Category: Education

After the pandemic, would I choose medicine again?

Several weeks ago, after hearing that I plan to begin medical school this August, someone asked me if I still would have chosen to become a physician had I known about COVID-19. When I submitted my AMCAS application one year ago, I never imagined that …

Cuomo Says New York Schools Will Remain Closed: ‘We’re Going To Err On The Side Of Caution’

A decision on summer school programs will be made by the end of May.

Should Essential Workers Get Debt Forgiveness?

As essential workers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus, many are calling for student debt forgiveness to provide relief to them given their unique risks of exposure.

The power of poetry during a pandemic

I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am fr…

The long term effects of COVID-19 on medical education

Ten years from now, the internist stands in the emergency department. Doctors run past him as he stares at the number of gurneys pushed against the wall with struggling patients who all need assistance. There are not enough gowns for him, and his colle…

An open letter to graduating medical students

I see you. Studying. Reading the updated guidelines for patients with COVID-19, reviewing differentials, and management algorithms for common chief complaints during this time of restricted direct patient contact. Embracing online boot camps. Completin…

COVID-19 and the MCAT: What should premedical students do?

As many of the spring MCAT dates have been canceled due to the onset of COVID-19, pre-med students across the country will be faced with daunting decisions on when to test and how to prepare for arguably the most definitive examination of their careers…

There is no place for USMLE Step 2 CS during a pandemic

As American cities continue to shelter-in-place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, thousands of medical students are in limbo as they wait to see when they will be able to take their licensing examinations. The growing backlog of test-takers is partic…

Unmatched: a setback or a step forward?

I still remember the morning of Monday, March 11th, 2019, with vivid clarity. I was on my last rotation of medical school. My medical ICU team was preparing for morning rounds. Vital signs and lab results suddenly seemed less important as my rotation f…

The impact of removing numerical scores from USMLE Step 1

I recall clearly the effect that the first step of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) had on my medical education. The test is generally taken at the end of the second year of medical school, about halfway through the 4-year curriculum. W…