Medical education

2,303 articles · Since 2007

Articles, page 46

Every patient has a rich history behind their current state of health

July 12, 2018Jul 12, 20182

As I was reviewing his chart, I noticed under social history that “freelance artist/painter” was listed as his occupation. I've never met a patient of such talent and honestly, I was excited to meet him. When I arrived at the…

As I was reviewing his chart, I noticed under social history that “freelance artist/painter” was listed as his occupation. I’ve never met a patient of such talent and honestly, I was excited to meet him. When I arrived at the ER, I was introduced to an unassuming elderly man. He wore a pair of worn out jeans and a burnt orange T-shirt. Tufts of white hair emanated from under his …

Third year of medical school is like learning to ride a bike

Samuel Singer

July 12, 2018Jul 12, 2018

I could see the excitement on my six-year-old daughter’s face as we pulled into the parking lot and unloaded her new bike from the car. She had been anxiously awaiting this moment for several weeks — she was going to learn to ride a bicycle. She watched with increasing interest as I unscrewed the training wheels, tightened her handlebars and handed her the bike. She got on her new bike …

What’s better: mentorship or sponsorship?

Julie Silver, MD

July 11, 2018Jul 11, 2018

Literature coming from business and human resource management suggests that women are over-mentored and under-sponsored. However, if you have been reading reports about women in medicine, then you likely have heard that women are both over-mentored and under-mentored. Where does…

What exactly do these words mean? In the business sector, mentorship is …

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8 things I would tell my younger self

The Traveling Resident, MD

July 8, 2018Jul 8, 2018

Young, aspiring doctors are the Iron Youth of this generation. In Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, young German soldiers are called the Iron Youth as part of a campaign to generate enthusiasm for fighting in the…

Young, aspiring doctors are the Iron Youth of this generation. In Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, young German soldiers are called the Iron Youth as part of a campaign to generate enthusiasm for fighting in the war; these soldiers soon realize the true horrors of war and its lasting impact on the psyche. The analogy is not necessarily to compare residency to war but to highlight …

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8 things I would tell my younger self

Don’t worry, medical students don’t judge

Nathaniel Fleming

July 7, 2018Jul 7, 20182

Everybody gets nervous at the doctor’s office. Physicians ask all sorts of personal questions about what people eat, how much they drink, and how things are at home. Even questions that would seem completely harmless in another context — such as how work is going, or what hobbies a person enjoys — seem surrounded by hidden meaning and purpose. After all, who doesn’t want to “pass” their annual checkup?

Part of …

To graduating residents: You have already exceeded our expectations

Christina Shenvi, MD, PhD

July 4, 2018Jul 4, 2018

A speech to graduating residents. It’s an easy thing to count the number of seeds in an apple. In our residency class of 2018 we have nine seeds, and on your graduation, we scatter you across the country. You each…

A speech to graduating residents.

It’s an easy thing to count the number of seeds in an apple. In our residency class of 2018 we have nine seeds, and on your graduation, we scatter you across the country. You each carry amazing potential that we have hopefully helped nurture over your years here. You will be caring doctors kneeling by bedsides. You will be national leaders changing policies. You will be …

Advice for first-year medical students

Jamie Katuna

June 29, 2018Jun 29, 2018

A few days ago I received a message: “Any advice for incoming med students?” As an old, wise, seasoned, now-second year medical student, I know everything. Just kidding — I fumbled my way through first year like everyone else, and…

A few days ago I received a message: “Any advice for incoming med students?”

As an old, wise, seasoned, now-second year medical student, I know everything. Just kidding — I fumbled my way through first year like everyone else, and just like you will too. No piece of advice allows you to opt out from the challenges of medical school year one.

My advice isn’t the “normal” recommendations incoming medical students receive. You …

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Advice for first-year medical students

Becoming a doctor is the epitome of delayed gratification

Natasha Abadilla

June 19, 2018Jun 19, 20182

Recently, I had the honor of standing by one of my childhood best friends as she promised the love of her life that she’d stand by him forever. The wedding was beautiful, and at the reception, I played with another close friend’s 3-year-old daughter and talked with other friends about their work promotions and apartment searches. All I have to contribute to these conversations are anecdotes about medical school and …

The next time you see a medical student, give support

Gurbaksh Esch, MD

June 16, 2018Jun 16, 20182

"I am so happy I'm not in residency anymore!" he said with a big grin on his face. "I mean, I learned a lot, don't get me wrong," he tried to rectify the situation after realizing who he was talking…

“I am so happy I’m not in residency anymore!” he said with a big grin on his face. “I mean, I learned a lot, don’t get me wrong,” he tried to rectify the situation after realizing who he was talking to, “I just remember how tired I was and how I never saw my family.”

This was not the first, nor the last, time I heard something like this. So many …

Medical students: You are more than your grades

Anonymous

June 15, 2018Jun 15, 2018

Recently, I entered an essay contest on advice you would give to future medical students. I sincerely believe that the best person to write an article offering advice to younger medical students should come from a person who didn’t match. Also known as me. Why, you say? Well, for everyone else, Match Day is a culmination of four years of mentally, physically, and emotionally taxing work. They might even forget …

A graduating medical student reflects on the last few years

Akhilesh Pathipati, MD

June 13, 2018Jun 13, 2018

I will graduate from medical school next week. As it winds down, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what I’ve learned and how I’ve changed over the past five years. Obviously, I now know a lot more about…

I will graduate from medical school next week. As it winds down, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what I’ve learned and how I’ve changed over the past five years.

Obviously, I now know a lot more about medicine. There’s no escaping the need to absorb an enormous volume of information. I can rattle off the symptoms, mechanisms, and treatments for heart failure, diabetes, syphilis, and dozens of other …

Being idealistic is a necessary component in achieving your goals

Gaurav Jain

June 10, 2018Jun 10, 20183

I am a first-year medical student, and just like some of you once did, the primary reason I am becoming a physician is to really make a difference for my patients by . “Wow, that’s really great, but we’ll see…

I am a first-year medical student, and just like some of you once did, the primary reason I am becoming a physician is to really make a difference for my patients by [insert x, y or z].

“Wow, that’s really great, but we’ll see how you feel about it in a few years.”

“That’s not how it works once you’re actually out there.”

“Trust me, medicine isn’t what it used to be, get …

How to ace your medical school interviews: evidence-based tips

Dilshan Pieris

June 9, 2018Jun 9, 2018

School interviews are considered the most important factor for selecting candidates for medical school. They allow faculty to meet candidates who look good on paper and see how they fare in person. Though thousands apply, only a fraction are offered interviews. Naturally, candidates feel nervous when preparing for these interviews. This is especially true for applicants with multiple interviews since they must prepare for more than …

My first patient to be diagnosed with cancer

Ton La, Jr., MD, JD

June 8, 2018Jun 8, 2018

"I feel very dizzy when standing," was Ms. A's* chief complaint. She originally came to the ER for sudden onset double vision and severe balance issues. After briefing myself, I took the stairs to the fourth floor and found her.…

“I feel very dizzy when standing,” was Ms. A’s* chief complaint. She originally came to the ER for sudden onset double vision and severe balance issues. After briefing myself, I took the stairs to the fourth floor and found her.

When I arrived, Ms. A was the only person there. She was wearing a silver visor and a crisp white shirt. As a native of west Texas, she loved her BBQ, …

What you need to hear at your medical school graduation

Pranay Sinha, MD

June 5, 2018Jun 5, 20182

Well done! Strong work! You’ve done it! Four years (often more) of perspiration have earned you two extra letters (often more) in your name. You should be proud. Nothing should get between you and a gigantic glass of bubbly today.…

Well done! Strong work! You’ve done it!

Four years (often more) of perspiration have earned you two extra letters (often more) in your name. You should be proud. Nothing should get between you and a gigantic glass of bubbly today. The world feels different. You feel different. But are you?

The thing about ceremonies that feature costumes, protocols and rituals is that they confer upon participants a sense of change. Just look …

Fight systemic racism in medicine

Anonymous

June 5, 2018Jun 5, 201842

As a medical student, every eight weeks I rotate through a new specialty in a new hospital or health service. This means every eight weeks, I flick over to a new chapter in my textbook, learn a new set of medical lingo, meet a new team of doctors and a new cohort of patients. As a person of color, however, this translates to something far more challenging yet predictable. It …

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Fight systemic racism in medicine

How the Parkland shooting changed the way I feel about medicine

Ashira Klein, MD

June 3, 2018Jun 3, 20183

February 14, 2018. It’s the "before." My phone rang, and I stopped breathing as words poured straight from her heart about the most recent school shooting -- Stoneman Douglas High School, where I had nervously walked the halls as a…

February 14, 2018. It’s the “before.” My phone rang, and I stopped breathing as words poured straight from her heart about the most recent school shooting — Stoneman Douglas High School, where I had nervously walked the halls as a freshman and excitedly watched my sister cheer at football games in Parkland, a boring little town next to my equally boring hometown, as a teenager. Here, I protested the indignity …

It’s time to recognize the rights of medical students and residents

Thad Salmon, MD

June 1, 2018Jun 1, 201817

Goodbyes were confusing during my third and fourth years of medical school. Even on my way to a 28-hour labor and delivery call, I tended to say, “I’m leaving for school.” Rather quickly, my wife trained me to say, “I’m leaving for work.” I was never quite reconciled to this, as I couldn’t forget the upcoming exams and tuition costs around $30,000 per year.

For the uninitiated, “work” as a medical …

Why this physician teaches first-year medical students

Mark Kelley, MD

May 31, 2018May 31, 20184

I teach first-year medical students how to take a medical history and perform physical exams on patients. These skills are the foundation of medicine. The history and physical exam (plus a few basic tests) are time-tested methods for diagnosing disease.…

I teach first-year medical students how to take a medical history and perform physical exams on patients.

These skills are the foundation of medicine. The history and physical exam (plus a few basic tests) are time-tested methods for diagnosing disease. Using these tools, a skilled physician can reach an accurate diagnosis more often than not.

We humans share a standard range of symptoms. Pain, weight loss, fever, cough, abdominal complaints: They are …

Money matters to how you experience medical training. It matters a lot.

Kristin Puhl, MD

May 31, 2018May 31, 2018

Medical practice is a calling. It's not a job, it's not a career -- it's a vocation. And if you really love your vocation, you'll let nothing stand in your way. Certainly not something as trivial and crass as money.…

Medical practice is a calling. It’s not a job, it’s not a career — it’s a vocation. And if you really love your vocation, you’ll let nothing stand in your way. Certainly not something as trivial and crass as money. After all, once you’re in practice, you’ll be raking it in, right? So why worry about that now, when you’re just beginning your medical education?

That attitude is pervasive, and it’s …

Medical education

Articles, page 46

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