Medical education

2,291 articles · Since 2007

Articles, page 14

How to lose your compassion: the brutal reality of medical internship

January 27, 2024Jan 27, 20242

Not all at once, just slowly enough that you don't notice. "I'm having a rough go at it," Mr. Robinson confesses. He was listening to me use choppy, challenging vocabulary to piece together what's landed him in the hospital. But…

Not all at once, just slowly enough that you don’t notice.

“I’m having a rough go at it,” Mr. Robinson confesses. He was listening to me use choppy, challenging vocabulary to piece together what’s landed him in the hospital.

But I know what he’s talking about. The mass in his chest that’s been compressing on his airway, making him so sick, so quickly. He is talking about his pneumonia: the fevers, chills, …

Is the MCAT still vital for medical school admissions?

Anonymous

January 27, 2024Jan 27, 2024

I recently concluded my application cycle with an acceptance, and I've been catching up on the news regarding medical school admissions. Admittedly, I'm disappointed. Also shocked by how much can happen while being occupied. It kind of felt like Neo…

I recently concluded my application cycle with an acceptance, and I’ve been catching up on the news regarding medical school admissions. Admittedly, I’m disappointed. Also shocked by how much can happen while being occupied. It kind of felt like Neo getting out of his “bubble.”

Simply put, the MCAT is still important and should remain so, at least until other forms of assessment, such as the Situational Judgment Test, are refined …

Just how personal should personal statements be on medical school applications?

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

January 20, 2024Jan 20, 2024

I read an essay advocating the disclosure of personal trauma on medical school applications as a means of overcoming stigma and taboo often associated with rape and other forms of trauma. The authors lamented that a culture of silence persists in medicine despite movements such as #MeToo. They concluded: “We, as physicians, have a duty to reduce shame to promote recovery in both our patients and in …

Real physician voices, twice a week

Free, and one click to unsubscribe.

From timed essays to time mastery: a doctor’s journey through the power of belief

Sofia Dobrin, MD

January 20, 2024Jan 20, 2024

One of my most stressful high school class memories was an AP English class I took during my junior year. Each week, we had timed writings where we were given a specific amount of time to write an essay on a given topic. As soon as the timer went off, we had to put our pencils down and raise our hands, signaling that we were done, regardless of what was …

A call for LGBTQ+ inclusion in medicine’s definition of “underrepresented”

Cortlyn Brown, MD & Mel Ebeling

January 19, 2024Jan 19, 20242

In an impromptu listing of all the diseases his children had, I never would have guessed that the next word to come out of my attending's mouth was "gay." As an LGBTQ+ medical student with scars on my chest to…

In an impromptu listing of all the diseases his children had, I never would have guessed that the next word to come out of my attending’s mouth was “gay.” As an LGBTQ+ medical student with scars on my chest to prove it, this encounter only added to the collection of instances where I felt the weight of being underrepresented in medicine. Or am I?

Each year, the Association of American

…

Medical residency closures: Is nothing sacred anymore?

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

January 14, 2024Jan 14, 2024

Closing a residency program can significantly disrupt a physician's training. In 2019, the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia forced 570 residents to find new placements. First-year residents discovered a week before they started that the hospital was closing…

Closing a residency program can significantly disrupt a physician’s training. In 2019, the closure of Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia forced 570 residents to find new placements. First-year residents discovered a week before they started that the hospital was closing after its owner filed for bankruptcy.

Fast forward to January 2024. Within days, two additional residency training programs in the Philadelphia area announced closures.

Albert Einstein Medical Center said it was ending its …

Navigating a leave of absence from medical school: a comprehensive guide

Stephanie E. Moss

December 27, 2023Dec 27, 2023

Taking a leave of absence (LOA) from medical school is a significant decision that involves careful consideration of various factors. In this article, I will consolidate valuable information on types of LOAs, reasons for taking one, and crucial considerations during and after. This information comes from my own experience taking an LOA between my 2nd and 3rd year of medical school, and the results of an anonymous survey of 16 …

A test of medical leadership for Penn’s new president

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

December 16, 2023Dec 16, 20232

When the University of Pennsylvania's president Liz Magill was forced to resign her position due to her equivocal stance regarding antisemitic harassment on Penn's campus, J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, was soon announced as her interim successor. Jameson had served…

When the University of Pennsylvania’s president Liz Magill was forced to resign her position due to her equivocal stance regarding antisemitic harassment on Penn’s campus, J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, was soon announced as her interim successor. Jameson had served as executive vice president of Penn’s health system and dean of the Perelman School of Medicine since 2011.

Jameson is a prominent molecular endocrinologist, author of over 350 scientific …

Is it noble or selfish to never practice medicine after getting a medical degree?

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

December 15, 2023Dec 15, 20233

A Harvard medical school student realized in his third year that he had lost his desire to become a doctor. Nevertheless, the student decided to complete his fourth year and obtain his MD degree. The student is now planning for a career in pharma or even comedy. Some individuals who read his online essay found the student’s decision-making comical in itself. Overall, their comments were evenly divided about the …

Catastrophic failure of educational leadership can affect medical students

Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA

December 11, 2023Dec 11, 20233

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said he can't define pornography, but he knows it when he sees it. Stewart might just as well have been talking about leadership—reflecting the difficulty in providing a precise definition of leadership but suggesting…

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said he can’t define pornography, but he knows it when he sees it. Stewart might just as well have been talking about leadership—reflecting the difficulty in providing a precise definition of leadership but suggesting that individuals can recognize ineffectual leadership when they encounter it.

The abject failure of three university presidents to answer “yes” to a simple question—whether calls for the genocide of Jews violate …

Improving medical specialty selection with pre-training examinations

Deepak Gupta, MD & Sarwan Kumar, MD

November 15, 2023Nov 15, 2023

Considering that the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) primarily evaluates candidates' general medical knowledge, there is a growing need to introduce specialty-specific pre-training examinations (PTEs). This is because the USMLE's focus on overall medical knowledge may not accurately predict…

Considering that the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) primarily evaluates candidates’ general medical knowledge, there is a growing need to introduce specialty-specific pre-training examinations (PTEs). This is because the USMLE’s focus on overall medical knowledge may not accurately predict the performance of applicants in their specialty-specific in-training examinations (ITEs). The introduction of PTEs could serve as a more reliable indicator of applicants’ commitment and aptitude for their chosen specialties. …

The erosion of compassion in medicine

Daniel Luger, MD

November 12, 2023Nov 12, 20235

With my first thrust on his chest, I shattered his sternum, feeling his bones crumble in my hands. His eyes were wide open but lifeless. Dried secretions crusted his lips. His dusky skin tone indicated my efforts would be futile.…

Soon the room was bustling with medical residents and nurses. A controlled chaos ensued. We inserted a breathing tube …

Read more…

The erosion of compassion in medicine

Decoding doctor designations: the crucial need to ditch the “provider” label

Austin Miller

October 27, 2023Oct 27, 20236

Health care terminology has evolved significantly over the years, with the term "provider" becoming a standard reference for various health care professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. While the term includes many health care professionals in current medical…

Health care terminology has evolved significantly over the years, with the term “provider” becoming a standard reference for various health care professionals, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. While the term includes many health care professionals in current medical practice, it’s important to discuss why “provider” was initially used and should not be used interchangeably with “physician.”

A brief history of the term “provider”

The term “provider” in health care began …

September in medicine: scouting season for future doctors

Stephen J. Foley

October 10, 2023Oct 10, 2023

In medicine, September marks scouting season. Like professional baseball clubs, residency programs meticulously generate and analyze scouting reports for prospective interns, aimed toward building an ideal lineup of future doctors that functions seamlessly as a team while augmenting everyone's individual…

From an applicant’s perspective, the focus on experience, exam scores, and class rankings reflects the layout of a player’s statistics on the back of a baseball card. With more objective …

From medical humanities student to physician

Nicholas Bellacicco, DO

October 5, 2023Oct 5, 2023

At seventeen, I envisioned two types of physicians: the doctor who cared about me and my needs, and the doctor who was cold and detached. At that point in my life, I had experienced both types of physicians from the patient perspective. My dream was to become a physician. I wanted to be the empathetic doctor, the one who saw the patient as a person. I aspired to become the …

How Tratak yoga reshaped my USMLE Step 2 prep

Dr. Nikita Mehdiratta

September 28, 2023Sep 28, 2023

This is a notable example of the impactful outcomes that can arise from venturing beyond conventional routes to chart distinctive journeys toward success. Like countless other medical students, I committed months to intensive preparation, diligently taking mock tests, revising tirelessly,…

This is a notable example of the impactful outcomes that can arise from venturing beyond conventional routes to chart distinctive journeys toward success.

Like countless other medical students, I committed months to intensive preparation, diligently taking mock tests, revising tirelessly, and faithfully adhering to the trusted USMLE Step 2 study resources. Yet, each mock test I undertook delivered the disheartening verdict of “fail.” It was an emotionally taxing struggle, and despite …

The role of income in medical school acceptance

Carter Do

September 18, 2023Sep 18, 20232

It was during my general surgery rotation that I had an encounter with a urologist attending while waiting for pending surgery to occur. As we made small talk about the medical field, our conversation gravitated toward the topic of medical school admissions. The attending shared their opinion on the pressing issue of diversity among medical students, specifically in terms of socioeconomic status (SES). They discussed how the lack of representation …

Balancing tension and kindness in medical education

Chloe N. L. Lee, MD, MPH

September 15, 2023Sep 15, 2023

I recall a particularly tense interaction on my surgery rotation in medical school. The sub-intern on our team, a dedicated classmate of mine, was instructed to carry the call pager one Friday afternoon, to the undue chagrin of the team’s nurse practitioner. With an irritable toss of her blonde hair, eyes rolling with exasperation, the NP snappily handed off the pager to our sub-intern. “Ugh, this is going to slow …

I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

Nandini Erodula

September 14, 2023Sep 14, 202324

The major implications of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, overturning Roe v. Wade, have centered on state-based rulings to remove a person's right to abortion, thus preventing clinicians from supplying lifesaving health care and undermining an individual's…

The major implications of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, overturning Roe v. Wade, have centered on state-based rulings to remove a person’s right to abortion, thus preventing clinicians from supplying lifesaving health care and undermining an individual’s autonomy over their body. Further, as states eliminate this essential option in providing reproductive care, another important damaging impact of the Dobbs decision is beginning to be recognized. Namely, where …

A chance encounter in Chicago: lessons in compassionate medicine

Emily S. Hagen, MD

September 10, 2023Sep 10, 2023

It was a frigid January night in Chicago. My whole body felt cold as flurries of snow landed on my clothes, prompting me to quickly enter the restaurant to find my friend. The dinner began to unfold how I had…

It was a frigid January night in Chicago. My whole body felt cold as flurries of snow landed on my clothes, prompting me to quickly enter the restaurant to find my friend.

The dinner began to unfold how I had imagined. My friend, a fellow medical student, and I eagerly chatted about our life updates. I shared stories from my days in the hospital, and she described the progress of her …

Medical education

Articles, page 14

Real physician voices, twice a week

The Podcast

Latest episodes

Most popular

The Podcast

Latest episodes

Most popular