Essays on AAMC – Aspiring Docs Diaries

On Becoming A Doctor: Facing COVID-19

It was almost ten months into intern year of residency…

On Becoming A Doctor: Facing COVID-19

The Match Gods

Match week is possibly the most emotionally exhausting weeks in all of medical school…

The Match Gods

Events Overnight – Five Days Old

“How are things on Red Team?” “Everyone’s doing okay so far!” I laugh…

Events Overnight – Five Days Old

Prognosis: Poor

I sat, unaccountably, at the head of a table in the resident lounge,…

Prognosis: Poor

The Patient Patient

In medical school, you only get one summer break, between your first and second year…

The Patient Patient

The Bravery Bell

The elevator ascended to a series of chimes, the windows casting a rich brown, then green glow…

The Bravery Bell

De-Mystifying the Grey

“There’s no such thing as all or always, for everything there is an exception.”

De-Mystifying the Grey

Of Surgery and The Robot

My eyes shone and I could feel the grin spreading across my face…

Of Surgery and The Robot

Meeting Gawande

Tuesday, May 24th 2016 My alarm went off at 4:00am…

Meeting Gawande

The VIP

I was a first-year medical student observer at the cancer center shadowing overnight…

The VIP

Better

It was six months into my first year in medical school…

Better

Being Mortal

We were barely on time to the assisted living home…

Being Mortal

First Cut

“Your cadaver is your first patient, treat him or her as such…”

First Cut

Time Out

When the time out was called, I stood at the side of the room, far from all the sterile equipment…

Time Out

First Test

“You’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Everyone kept saying that. 

First Test

The Superhero

As an experienced student observer in the cancer hospital, I could tell there was something different about this patient.

The Superhero

Double Vision

I clutched a little nervously at my sleeves, exchanging frequent glances with the other student…

Double Vision

Bleary-eyed Rounds

“Is he out of bed today?” The nurse practitioner –  NP for short – shook her head with a something like resigned disappointment.

Bleary-eyed Rounds

The Code

I woke up that morning to loud quacking, the sound of my alarm…

The Code

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Articles on Wolters Kluwer

During COVID-19, professional networking for doctors goes virtual.

With conferences and meetings canceled, have all the opportunities for professional networking for doctors dried up?

Networking in COVID

A guide to pimping in medical education.

You’re sure to encounter pimping in medical education during medical school and residency training. Here are some tips on how to navigate this practice.

A Guide to Pimping

Mastering your boards: How USMLE practice tests can help.

Before the real thing, taking USMLE practice tests can help you target your study plan, track your progress and manage your anxiety.

USMLE for the Boards

Dating in medical school: How to make it work.

Dating in medical school can ultimately be rewarding, but it requires communication and patience from both people.

Dating in Medical School

Coping with homesickness? Try these four tips.

Coping with homesickness in medical school can feel overwhelming. Try these tips so you can stay focused while making time for family and friends.

Coping With Homesickness

Falling behind in medical school? Catch up with these 5 steps.

We’ve all heard the metaphor of trying to drink from a fire hydrant. It’s not so far off when describing medical school, particularly in the first year.

Falling Behind in Medical School

Does cramming have a place in USMLE prep?

Getting ready to study for Step 1? Use these tips to keep cramming out of your USMLE prep strategy.

USMLE Prep

How to identify a toxic residency program.

All interns can attest to the challenges of residency training. But for some, these challenges may be exacerbated by being in a toxic residency program.

Toxic Programs

Case studies evaluating travel and infectious disease.

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown the relationship between travel and infectious disease into sharp relief. Case studies help unpack the connection.

Travel and Infectious Disease

Ethical dilemmas in healthcare: respecting the rights of patients, residents and employees

In a 2018 talk, Dr. Matthew K. Wynia shared tips on ethical dilemmas involving infectious diseases that remain incredibly relevant today.

Patient and Resident Rights

Physicians dating colleagues: Know what you’re getting into.

Physicians dating other physicians and healthcare professionals makes sense. After all, most doctors enter the field of medicine during young adulthood, a time in life when many are forging romantic relationships and getting ready to build families.

Physician Dating

What physician support looks like during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 5, 2019, my friends and I became physicians. We were set to travel across the country to begin residencies in fields ranging from psychiatry and neurosurgery to orthopedics and pediatrics. We were committed to our future patients and to our own career paths.

Physician Support in COVID

A look at away rotations: Setting yourself up for success.

Interested in applying for away rotations? Not quite sure? Here’s what you need to know about this promising opportunity.

Away Rotations

How far should residents live from the hospital?

How far should residents live from the hospital? This is one of the first questions soon-to-be physicians have after Match Day, yet it can also be one of the most complicated to answer.

Resident Commute

What are health disparities in the United States? An introduction.

In the ultimate goal of providing excellent care to patients, health disparities act as a roadblock, impeding both the delivery of equitable care and the achievement of good health outcomes. They create a complex problem that must first be fully understood before it can be solved.

Health Disparities

Make early patient interactions count.

Early patient interactions are the foundation of physician-patient relationships. So take a thoughtful approach, from setting the tone to providing value.

Early Patient Interactions

Four reminders for caring for patients from different cultures.

When caring for patients from different cultures, it’s best to listen, acknowledge, validate, and support. Be an advocate and a cheerleader for your patients.

Cultural Humility

Medical school loan repayment: How to start planning now.

The profound sense of accomplishment you feel when you get into medical school cannot be overstated. But if there’s anything that could dampen the mood, it’s the thought of the loans you’ll have to pay back when you graduate.

Medical School Loans

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