Category: Education

Promote a culture of medical school peer education

I am a few days away from graduating medical school. Throughout these four years, I have given back to my medical school by passing on the knowledge and wisdom I have accumulated. I share my reflection on the importance of having medical school mentors…

It’s time to rethink what it means to be a DO

The future of our profession lies in our ability to come together with a unified voice. We must also recognize that the practice of osteopathic medicine, and the training of osteopathic physicians, has evolved significantly since A.T. Still, MD, DO, cr…

3 ways to change your mindset in continuing medical education

The seeds of emotional turmoil inherent in medical education are planted early in the pursuit of becoming a doctor. It is the unspoken fear that medical students and residents experience each day on attending rounds.  It is the worry of missing a vital…

A student finds his passion for medicine

3:30 a.m. – Wake up. 4:00 a.m. – Leave apartment. 4:15 a.m. – Arrive at hospital. 4:20 a.m. – Print out the patient list. 4:20 – 5:25 a.m. – Split the list of 50 patients with your partner, go to a computer and write…

Recognizing the secret identity of physicians

It was recently National Teacher Appreciation Week, and many were busy recognizing their superhero teachers.  Schools dedicate the week to their teachers, parents bustle about with flowers, handmade cards, and gift baskets.   For me, though last week w…

How a disability changed this medical student

As a college freshman in 2012, my life seemed perfect. I was attending Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, with the dream of becoming a pediatric oncologist. To that end, I was serving as a volunteer, researcher, and clinical intern at the world-renowned St…

A medical student’s biggest fear

It was the last week of my EMS elective. I was incredibly lucky to ride with one of the EMS captains who was eager to take me to any call that sounded interesting. We were called to a possible stroke. An 82-year-old woman with sudden-onset unilateral w…

A medical student’s first patient presentation

In medical school, you’re not taught how to give stellar patient presentations. Yes, you’re shown the traditional order of things: “Give an effective one-liner first, then tell the HPI [history of present illness] but only give pertinent info, etc.” Ju…

Medicine was consuming this medical student. Was it worth it?

For as long as I remember, studying medicine has always been the goal I focused on the most. For years, I thought that I knew the path I was taking, and that I calculated the benefits and drawbacks. However, with time, I learned that no matter how much…

A medical educator’s poignant epiphany

For a long time, I didn’t feel as if I were getting any older. Because I’ve been at my institution since 1975, I’ve always been surrounded by the people who educated me. Though my teachers and mentors have undoubtedly aged, to me, none of them seems mu…