Category: Medical school

The front lines become the football field during Ramadan

I had been waiting for a FaceTime call back for a few weeks now, excited to share with my friend that I had decided which specialty I would pursue. It was when COVID-19 cast the darkness over New York City that I knew he would no longer be interested i…

Where are the medical students during the pandemic?

Not in hospitals. Not in the clinics. Not spending an hour suturing a laceration, so the resident is available to help others. Not reminding the team that it’s the day, and we should consider stopping the antibiotics. Not presenting on the latest…

Amid COVID-19, please USMLE Step 1 pass/fail now

COVID-19 continues to require unprecedented disruptions to medical education. On March 17, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and Liaison Committee on Medical Education recommended that medical schools release all students from clinica…

Medical trainees need knowledge and education on health care systems and policy

As medical trainees, we will shape the rapidly changing health care environment in this country. We are fiercely advocating for our disadvantaged patients, debating the price of life-saving medications, and carefully considering how the upcoming electi…

How death is a blessing and a burden

Our goal in medical school is to learn how to preserve the quality of life. Yet, in order to better understand human life, we are immediately faced with death by means of anatomy lab. From week one, we are tasked with removing the skin and fat from a c…

7 ideas for an alternative Match Day

As a cardiologist, a mom of three school-aged kids, a physician’s wife, and associate dean of student affairs, I am acutely aware of how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our communities. In this time of constant change and concern, it is important to…

7 reflections on grief and personal loss as told by a medical student

Being a medical student during your clinical years imparts a certain feeling of invincibility. For many of us, this is our first-time taking care of patients. Our history-taking and physical exam skills are being honed like superpowers. Our clinical kn…

Medical students are more than just numbers

Student G.M is a 228. When she came to our school, she was a 31. When she went to college, she was a 1270. Now we must make this number a caring, feeling person who has the empathy to impact the lives of patients for decades. Makes sense, right? Wrong!…

How can you determine a Caribbean medical school’s quality?

If you open Google and do a search for “Caribbean medical schools,” it will quickly become clear to you that not everyone is a fan, but just because something doesn’t work for one person doesn’t necessarily mean it hasn’t worked for hundreds. Establish…

Kobe Bryant’s memory should serve as a reminder to enjoy life to its fullest

On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant passed away. People all across the world have been impacted in different ways. Two weeks have passed, and Kobe is still the main topic of conversation on social media. To each person, Kobe meant something special. To ma…