Blog on being New Farmers

AUGUST 16, 2011, 9:38 PM
New Farmers Find Their Footing

By MARK BITTMAN
Mark Bittman on food and all things related.

Tags:

Eliot Coleman, Maine, sustainable farming

North Haven, Me.

When Brenna Chase was farming in Connecticut a few years back, new farmers weren’t always welcome by oldsters. The pie, she says, just wasn’t big enough. “But now,” she said to me here, where she now farms, “the feeling is that the pie is getting bigger and that the more people that get into this the better it will be for everyone.”

By “this,” she means sustainable farming (here I use the term interchangeably with “organic” because many ethical farmers can’t afford organic certification), and the poised 33-year-old, who began farming in high school, is representative of young people I’ve met all over the country. These are people whose concern for the environment led to a desire to grow — and eat — better food. And although chefs still get more attention, the new farmers deserve recognition for their bold and often creative directions.

Rural Maine, it would seem to almost all of us from “away” as they say down east, is as unlikely a place to find new farmers as exists in the lower 48: it boasts harsh, dark winters; a short, cool growing season; acidic soil; and a transportation “system” that makes shipping both in and out of state a challenge. (Even people have trouble getting out, as I discovered Monday. And Tuesday.)

There’s only a quarter as much land in farming in Maine as there was 100 years ago, but that’s changing. There are more farms today (up around 50 percent since 1992), more acres in farms and more money generated by farming than there were 20 years ago. This is, at least in part, thanks to people like Ms. Chase, who follow in the footsteps (foodsteps?) of one of the granddaddies of can-do, intensive organic farming, Eliot Coleman.

Mr. Coleman runs Four Season Farm in Harborside with his wife, the gardening writer Barbara Damrosch, and has squarely faced nearly every challenge a new farmer can since he started in 1968. Now, the 1.5 acres he cultivates, mostly in vegetables, are not only almost unimaginably lush (Ms. Damrosch’s gorgeous flowers don’t hurt), but they’re so productive that, in his cheerful, wise way, Mr. Coleman almost gloats: “You couldn’t be in a less likely spot than here to do what we’re doing,” he says, “and yet we’ve transformed a poor, wooded area into a place where there’s nothing we can’t grow.” I marvel at his artichokes; he responds: “I grow them just to make the Californians nervous.”

Now 71, Mr. Coleman maintains his long-range view. (He delights in telling the story about unloading a truckload of free clamshells when a county agent came by. “The agent,” says Mr. Coleman, “was incredulous: ‘Those aren’t going to break down for 100 years!’ But I was thinking, ‘I have 100 years of free fertilizer here!’ ”) And he clearly loves the work. (“If work is what you do when you’re not doing what you want,” he quips, “I haven’t worked a day in my life.”)

He sells his output locally for about $125,000 a year; most of that pays for labor. If he scaled up, he reckons, the net income would be greater. This, of course, is the concern of many new farmers: How do you afford to buy land, hire labor and still make a living?

For Mr. Coleman, this isn’t so much of an issue. In some circles he’s a hero for his innovative approaches to fertilizing, greenhouses, tool-making, teaching and more. He’s probably inspired as many farmers as anyone in the Northeast, and his books, especially “The Winter Harvest Handbook,” have taught the art of season-extension to thousands of gardeners, including me. (His place isn’t called Four Season Farm for nothing, and, remember, this isn’t San Diego.) So book sales, speaking engagements and other money-generators for both him and Ms. Damrosch help out with the income. (This isn’t unusual. Most conventional farmers, even those of commodity crops, do nonfarm work to help pay the bills. That’s the current state of farming in America.)

For newcomers, though, this is precisely the issue because, as Ms. Chase says, “If you could make a good living farming, people would go into it and stay in it.”

The simple answer, of course, is to charge more for food. But can an increasing number of sustainable farms find markets for higher-quality, higher-priced produce?

Here, the answers become complicated: “If the cost of food reflected the cost of production,” says Ms. Chase, “that would change everything.” And this is undoubtedly true. But though sustainably produced food is too expensive for some, conventional food doesn’t reflect either the subsidies required to grow it or the huge environmental or health care costs it incurs. Once it does, sustainable food would appear far more competitive.

Then we’d see more farmers growing it, not only in Maine but everywhere else. Which would, indeed, be better for everyone.

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A version of this column appeared in print on Aug. 17, 2011.

Copyright 2011 The New York Times CompanyPrivacy PolicyNYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/new-farmers-find-their-footing/?pagemode=print

Like this style: Good Combination of colors

Another great anchor: Dan Rather

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Rather
http://www.hd.net/programs/danrather/

Too many restrictions equal too many oppositions

Just read that China has a new law that prevents equal split of asset upon a divorce. Meaning the spouse who sacrificed his/her career for the family will get nothing whe the one who had the priviles to getge to work and socialize gets everything. I also read about Dr. Yee the representative from California who imposes a lot of new laws that prevent people from doing thkngs that he deemed were wrong. Instead of focusing on what people cannot do it may be more helpful give more productive outlets on thkngs that people can do.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/04/27/MN199998.DTL

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Asian Americans seen negatively

Results of landmark survey called startling, disheartening

Matthew Yi and Ryan Kim, Chronicle Staff Writers

Friday, April 27, 2001

 

One in four Americans has "strong negative attitudes" toward Chinese Americans, would feel uncomfortable voting for an Asian American for president of the United States, and would disapprove of a family member marrying someone of Asian descent, according to a landmark national survey.
The results of the telephone poll conducted in the first two weeks of March were startling, said Henry Tang, chief executive officer of the Committee of 100, a Chinese American leadership organization that sponsored the survey -- the first of its kind.
"We always knew that there was some negativity out there, but we were startled at the magnitude," he said yesterday in a telephone interview. "These observations are results of many decades . . . of stereotyping inside the American society."
Tang said it is all the more disheartening that the survey of 1,216 Americans was conducted before the recent collision between a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet off Hainan.
"The numbers are probably higher now than when the survey was done," Tang said.
As a result of the standoff over the release of the crew of the U.S. plane, which made an emergency landing in China, talk-show hosts began calling for internment of Chinese Americans and for boycotts of Chinese restaurants.
The poll, conducted by Yankelovich Partners in collaboration with the Anti- Defamation League and the Marttila Communications Group, chiefly studied Americans' attitudes toward Chinese Americans and Asian Americans. The study found that respondents felt virtually the same about Chinese Americans as about Asian Americans in general.

Negative views

The survey found 25 percent of respondents harbor very negative attitudes and stereotypes toward Chinese Americans.
Twenty-three percent of respondents felt uncomfortable supporting an Asian American presidential candidate, compared to 15 percent for an African American, 14 percent for a woman and 11 percent for a Jew.
Twenty-four percent disapprove of intermarriage with an Asian American, second only to African Americans, while 7 percent wouldn't want to work for an Asian American chief executive officer, compared to 4 percent who would not want to work for an African American, 3 percent for a woman and 4 percent for a Jew.
The survey also concluded that 32 percent of Americans feel that Chinese Americans likely would be more loyal to China than to the United States, while 17 percent said they would be upset if a substantial number of Asian Americans moved into their neighborhood.

Conflicting message

On the other hand, the vast majority said they believe Chinese Americans have strong family values and are as honest as other business people.
"Ninety percent said they think Chinese Americans have strong family values,
yet: 'You can't marry my kid.' What is that all about?" said Zenobia Lai, executive director of the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco. " 'You can be creative, hard-working and honest, but you can't be my president.' I can't find any explanation, except that it's a kind of prejudice and racism."
Ted Wang, policy director for Chinese for Affirmative Action in San Francisco, said the survey does not surprise him. It follows other studies conducted by graduate students in recent years.
He said the low opinion of Asian Americans as leaders, in both government and business, is indicative of feelings about the community as a whole.

'Perpetual foreigner'

"There is a perception that we are still not American, that we're the perpetual foreigner," said Wang. "That plays into the distrust of Asian Americans in the context of government and private corporations."
Wang, like Lai, said he is puzzled by the paradoxical perception about Asian Americans.
"We're held out as a model minority in the context of the American whole, but we're seen as something less than desirable and trustworthy than the average American," said Wang.
Saratoga software contractor Larry Wang, 47, said he was saddened to hear the numbers. But he said the survey is a call for Chinese Americans to become even more involved in their local communities.
"I would hope most people would feel we are part of this society. We are not foreigners and strangers," said Larry Wang. "I think we need to make more contributions to society and the community. That way we can change people's attitudes."
Dr. Albert Wang, 42, of Fremont, said Asians don't deserve the rap they're getting.
"Most Asian Americans are law-abiding, contributing members of the community," said Wang. "Maybe we could be more active, but I don't think we're deserving of this."
Both Tang and Lai believe education is key to overcoming negative feelings toward Asian Americans.
Such attitudes don't simply "spring up when people turn 25," Lai said.
School curricula should be improved to help dispel myths about Asian Americans, Tang added.
"Textbooks don't have enough presentation of Asian and Asian American history," he said. "I'm always baffled that in 2001 . . . Asian languages are not offered in more secondary schools."
Lai said perceptions must be changed. "It'll take a lot of work and commitment by both Asian Americans and non-Asian Americans," she said.

---

From Carnegie Mellow

Carnegie Mellon Health Professions Program
Tips for Writing a Personal Statement  Structure Choose a Focus | Create a Frame for Your Focus | Create Strong Transitions Style Grammar | Follow Through | Show, Don't Tell I. Some Words on Structure Structure refers to how you choose to present the information in your personal statement. Good structure will make your piece flow, and enhance the reader's ability to understand what you are trying to get across. Some people can write well without thinking too much about structure. They naturally organize their information to be seamless, transitioning well between points and making their comments relevant to a theme. Most people, however, need to work at it a little more. Here are some very basic tips on how to make sure your personal statement has good structure. Choose a FOCUS What is it? Focus refers to the main point of your statement. Sometimes it is called a theme. Most of what you say in your statement will contribute to supporting your focus. In the very broadest sense, the focus of all medical school personal statements is "Why I Should Be Accepted to Medical School,". However, you need to choose something a little more subtle and personal to make a positive impression. Your focus should entail a value or an observation that has shaped you as a person. Most of the time a focus is an abstract quality: the desire to help others, the importance of individual contribution, the drive to unite science and compassion. How to choose it. Because of the abstract nature of focus, it can seem like a daunting task to choose one for your personal statement. Instead of sitting down and trying to come up with abstraction that you think defines you, it is much easier to come up with a list of experiences that have had an impact on your life. You can then examine the experiences to see what, exactly, about them made them important. This will often yield a good focus. Here are some tips to consider when choosing an experience to evaluate for a focus: It should be unique. It does not have to be life shattering, but you should be able to write about it with conviction, enthusiasm and authority. It should be an experience you feel some passion for. You must be able to support it as a "turning point" in your life. Ask yourself, "How did I change as a result of this experience?" For example, did it give you a new perspective or understanding, did it give you a new direction in life, or help you come to an important realization? Don't limit yourself to thinking of experiences that can translate well into the moral of " . . . and that's why I want to be a doctor." Choose something that you feel is truly representative of you, and something that you feel you can use to transition to other relevant aspects of your life. Otherwise, your statement may come off sounding staged or strained. It should be sustainable throughout your statement. In other words it has to have enough depth and flexibility to carry you through your statement while avoiding repetition. The details of the event should afford you opportunity to talk about related experiences that you want the people who are considering your for an interview to know. Can you give me an example? Perhaps am experience that impacted you was the time you were thrown from your horse and dislocated your hip on the day before an important riding competition. It was a pivotal experience because it was the first time you were a patient with a serious injury, and because it was the biggest disappointment of your life. While in the hospital, your roommate was a woman who had just had both of her legs amputated due to diabetes. One possible focus that could be derived from this experience is how you learned how to put the elements you your life in perspective. This is a lesson that might have helped you in ensuing experiences, and you could outline ways that it could help you during medical school, or as a doctor. There are also many ways to use the experience to talk about other issues involved in becoming a doctor. You could talk about how you felt as a patient, and the things about your treatment that you appreciated. Perhaps your doctors were attentive to your deep disappointment as well as to your injury. You could talk about how you used the time away from riding to develop an interest in sports medicine, or volunteering, or riding instruction, or psychology The possibilities of a well-chosen experience are limitless. As long as the experience was memorable and formed you in some way, it is a good candidate for the production of focus. Create a FRAME for your FOCUS: What is it? When most people think of frames, they think of the structure around a picture, or the structure that holds something up-like a skeleton or building frame. That is a pretty accurate way to think about the frame in writing, too. A frame will give your statement a shape. It will provide a concrete way for you to introduce and talk about your focus. Most of the time, if you've come up with a good experience from which to draw a focus, you can use details of the same experience for your frame. While the focus is often an abstract idea, the frame consists of concrete details-places, people, action It provides a means for anchoring your focus by setting a scene. Many people think of the frame as a story, and in a lot of ways it is. In a personal statement, it usually consists of an anecdote that is introduced at the beginning of your statement and is brought to some sort of closure at the end. Can you give me an example? Keeping with the experience we used to derive a focus, here is an example of how frame might function to open a personal statement: Nothing was more important to me on that warm morning in June than the upcoming competition. I'd been riding horses since I was six, and tomorrow I'd be riding the most difficult jump course of my life. I'd come out early to practice, and although it was sunny, there was still dew in the grass. The first time around the course I heard my horse's hooves click against the top bar of barriers twice. Determined to have a perfect sweep, I sent her into the course a second time without stopping for a breather. My impatience cost me dearly. As my horse gathered herself to clear the third and largest fence of the course, I felt her falter and leaned forward to encourage her. My last minute adjustment didn't help. The barrier caught her at the knees and we crashed down together. Of course, you don't want to use up too much of your limited space just setting a scene. Make sure your frame serves multiple purposes: It introduces the occasion of the focus It introduces you It is creative enough to spark interest in the rest of your statement By framing the statement with an anecdote, you provide your audience with immediate access to some aspect of your past, your character, and your personality. Also, you give them incentive to read on to find our what happens next. Make sure you return, even if it is only in a cursory way, to the frame at the end of the statement. Often, this is a good opportunity to summarize the important points of your statement and tie them together into a concluding observation. What is a concluding observation?  The concluding observation is a restatement of your focus, but in a way that shows how it has evolved over time from a lesson that you learned as a result of a specific event into a bit of wisdom that you've found useful to apply to other situations in your life--and that will continue to serve you in medical school and as a doctor. Here is how the frame and concluding observation might function at the end of a statement: I'm sometimes a bit ashamed when I think that I had to dislocate my hip in order to learn that my approach to life was limiting my horizons. The first day that I returned to the saddle I was too sore to do more than ride very slowly through the fields near the stables. I remember that it was be best ride of my life, and to this day I only ride my horse for pleasure, not competition. To be honest, it's because I haven't had the time! My accident forced me away from a consuming passion and gave me the opportunity to discover other treasures in my life, treasures that to this day I find more rewarding than competitive riding. The foremost of those pleasures has been working at the summer camps for children who have lost arms and legs to amputation. I want to continue to broaden myself in medical school and beyond so that I might encounter yet more treasures along the path to becoming a pediatric surgeon. Create Strong TRANSITIONS Transitions refer to the language you use to move from one idea to the next. Most of the time transitions are accompanied by a paragraph break. You should never assume, however, that a paragraph break is enough of an indication that you are leaving one idea behind and moving on to another. One way to check for clear transitions is to make sure the first sentence of every paragraph is somehow related to the last sentence in the previous paragraph. Even when you need to shift gears pretty drastically, you should find a way to create a "bridge" between your ideas. If you have chosen a strong focus and frame, your transitions will come much easier. This is because you can use your frame and focus as a sort of hub that is the origin of each new idea that you choose to explore in your statement. In addition to making sure that you transition well between your ideas, you should also make sure that your ideas are presented in a logical order that your reader can identify and follow. Many students choose to use chronological order. You might choose to order things from most to least important, or use categorize your ideas (e.g. academics, volunteer experience, work experience, etc.) Whatever order you choose, be faithful to it II. Some Words on Style Style refers to how you choose to use words to say what you have to say. There are a lot of different styles, and many of them are acceptable for a personal statement. However, you don't want to compromise on several points: Grammar Make sure that your syntax is correct. Not only must you be fastidious about basics such as spelling and subject verb agreement, you should pay careful attention to your form. Make sure that you don't have sentence fragments or run on sentences. Use punctuation correctly. Always have someone proofread your statement, and if grammar is not your thing, have someone who is good at grammar check your statement for errors. Follow Through and Flesh Out If you bring raise issues, be prepared to follow through on them and offer explanation or background. A common mistake is to make a statement and then assume that the reader will be able to place it as relevant. You must be explicit, and make sure that you round out the issues you raise with supporting details. For example, if you introduce the fact that you are a single mother, you must make sure that it is relevant to your focus, and you should offer details about how it is relevant. If you say that your desire to become a doctor started after your trip to Mexico, you need to tell why this is so. If you say, "I didn't think I'd ever make it at a college like Carnegie Mellon," give the reasons that you felt this way. Sometimes writers rely too much on meaning that they believe to be implicit and leave the reader with questions. Remember, the person reading your essay knows very little about you, your life experiences, your character, or your personality. Be clear. Show, Don't Tell This is the most valuable--and most cited--piece of advice given to writers. Writing that is preachy or full of generalities sheds little light onto the character of the writer and, worse, is boring. You can be perfectly technically correct in your prose, but if you're just telling and not showing, you are not communicating. Here is an example of writing that tells a lot, but really doesn't say much: The medical profession combines knowledge and wisdom from just about every aspect of life which is directed towards helping humanity. A physician is not just part of the heath care team but the leader of the health care team. He is free to practice broadly or to acquire a specialty of his own choosing. Thus medicine offers the challenges and fulfillment that I am seeking in a career. These statements profess truths that might be indisputable, but they are also full of platitudes and common knowledge and offer the reader no real information. This sort of general language of telling should be avoided at all costs. Often when writing personal statements, students fall into the habit of telling and not showing in an effort to squeeze in all their accomplishments, resume-style. They resort to lists: My desire to work with people is demonstrated by my many interactions as a volunteer. In 1997 I aided elderly and blind residents at the Homewood Retirement Community read their mail and write letters. The following summer, I served food at the local homeless shelter. As secretary of my high school chapter of SADD, I arranged for speakers at several community and school fundraisers. In addition to my volunteer activities, I've held a job since I was twelve. I worked on my uncles farm until I started ninth grade, at which time I was able to get a position as dish washer at a family restaurant. When I got my driver's license, I took a cashier's job at the gift store at Mercy Hospital in Altoona. Although these accomplishments might be important to an application to medical school, they shouldn't appear list-like in a personal statement. The reader doesn't get a sense for why you did these things, or how you felt about them, or what you learned. Here are some ways that you can be sure to show and not tell: Use sensory details to help set scenes. Note what the sky looks like, what color a child's dress is, how the food smells. Make sure your reader is right there with you. Share your personal emotions and indicate how your surroundings affected you. This will give the reader a better idea of your individualism and make experiences that are common seem unique. Be anecdotal and use examples to illustrate your observations. Write with the intention of communicating something original. Don't just put down what you think the reader wants to hear. Avoid general commentary. http://www.cmu.edu/hpp/achieve/pstips.html

Movie to watch

wong ka wai's My Blueberry Nights

NRMP Fees ($50) Reg 9/1-10/31

https://services.nrmp.org/r3/home/login/login.cfm

Registering with the NRMP

U.S. Seniors
In order for a senior in a U.S. allopathic medical school to participate in the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) as a U.S. senior, the following requirements must be met:

• the applicant attends a U.S. medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
• and the applicant has been determined by the dean of student affairs to be on schedule for graduation in the year of the Match and to be eligible to enter graduate medical on July 1, in the year of the Match.

To register for the Match, select the navigation button "Register/Login" from this page or from the NRMP home page. The NRMP Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) System uses the AAMC ID and a password as the unique identifier of each participant. If you do not already have one, you will be assigned an AAMC ID as part of the registration process and you will select your own password needed for future access to the R3 System. Keep this information in a secure place to prevent any breach of security to your rank order list.
Before registering for the Match, students are asked to carefully review the Match Participation Agreement.
When you register for the Match you enter into a contractual agreement with the NRMP and all the programs that you include on your rank order lists.

Registration Fee

Payment of the $50.00 registration fee for U.S. seniors must be made at the time of registration for the 2011 Main Residency Match. Applicants who complete their registrations after November 30th must pay an additional $50 late registration fee. All registration fees are non-refundable.
By electing to pay by credit card or electronic banking, the applicant authorizes the NRMP to supply the applicant's bank with information it requires about your NRMP Agreement to resolve any inquiries concerning related charges.
Registration entitles the applicant to the following NRMP services:

• Access to the NRMP R3 site;
• Processing of up to 20 different program ranks on the primary rank order list at no additional cost (for each additional program over 20, the fee is $30 per program);
• Processing of up to 20 different program ranks on supplemental rank order lists at no additional charge, regardless of the number of supplemental rank order lists having combinations of those programs (for each additional program over 20, the fee is $30 per program);
• Each partner of a couple may rank up to 30 different programs on the primary rank order list and up to 30 programs on all supplemental lists combined at no additional charge. Each partner of a couple also must pay an additional $15 registration fee.

Note: Applicants with outstanding registration fees will not be able to enter rank order lists or to be ranked by programs until all fees have been paid in full.

Updating Your Profile

Applicants can update information in their profiles at any time during the match process through the R3 System. It is particularly important to keep e-mail addresses and phone numbers current so the NRMP can keep in contact with you. The NRMP uses e-mail to send reminders, notices, and Match results.
Couples
Applicants notify the NRMP of their desire to participate as a couple by providing their partner's AAMC ID through the NRMP R3 System and paying an additional $15 per partner couples fee. Applicants who are members of a couple can link their program choices together so that they can be matched into a combination of programs suited to their needs. In creating pairs of program choices on their rank order lists, couples can mix specialties, program types, and geographic locations. Applying as a couple should not influence the selection decisions made by program directors.
Verification of Credentials
The NRMP requires verification of expected graduation from the dean of student affairs for every senior registered for the Match. Without verification, the student is not permitted to be included in the Match. Applicants whose graduation from medical school is not verified by their institutions will be withdrawn automatically by the NRMP.
Withdrawal from the Match
U.S. seniors can withdraw from the Match only through the dean for student affairs.
Withdrawal requests must be entered before the rank order list deadline. Applicants who have submitted certified rank order lists and do not withdraw by the deadline will be included in the Match. They will be obligated to accept an appointment if matched and if all of the program prerequisites have been satisfied.
Applicants with unpaid registration fees will be withdrawn.
Applicants can confirm whether they are withdrawn by logging-on to the NRMP R3 System.

Updated August 2010 

ERAS Fees ($400)

From: https://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/eras/residency/69732/fees_and_billing.html

Fees and Billing

Fees are based on the number of programs applied to under the same specialty and accrediting body (ACGME or AOA). Those applicants applying to both ACGME-accredited and AOA-accredited programs are charged processing fees separately. SeeExample 4.

Note: Military program, regardless of specialty, are treated as a single specialty.

ERAS Fees

Under the Same Specialty and Accrediting Body (ACGME or AOA)

Programs Up to 10: $85
Programs 11-20: $8 each
Programs 21-30: $15 each
Programs 31 + : $25 each

Example 1
30 Emergency Medicine programs [$85 + (10 x $8) + (10 x $15)] = $315
Example 2
20 OB/GYN programs [$85 + ($8 x 10)] + 10 Family Medicine programs [$85] = $250
Example 3
5 military Family Medicine programs, 3 military Internal Medicine programs, and 2 military Surgery programs [$85] + 7 civilian Pediatrics programs [$85] = $170
Example 4
3 ACGME accredited Family Medicine programs [$85] + 3 AOA accredited Family Medicine programs [$85] = $170

Other Fees

USMLE Transcript Fees

The NBME  charges $70 for transmitting USMLE transcripts, regardless of the number of requests. This fee is collected by ERAS and will appear on your invoice.

Medical Specialty Preference Inventory, Revised Edition

A s s e s s m e n t   D a t e :   8 / 1 5 / 1 1
Specialty Choice Probabilities

T h e   f o l l owi n g   s c o r e s   r e p r e s e n t   t h e   p r o b a b i l i t y   t h a t   y o u  wi l l   e n t e r   i n t o   o n e   o f   t h e 16 special t ies based on your   interest   in per forming speci f ic act ivi t ies  in
medicine.  A higher  probabi l i ty  indicates a st ronger  preference  for   that  special ty.
Specialty Probabi l i ty
S u r g e r y -Ge n e r a l    60  %
Anesthesiology    23  %
Internal  Medicine    8  %
Emergency Medicine    3  %
Ra d i o l o g y -Di a g n o s t i c    2  %
Pathology-Anatomic and Cl inical    2  %
========================================================

Medical Interest Scales
The Medical Interest Scales measure your interest in specific areas of medical
pract ice.  High scores  indicate more  interest .  As you  review your   resul ts,  pay
par t icular  at tent ion  to scales on which you scored ei ther  very high or  very  low.
These general ly  indicate  impor tant  areas  to  focus on as you explore special t ies.

Highest  Scor ing  Interests:  
Immediate Resul ts
Procedural Care
Technology  in Medicine
Knowledge of Organ Systems
Diagnostic Precision

Lowest Scoring Interests:
Social Context
Patient Counseling
Psychological Care

Complex Problems    3 . 0  
Comprehensive Care    2 . 8  
Diagnostic Precision    6 . 2  
Emergency-Cr i t ical  Care    6 . 0  
Hi s t o r y   T a k i n g    2 . 8  
Home Heal th Care    3 . 0  
Immediate Resul ts    7 . 0  
Knowledge of Anatomical Structures    5 . 0  
Knowledge of Organ Systems    6 . 5  
Laboratory Results    6 . 0  
Palliative Care    2 . 4  
Patient Counseling    1 . 7  
Prevention and Education    2 . 9  
Procedural Care    7 . 0  
Psychological Care    1 . 7  
Reproductive Care    2 . 2  
Social Context    1 . 3  
Technology  in Medicine    7 . 0  
I n t e r e s t Your Score

More "Curriness"!!!

Chettinad Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
Chicken :1kg/2.2lb 
Shallots/Pearl onions :1cup
Kashmiri Chilli Powder :1tbs 
Tomatoes :2nos (small, finely chopped)
Turmeric powder :1/2tsp 
Bay leaves :1no
Curry leaves :15nos
Coconut milk :1cup (extract from 1/2 coconut)
Salt to taste
Oil :1tbsp 

For grinding :
Cumin seeds :3/4tsp 
Fennel seeds :3/4tsp 
Coriander seeds :11/2tbsps 
Dried red chillies :7-8nos or (according to your spice level)
Pepper corns :1tsp 
Cardamoms :3pods
Cloves : 2nos
Cinnamon :1" stick
Curry leaves :1sprig
Oil :1/2tsp 
Green chillis :3-4nos
Garlic :5-8flakes
Ginger :2" piece
Poppy seeds :1tsp 

Method of Preparation :

1.Wash and cut chicken into medium sized pieces.
2.Soak poppy seeds in warm water for 10 mts.
3.Make a paste of the ginger, garlic, green chillies and poppy seeds. Keep aside.
4.Heat a frying pan to medium-high, add 1 tsp oil. When hot, add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves dried red chillis,curry leaves, stirring constantly until lightly roasted. Cool and grind to a powder.
5.Heat oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the bay leave.shallots/small onions and curry leaves and saute till transparent.
6.Add the kashmiri chilli powder and turmeric powder and just stir for few seconds.
7.Add the grounded ginger,garlic,green chillie and poppy paste. Continue to stir and fry for about 4 minutes, drizzling little water to prevent sticking. 
8.Add chicken and cook on high heat,stir until they are well coated with the masala for about 4-5 minutes.
9.Reduce to medium heat, add salt,tomatoes and combine well. 
Cook the chicken for 4-5 mts, uncovered, Now add the coconut milk and 1/2cup of water(if needed) allow to boil. 
10.Turn the heat to medium low, cover and simmer until the chicken is almost cooked, about 20-25 minutes. Open lid and combine well.
11.Finally add the ground masala powder and cook for 3 mts. Turn off heat.


From: http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/chettinad-chicken-curry-fid-457914