Imagine taking the MCAT, applying to schools, getting interviews and even being accepted into medical school. How would it feel knowing your dedication has paid off? I felt great, as I had studied hard and made sacrifices others were unwilling…
Imagine taking the MCAT, applying to schools, getting interviews and even being accepted into medical school. How would it feel knowing your dedication has paid off? I felt great, as I had studied hard and made sacrifices others were unwilling to make. As I saw the finish line for what would be the beginning of medical school, I began to ask myself, “Should I continue onwards toward medical school or …
When I entered college, I wanted to be a chemistry major. I had no idea what college chemistry would be like, but it was the class I loved most in high school and something I was pretty good at. The…
When I entered college, I wanted to be a chemistry major. I had no idea what college chemistry would be like, but it was the class I loved most in high school and something I was pretty good at. The town I grew up in had little more than 3,000 people and more gas stations than stop lights. My school didn’t have Advanced Placement classes or partnerships with local hospitals …
Congratulations on your acceptance to medical school! Wherever you’re starting this fall, know that you’re joining a “cult” of health care professionals and health care professionals-to-be. No matter how little you know, you’ll be asked for medical advice. And the…
Congratulations on your acceptance to medical school! Wherever you’re starting this fall, know that you’re joining a “cult” of health care professionals and health care professionals-to-be. No matter how little you know, you’ll be asked for medical advice. And the more you learn, the less likely you’ll be able to sit through an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” without picking out the make believe. We’re right there with you.
Fireworks, champagne toasts, sparkly hats, and the ball drop are all items that we conger up in our minds as we think of the New Year. For the majority of the world, January 1st represents the transition from one year…
Fireworks, champagne toasts, sparkly hats, and the ball drop are all items that we conger up in our minds as we think of the New Year. For the majority of the world, January 1st represents the transition from one year to another on the calendar. New resolutions are made, and there is a global fresh start. However, for those of us in the medical field, there is another new year …
My sister calls my name three times before I hear her. I am so distracted by the palm trees and the ocean view that I don’t feel her put the car in park. I look up at the “Physician Parking…
My sister calls my name three times before I hear her. I am so distracted by the palm trees and the ocean view that I don’t feel her put the car in park. I look up at the “Physician Parking Only” sign straight ahead.
“Hurry up and get out. We’re running late, and I don’t want to have to stay after my shift ends,” she says.
Every July, recently graduated doctors from medical school transition into hospitals, clinics, and surgical rotations. Doctors completing their internship year welcome the second year with additional leadership roles. This period of transition is coupled with the pressure of doing well,…
Every July, recently graduated doctors from medical school transition into hospitals, clinics, and surgical rotations. Doctors completing their internship year welcome the second year with additional leadership roles. This period of transition is coupled with the pressure of doing well, the stress of proving your competency on attending rounds, and the desire to receive respect from your team.
It is easy to become confused and frustrated as you learn to navigate …
My husband and I met during my graduate studies and while he was earning his bachelor’s degree. Two years after getting married, we packed our belongings and moved to a new state where he began medical school. We started our…
My husband and I met during my graduate studies and while he was earning his bachelor’s degree. Two years after getting married, we packed our belongings and moved to a new state where he began medical school. We started our own little family a year later and welcomed an amazing daughter into our lives. After she was born, I made the personal decision to leave my job and stay at …
I write this blog in order to prepare premedical students for the road ahead. I want you to understand common obstacles facing medical students so you can be better prepared to overcome them. Medical training is akin to a roller…
I write this blog in order to prepare premedical students for the road ahead. I want you to understand common obstacles facing medical students so you can be better prepared to overcome them. Medical training is akin to a roller coaster pulling you through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. On the one hand, medical school is extremely challenging but rest assured, it is very tough to …
My wife and I were in a unique situation after graduating medical school. We had met in the first year of medical school in and became friends. During our second year we started dating, and by end of third year,…
My wife and I were in a unique situation after graduating medical school. We had met in the first year of medical school in and became friends. During our second year we started dating, and by end of third year, we were married. By the beginning of fourth year, we were proudly expecting. By June 1st, 2016 we were fortunate enough to share our graduation from medical school with our …
“Your zip code is a better predictor of health than your genetic code.” A picture of this quote was projected onto the screen during our lecture. Our professor’s words echoed throughout the auditorium as he described the importance of understanding…
“Your zip code is a better predictor of health than your genetic code.”
A picture of this quote was projected onto the screen during our lecture. Our professor’s words echoed throughout the auditorium as he described the importance of understanding the social aspects of our patients’ lives rather than just their genetic predisposition to disease. Understanding the social and economic conditions that impact health, disease and the practice of medicine lies …
Have you ever wondered exactly what it means when a medical student is “on rotations”? We always claim that we’re busy, but just what is it that we do all day? To answer these questions, here’s a recap of one…
Have you ever wondered exactly what it means when a medical student is “on rotations”? We always claim that we’re busy, but just what is it that we do all day? To answer these questions, here’s a recap of one day from my inpatient pediatrics rotation.
5:27 a.m.: I pull out of the parking lot and start the now-familiar early morning commute down I-280 to San Jose. The good thing about …
They say you never forget your first crush. Or your first date. Or your first kiss. And you don't. Just as we have landmarks events that shape us in the adolescence of our personal lives, physicians also have landmark events…
They say you never forget your first crush. Or your first date. Or your first kiss.
And you don’t.
Just as we have landmarks events that shape us in the adolescence of our personal lives, physicians also have landmark events that shape them in the adolescence of medical training: residency.
No longer a child of medical school, needing constant supervision and clinical babysitting by elders, resident physicians start with a refreshingly nascent view …
Dear fellow students, I am addressing you today as a comrade, a peer, as someone who shares your concerns and understands the pressure and stress you experience in medical school. It is true that medical schools attract very similar kind…
Dear fellow students,
I am addressing you today as a comrade, a peer, as someone who shares your concerns and understands the pressure and stress you experience in medical school. It is true that medical schools attract very similar kind of people: Medical students are smart, hard-working individuals who are striving for excellence and achievements. They want to help the sick, the poor and the needy and cultivate a sustainable change …
I knew that residency would be indentured servitude for (in my case) three years. I knew it. I prepared for the fear, the shaming, and the isolation as best I could. And I have for the past 11 months done…
I knew that residency would be indentured servitude for (in my case) three years.
I knew it. I prepared for the fear, the shaming, and the isolation as best I could.
And I have for the past 11 months done OK. I am not the smartest or fastest. But I am told that I am passionate about my patients and have an “adequate fund of knowledge.”
Dear intern, It will be the best of times, and it will be the worst of times. But what a special time this will be. It will be a time of learning the details and nuances of clinical medicine —…
Dear intern,
It will be the best of times, and it will be the worst of times.
But what a special time this will be. It will be a time of learning the details and nuances of clinical medicine — the diagnostic features of sarcoidosis and the second, third and fourth line treatments for community-acquired pneumonia. You will learn how to learn, and you will forget what you learned, only to learn …
When I started my intern year, I was told that I was going to be sleep deprived and it was going to be the worst years of my life. Yes, there were times I racked up a sleep debt, but…
When I started my intern year, I was told that I was going to be sleep deprived and it was going to be the worst years of my life.
Yes, there were times I racked up a sleep debt, but it was for patient care. And because of the camaraderie and relationships I formed (both inside and outside the hospital), I will forever remember residency with a smile.
Everyone says that medical school gets better, especially third year. The traditional four-year curriculum covers basic science in the classroom for the first two years. Then suddenly, third year plunges us into clinical rotations in the hospital, where we’ve all…
Everyone says that medical school gets better, especially third year. The traditional four-year curriculum covers basic science in the classroom for the first two years. Then suddenly, third year plunges us into clinical rotations in the hospital, where we’ve all dreamed of working for so long. Third year is when we transition from learning how to be scientists; we finally learn how to become doctors — except for one critical, …
I will walk into the hospital with a clean, ironed white coat buttoned to the top, dress shoes polished, a tie neatly knotted under my collar, my maroon stethoscope rearing to go -- and I will be largely unprepared for…
I will walk into the hospital with a clean, ironed white coat buttoned to the top, dress shoes polished, a tie neatly knotted under my collar, my maroon stethoscope rearing to go — and I will be largely unprepared for what lies ahead. Along with countless others across the country, I will begin my medical internship, a year considered by many to be the most important in a physician’s working …
There was more than one tooth missing, maybe three or four from what he could tell. He held one in his scraped hand as I searched for the others, not sure what I would do with them if I found…
There was more than one tooth missing, maybe three or four from what he could tell. He held one in his scraped hand as I searched for the others, not sure what I would do with them if I found them. My little sister’s bike laid on top of him, a paperweight on his frail frame. Blood pooled in his mouth and dripped onto his shirt when it ran out …
They say the first cut is the deepest. For me, this was definitely not the case. It is a typical Tuesday afternoon, and I am preparing for my third case of the day when the intern I am working with…
They say the first cut is the deepest. For me, this was definitely not the case.
It is a typical Tuesday afternoon, and I am preparing for my third case of the day when the intern I am working with informs me that he needs to leave for clinic. It will be just me and the attending for this next one.
I report to the OR, feeling a little nervous and not …
