A commencement speech to the graduating class of 2019, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, May 10, 2019. In less than 30 minutes, you will all finally be physicians! (cheering) And this summer you’ll be set loose on your very own patients. (laughter…
It was recently National Teacher Appreciation Week, and many were busy recognizing their superhero teachers. Schools dedicate the week to their teachers, parents bustle about with flowers, handmade cards, and gift baskets. For me, though last week w…
For as long as I remember, studying medicine has always been the goal I focused on the most. For years, I thought that I knew the path I was taking, and that I calculated the benefits and drawbacks. However, with time, I learned that no matter how much…
For a long time, I didn’t feel as if I were getting any older. Because I’ve been at my institution since 1975, I’ve always been surrounded by the people who educated me. Though my teachers and mentors have undoubtedly aged, to me, none of them seems mu…
I graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada and now work as an emergency medicine physician at a trauma center in Northern California. To some, that may seem like an extreme jump or a rare success story. The stigma of a Carib…
One big life event for me was having my son Matthew during medical school. It has been a fulfilling and interesting journey. I met my husband Andrew during college, and we were lucky to matriculate together at the University of Minnesota Medical School…
My interest in understanding burnout among medical trainees started during my second year of medical school. With Step 1 nearing, I noticed a dynamic shift in my classmates. The growing tension, petty arguments, and constant worry surrounding our futur…
As a graduating medical student with around $200,000 in student loans, I’m planning to enroll in Public Service Loan Forgiveness. When I shared this proclamation with my classmates they had mixed reactions and several questions. Just in case you’re won…
1. Stop comparing yourself to others. You got into medical school, that is an extraordinary achievement. Whatever you have done so far has worked, you already have proven your intelligence and study habits. You need to trust that you are capable of su…
Although I’m still relatively early in my journey through medicine, it is still notable when a more mundane task becomes a moment I cannot forget. After seeing dozens of colonoscopies for a couple of weeks, I remember one particular patient, who …
