“When you’re applying to medical school, it’s remarkable how much four years or more of intense work can come down to one single day. The medical school interview is high stakes: studies have found that interview performance is the most important…
Category: Medical school
How this medical student adjusted her study schedule for better self-care
Sometimes I ask myself why I chose medicine when things get tiring, and we do the same thing repeatedly with a career with such high demands. I think about how we are missing out on our 20s or 30s, and it’s been making me question life, especially when…
You competed your rank order list. Celebrate the moment.
I certified my rank order list (ROL), but … What if I messed up? What if I don’t match? What if my list doesn’t get processed? What if I should have ranked programs in a different order? What if, what if, what if … These thoughts, and their assoc…
How to help your child succeed at applying to medical school
An excerpt from Raising Doctors: The Med School Admissions Success Guide for Parents of Future Physicians. Let’s look at how you as a parent can help your child succeed at applying to medical school. Legitimacy and verifiability matter Applying to medi…
Why creative endeavors are important for the future surgeon
As an aspiring surgeon, I at times contemplate whether being creative has any effect on my future career. On one hand, if you see surgery as an “art,” then possibly a creative personality is beneficial. On the other hand, surgery often seems objective …
The USMLE Step 1 score reporting change looks bad. Here’s what it gets right.
Social media platforms lit up when sponsors of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) announced Step 1 score reporting will change from 3-digit numerical scores to pass/fail by January 1, 2022. First-year Harvard Medical School student LaShyra …
The trap of Black excellence in medical education
“To become successful, you need to be excellent and likable,” said a local Black physician giving advice to young underrepresented students facing the usual challenges of medical school. “Black excellence is the only way forward. The system and the ins…
The inestimable value of a mentor
Quick, think of someone unrelated to you who has had a major impact on your life. I’d wager the vast majority of us pictured a face or two, and that nearly all (I hope) represented a positive influence. In my thirty-plus-year career in medicine, I’ve b…
How books influence the medical student experience [PODCAST]
“I will never forget these words. This physician validated my efforts to emotionally connect with patients. This message will indelibly shape the way I allow myself to care for and become invested in the patients to come in my future. Illness is …
A panic attack brought on by the stress of medical school
An excerpt from Cured: A Doctor’s Journey from Panic to Peace. Dead bodies surrounded me. They lay on their backs, supine in medical terminology. I imagined some staring at the white plastic sheets that covered them completely, others glaring at …
