An excerpt from Fifty Years a Doctor: The Journey of Sickness and Health, Four Plagues and the Pandemic. President Kennedy’s assassination One cold winter morning, all the medical students had to leave the warmth of the medical school to get to K…
Category: Medical school
What does it mean to truly be an ally? [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! “We can all work to improve our empathy towards those who differ from us. Please continue to keep an open mind and consider true allyship.” Nkem Asianua is a physician assistant…
The mistress of medicine
When I married my husband, I had no idea there would be a mistress one day. When I met the man who would become my husband, he was not yet a doctor. He was 22, a black belt, a waiter in a fancy restaurant, and very handsome. He knew all kinds of things…
Is it really a woke nightmare for medical schools?
Among the many definitions and meanings of the terms “woke” and “wokeism,” the two that capture the ideology best are contrasting meanings. The definitions are: “The behavior and attitudes of people who are sensitive to so…
Sexual health is health: It’s time to embrace that in medicine
For many of us, while in medical school and residency, sexual health history was mostly taught from a disease standpoint. If a patient had a complaint about sexual dysfunction, had a symptom or concern about a sexually transmitted infection, needed con…
Who gets to succeed in medical school: Improving medical student outcomes that matter
As I mentioned in my last article, “Who gets to graduate from medical school,” I find one consistent, uncomfortable truth: Whatever led to the gap in academic performance before medical school is likely to still be present and persistent du…
When should you consider a Caribbean medical school? [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! “If we want to achieve a physician workforce that mirrors our population, medical schools must collectively understand that we have created an admissions system that selects against L…
From Uber driver to Harvard Medical School
“What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explod…
The immediate impact of the transition to a pass/fail Step 1 exam
Historically, students’ three-digit scores on the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) Step 1 were a main factor in determining competitiveness for residency programs. In February 2020, the world of medical education shifted drastically w…
Effective doctors need to be challenged [PODCAST]
Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! “Empathy, intelligence, and commitment are crucial traits every doctor must have to succeed. However, there is one trait that stands above the rest. One of the most important aspects …
