Month: February 2018

Going the Extra Mile: A Med Student’s Marathon

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By Shoshana B. Weiner

“4 ounces water every mile, half an electrolyte ‘gu’ pack over 2.5 miles, ¼ energy bar every 6 miles.”  AKA how did you manage training for a marathon while in medical school?  The simple truth: I decided to run a marathon so I did.  Longer story: months of rigorous training, more moments of doubt than I care to recall, and insights already positively impacting my medical training.

Training for and running a marathon is a time-intensive commitment of physical and mental endurance.  Age-old lessons of “you can accomplish anything you set your mind to; hard work pays off” hold true and gained new meaning for me. Read More »

Power, Diversity and Medical Regulation: State Medical Boards Move Beyond the Old Boys’ Club

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By David Johnson

Recently, the Association of American Medical Colleges announced that for the first time ever women comprised the majority of matriculants into US medical school programs.  This triggered a few thoughts of my own.

In 2017, I debuted my Twitter account focusing on the history of medical regulation.  In the fall of that year, I shared several historical snippets focusing on women in medical regulation.  In one I focused on a regulatory trailblazer: Adele Hutchinson, MD, a graduate of Boston University who appears to have been the first woman to serve on a state medical board anywhere in the United States.  This occurred surprisingly early–in Minnesota in the 1890s.  The fact that two other women (Margaret Koch; Hannah Hurd) succeeded her on the Minnesota medical board struck me as all the more remarkable considering the male domination of medical boards individually and collectively throughout the majority of their history.Read More »

Overcoming Uncertainty through Experience

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By Michelle Sergi

Coming out of my first year of medical school I struggled with my sense of confidence.  After endless nights of studying, a multitude of experiences at our Clinical Training and Assessment Center, and specialized clinical experiences, I felt that I could take on the challenge of counseling patients.  On the other hand, when I thought about being on my own to take care of patients, I was terrified.  My pharmacology knowledge was insufficient, and even though I knew how to conduct a full physical exam, did I really know what was normal compared to abnormal?  These questions proved to me that I lacked the clinical experience necessary to become a good physician.

When I heard of the opportunity to apply for the Leroy Rogers Preceptorship, I immediately knew that it could help bridge the gap between my medical textbooks and clinical knowledge.  This program gives preclinical students the opportunity to choose a preceptor for a four week, hands-on family medicine clinical experience.  I had shadowed a family physician, Dr. Andrews, in my hometown several times before so I knew he would be the perfect preceptor.  I also felt that I would learn from his patients, especially because many are medically underserved.Read More »