When you applied to medical school, you probably had an excellent answer to the question “why do I want to become a doctor?” If that answer is still valid for you today, when you are ready to embrace healthcare as your career, you should know the road ahead is not always a smooth sailing through a field of roses. There are plenty of challenges ahead, and today we will look at some of them to keep you prepared for the future.
healthcare
Q&A with Rajiv Sethi, Medical Student, Clinical Entrepreneur Fellow
Rajiv Sethi is currently a student doctor in London, Clinical Entrepreneur Fellow at NHS England, and the founder of Sethi Health, an organization that collaborates with students, patients, professionals, and the public to improve healthcare and health education globally.
He has taken time out during medical school to undertake postgraduate studies in Public Health at the University of Manchester. He completed his MBA at Anglia Ruskin University, where he worked with the Global Health department at Health Education England. Following this, Rajiv has continued this work as Honorary Research Fellow.
Q&A with Benjamin Stobbe, Executive Director of Clinical Simulation
Ask any doctor, in any specialty and of any age, and they will remember their training in medical school. It is full of learning, new experiences, new friends, and major strides in both personal and professional development. With so many changes, dozens of obstacles in each student’s life must be confronted and overcome. Fortunately, medical schools have extraordinary people who devote their time and talent to guiding and supporting medical students through their four years. This column interviews these people at medical schools around the country to help students learn more about the resources they have available during their years in school.
Serving the Underserved: Course Focuses on the Health Effects of Poverty
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) sits in the heart of Memphis, one … Read more
Different Strokes for Different Folks: Acute Care in the Age of Telemedicine
Republished with permission from here. “Telestroke,” a telemedicine approach to acute stroke care, is revolutionizing how we … Read more
Q&A with Dr. Emma Stanton, Psychiatry, Population Mental Health
Dr. Emma Stanton is a psychiatrist and Regional Chief Partnerships Officer at Beacon Health Options, a company which is uses a data-driven approach to work with mental health service providers across the US. She is also CEO of its international subsidiary Beacon UK, co-founder and director of the mentorship network Diagnosis, and a General Advisory Council Member at The Kings Fund.
Dr. Stanton obtained her medical degree from Southampton University (2000), completed her MRCPsych from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2005), and obtained her MBA at Imperial College London (2009).
Prior to working at Beacon Health Options, Dr. Stanton completed her clinical training at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. She has also served as Clinical Advisor to the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health in London, which included placements to BUPA and the World Health Organization.
Q&A with Maxine Mackintosh, Health Data Scientist
Maxine Mackintosh (BSc MSc) is a PhD student in data science at University College London, exploring data science as a new approach to dementia research. She is also cofounder of One HealthTech (previously HealthTech Women), a network of 11,000 that supports and promotes women and other underrepresented groups in health tech and innovation in the UK.
She is involved in a number of side projects across Big Pharma, public sector, third sector and other communities and initiatives, such as the Roche, the British Computer Society, Alzheimer’s Society and the World Economic Forum.
Ms. Mackintosh obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences with a focus on neuroscience and pharmacology at University College London (2011-2014), before receiving a Master of Science (MSc) from the London School of Economics and Political Science (2014-2015) in health economics and financing, where she carried out research for her thesis on the role of Academic Health Science Networks in health innovation.
Immigrants, Insurance and Nonprofits: Our Generation’s Obligation
Republished with permission from here. The future of American health care remains uncertain. It was … Read more
Learning from Thought Leaders in Healthcare: DocThoughts Founder, Nirmal Gosalia
What is DocThoughts? Give us an intro.
DocThoughts is a media platform that interviews thought leaders in medicine and produces 5-minute films. DocThoughts gives the healthcare community an insider’s perspective on topics that you won’t necessarily learn in the traditional teaching settings. We talk to experts such as deans, executives, and physicians about their stories in a personal and informal atmosphere.
Addiction is a Brain Disease — So Let’s Treat It Like One
Reposted from here with permission. As a medical student, I always carry naloxone in my … Read more
8 Ways Health Professional Students Can Help The Nation’s Uninsured
I am getting restless hearing about what may or may not happen to the Affordable Care Act. And I am worried about the 18 to 22 million Americans who currently receive coverage through it.
As health professionals in training, we are often tasked with keeping the system running and making sure nothing slips through the cracks. We spend time getting to know our patients, diligently maintaining their records, finding extra resources, and going out of our way to call, page, and text residents and supervisors when our patients’ health is in jeopardy.
Residency Caps: What Medical Students Should Know
Updated December 26, 2021. The article was updated to correct minor grammatical errors and technical … Read more
The Value of Navigating Different EMR Systems
Electronic medical records were an inevitable advancement. Paper filing could only go so far, and EMRs allowed the healthcare industry to simplify and automate clinical tasks for greater efficiency. Hospitals and practices throughout the world use EMR systems, with a vast majority of facilities using at least one.
Q&A with Physician-Comic Authors: Drs. Mehtabdin and Mirza
Dr. Khurram Mehtabdin and Dr. Omar Mirza are doctors by day, comic book creators by … Read more
Sustainability: How Your Partnership Can Survive and Flourish During a Medical Education and Career
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.
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.
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.
Residents and Fellows: Your Guide to the Right Career Path
You’ve earned your medical degree, worked your way through your residency or fellowship program, and … Read more
Advice from 20+ interviews: Part 2
Don’t miss Part I of this article, which covered how to prepare before the interview and general interview advice.
COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Tell me about yourself
You should have prepared for this! Like I said, have your key bullets/road map ready. Try to keep it around 5 minutes too. This question usually comes up on closed file interviews (where they don’t look at your file beforehand). You may want to cover a bit of question 2 (below) if you have time, since it may not get asked separately. I think it’s always best to include things beyond the typical premed experiences. Talk about your cultural background, travels, cool hobbies, non-medically related endeavors, odd jobs… They’ve always loved those things most. Mention the relevant premed stuff too, but don’t forget about what I mentioned in the previous sentence. Stand out as a person, not a premed machine!