Education

An excerpt from Diary of a Medical Student. As a medical student, you find potential patients everywhere. Whether you’re on an airplane or on a romantic dinner date, we’ve all heard those famous words, “Is there a doctor in the house?!” Here are some of my favorite “patient” encounters. The best friend curbside. I was…

Around Thanksgiving, the ceiling light that illuminates most of my apartment burned out. I still haven’t replaced it. Instead, I use the flashlight app on my phone to get dressed every morning; and I’m constantly tripping over my shoes, backpack, and other miscellaneous, floor-dwelling items whenever I’m home. All in all, it’s not a particularly…

Starting medical school, I knew I would see people on both the best and worst days of their lives. I would witness births and deaths and come out on the other side as a skilled professional. However, I never expected death to be so blunt. On my first day in our student clinic, we saw…

Thinking, Fast and Slow is a well-known masterpiece of psychology by the formidable Daniel Kahneman. He diligently illuminates two different pathways of thought, which he arbitrarily titles System 1 and System 2. System 1 describes our quick thinking, our snap judgments, our gut feelings. System 2 encapsulates our deeper thoughts, the way we systematically review…

The current socio-political environment in the U.S. and worldwide has brought much-needed attention and heightened awareness to the plights of minoritized groups, especially Black and African-American communities. Police brutality, structural violence, overt racism, and discrimination are only a few examples prompting new activism. Along with the COVID-19 pandemic, they have amplified health inequities and disparities…

The medical school admission process can be overwhelming. There is no definitive path that guarantees admission. Prospective students are meant to create their own way that could bring them an acceptance letter. That is why some individuals with a 3.6 GPA and a 508 MCAT score get accepted, and others with a better academic record…

A message appeared in the chatbox. “Always trust the parents. If they think the shunt has failed, more likely than not, they’re right.” It was one of the two fifth-year neurosurgery residents, both present on the video platform for virtual clinic to moderate medical students through patient cases. Prior to each virtual clinic session, the…

It was only my first week in the hospital as a third-year medical student when we met. I entered your room early Tuesday morning. Only knowing your chief concern, I knocked on your door and entered the room. You didn’t complain when I awakened you. You didn’t complain when I asked many questions about a…