Happy New Year from Student Doctor Network! I have always loved the beginning of a new year. It’s a time to reflect on the past, look ahead to the future, find a fresh perspective on your life and situation, and create new wishes for yourself and your family going forward. There is an electricity that surrounds us and gives us hope that not only can we achieve what we’re dreaming of, but we can also find more happiness and fun in our lives.
What You Should Know: Understanding Immunotherapy Techniques for Cancer Treatment
The American Cancer Society estimated that in 2015, there were 1,658,370 new cases of cancer diagnosed in this country and some 589,430 deaths. These widespread numbers mean that whether a new doctor enters into general practice, oncology or some other specialty, they are likely to have to work with cancer patients. Because of this, a good understanding of new developments in cancer treatment is important in order to inform and educate patients fully about their potential options.
To Cut is to Cure: A Review of Clerkship #3, Surgery
Central to the skillset of every physician is the differential diagnosis; this is the process … Read more
Women as the Scapegoats of Medicine: A Brief History of a Twisted Differential Diagnosis
Republished with permission from here Black hellebore, a flower of the deepest black and with … Read more
Chronicles of a Med Student: Embracing Change
There’s no doubt that medical school has changed me thus far. I still have a … Read more
Transitioning From Medical School to Residency
Congratulations! Graduating medical school and securing a spot in residency is a very exciting accomplishment. You … Read more
How to Respond to a Waitlist Decision
After you interview at a medical school, you will likely wait several painstaking weeks before … Read more
What You Should Know: Exploring Techniques for Nonpharmacological Pain Control
What You Should Know is an ongoing series covering a range of informational topics relevant to current and future healthcare professionals.
Pain assessment and control is something which every doctor going into practice will have to face, regardless of his or her specialty. Pain is the number one reason why Americans seek out medical treatment in the first place and is estimated that some 50 million Americans suffer from some form of chronic pain – at a cost to the US health system of $100 billion a year. It is the leading cause of disability for Americans over the age of 45 and carries with it tremendous health and social costs to patients, their families and society as a whole.
The Chemistry of Gender and Coming Out in Medical School
“Is it trans or cis?” It’s a question that has tortured many pre-professional students studying … Read more
The Value of Coaching in Medicine
Coaching is an integral part of sports, it’s often used by corporate executives, and even helps … Read more
AAMC’s Fee Assistance Program
There are many costs associated with applying to medical school. These costs can add up, … Read more
Out of the Drugstore, Into the ER: Marianne Pop on The Widening World of Pharmacy Careers
To the uninformed, the definition of pharmacist may be the traditional, customer-facing professional doling out … Read more
Why Med-Peds? A Current Resident’s Perspective
The transition from eager-to-learn-everything MS3 to self-assured MS4 with a clear residency goal comes much easier for some than others. I had planned on going into Family Medicine throughout the better part of medical school, but late in third year discovered the combined specialty Internal Medicine and Pediatrics (Med-Peds). How was I supposed to explain my interest in this four year program to my friends, mentors and, toughest yet, medicine department chair when I was just beginning to understand it myself? And then the inevitable follow-up question, why not just complete the three year Family Medicine (FM) residency program? FM training remains the perfect choice for many students looking to get broad-based, comprehensive training on how to care for people of all ages. The purpose of this article is to point out the subtle differences between these residency paths and give my top five reasons for why Med-Peds (MP) is a unique, exciting and attractive residency option for about 400 budding young doctors every year.
Medical Students and Mental Health
Mental health is a topic which is discussed more openly in our society in recent decades and is, slowly, become less stigmatized. This, ironically, does not seem to be the case when it comes to the issue of mental health problems among medical students. The nature of medical school, and attitudes of medical students themselves, can set up barriers between students who need help and the programs that can help them. This article looks at the widespread nature of this problem in American and overseas medical schools, and also what can be done to help solve it.
Making Time for Fun
For many student spouses, medical school can seem like a time “in limbo.” You are … Read more
Fatigue: A Love Story
This story originally appeared here on WhiteCoated.com. For me, it always starts behind my eyes. … Read more
Negotiating Your First Contract As A Physician
One of the most common mistakes young physicians make when taking a job is accepting … Read more
How To Choose A Medical Specialty: A Book Review
By Brent Schnipke
Central to the skillset of every physician is the differential diagnosis; this is the process by which new patients are evaluated to establish the most likely diagnosis. Similarly, the first clinical year of medical school is like a differential for each student, except instead of a medical diagnosis, students are seeking to determine which specialty they will choose. This column explores this differential: experiences from each rotation by a current third year student.
Note to reader: This month’s post is going to be a little different than previous articles, as I will be offering my book review of How to Choose a Medical Specialty. I’m currently on my Surgery clerkship, and will be writing about this clerkship in December’s post, so stay tuned!
In addition to providing snapshots of my clerkship experiences and a summary of each specialty rotation, this column is also about the process of choosing a medical specialty. After all, this is a major component of the third year of medical school for many students. Although learning the fundamentals of each specialty is essential, the exploration of different paths with the intention to eventually choose one is centrally important for third-year students. The first two years of medical school are generally pre-clinical (mostly classroom work), and applications for residency spots are submitted early in fourth year; therefore, third year is the main opportunity for students to explore fields that might be interesting to them, and to get exposure to many fields. This is the idea behind the title of this column, and one of my purposes in writing it has been to explore this dynamic and to share with other students some of my observations about each specialty, which may help some to make their own choice.
True Pass-Fail Curriculum: Key to Learning and Collegiality
Republished with permission from here. Being a pre-medical student is largely about the numbers — … Read more
Book Review: When Breath Becomes Air
If you read one book this year, make it When Breath Becomes Air. Do yourself a favor – do not read another word about this book before picking it up and experiencing it for yourself with as little foreknowledge as possible. For those of you who just can’t help yourselves, read on but be warned: due to the nature of the content there will be some spoilers.