“The lack of diversity in academic medicine is a significant issue that can compromise our patients’ health and the education of our training clinicians. There is a vicious cycle in which there are few black academic physicians, leading to seemin…
Category: Medical school
Superheroes can have disabilities, too [PODCAST]
“Today, more students are disclosing and speaking out about their disability and how their disability is an asset to their way of learning and what they can bring to their field. Across college campuses, more student-led organizations are forming…
Requesting disabilities accommodations in medical school
I failed my Step 1 medical school board exam by 1 point. This was very hard for me to process, and I consistently wondered if I would have passed if I had just waited an additional week. This new challenge led me to reach out to a new resource: the dis…
Hasan Minhaj’s joke at the expense of DOs
In September 2021, Hasan Minhaj appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and touted a purported “a war … between MDs and DOs.” In it, he compared osteopathic physicians, DOs, to RC Cola as opposed to the Coca-Cola of MDs, claiming that DOs ar…
Educating for the oath: a medical student’s lived experience with the hidden curriculum
The white coat ceremony marks the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of medical students. An academic ritual steeped in symbolism, the ceremony calls on new medical students to reflect upon and adhere to the values that guide the profession. The h…
Superheroes can have disabilities, too
The highly anticipated release of Marvel Studios’ Eternals has people excited about superheroes. When I see an individual in a white coat and stethoscope or a person in scrubs, I see a real superhero, someone who works in the health care field. O…
Top 5 interview questions and strategies for medical students
Thousands of medical students are in the midst of interviewing for their dream job. The importance of interviewing well cannot be overstated. Below are the top five common interview questions that could be asked during your interview. Tell me about yo…
Be a human first and a doctor second
The patient was sitting up at 45 degrees with his legs stretched in front of him. He was looking out the window and had a fan on his bedside table. He didn’t look pleased, so I was expecting to be told to come back later. To my surprise, he welco…
A letter to my pre-med self
I imagine you’re excited to receive this letter, but please listen to me for a moment. I’ll need you to suspend your disbelief here. I am writing to you from the future, and you are me from the past. I needed to reach out to you about the choice you’ve…
Doctoring during Kyle Rittenhouse’s acquittal
I was sitting in my car on the phone when I heard the news. My boyfriend and I were chatting while I was driving to my parents’ house to have dinner. He mentioned to me that he had something to tell me and wanted to wait until I had stopped driving and…
