So who owns a Zanconato?

[saab2000]

I am digging those Zancs. Because of my own interest in the process I have been studying his blog. Seems pretty neato.

Who owns one? How is it? yeah, yeah, I know it's going to be good and all, but how does it compare with other rides you've had?

Just curious. A bit of Zanc worship going on here. I like what I see!

http://bikesbyzank.blogspot.com/

[Ozz]

dirtdigger has one (Stomp (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=33334)).....I have first dibs when he decides to sell it, so back off! ;)

[dirtdigger88]

dirtdigger has one (Stomp (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=33334)).....I have first dibs when he decides to sell it, so back off! ;)

dibs noted

I love Stomp- :cool:

Jason

[William]

I’ve talked about Zanconatos’s many times over on the forum. I can’t say enough about Mike’s attention to detail and his knack for dialing in the geo for what the rider is looking for. As far as ride, it’s exactly what I wanted: A cross bike that would still feel lively on the road, and still be stable for attacking the dirt. Toby’s paint work (Hot Tubes) is first class as well.

If you have some time to kill, you can look at the build process. Many photo’s of Mike’s work from start to finish.

William



The Decision
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=13344&page=1&pp=15&highlight=zanconato

Build process
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=15715&highlight=zanconato

Build process
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=13637&highlight=zanconato

Paint Decision
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=13700&highlight=zanconato

Finished Effin Cross Bike
http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=22929&highlight=Effin

[Too Tall]

Man those things are made from heavy steel that rusts, are you nuts? ;)
Who's this Zank guy? Sounds like a cult.

[rsl]

I've got one too, and I love it! As William said, the attention to detail is top-notch and it shows in my beautiful bike, it rides phenomenally and fits great, and Mike really takes care of his clients.

You can probably search for pictures in the custom bike gallery or on his blog. Mine is the off-white roadbike with chocolatey brown logos and straight-blade fork.

I'm really interested in the process of framebuilding as well, and I'm enjoying the blog posts. Mike was more than willing to let me hang out in his shop a couple of times and ask all kinds of questions, and that was a really great experience for me.

I can't recommend him as a builder or his frames enough!

[Bruce K]

I've got one.

I worked with Mike to havea single speed crosser built using a Phil Woods eccentric bottom bracket for chain tensioning.

He included all the stops and mounts to be able to convert it to a fully geared bike if I ever changed my mind.

The process was as good as any custom fitter I've dealt with and the process was a lot of fun.

Toby's paint work is as good as any I've seen.

The end product is everything I wanted the bike to be.

BK

[coylifut]

I have a CX Zank. It tracks wonderfully due to it's superb balance. I've done about 40 races on it and beaten the $hit out of it. Love it.

[sspielman]

...sounds like a Zankprimato has entered the planning stage....

[Mshue]

Here's mine:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=30208&highlight=incoming+zanconato

(Note: the stickers on the rims were removed immediately.)

I can't provide a lot of comparison feedback since I've only had a couple of other road bikes: an entry level steel Bianchi Campione I bought in '88 and a '95 Trek 5000 OCLV. The first big advantage of the Zank is that it fits me perfectly and the other two....not so much. In addition, I could tell immediately that the Zank and I are a much more balanced package than me and either of the other bikes. Lastly, the Zank is like a magic carpet compared to the other two, but still accelerates better than either. Oh, and it looks fantastic and the attention to detail is obvious.

I realize there's a bit of an apples to oranges (no pun intended) problem in comparing these bikes. Still, I really felt like I discovered the sport all over again when I got the Zank. It's that good.

[shinomaster]

I have a CX Zank. It tracks wonderfully due to it's superb balance. I've done about 40 races on it and beaten the $hit out of it. Love it.


Coylifut sold me on the Zank. I couldn't be outdone by both he and Chrisroph. I also couldn't wait five years for the Vanilla that I always wanted. :banana:

[myette10]

birth announcement here (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=34255&highlight=woo), and I'm expecting again in February! Belgian Twins!

[Bonz]

I've got a Zank . . . in the works, that is. Anyone want to help me pick the scheme & colors? ;)

[J.Greene]

I've got a Zank . . . in the works, that is. Anyone want to help me pick the scheme & colors? ;)

I'd be happy to dictate the size.

JG

[Bruce K]

Matt you hog!!! ;)

What is that, your 3rd Zanc?

I guess it pays to live closer to the "Cabbage Patch". :D

BK

[chrisroph]

i'm getting a cx. i helped terry build his and i was immediately impressed. i've seen others now and they all are beauts. terry loves his. mike is a great guy. i'm really looking to forward to discussing the details with mike when he is ready.

[shinomaster]

i'm getting a cx. i helped terry build his and i was immediately impressed. i've seen others now and they all are beauts. terry loves his. mike is a great guy. i'm really looking to forward to discussing the details with mike when he is ready.


Chris, will you help me build mine too? :)

[J.Greene]

i'm getting a cx.

I think it is cool he is building cred with his cross bike. I may be wrong but it seems like most of his bikes i see are cross.

JG

[chrisroph]

Chris, will you help me build mine too? :)

sure, no problemo

[thwart]

Well... I own the ex-Justin S, ex-Jack B white road frame thats been seen on these pages; given where I live that means no miles under my power yet. However, I have had a chance to examine the bike very closely and it certainly is beautifully built.

Still working on the build...

Any recommendations would be appreciated. ;)

[jtferraro]

I've got a Zank . . . in the works, that is. Anyone want to help me pick the scheme & colors? ;)

Ditto, although I think I've got the paint scheme nailed. This will be my first custom, so I'm pretty effin' excited. In fact, excited to the point where I've stayed up late at night, searching the archives and drooling over many of your bikes (those of you that have already replied to this thread). I even sent poor Mike a long email, subject: Dreamin', the other day w/what I've been thinking and obsessing about re: my build, paint scheme, etc. I'm now all the more looking forward to next cross season!

I agree w/J.Greene - Mike seems to be making more cx frames than road frames these days, which is a plus for me.

[Fixed]

I have a picture of a red and white fix hangin next to my bike
cheers

[myette10]

Mike seems to be making more cx frames than road frames these days, which is a plus for me.
I think I heard him say that the ratio was 3 to 1 (cross to road) in 2007.

Bruce - The next one will be my second, not third (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPqhxegO_DM).

[stevep]

i have a cross bike/ utility/ all purpose/ winter bike. rode it all day today.
nice bike.
love to ride it.

it came out exactly as hoped.

[ergott]

See my signature for the link. My Zank is baaaaaaaaaaddddd, dude. When I'm ready to get another road bike, I'm calling him.

[William]

I'm really feeling some Zank love here. XOXOX !!!




William :D

[jtferraro]

He included all the stops and mounts to be able to convert it to a fully geared bike if I ever changed my mind.
BK

Bruce, I was checkin' out your bike in the archives recently (cool rig!) and was wondering why you chose to install a FD braze?

[barry1021]

prefer a builder that freehands everything rather than uses the jigs and incredible precision that he demonstrates on his blog. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Actually seeing his work and how fast his rep is spreading, I would not be surprised not to far in the distant future to see the "damn, why didn't I sign up before the wait got to be_______years?!??" thread.

B21 (Yes I am Zankless)

[Bruce K]

Matt;

For some reason I thought you had a cross Zanc and a road Zanc.

I guess it was wishful thinking from me to you.

BK

[Moveitfred]

I heart (http://moveitfredbybike.blogspot.com/2007/07/zanconato-bike.html) my Zank.

[TACSTS]

Actually seeing his work and how fast his rep is spreading, I would not be surprised not to far in the distant future to see the "damn, why didn't I sign up before the wait got to be_______years?!??" thread.

B21 (Yes I am Zankless)

How long is Zank's wait right now, does anyone know offhand?

[Too Tall]

How long is Zank's wait right now, does anyone know offhand?
The wait is 1+ a classic club racer for Queen :)

I'm being really patient waiting for a few things to calm down here. Word on the street is the bike will be Robin's egg blue.

Zankissimo is the real deal in life, on the road and behind a torch. Ah hoo ah.

[jimcav]

I've got a Zank . . . in the works, that is. Anyone want to help me pick the scheme & colors? ;)

in georgia
orange and white

jim

[e-RICHIE]

in georgia
as a kid I used to eat an orange creamie popsicle orange and white

jim
should be a sticky atmo.

[bumperjohn]

I contacted Mike recently about building a frame and he said he was no longer taking orders and that he was going to pursue other dreams and ambitions.

John

[roman meal]

in georgia
orange and white

jim


poetic, like a riff from Fables of the Reconstruction.

[William]

I contacted Mike recently about building a frame and he said he was no longer taking orders and that he was going to pursue other dreams and ambitions.

John

Does that mean our Zank's are going to become collectables?


FOR SALE:

One Effin Cross Bike.
Classic Zank
Only $10,000 (FIRM)





William :rolleyes: ;)

[TACSTS]

I contacted Mike recently about building a frame and he said he was no longer taking orders and that he was going to pursue other dreams and ambitions.

John

Dangit! That was what I was afraid of after his talk of Teaching and Med School a while back on here. Hate to see such a talented framebuilder go, but I can understand wanting to do other things.

Good luck Zank!

[zank]

Well, I am not sure if this is appropriate here or not. But since it came up, I think I should address it.

My wife and I are moving to Milwaukee in July for a period of one year. My dilema was do I try to set up a shop while we are there. I figure by the time I get there and set up, it would be time to leave. So I am putting everything in storage.

I wrestled with what to do about new orders. It comes down to this. I don't want to hold people's money during a time when I am not building anything. It wouldn't be fair to anyone and I don't want that hanging over me. I will be back at it when I get back to Massachusetts. In the meantime, I have enough work to keep me very busy until we leave.

I really appreciate everyone's support and all of the kind words in this thread and all of the others regarding my work. Many of you (all of you?) who have bikes have been very patient with me at times. That has meant a lot as I have juggled a full time job with building frames.

Now, I need to call Jonny over at Jonny Cycles to see if he'll let me come by now and then to keep my torch skills up!

The "other dreams and ambitions" part is very true. I will be attending UW-Milwaukee full time while we are in WI to take some pre-req classes for med school. The MCAT is June 13. I will be applying to med school for admission in fall 2009. Wish me luck!
:banana:

[Frankwurst]

You'll like Milwaukee it's big on cycling and good times. If you've never been to Mad Town (where Jonny is) your in for a treat. Smoke in a bar, go to jail. Smoke a bowl on the corner, no problemo. Good Luck and enjoy Wisconsin. Head north. The cycling is fantastic in the north woods. If you'd like any get away riding suggestions, I'd be glad to suggest. :beer:

[saab2000]

...sounds like a Zankprimato has entered the planning stage....

Got that right.

[TACSTS]

Thanks for letting us all in on the inside news. I think it sounds like the right choice vs. trying to set up a temp location. Good luck with your pre-req studies and the MCAT. I'd love to have a frame of yours someday, but it would be selfish of us to hold you "down" if you have had aspirations for a different career. As awesome as framebuiding as a job sounds to an outsider, I understand the draw to do something healthcare related, thus why I'll be graduating with my PharmD. in Spring '09!

Keep us informed of your return and when/if you start taking new orders again. Maybe we need like a Zank-watch consumer group or something? haha.

[shinomaster]

Well, I am not sure if this is appropriate here or not. But since it came up, I think I should address it.

My wife and I are moving to Milwaukee in July for a period of one year. My dilema was do I try to set up a shop while we are there. I figure by the time I get there and set up, it would be time to leave. So I am putting everything in storage.

I wrestled with what to do about new orders. It comes down to this. I don't want to hold people's money during a time when I am not building anything. It wouldn't be fair to anyone and I don't want that hanging over me. I will be back at it when I get back to Massachusetts. In the meantime, I have enough work to keep me very busy until we leave.

I really appreciate everyone's support and all of the kind words in this thread and all of the others regarding my work. Many of you (all of you?) who have bikes have been very patient with me at times. That has meant a lot as I have juggled a full time job with building frames.

Now, I need to call Jonny over at Jonny Cycles to see if he'll let me come by now and then to keep my torch skills up!

The "other dreams and ambitions" part is very true. I will be attending UW-Milwaukee full time while we are in WI to take some pre-req classes for med school. The MCAT is June 13. I will be applying to med school for admission in fall 2009. Wish me luck!
:banana:


How are you going to make bikes while in Med School?

[stevep]

yeah, yeah, yeah...med school, blah, blah, blah,

what about us?
what about those nice shiny frames?


best of luck man. keep us into the adventure.
madison is a cool spot.


Well, I am not sure if this is appropriate here or not. But since it came up, I think I should address it.

My wife and I are moving to Milwaukee in July for a period of one year. My dilema was do I try to set up a shop while we are there. I figure by the time I get there and set up, it would be time to leave. So I am putting everything in storage.

I wrestled with what to do about new orders. It comes down to this. I don't want to hold people's money during a time when I am not building anything. It wouldn't be fair to anyone and I don't want that hanging over me. I will be back at it when I get back to Massachusetts. In the meantime, I have enough work to keep me very busy until we leave.

I really appreciate everyone's support and all of the kind words in this thread and all of the others regarding my work. Many of you (all of you?) who have bikes have been very patient with me at times. That has meant a lot as I have juggled a full time job with building frames.

Now, I need to call Jonny over at Jonny Cycles to see if he'll let me come by now and then to keep my torch skills up!

The "other dreams and ambitions" part is very true. I will be attending UW-Milwaukee full time while we are in WI to take some pre-req classes for med school. The MCAT is June 13. I will be applying to med school for admission in fall 2009. Wish me luck!
:banana:

[zank]

I love bicycles. I love building things. I will always find time to build some bikes for the remainder of my years. But it may only be 10-15 a year in the future.

I'm not leaving cyberspace. I will continue to particpate when I think I can offer something to a dialogue. This fall, you all will hear about how friggin' cool it is to race cross in WI and Chicago. :beer:

[zank]

How are you going to make bikes while in Med School?

The same way I did before medical school. With a torch and files, silly.

[shinomaster]

The same way I did before medical school. With a torch and files, silly.

Won't you be too busy with your Medicine-Hobby?

[zank]

I suppose time will tell.

[J.Greene]

That's great News Zanc. It sounds like I waited too long to get that frame built though. Good luck on everything.

JG

[shinomaster]

I suppose time will tell.
I just remember being in Art school and having no time to ride or anything.

[DarrenCT]

news blast: i'll have a zank in about 10 weeks :banana:

[Jeff Weir]

Hey Zank, Best of luck with the next chapter. It will be great and so will you.

[cpg]

Milwaukee. Minneapolis. What's the difference? Yo Zank, you'll be in the neighborhood. Come on by. Good luck with med. school.

Curt

[Louis]

I will continue to particpate when I think I can offer something to a dialogue

Wow, I never really thought about it this way myself ;)

[coylifut]

Wow, I never really thought about it this way myself ;)


reminds me of the quote: "Speak only if you can improve upon the silence."

[William]

Mike,

Do what's going to make you happy. We Zankaphiles are behind you 100%. Please make sure that you at least continue to build at some point, even if it's only on a limited basis......so we Zanksters don't come looking for you with pitch forks and torches. ;)

Best of luck to you my friend! If you approach other things the way you do frame building, you're going to do great things.




William

[dave1215]

The same way I did before medical school. With a torch and files, silly.


it'll be orthopedic surgery for zanc, just wait and see...

[William]

Does this mean he's going to start working with Titanium???? I can see some sweet fillet brazed hip and knee replacements added to the wait list in Mike's future. :D




William

[stevep]

manet is on the wait list.

zanc,
he said i could have the slot...but he insisted on paying for the frame.

trust me. i wouldn't make this up.

make it orange like williams.

how soon? i have the parts in a box.

[sspielman]

Wouldn't Zanc make a dy-no-mite orthopedic surgeon?.....I can picture it now...here is an ankle that he repaired with parts not usually utilised within the medical profession....

[Bruce K]

Mike;

You will do great.

We will miss you in this neck of the woods.

2 Dr. Zanc's in the house? Very cool.

Good luck with everything.

BK

[manet]

i was just offered BIG money for my slot

[dirtdigger88]

i was just offered BIG money for my slot

whore

Jason

[sspielman]

i was just offered BIG money for my slot

Are we still talking about Fixed's boss?.....

[ecl2k]

Unless you feel like you wouldn't be happy doing something else and a career in medicine is what you NEED to be happy, all I have to say is DON'T DO IT!!!

The current climate is something like this: 1 year to take prerequisite classes, probably in organic chemistry which is usually challenging, take the MCAT, which is not an easy test at all and you need to score well on it (90th percentile) to be considered a good candidate and get into a med school in the part of the country that you would like to live (of course you could always settle for D.O. schools or foreign medical schools which have slightly lower standards).

The 4 years of medical school involves 2 years of classroom work and rote memorization, 2 years of humiliation in the hospital, and taking 2 huge tests - USMLE step 1 and step 2. If you want one of the competitive big $$$ specialties (plastic surgery, ortho, derm, ophthalmology) then you better have performed wonderfully in med school and on the step exams. A few people drop out of med school. You apply for residency and only find out on match day where you will be going. I owed $175,000 at the end of med school, your mileage may vary!

Residency varies in length, 3-5+ years depending on the specialty. It pays about $45,000/year for an 80 hour work week. How hard you will be working depends on the quality of the residency itself, the specialty, and your fellow residents. You also take USMLE step 3. If you want to subspecialize a little more, like gastroenterology, you'll be applying for fellowships, which vary in length, 2-4 years I think, and pay a little more, like $50,000/year. When you're done with that, you will also need to be board certified in your specialty, so a gastroenterologist for example would need to be boarded in internal medicine (exam usually taken after residency) and GI (taken after fellowship). All this for the privelege of being in one of the "falling down professions." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/fashion/06professions.html?em&ex=1200200400&en=2063ff363b80d88e&ei=5070

Overall it is at minimum a 7 year process (8 years for you) and can go 10 years or more based on how you specialize. Med school, residency, and fellowship are usually in different cities across the US, so don't get too attached to a particular place either.

I just completed the above process and I feel like I would be miserable doing anything else for a living, so I'm "stuck" doing this, I would continue doing it even if it paid as much as a school teacher. But it's definitely a major decision and there is no guarantee that your family (the process is known to be tough on wives) will put up with you ignoring them while you study and moving them all over the country. I was single so I came and went as I pleased. There are also pitfalls along the way, there is no guarantee you'll do well enough on the MCAT, or the step exams or board exams (everyone knows people that have failed these tests or that have been asked to leave medical school or residency).

Good luck! I was seriously thinking about one of your frames too, bummer!

[Fixed]

Are we still talking about Fixed's boss?.....
she laughed at my new haircut
cheers

does this seem fair the 10000 best doc makes more money than the best frame builder ?

[barry1021]

Unless you feel like you wouldn't be happy doing something else and a career in medicine is what you NEED to be happy, all I have to say is DON'T DO IT!!!

The current climate is something like this: 1 year to take prerequisite classes, probably in organic chemistry which is usually challenging, take the MCAT, which is not an easy test at all and you need to score well on it (90th percentile) to be considered a good candidate and get into a med school in the part of the country that you would like to live (of course you could always settle for D.O. schools or foreign medical schools which have slightly lower standards).

The 4 years of medical school involves 2 years of classroom work and rote memorization, 2 years of humiliation in the hospital, and taking 2 huge tests - USMLE step 1 and step 2. If you want one of the competitive big $$$ specialties (plastic surgery, ortho, derm, ophthalmology) then you better have performed wonderfully in med school and on the step exams. A few people drop out of med school. You apply for residency and only find out on match day where you will be going. I owed $175,000 at the end of med school, your mileage may vary!

Residency varies in length, 3-5+ years depending on the specialty. It pays about $45,000/year for an 80 hour work week. How hard you will be working depends on the quality of the residency itself, the specialty, and your fellow residents. You also take USMLE step 3. If you want to subspecialize a little more, like gastroenterology, you'll be applying for fellowships, which vary in length, 2-4 years I think, and pay a little more, like $50,000/year. When you're done with that, you will also need to be board certified in your specialty, so a gastroenterologist for example would need to be boarded in internal medicine (exam usually taken after residency) and GI (taken after fellowship). All this for the privelege of being in one of the "falling down professions." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/fashion/06professions.html?em&ex=1200200400&en=2063ff363b80d88e&ei=5070

Overall it is at minimum a 7 year process (8 years for you) and can go 10 years or more based on how you specialize. Med school, residency, and fellowship are usually in different cities across the US, so don't get too attached to a particular place either.

I just completed the above process and I feel like I would be miserable doing anything else for a living, so I'm "stuck" doing this, I would continue doing it even if it paid as much as a school teacher. But it's definitely a major decision and there is no guarantee that your family (the process is known to be tough on wives) will put up with you ignoring them while you study and moving them all over the country. I was single so I came and went as I pleased. There are also pitfalls along the way, there is no guarantee you'll do well enough on the MCAT, or the step exams or board exams (everyone knows people that have failed these tests or that have been asked to leave medical school or residency).

Good luck! I was seriously thinking about one of your frames too, bummer!

you could go to Business School and become a stock picker. It's shorter, cheaper, and can pay better if you are good at it!!

[Ahneida Ride]

I'd be happy to dictate the size.

JG

Make it a 65 by 60 ....Please ? :)

[thwart]

The above article from the NYT is a good one.

Mike's doing it backwards---first starting and running a business, using his creative juices, and then returning to enter a profession that does not value those same characteristics as highly. I applaud him. He's obviously not going into it blind, and most of the medical residents I deal with who come from another career are the best of the bunch. And it's not just age/maturity.

And the last line of the article---about apprenticeship---certainly applies to both fields.

[rsl]

Glad I got my frame when I did!

Best of luck Mike!! :beer:

That's definitely exciting news and I wish you the best. I don't think Milwaukee is all that far from South Bend, so maybe we can ride together at some point, although I may not be here too much longer myself.

I guess this just gives me more time to build up my cyclocross fund...

[Bonz]

in georgia
as a kid I used to eat an orange creamie popsicle orange and white

jim

jim

Jim, I too grew up in Georgia, and guess the color scheme of my Spectrum? http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=26997. Uncanny!

Mike, your professional decision is understandable: I trust you to build my bike, and I would trust you just as much with rebuilding my health! Cheers to you, I know you are doing it to be in a healing profession. :beer:

[handsomerob]

you could go to Business School and become a stock picker. It's shorter, cheaper, and can pay better if you are good at it!!


or he could continue building those double diamond works of art....

(Barry.... you're not helping matters :no: )




I remember not to long ago thinking that this enterprising guy that was offering a charity frame had a really funny name and might be doing the free frame to help drum up some sorely needed business. Now there are threads praising not just his attention to detail regarding the actual construction, but it seems that he may be one of the top fitters as well.

I mean, is it just me or hasn't Zank's stock risen dramatically in the last 12-18 months? Stepping away from framebuilding as your reputation for quality precedes you seems like selling a stock right before it is about to jump. :confused:

I can only guess that the call to heal must be deafening.

[merckx]

I know first hand how fabulous a Zank machine is. Most of us know that Mike is a qualitative individual. If you don't have one of his machines, but have seen them in pictures on this forum, you know how the quality spills out from the screen. They are that good. The finished product is a reflection of his soul.

[zank]

Unless you feel like you wouldn't be happy doing something else and a career in medicine is what you NEED to be happy, all I have to say is DON'T DO IT!!!

The current climate is something like this: 1 year to take prerequisite classes, probably in organic chemistry which is usually challenging, take the MCAT, which is not an easy test at all and you need to score well on it (90th percentile) to be considered a good candidate and get into a med school in the part of the country that you would like to live (of course you could always settle for D.O. schools or foreign medical schools which have slightly lower standards).

The 4 years of medical school involves 2 years of classroom work and rote memorization, 2 years of humiliation in the hospital, and taking 2 huge tests - USMLE step 1 and step 2. If you want one of the competitive big $$$ specialties (plastic surgery, ortho, derm, ophthalmology) then you better have performed wonderfully in med school and on the step exams. A few people drop out of med school. You apply for residency and only find out on match day where you will be going. I owed $175,000 at the end of med school, your mileage may vary!

Residency varies in length, 3-5+ years depending on the specialty. It pays about $45,000/year for an 80 hour work week. How hard you will be working depends on the quality of the residency itself, the specialty, and your fellow residents. You also take USMLE step 3. If you want to subspecialize a little more, like gastroenterology, you'll be applying for fellowships, which vary in length, 2-4 years I think, and pay a little more, like $50,000/year. When you're done with that, you will also need to be board certified in your specialty, so a gastroenterologist for example would need to be boarded in internal medicine (exam usually taken after residency) and GI (taken after fellowship). All this for the privelege of being in one of the "falling down professions." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/fashion/06professions.html?em&ex=1200200400&en=2063ff363b80d88e&ei=5070

Overall it is at minimum a 7 year process (8 years for you) and can go 10 years or more based on how you specialize. Med school, residency, and fellowship are usually in different cities across the US, so don't get too attached to a particular place either.

I just completed the above process and I feel like I would be miserable doing anything else for a living, so I'm "stuck" doing this, I would continue doing it even if it paid as much as a school teacher. But it's definitely a major decision and there is no guarantee that your family (the process is known to be tough on wives) will put up with you ignoring them while you study and moving them all over the country. I was single so I came and went as I pleased. There are also pitfalls along the way, there is no guarantee you'll do well enough on the MCAT, or the step exams or board exams (everyone knows people that have failed these tests or that have been asked to leave medical school or residency).

Good luck! I was seriously thinking about one of your frames too, bummer!

I apprecite your feedback and your concern. I am fortunate enough to have first-hand exposure to the trials and tribulations. I have supported my wife through the entire process over the past 8 years, and will continue to do so this coming year when she does her fellowship in Milwaukee. And crazy enough, I still want to do it.

I am confident about the pre-requisites and the MCAT. I have already taken all of the required classes when I did my undergrad in Chemical Engineering and had 4.0s in 4 semesters of Physics, 2 semesters of Gen Chem, 2 semesters of Bio (not a chem-e requirement but I had med school thoughts back then too), 2 semesters of Orgo and 2 semesters of English. The problem is that you had to have taken them within 4 years of your medical school application. I know I need a 35 or better on the MCAT to even be looked at. My goal is a 40.

But I am not leaving anything to chance. I will budget as many hours as I think I need to achieve these goals. But again, I do appreciate your concern.

:beer:

[Fixed]

bro good for you you have dreams and you have already reached dreams that many never reach .your work shows genius that will show in whatever you do imho goodluck
cheers

[ecl2k]

Well since your wife is paying the bills, get an MD, law degree, go to japan and become a master samurai, then to africa to study chimps! good luck!

PS. http://www.mdapplicants.com/selectschool.php

[shinomaster]

MAKE FRAMES MAKE FRAMES MAKE FRAMES MAKE FRAMES
We shouldn't tell Zank what he should do. He'll likely be great at what ever he does. :beer:

[djg]

The same way I did before medical school. With a torch and files, silly.

Dude. I dunno really, each person is different, and the fact is that I never attended medical school as a student, just as a faculty member. It's a fine endeavor -- all sorts of useful ways to make a living and some really very distinctive ways to help patients are among them -- but I should think it would mean putting frame building on hold for at least 6-8 years (school or clinic, spouse/family time, trying to stay fit and perhaps the occasional something social ... I'm not sure I saw students who had more time than that, but maybe I'm just off).

[shinomaster]

Dude. I dunno really, each person is different, and the fact is that I never attended medical school as a student, just as a faculty member. It's a fine endeavor -- all sorts of useful ways to make a living and some really very distinctive ways to help patients are among them -- but I should think it would mean putting frame building on hold for at least 6-8 years (school or clinic, spouse/family time, trying to stay fit and perhaps the occasional something social ... I'm not sure I saw students who had more time than that, but maybe I'm just off).


No more cross racing :(

[William]

Another Zank in the works!!! :cool:

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=459226#post459226





William

[djg]

No more cross racing :(

Well, I dunno. The serious athletes I saw had to cut way back from the sort of training they'd done in college or in a brief time after, but I did see people keep up with various sports, including one woman who still did a bit of bike racing and a guy who did triathlons (including the iron man). A guy on my "college" bike team (way back when) was actually a med student. I think that people who really want it can find some time to train -- at least a certain amount -- and maybe do some events. Big miles and really moving up in the world of sports seems like a non-starter, but that doesn't necessarily mean nothing. I mean, this is all for Zank to sort out, obviously, I was just surprised at the notion that a craft and a business could be sustained on the side.

[Johny]

Zank,

I know you are interested in biomedical research...
This is an interesting interview of Dr. Sydney Brenner (was born in 1927 in South Africa, where he attended medical school. He obtained his DPhil from Oxford University, UK, and spent most of his professional career at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology at Cambridge University, UK, working with the late Francis Crick for much of that time. Brenner won the Nobel Prize in 2002 for establishing Caenorhabditis elegans as the widely used experimental model it is today. He presently divides his time between Cambridge, The Salk Institute, Singapore, Japan and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Farm campus, conducting research in neurobiology and comparative genomics and mentoring young investigators.) This is published in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 9, 8-9 (January 2008).

Part of it:

Q: Biomedical research funding has often been directed by buzzwords, such as cancer. What direction do you think biomedical research should take?

A: The buzzword now is 'translational medicine.' Someone once asked me for a definition of translational research and I replied that it is the research that nobody wants to support! Those involved in basic research think it's applied, and those who support applied research think it's too early and too risky. Personally, I think that translational medical research is based on the incorrect assumption that there are smart people in basic research who are discovering important things and that they will find some way of translating these to the treatment of human disease. This is called 'from bench to bedside.' I think that the focus should be the other way around. We should have 'from bedside to bench' research by bringing more basic science directly into the clinic. We should also stop working exclusively on model organisms like mice and shift the emphasis to humans, viewing each individual patient as an experimental model. But generating an effective bedside to bench approach is going to require major adjustments in medical education. We will need to introduce more basic science into the medical school curriculum and we're going to have to train more scientific physicians — clinical scientists, if you like, who will have an integrated, not subspecialized, view of humans.

The major medical schools around the world are going to have to take the lead in trying to develop a new culture in medical education. But this is not easy, because you can't just shut down the present system and start a new one; it will have to grow in parallel.

Q: What about combined MD–PhD training programmes?

A: I don't like this system. The requirements for becoming a scientist and a physician at the same time are very stressful and it doesn't solve the needs we have. I prefer to see outstanding MDs go into the clinic and train to do research there. We do not need another degree programme. These people should be the elite physicians selected because they really want to understand and contribute to the science of medicine. Another interesting question to be considered is the following: do we want to train only the elite, the best students for this enterprise, or should everyone at medical school be trained this way? I believe we need elite people, at least in the beginning.

Q: How should we deal with the fact that the present training for biomedical scientists is already so long?

A: This is a serious problem. Perhaps one of the things we might do to reduce this time interval is to focus more on man, by training everyone in human biology. Throw out the animal models for the moment and focus on man as the primary organism of study. I started on C. elegans as a model system because humans were not experimentally accessible. But now we have the human genome. And if man's genes are accessible, it's man's genes that we should be focusing on. This brings up another difficulty, of course. Presently, if you want to focus on the study of man though man's genes, one needs access to DNA sequencing technologies on a scale that is only available in limited institutions. It will become important to allow everybody to participate in the study of human genes.

[Johny]

BTW, I don't agree with everything Dr. Brenner says...even though he is my hero.