Choose the Right Undergraduate Major for Medical School

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Admissions data suggests that a students choice of major matters less in medical school admissions than MCAT scores.

When I was applying to colleges as senior in high school, I thought that I had to be a "premed" major if I wanted to go to medical school.

I was surprised when most of the schools I planned to apply to did not offer premed as a major. It was at that point I realized one of the essential rules of being premed: you do not need to be any particular major in order to go to medical school.

So if there is no premed major at your school, is there a best major for premeds? Are there any majors that will give you an advantage in the admissions process? Unfortunately, the answer is much more complicated than a simple yes or no.

[Find out when to apply to medical school.]

Why Don't Majors Matter?

The Association of American Medical Colleges has data to suggest that your major simply does not matter when it comes to getting accepted to medical school. According to their data, only 51 percent of students who enrolled in medical school in 2012 majored in biological sciences. That means the remaining medical school matriculants majored in humanities, math or statistics, physical sciences, social sciences or specialized health sciences.

When they broke down the MCAT and GPAs of these matriculants by major, all the categories have essentially the same GPA, science GPA and MCAT score. Matriculants who majored in biological sciences had a mean MCAT of 31 and GPA of 3.69. Humanities majors had a mean MCAT of 31.8 and GPA of 3.66. The numbers for math and statistics, physical sciences, social sciences and specialized health sciences majors were similar.

In a sense, medical schools do not really care what major you choose, as long as you finish your prerequisites and do well in school overall.

No matter what major you studied in college, everyone will learn the same material in medical school, and the majority of the material will be new for everyone. In looking at your GPA and MCAT, admissions committees simply want to know that you can handle the intellectual rigors of medical school.

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Choose the Right Undergraduate Major for Medical School

Liberty Mutual Cuts List in Creative Review

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Liberty Mutual has narrowed the list of contenders in its creative review to include mcgarrybowen, Mullen, Havas Worldwide and incumbentHill Holliday, sources said. McCann Erickson was cut from the search late last week.

The Boston insurance company is now testing ideas from those agencies before making a decision in October. In June, Liberty Mutual put the business into review, appointing Pile + Co., Boston, to handle the process.

This week the marketer is also seeing final presentations from media agencies pitching its business, which has also been handled by Hill Holliday. Those shops are said to be down to the incumbent Hill Holliday, Carat, MediaCom and Mediahub/Mullen.

A Liberty Mutual rep could not be reached; participating agencies either declined comment or referred calls to the insurance marketer.

Some sources say that Liberty Mutual is reluctant to take both the creative and media business out of the Boston agency market, which would give home-town advantage to shops like Mullen, its Mediahub/Mullen unit and Hill Holliday.

Last year, the company spent nearly $150 million on measured media, up from about $116 million in 2011, according to Nielsen. That amount, however, does not include online spending.

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Liberty Mutual Cuts List in Creative Review

Liberty Interactive Kicks-Off Third Annual Women's eCommerce Network

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Liberty Interactive Corporation ("Liberty Interactive") (Nasdaq: LINTA, LINTB, LVNTA, LVNTB) today announced the 2014 Women's eCommerce Network (WeCN), a unique program that pairs established women business leaders and executives (the Council) with five early stage eCommerce companies (the Class) for a six month mentorship period.

The 2014 program commences with an Opening Summit in Silicon Valley, where each Class member is paired with two Council members who will counsel her through a targeted, business-enhancing project. The six month mentorship period then culminates in April with a Closing Summit hosted by Liberty Interactive.

The WeCN provides exposure to best practices and emerging trends, as well as networking opportunities with the broader Council through the Summits and an established Alumni network. The objective of the WeCN is to establish business relationships that will enhance the opportunities for long-term business success and create a foundation for support that ensures the next generation of women business leaders and executives.

We are pleased to support the WeCN, said Greg Maffei, Liberty Interactive, President and CEO. Now in its third year, this growing network has attracted an impressive group of female digital commerce executives both as mentors and class members. The WeCN has become a powerful tool for founders of young eCommerce businesses with real promise.

The WeCN 2014 Council is comprised of distinguished business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors from leading brands and companies. Many served as mentors in 2011 and 2012 and are returning again for the third year. The Council members are:

Joining the WeCN 2014 Class are entrepreneurs of early-stage eCommerce companies. Class members include:

Also participating in year-three of the program are executives from Liberty Interactive and QVC, including Andrea Wong, Liberty Board Member and President of International Production for Sony Pictures Entertainment, Claire Watts, CEO, QVC US, Robin Pringle, VP, Liberty Interactive and Courtnee Ulrich, VP, Liberty Interactive.

Andrea Wong commented, The program format of pairing established and ascending eCommerce leaders to focus on real world business projects gives the Class members a tangible benefit from the Network. Its also about women mentoring and helping each other to enable early stage business to achieve long term success.

The third WeCN Opening Summit will take place on September 18, 2013 in Silicon Valley. The days agenda includes discussions on building up the team, including management around the CEO, board, advisors, and the structure of the organization and scaling the business, and is designed around an intimate format that encourages direct conversations and relationship building.

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Liberty Interactive Kicks-Off Third Annual Women's eCommerce Network

Liberty and Edmonton Public Libraries

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EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Sep 11, 2013) -

Editor's note: There is one photo associated with this press release.

Liberty is proud to announce that they have committed to security installations at seven Edmonton Public Libraries, utilizing the very latest in security hardware and software, including remote access.

Liberty has already completed installations at the Jasper Place, Castledowns, and Sprucewood branches. Each installation includes intrusion systems, card access and cameras. Liberty is in the process of completing phase two of installation at Stanley A. Milner library. When completed the Milner project will be Liberty's largest library installation. The first phase encompassed three floors, utilizing 32 cameras, as well as door contacts and security. The Strathcona, Riverbend and Woodcroft branches have been committed to and will be installed in the near future.

"We are proud to partner with the Edmonton Public Libraries," said Russell Keddie, Managing Partner at Liberty. "We hope that by bringing them the latest in technology we will not only keep their employees and clients secure, but allow them to save time and money by remotely accessing and managing each of their sites from a single platform."

"All our library installations, especially Stanley A. Milner, will greatly benefit not only the employees but also the patrons of the library," said Jeff Leonard, Commercial Project/Safety Manager at Liberty. "Our cameras and access control systems will help the library monitor their physical assets and also ensure the safety of everyone who visits the library."

Liberty helps protect people, homes and business in markets across Canada leveraging the very latest in technology for life safety, property protection, video surveillance, CCTV & access control. Through innovation and the application of new technologies, Liberty strives to simplify and empower the lives of those around them. Liberty's dedication to quality installations and exceptional customer service ensures you receive superior alarm and security products that are extremely reliable and easy to use. Learn more about Liberty and their home security and business alarm systems at http://www.libertysecurity.ca.

Edmonton Public Library's (EPL) mission is simply to share! With 17 branches across Edmonton, EPL is Edmonton's largest lender of all kinds of information and entertainment, sharing stores, ideas and experiences across the city. EPL strengthens neighborhoods and communities by going beyond traditional boundaries, fostering collaborative relationships to build relevant and responsive library services. EPL works collaboratively with organizations, providing space for non-library programs, which meet the needs of communities/individuals using the library. Learn more about EPL's vision at http://www.epl.ca.

Simple | Safe | Smart

To view the photo associated with this press release, please visit the following link: http://ctt.marketwire.com/?docid=0897609001&id=3410761&type=0&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.marketwire.com%2flibrary%2f20130911-897609.jpg

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Liberty and Edmonton Public Libraries

'Big tent' Libertarian values in Republican party at the highest level in a decade

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In polite circles, theyre called Libertarian leaning Republicans who are borrowing a few pages from the Libertarian Party playbook, primarily to widen the voter appeal of the Grand Old Party as 2014 and 2016 approach.

Now there are some numbers on it. A FreedomWorks poll released Wednesday reveals fiscal issues and the role of government take top priority across the GOP voter base. The findings note that big-tent libertarian values within the Republican Party and the American voter population at large are at the highest level in a decade.

The survey found that 41 percent of Republicans say they have such values. The greater concern is whether social conservatives and the Libertarian leaners can get along - but thats another story.

Meanwhile, on the laundry list of voter concerns, the pollsters says that voters fret about increasing government power - including the U.S. engagement in overseas conflicts, citizen surveillance, the IRS matter, and of course the incoming Affordable Care Act and the endless federal debt.

We are seeing a realignment of the GOP, and a return to the fiscal policy priorities that fueled the last Republican midterm sweep. Its 2009 all over again, only this time combined with a growing distrust of an executive branch plagued with scandal, says Matt Kibbe, president of FreedomWorks, a sizable grassroots group of liberty minded folk nationwide.

Other key findings of the wide ranging poll include:

81 one percent of Republican voters oppose a debt ceiling increase.

66 percent of Republicans want their lawmakers to stick to principles.

51 percent say the U.S. should not take the lead role in solving international conflicts.

61 percent of U.S. voters overall say the economic policies coming out of Washington are hurting rather than helping.

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'Big tent' Libertarian values in Republican party at the highest level in a decade

Poll: Republicans go libertarian

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A new poll confirms a libertarian renaissance in 2013.

FreedomWorks commissioned a national survey of registered voters last month, shared first with POLITICO, that finds 78 percent of Republicans and GOP-leaning independents self-identify as fiscally conservative and socially moderate.

Its not that Republicans are suddenly self-identifying as libertarians and devouring Ayn Rand novels, but more that they seem to be embracing underlying libertarian priorities and views about the role of government.

(PHOTOS: Libertarianism goes mainstream)

The GOP dominated politics for a generation with a coalition of libertarians, social conservatives and defense hawks that Ronald Reagan successfully cobbled together in 1980. The tea party-affiliated FreedomWorks argues in a 23-page report that the so-called three-legged stool has become lopsided.

The poll asked Republican voters what they are most interested in: 40 percent said individual freedom through lower taxes and reducing the size and scope of government, 27 percent picked traditional values and 18 percent chose a strong national defense.

Republican pollster Kellyanne Conway, who ran the poll, said shes seeing a spike in voters who feel the government is too expensive, invasive and expansive.

The perfect storm is being created between the NSA, the IRS, the implementation of Obamacare and now Syria, she said. People are looking at the government more suspiciously. Theyre looking with deeper scrutiny and reasonable suspicion.

(Also on POLITICO: Libertarianism goes mainstream)

FreedomWorks, which is among the groups leading the controversial push to defund the federal health care law even if it risks a government shutdown, argues that GOP voters have limited appetite for grand bargains that would raise taxes. Two-thirds of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they want their member of Congress to keep their promises and stick to principles as opposed to compromise in a bipartisan way to get things done.

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Poll: Republicans go libertarian

China warns Japan over Diaoyu Islands comments

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Published: Sept. 11, 2013 at 6:04 AM

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- China has warned Japan to avoid provocative action over a clutch of uninhabited Islands in the latest war of words concerning the disputed East China Sea territory.

China's Foreign Ministry expressed "grave concern" over comments by Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga that Tokyo may station officials on the islands, known as Senkaku to the Japanese and Diaoyu in China.

China maintains the islands are its territory although they and the waters close around them have been under Japanese control for about 40 years.

China's official Xinhua News Agency quoted Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei as saying China won't tolerate actions that violate its territorial sovereignty.

Hong urged Japan to "stop all provocative actions that undermine China's sovereignty" and "eliminate obstacles for improving bilateral relations."

Tension between Beijing and Tokyo has been high since Japan bought three of the five uninhabited islands from their private Japanese owner in September 2012.

The islands lie about 100 miles north of Japan's Ishigaki Island and about 115 miles northeast of Taiwan.

At the end of World War II the islands were under U.S. jurisdiction as part of the captured Japanese island of Okinawa. Japan has administered them since 1972 when Okinawa was returned to Japan.

The Japanese Cabinet secretary's comments come as seven Chinese patrol ships entered waters around the islands this week -- the latest of many incursions in the area, the Japanese coast guard said.

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China warns Japan over Diaoyu Islands comments

Coventry Health Care of Illinois and SwedishAmerican Health System Collaborate to Form High-Performance Network

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ROCKFORD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Coventry Health Care of Illinois, Inc. and SwedishAmerican Health System are pleased to announced a new high-performance network in Rockford, IL.

The new product, Carelink from Coventry: A SwedishAmerican Partnership, is effective September 1, 2013. The goal of this collaboration is to improve quality of care and lower overall health care costs. This partnership shows a commitment to delivering more value to the patient, no matter what his or her health care needs may be.

SwedishAmerican is collaborating with its physicians, Coventry and employer groups to implement a model of care that aids people when they are sick, and also focuses on keeping them healthy and out of the hospital unless they are acutely sick or injured, said Dr. Bill Gorski, President and CEO of SwedishAmerican. We are creating a physician-directed team approach to foster more accountability across the continuum of care, from the patient to the physician and all health care staff in between. Our primary goal is to help the health care team manage and improve the health and well-being of the patient.

Jered Wilson, Vice President of Network Development for Coventry, said, We are excited to expand our partnership with SwedishAmerican to offer the Rockford community access to a new health care delivery model. We believe our members will receive an enhanced level of coordinated care that will result in better health outcomes. Together with SwedishAmerican, we want to improve the health of our communities.

High-performance network model drives focus on more coordinated care

A high-performance network collaboration is a group of health care providers who assume responsibility for the quality and cost of care for a group of patients.

Richard Walsh, Executive Vice President and COO of SwedishAmerican, said, One of our goals is to provide physicians with better predictors of their patients health risks earlier in life. By implementing behavior interventions early, we can improve health and outcomes long term. We will also provide tools to help physicians better manage patients with multiple chronic conditions who need immediate interventions. Such resources and tools can be used to more efficiently manage a growing patient population, maintain patient health and focus on those patients who need their doctors guidance the most.

Coventry is working with health care organizations throughout the state to develop products and services that support value-driven, patient-centered care. For more information on this specific high-performance network, please visit http://www.chcillinois.com > Health Care Solutions > Our Products > Carelink from Coventry.

About SwedishAmerican Health System

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4 tips for savvy health care shopping

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Your employer and President Barack Obama are imploring you to become a better health care consumer. They want everyone to take a more active role in his or her care because it's vital to help slow the seemingly perpetual rise of health care expenses.

A growing number of companies offer high-deductible health plans that make their employees pay more for care out of pocket.

Some workers also are finding that the cost of their coverage now is tied to the quality of their health or whether they smoke.

President Obama's health care overhaul promises to provide insurance coverage to millions of Americans. But the uninsured first have to figure out which plan suits them best.

Becoming a better health care consumer shouldn't require prodding because it can put more money in your pocket and keep big medical bills at bay. Here are four key principles to keep in mind.

Numbers matter

Many companies now provide biometric screening to their employees, and it's not a bad idea to take them up on the offer. This involves measuring variables such as body weight, cholesterol and blood pressure that can tell you whether you're at risk for developing heart disease or other problems.

Companies do this in part because they want their workers to nip health problems before they become full-blown and costly medical emergencies such as a heart attack or diabetes. That means finding the right cholesterol drug or figuring out an exercise plan that helps you drop a few pounds and leave the cardiac risk zone.

Businesses frequently hire outside firms to coordinate these tests, so your boss won't know your individual test results, but the company may get data showing the averages for those covered under their plans.

Knowledge pays

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Changes to health care under the law, at a glance

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An overview of some of the key changes to health care services under the Affordable Care Act:

ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS

Under the law, health insurers must cover 10 essential benefits. This will make health plans more costly, but also more comprehensive. Starting next year, the rules will apply to all plans offered to individuals or through the small-group market to employers with 50 or fewer workers. The essential-benefits requirement does not apply to plans offered by larger employers, which typically offer most of these, already.

The covered benefits are: ambulatory patient services; emergency services; hospitalization; maternity and newborn care; mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment; prescription drugs; rehabilitative services and devices; laboratory services; management of chronic diseases, and preventive and wellness services; and pediatric services, including dental and vision care.

People will be able to pick from insurance plans with differing levels of coverage and varying costs for co-pays and premiums. But insurers will have to cover a certain percentage of the services' cost.

"Most of the important services people need are covered, though there may be a slight variation (from state to state)," says Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform for the Kaiser Family Foundation.

DENTAL-VISION

Need a teeth-cleaning or eye exam? You still could be reaching into your own wallet to cover the cost even after the Affordable Care Act takes full effect next year. Dental and vision care is considered an essential benefit for children aged 18 and younger whose parents or guardians get insurance through the individual or small-group plans. The law does not mandate this coverage for adults, but some states could choose to have them covered.

Still, getting dental coverage for children and teenagers might be a bit complicated depending on where you live. States can choose to offer those items as stand-alone plans, and federal subsidies would not help pay for the costs.

PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS

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Changes to health care under the law, at a glance

11/12 The Devastating Implications of Futurism (A New Look at the Blessed Hope) Bohr – Video

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11/12 The Devastating Implications of Futurism (A New Look at the Blessed Hope) Bohr
http://www.SecretsUnsealed.org Titles 1. Prophecy #39;s Time Frame 2. The Little Horn that Changed God #39;s Times 3. Protestants Are No More 4. Israel and the Palestinians...

By: Mrand79

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11/12 The Devastating Implications of Futurism (A New Look at the Blessed Hope) Bohr - Video

The Tigrex’s Roar – Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Walkthrough [Gameplay/Commentary] – Ep.36 – Video

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The Tigrex #39;s Roar - Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Walkthrough [Gameplay/Commentary] - Ep.36
Remember to leave a like and a comment if you enjoyed the video - I #39;d really appreciate it :)! Time to bow some Tigrex! My Twitter - https://twitter.com/MHSk...

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The Tigrex's Roar - Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Walkthrough [Gameplay/Commentary] - Ep.36 - Video

Snowden nominated for EU's freedom of thought prize

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Published: Sept. 11, 2013 at 3:18 PM

BRUSSELS, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- Members of the European Parliament believe fugitive U.S. secrets leaker Edward Snowden should be honored for his freedom of thought, an official said Wednesday.

Christian Engstrom, a member of the Swedish Pirate Party that was one of the groups that nominated Snowden, said Snowden should receive the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought because of his "heroic" actions in revealing the U.S.'s extensive intelligence-gathering operations, RIA Novosti reported.

The former U.S. National Security Agency contractor is "paying a heavy personal price," Engstrom said in a personal blog. "Governments that dare to offer him asylum are threatened with dire consequences by the U.S. government."

He noted it was "a painful irony" Snowden had been granted asylum in Russia, "a country with democratic problems and authoritarian tendencies."

Alexander Sidyakin, a member of the Russian parliament's lower house, proposed Snowden for the prize in July.

The European United Left/Nordic Green Left also nominated Snowden. "Whistle-blowers cannot be treated like criminals. They must have our protection," the group said on its website in June.

The Sakharov Prize is given to individuals or organizations for their work in the defense of human rights and freedom of thought. Past recipients include former South African president Nelson Mandela, Chinese dissident Hu Jia and Reporters Without Borders.

A monetary award of $66,471 accompanies the prize.

The winner will be named in October.

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