“The first 100 days of COVID made me confront and reflect on a lot of aspects of myself and life, as philosophical as that sounds. Often times, I’m exhausted talking about COVID every single day and frustrated because we should be in a much bette…
Category: Medical school
Translating social justice into meaningful change for underrepresented minorities in academic medicine
As communities of color continue to be disproportionately decimated by COVID-19 and the brutal impact of racism and other longstanding systemic inequalities, academic medicine finds itself at a critical inflection point in defining its role in addressi…
Creativity in medical school and beyond
On those brisk walks across the hospital, I briefly look over at the instillations from local artists. Those pieces ignite a chain reaction of creative empathy and even critique from both patient and provider alike. In the briefest moment, we mentally …
The lessons learned from street medicine
So, what is street medicine, or “street med” to those who are closely acquainted with the field? In a few words, it is a rapidly expanding sector of medicine that addresses the unique health and social service needs surrounding the unshelte…
This is what it’s like to be in the shoes of a medical student
The student is last on the list. But he is not fixed in that position such that he can consider some space to be his own. He must be ready to be last in any formation that the list may hold. And if, for some reason, there is no room for him on the list…
What do you want to be when you grow up: a medical student perspective
“Please inform us of your intended specialty for your 4th year scheduling,” requested our administration in an email sent to students 2.5 years into medical school. Up until that instant, not knowing my future specialty was accepted and actually encour…
Lottery docs? Randomize medical school admissions for fairness
It’s this simple: The medical school admissions system is bloated and reinforces implicit and systemic biases leading to further social inequity. Medical schools across the country are going through thousands of applications and making literal life-cha…
Preparing for the USMLE despite 2020’s obstacles
I came from Malaysia dreaming of completing my residency in the U.S. and becoming a nephrologist. Luckily, I interviewed for programs before COVID-19 shook the world, and I began my residency at Yale University Bridgeport Hospital in June 2020. Having …
3 strategies for matching into a competitive specialty, even with a lower USMLE score
For applicants seeking to match into a competitive specialty, it can be challenging. In fact, it’s not uncommon for programs to receive over 100 applications for a single residency position. To sort through that many applications, many programs…
In the face of uncertainty, choose hope over fear
Over and over again, I find myself repeating the same words to myself as I watch the sunset over the Sacramento River on my dreary commute back from my job in clinical research: hope over fear. It was with hope that 2020 began—a catalyst year in which …
