Category: Medical school

The emotional weight of witnessing a patient’s final moments

The first time I witnessed someone die in front of me will stay with me for a long time. I was only eighteen, early in my EMT experience, and transporting a patient home from the hospital while my colleague drove the ambulance. The patient was an eight…

Finding your medical specialty: Embracing uncertainty in clinical rotations

We have all been asked the infamous question as medical students: “What kind of doctor do you want to be, or what specialty do you want to specialize in?” If you have already made up your mind, answering this question can be exciting; if no…

7 proven strategies to beat test anxiety and ace the USMLE

Test anxiety is common among medical students, especially with the high-stakes USMLE. While some anxiety can drive performance, too much can spiral into paralyzing “what-ifs.” Here’s how to turn anxiety into an ally and perform at you…

The hidden cost of a medical career: Is it still worth it?

In her KevinMD article, Janet Constance Coleman-Belin describes the overwhelming difficulties increasingly being seen by many during their medical education and now facing many more of our young, bright minds as they choose and migrate into their futur…

Medical curriculum 2.0: Integrating technology and innovation in medical education

Just as society has been transformed by technology solutions driven by connectivity and ubiquitous information, medical practice is undergoing a digital transformation that was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s medical students will p…

How a law school elective changed my perspective on medicine

I was approaching the final rotations of my third year in medical school when it came time to create my fourth-year schedule. I wanted to participate in electives that aligned with my passions for advocacy and addressing health disparities but were als…

How to write essays that get you into medical school

How do I get accepted to medical school? This is the question at the forefront of every premedical student’s mind. As the competitiveness of each medical school application cycle increases and it feels like all those applying have cured cancer, d…

Breaking the cycle of pain: practical steps to improve medical training

Medical training is hard for everyone, but faculty and administration influence trainee success—and have the power to drive change. This article follows “The hidden cost of medical training: Debt, depression, and despair,” which left one cr…

Why pursue a dual degree in medicine and policy?

As a third-year medical student pursuing both an MD and an MS in public policy, I am often asked, “Why add another graduate degree when medicine is already so demanding?” Wrapping up my first semester of policy graduate school, I’ve b…

The missing piece in medical education: Why health systems science matters

After the world watched a health care CEO get murdered on the street, the views of the public became intriguing. Although there are more current health care concerns on our minds, the murder of the United Health Care CEO should and will continue to be …