Category: Education

My book reviews for premed students

As a child, I was always reading. As is the case for many people, I lost my literary passion in high school and college as my time was taken up by extracurriculars and doomscrolling on my phone. One thing I have thoroughly enjoyed about my gap years be…

How representation in medicine transformed my journey as a medical student

I come from a family of non-doctors. My childhood perception of a physician’s role was based on stray episodes of House. Medicine seemed akin to magic. Perhaps it was, in part, a desire to peek behind the curtain that ultimately landed me in medi…

How a standardized agreement could end the preceptor shortage

A few years ago, my college-age sons utilized the Common App for college applications. It’s a logical and brilliant concept: one online application that students can use to apply to multiple colleges and universities at once. And it’s accep…

How a standardized agreement could end the preceptor shortage

A few years ago, my college-age sons utilized the Common App for college applications. It’s a logical and brilliant concept: one online application that students can use to apply to multiple colleges and universities at once. And it’s accep…

How one medical student’s life-changing conversation reshaped her career

The fourth-year medical student “Megan” urgently wanted to meet with me. She just returned from an away rotation in pathology in mid-August and wanted to talk. She was not her usual confident self, appearing distracted and pale. She shared …

It’s not a normal job, folks: How 3 elemental forces of reality shape the profession of medicine

Introduction In the book Ender’s Game, humans face a time-dilation war in which they must travel light-years into the future to face an enemy of unknown strength and scale. The weapons and technology they possess for the journey may be outdated b…

Insights gained by attending vascular surgery conferences as a medical student: tips and lessons learned

Attending academic conferences as a medical student offers a wealth of opportunities. Whether it’s networking, finding potential mentors, deepening your knowledge of specialties, or simply exploring new cities, conferences provide unique experien…

To care or not to care: reflections on treating incarcerated patients

In medical school, we are taught that the well-being of the patient is our highest priority. This principle is central to our training, constantly reinforced through lectures, simulations, and clinical experiences. However, this notion was challenged i…

The health crisis no one’s talking about: Why teens need better health education

Many students only learn basic health facts, like how to put a condom on a banana or that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. But when it comes to making real-life health decisions, this scarce knowledge just doesn’t cut it. Shockingl…

How can we make neurosurgery more accessible to future generations?

Neurosurgery is an exhilarating and rewarding field that combines cutting-edge technology with the intricate art of surgical precision. Yet, despite its allure, many medical students feel intimidated or uncertain about pursuing this path. As a fourth-y…