About Dr. Conrad Fischer
Dr. Conrad Fischer is an award-winning medical educator, Associate Chief of Medicine for Educational and Academic Activities at SUNY Downstate School of Medicine, and Attending Physician at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn NY, and a public health advocate. He is the author of numerous USMLE test preparation guides and he teaches USMLE test preparation for Kaplan Medical.
He is the author of Routine Miracles: Restoring Faith and Hope in Medicine, available from Kaplan Publishing wherever books are sold starting in September 2009.
Conrad Fischer's Blog 
July 12, 2009 at 4:29 am |
Dr. Fischer!
It was a pleasure meeting you through Kaplan! Wow!!! I wish I had a teacher like you once in my medical school…. Anyways, I forgot to take down your e-mail address in class today. So please be kind enough to write back to me if and once you recieve this e-mail. Just to refresh your memory, I’m the guy who won a world series in Tennis, sponsored RC heli,plane,jet pilot….may be this will ring a bell??? I hope!
My e-mail : eranbw@yahoo.com
Cell : (951) 496 1569
youtube page : http://www.youtube.com/user/eranbw
Sincerely,
Eran Weerekoon
January 30, 2010 at 4:20 pm |
Awesome video, Eran! Try getting in the big one and lead the show (but careful 🙂 )
July 24, 2009 at 2:52 am |
God has given us a dark wine so potent that,
drinking it, we leave the two worlds.
God has put into the form of hashish a power
to deliver the taster from self-consciousness.
God has made sleep so
that it erases every thought.
God made Majnun love Layla so much that
just her dog would cause confusion in him.
There are thousands of wines
that can take over our minds.
Don’t think all ecstacies
are the same!
Jesus was lost in his love for God.
His donkey was drunk with barley.
Drink from the presence of saints,
not from those other jars.
Every object, every being,
is a jar full of delight.
Be a conoisseur,
and taste with caution.
Any wine will get you high.
Judge like a king, and choose the purest,
the ones unadulterated with fear,
or some urgency about “what’s needed.”
Drink the wine that moves you
as a camel moves when it’s been untied,
and is just ambling about.
Mathnawi IV, 2683-96
The Essential Rumi, Coleman Barks
August 26, 2009 at 1:32 pm |
Dr. Fischer,
It’s wonderful to see a person with genuine passion for what he does.
You have a true gift in using your “larger than life” presence in teaching and helping things “adhere” in our brains during Kaplan.
Just thought that it’s good for you to know that we benefit from your willingness to teach and your experience. Keep doing what you’re doing!
August 28, 2009 at 4:59 pm |
Dear LB,
Yes!!! You are absolutely right. It is wonderful and we are going to do the right thing for this civilization. We, together, will make sure the weak are protected and that universal coverage occurs. This is the time to take care of ALL our citizens.
I need your help to push this.
September 22, 2009 at 1:36 am |
Dr. Fischer,
I just wanted to tell you how great I think your Step 2 tapes are. You connect so well with your students that your live classes must be about as fun as test prep classes can possibly be. I haven’t taken Step 2 yet, but I am looking forward to reading your new book once it’s over! Thanks sincerely for the laughs with the lessons.
Sincerely,
Stephanie
September 23, 2009 at 10:44 pm |
Dr fischer;
I am inspired by your teaching as well as your efforts to bring out the future doctors. you make me think that beside my usmle exams and efforts for residency, I should do something creative and good for others. Your book is a spiritual lesson for those who want something more than a residency. I wish i can follow your path and continue your journey.
I highly recommend all my doctor fellows to read this book and get a new inspiration of life.
October 4, 2009 at 3:08 pm |
Dear Conrad
I enjoyed the Routine Miracles. I too, have been involved with educating younger generation of clinicians for past 40 years. I am also guilty of spreading some “gloom & doom” in medicine and I am guilty of sending some pessimistic “vibes” to younger generation.
After reading your book I have a new out look about current and future affairs in medicine( and surgery, naturally).
It should be a required reading for all teachers in medicine!
Best regards,
N.K.Pandeya,D.O.
October 5, 2009 at 6:21 pm |
YOu are very kind!
I wonder if I could trouble you to place these comments on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com?
I need all the help I can get to spread this message.
Thanks
CF
October 16, 2009 at 12:08 am |
if I had a teacher like you while I was studying, I’d probably be stuck on you!!
October 18, 2009 at 12:30 am |
Dr. Fischer
I got 99/261 on step2ck thanks to your tapes and messages, specialy the one about loving what we do and there are thousand of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. thanks.
October 18, 2009 at 11:48 pm |
I am delighted you heard that message.. Yes,
there are “hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground, but YOU have heard the message. That means the goodness of the message is in you.
October 20, 2009 at 7:10 am |
Dr Fischer,
Just got the results of my ABIM boards, I did not know that attending the Conrad Fischer Board Review at Kaplan would make passing boards so easy, each question appears on the screen and Conrad just flashes in my mind with his flavourful teaching and answers to the questions are automatically clicked by the mouse on the screen.
You are a gifted teacher ( we are gifted by having you around is what I really mean).
Thank you!
December 25, 2009 at 1:06 am |
Dear Dr Fischer:
I recently read and re-read the book ROUTINE MIRACLES. Several years back, on completing the Medical School, I had willing decided not to practice Medicine, as I felt so helpless and despondent (I was surprised, you had experienced similar instances in your life). I moved on to Research, I did my graduation in Physiology and joined Postdoctoral fellowship at Population Council, Rockefeller University, NY.
However, this year I acquired ECFMG certification, in-order to re-enter Medicine as Physician-Scientist, having completed my postdoctoral fellowship. At this juncture, I think your book has given me back my confidence and desire to heal as Physician. As I always believed, “Cure the curable and console the incurable.”
But unfortunately, despite decent scores 99 in 1st and 84 in 2nd and few months of observership (with two reputed professors) at McGill University hospital, Montreal, Canada, I have failed to be invited to even a single interview. I have long term goals of practicing medicine and continue research in Endocrinology. Any advice and support by you would be appreciated.
Thank you and Happy Holidays,
PL
February 4, 2010 at 7:04 am |
Dr. Fischer, I am not here to promote your book(s), personal notoriety, or universal health care. Yet, you have demonstrated your abilities as a teacher to be exceptional in all meanings of the word. You have helped me in my endeavors becoming a professional of health care. For that I admire you and your distinct manor of giving us a wealth of information. You were born to teach, there is no doubt. Please continue to utilize your gift.
Cheers,
JW
March 21, 2010 at 10:00 pm |
thank you very much JW,
I have been underground for severeral months working on a ‘Master the Boards’ Step 2 book. I appreciate the disclaimer, and since I don’t know who you are it is pretty objective.
You see, you are who I needed to hear from today.
I am 46 years old this year, and it takes a day and night effort for a long time to make a book. This morning I spent in the New York Zendo or Zen center. We are created to become awake, conscious beings, and I have to SERIOUSLY consider how much of my time, in the second half of my life to devote to medicine, medical Education and the perfecting of these methods, versus preparing for my own death and becoming ‘awake’.
Your message helps me, because unless we, you and I and those who are in class and read books that I write are using them to relieve suffering, then I will likely NOT continue for much longer.
If I am helping you to bring compassion into the world, then I will continue. If not, then it is simply a vanity exercise and time to stop.
May your life go well, and thank you for contacting me.
October 18, 2010 at 4:32 pm |
Dear Dr. Fischer
I am taking the online kaplan course in New delhi for step 1 and am glad am being taught by you. Thanx for making physiology so interesting..!! and yes am glad to hear from you…we are herbivores masquerading as carni and omnivores..!! Cheers…and thank you very much
sachin
October 31, 2010 at 5:27 am |
Dr. Fischer, I am a medical student not from the states but in South Korea. The medical school education looks like they are by far practically the same in the method of learning either in the states or here in Korea, and when I was struggling to find a meaning in all of the amount of information that I had to memorize, I luckly got a chance to watch your lectures in kaplan. Not only did your lectures helped me improve my grades, but I was inspired by alot of the quotes and phrases that you’ve mentioned which brought a lot of meaning and sense into studying medicine. I wanted to show you my appreciation and found this blog in the internet. Thank you for your passion in medical teaching, it has touched a heart of a student in a country around the globe.
November 3, 2010 at 7:32 pm |
Dr.Fischer:
How are you.I have seen some of your lectures.You have a great teaching style.Appreciate a lot for making it easy for students.If you dont mind asking,could you please give a suggestion about my chances of getting a residency.My scores are 78,83 and 93 in step 1,2 and 3 respectively.I failed step 3 four times.I have an MPH degree and few years of volunteer work experience.I value and greatly appreciate any opinion or suggestion from you.Thank you
Venky
November 22, 2010 at 7:20 am |
Dear DR Conrad
I guess its no need to admire you as it would be of no use everybody knows what you are and what have you impacted on our life and medical knowledge .
Just think of those third world doctors who dont have access to good libraries and our medical college and its teachers are not updated .
No our teachers who are young and motived they asking for your dvds that we had downloaded from the net to enhance their knowledge and they implicate these updates and your style into their lectures thanks to you .
I am sorry that we had to download from internet those lectures for free and its against copyright we are from a very poor country our medical school is a fee school very poor but intelligent young doctors got admitted cant afford such expensive tapes .Yet now hundreds of poor young doctors are benefiting from those along with our teachers they helping us through them.
We are contributing from our class and will order your routine………book for our college library .
Although we cant ever see yah yet we will be always praying for you may you flourish this goodness all around the world and thousands will benefit
YOU ARE NOT AN UNSUNG HERO…..from USA TILL KARACHI we all are benifting from you.
May God bless you,Ameen
November 22, 2010 at 7:21 am |
Dear DR Conrad
I guess its no need to admire you as it would be of no use everybody knows what you are and what have you impacted on our life and medical knowledge .
Just think of those third world doctors who dont have access to good libraries and our medical college and its teachers are not updated .
No our teachers who are young and motived they asking for your dvds that we had downloaded from the net to enhance their knowledge and they implicate these updates and your style into their lectures thanks to you .
I am sorry that we had to download from internet those lectures for free and its against copyright we are from a very poor country our medical school is a fee school very poor but intelligent young doctors got admitted cant afford such expensive tapes .Yet now hundreds of poor young doctors are benefiting from those along with our teachers they helping us through them.
We are contributing from our class and will order your routine………book for our college library .
Although we cant ever see yah yet we will be always praying for you may you flourish this goodness all around the world and thousands will benefit
YOU ARE NOT AN UNSUNG HERO…..from USA TILL KARACHI we all are benifting from you.
May God bless you,Ameen
November 28, 2010 at 8:45 pm |
My Dear Dr. Ali,
How nice to hear from you.
You make an excellent point. How are people without access supposed to get trained when they cannot afford expensive on-line courses? I appreciate you ‘apologizing’ about copyright issues, however, in terms of my previous videos, I actually SUPPORT the dissemination of the old tapes, and you have my permission to show the old cardioloogy tapes. they will help.
November 26, 2010 at 7:00 pm |
Dear Dr
hi, i’m impressed by your teaching technique and i love your way but genetically i am different person and unable to copy your act but anyway i love your character and i hope finally in my career able to see you and be your friend(i’m married man with 2 sons) anyhow i have 1 serious question but because i’m so optimistic and unable to find my answer so i request to answer me now i’m 41 years old and GP but with suitable knowledge in medicine for example i can answer most of your questions which you ask from students in CDs and i want to immigrate to canada with my family for PGME in anesthesiology so in your opinion whether am i able in 42 years old participate in anesthesiology residency program and conquer it? is age a limiting factor for promoting? sncerely yours Dr.Steven Sheikh
November 28, 2010 at 8:36 pm |
Many places do not care about the age. This is the land of opportunity and re-starts. One of the main points of our existence is the chance to re-start and re-brand ourselves.
I have at least Ten residents over 40 in the program
November 28, 2010 at 11:39 pm |
Thank you doctor really appreciate your permission hope many will benefit from it
Kind Regards
Dr Ali
November 30, 2010 at 4:26 am |
Dear Dr. Fischer,
This is the 3rd time i write to you and not only i don’t get a reply from you, but also my comment gets deleted.. If you don’t like to reply me here, you can reply me via my e-mail address: alanropair@gmail.com..
Here’s my previously-deleted message:
Dear Dr. Fischer,
I got the courage to send you this question when i read Dr. Sheikh’s comment..
I am 41 yrs. old, American citizen, IMG, graduted from my medical school overseas 16 yrs. ago, failed step 2 CK two times with scores: 58/146 and 71/183 respectively and CS once.. I am planning to retake CK for 3rd time by end of Feb. 2011 and CS for 2nd time by end of Mar. 2011.. Is there any hope for me to get any residency in the US if i pass CK and CS and Step 1 after them..? What score may i need to get? How bad is the influence of my negatives e.g. age, multiple failures, long time after graduation, and …..etc.. on my chances..? Any advice will be really appreciated even if it’s against my wishes..
Please don’t ignore my message..
Thank you so much in advance for your prompt reply..
Alan
December 11, 2010 at 2:23 pm |
The reason I did not reply is because I did not want to tell you that I think your chances with what you describe are very slim and I NEVER like to say that to anyone. I am sorry.
November 30, 2010 at 8:19 pm |
thank you for reply my hero in medicine,
April 20, 2011 at 6:49 pm |
I was a student of yours who asked to be in contact with you a while ago on this message board. With all the hats you wear I can tell you are incredibly busy, though I wish to share with you my profound journey and how I made it to residency.