medical school

Why Medical Students Need To Understand Statistics: An Interview With a Patho-Geneticist

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Dr. Mary Jean M. has spent the last decade researching in various laboratories, from plant sciences, developmental biology, immunology, cancer biology, and parasitology. She is a patho-geneticist and loves every facet of infectious disease research and biostatistics, from understanding the population dynamic of life to the intricacies of the microscopic world. 

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Making Mistakes

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making mistakes

I walked into the room with my stethoscope around my neck, still running through everything I needed to go over with this patient before I presented them to the attending physician. I wanted it to be perfect, to make sure there is nothing I left out, nothing I could be criticized for. I collected the information systematically, went through my physical exam, and walked out ready to present the case. As we rounded, we went through everyone’s patients one by one and finally it was my turn. I sweat through my scrubs, and I felt my note sheet dampen in my hands. Why am I still so nervous? I thought to myself. Oh, that’s right—it’s because if I messed this up, I know I’ll replay the entire discussion in my head ad nauseum and feel embarrassed all over again and not be able to sleep at night.

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Are Professional Medical Associations Worth It for Students?

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professional medical associations worth it for students

In the US alone, there are literally thousands of state, regional and national medical associations that represent providers in every major area of healthcare. While millions of the healthcare providers in the United States can consider themselves members of one or more of these organizations, there are millions more who are not. As a student you’ve got enough on your plate, so it can be difficult to determine whether or not joining one of these professional associations is worth your limited time and resources. This article will look into whether or not association membership still makes sense in this day and age, and if so, how to determine which association(s) are right for you.

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Q&A with Dr. Ali Wong, Plastic Surgery Resident and Creator of Sketchy Medicine

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Dr. Ali Wong is a plastic surgery resident in Nova Scotia, Canada and creator of the website Sketchy Medicine, in which she shares graphical representations of various medical concepts. Dr. Wong received her Bachelor of Science with Honours in Neuroscience (2009) and her MD (2013) at Dalhousie University. Following initial year in residency, she went on to receive an MSE (Master of Science in Engineering) from Johns Hopkins University (2016). Dr. Wong has been published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Journal of Hand Therapy, and Behavioral Brain Research.

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Four Ways to Practice Teaching as a Medical Student

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During the first years of medical school, we are taught a huge volume of material, covering basic sciences and organ systems. It is not until our clinical rotations that we truly begin to experience medicine in real time. Over our clinical years, we learn how to become comfortable with patients and help them become comfortable with us. Ultimately, we hone our ability to communicate knowledge to our patients. In modern medicine, we work as a team with our patients toward improvement of their health. We are the scientific experts, but require the patient’s help to learn about their expertise: the patient’s own body. For a patient to make the best decisions, we need to effectively teach patients about their situation at a level where the patient can make an informed, proper decision. How can we practice our teaching skills as medical students?

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Getting In: The Undergraduate’s Guide to Research Experience

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getting in

Undergraduate students do not need told, again, how important it is to be involved in numerous activities: academics, extracurriculars, employment, research, job shadowing, internships, and social life. Students who are pursuing a career in a science or healthcare field (particularly those with aspirations for graduate school) may find even more intense pressure than their peers. This pressure – to check a box in each “category” above and to succeed at all of them – can be quite overwhelming, especially for students who don’t have any experience in one area or another. One of the most common areas with which students struggle is research. Many prehealth students understand that research should be part of their application, but do not know how to get started, or even what “research experience” means. If this sounds like you, check out Getting In: The Undergraduate’s Guide to Research Experience by David Oppenheimer and Paris Grey.

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