Misha Armstrong is a medical student.

If medical students are already experiencing burnout, how are they going to survive residency?

Education
May 6, 2019

My interest in understanding burnout among medical trainees started during my second year of medical school. With Step 1 nearing, I noticed a dynamic shift in my classmates. The growing tension, petty arguments, and constant worry surrounding our futures took over. This led to a research project assessing burnout risk factors that stood out like a red flag on my application for residency. I found most of my interviewers were …

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If medical students are already experiencing burnout, how are they going to survive residency?

Please show more interest in your health than my looks

Education
January 19, 2018

In 2017, more women than men were accepted into medical school for the first time. 2017 also brought attention to the sexual harassment many women face that often goes ignored. Medicine is not immune to behavior that objectifies women and ignores their complaints. My experiences are mild in comparison to many of my peers, but highlights the comfort both patients and physicians feel discussing the appearance of female trainees.

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I was …

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Please show more interest in your health than my looks

A letter to my sister (and all other first-year medical students)

Education
October 16, 2017

Congratulations! At this point, you are almost halfway done with your first year of medical school. Either you have finally figured out what’s going on, or if you’re like me, you are still trying to figure it out. Relax, take a few deep breaths. Medical school is unlike anything you have ever done. The volume of information, constant testing, and overwhelming need to keep up with your peers is an …

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A letter to my sister (and all other first-year medical students)

Be mindful of your words. Medical students are listening.

Education
August 21, 2016

As first year came to an end, we were asked to reflect on our experiences thus far. The multitude of tests and memorized facts, anatomy dissections, and patient interactions flooded my mind. Shockingly, it was not the difficulty of the first year of medical school that I will remember the most, rather the jaded comments from physicians and students that attempted to cloud my perspective of medicine.

“Medicine is different now. …

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Be mindful of your words. Medical students are listening.

A medical student learns from the power of the bystander effect

Education
November 27, 2015

I have the privilege of being a first-year medical student. Awkwardly learning how to perform the physical exam, repeating the same questions to collect an HPI from standardized patients, unsure of how all of my mediocre skills will translate to the precision of the physicians I attempt to emulate. I have settled into the pace of lectures, and the rush of experiencing the human body has left me as I …

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A medical student learns from the power of the bystander effect