient, the type of cancer they have, and what is known as the stage of cancer. I’d love to share information about the barriers and the diagnosis and treatments in lung cancer and hope I can leave you with some insight on the disease and future advancements to come.
I will be back at 1 pm ET to answer your questions, ask me anything!
I will not do an AMA nor will I name the med school and I will not reply to any questions here. I just want to clear this very common misconception.
My child referred me to this sub and I'd like to clear the air about "top 20" or "ivy league" colleges somehow give you an advantage specifically for getting into med school. It doesn't...AT ALL. You are just as likely to gain admission going to a "no name" state college provided you take things seriously.
What counts are grades, mcats, your volunteer/research/clinical experience/life experiences, etc, and I would say how well you "nail" the interview.
If you are serious about a career in medicine, then be serious about all the above.
The panel has countless times chosen people for admission who were excellent qualified candidates, who went to state schools over an ivy league/"top 20" because frankly, they brought more to the table than just attending an ivy league/"top 20".
Is there anything wrong with ivy leagues or top 20's? No. If you can afford to go and want that experience then do so. Just don't think it gives you any advantage in the least to getting into med school. If any counselor tells you it does, switch counselors. They're ignorant of how it really works.
So for those of you young adults out there who didn't go to or didn't get admitted to an ivy league/top 20/whatever and think it has somehow decreased or "ruined" your chances going into medicine, it doesn't. Some of you will put unnecessary pressure into getting into one of these schools and be willing to take on huge amounts of loan debt to do so for the sole reason that the "name" of the institution bears any weight on the decision making process. Don't. It doesn't.
PS: If you do attend an ivy league or top 20/prestigious school, please DON'T name drop it during your interview...EVER. We know where you came from and name dropping "While I was at xyz school, I learned....or Attending xyz really helped me to..." Zip it. Name dropping will absolutely not win you any points and may in fact come off wrong and hurt you. In one particular instance, it cost a candidate who came off smug during their interview their admission and we chose someone from a state school who was equally qualified instead.
Don't let the college you attended or trying to get into define you. Let what you do and your choices define you. Be the best that you can be and bring THAT to your interview.
EDIT: While I appreciate the sentiment and am
... keep reading on reddit ➡
