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Unwanted Sexual Attention From Patients

By The Short Coat Podcast

Do med students get training on how to deal with sexual attention from patients?

Listener Zipadee Doodah (not her actual name) was the victim of unwanted sexual attention from a patient.  Because her employer didn’t have a policy in place to deal with it, she fought for one.  But she wonders, what sort of training do medical students get on dealing with unwanted advances from patients?  Kaci McCleary, Erik Kneller, Eric Schnieders, and newbie co-host Cheryl Wang offer their perspectives. Plus we consider a clever approach from a restaurateur who was surprised to learn that her efforts to create a welcoming, inclusive place of business nevertheless masked a simmering harassment problem.  How she and her crew dealt with it might be a model for medicine. Continue reading “Unwanted Sexual Attention From Patients”

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Night Float: Finding Mentors, Being a Mentor

Mentorship–both giving and receiving–is a crucial part of being a resident

Keenan Laraway
Keenan Laraway

Keenan Laraway, MD

Short Coat Podcast veteran Keenan Laraway, MD (CCOM ’15, Internal Medicine), returns to the microphone to give his insights into one of the most important parts of residency–finding and being a mentor.  As you listen, note how much credit he gives to his mentors for their influence on him, and how much emphasis he gives to teaching medical students himself.  Medical residency (and undergraduate medical education, partially) operates on an apprenticeship model, in which the experience and advice of one’s colleagues is integral to one’s own development.  Seeking out those relationships is therefore vital. Continue reading “Night Float: Finding Mentors, Being a Mentor”

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Daniel Lam: Medical Student & Study Aid Knitter

Daniel lam

By The Student Doctor Network

Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in San Francisco, CA, went to UC Berkeley for undergrad (go Bears) and studied linguistics, then made a sharp left turn and decided to go to medical school. Now I’m a fourth year at the University of Chicago applying into pediatrics.* I’m a middle child, a West Wing fanatic, and a knitter! I like to knit (obviously), but I also like other things, like writing/reading, cooking/eating, other forms of production/consumption, and hanging out at cafes listening to music and doing crossword puzzles. Continue reading “Daniel Lam: Medical Student & Study Aid Knitter”

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Tests, Tact, and Turpentine

Everyone gets anxious about tests.  And med school features a lot of tests.

The news that students at Oregon Health and Science University will now be subject to ‘compassion tests‘  in order to graduate got Dave thinking about test anxiety.  As schools pile on the examinations, how do students deal with the stress?  Dabin Choi, Gabe Conley, Claire Casteneda, and Erik Kneller discuss meditation, sleep, prayer, and eating habits that keep them from letting the fear derail them. Continue reading “Tests, Tact, and Turpentine”

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Q&A with Ginny McCarthy, Director of Health Sciences Division Ministry

ginny McCarthy

By Jacob Adney, SDN Staff Writer

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.

In our fifth installment, I interviewed Ms. Ginny McCarthy. Ms. McCarthy is the Director of Health Sciences Division Ministry at Loyola University Chicago. She is currently working toward her Master of Public Health. Ms. McCarthy is married and has three children, enjoys running and cooking, and is grateful for continued opportunities for learning and growth. Continue reading “Q&A with Ginny McCarthy, Director of Health Sciences Division Ministry”

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Q&A with Dr. Suzi Schweikert, Ob-Gyn and Medical School Admissions Expert

Suzi schweikert

As a physician, I have worked in private practice, academic medicine, research medicine, and community health. I currently work in a non-profit community clinic, where I treat patients, supervise nurse midwives, and train providers on electronic health records. At Accepted, I advise students applying to medical school, residencies, fellowships, PA, NP, MPH, nursing, midwifery, and other healthcare-affiliated programs. I enjoy working with traditional and nontraditional applicants alike and believe that healthcare is at its best when providers come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Continue reading “Q&A with Dr. Suzi Schweikert, Ob-Gyn and Medical School Admissions Expert”

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The Truth About "Primary Care" Statistics

How to Think About Med Schools’ Primary Care Statistics

Listener Lavender BloodPoison (not their real name) sent us a message saying they were impressed by CCOM’s Primary Care residency match statistics. And while many schools that serve states like ours do love primary care, “there are lies, damn lies, and statistics,” as the saying goes. How should one interpret match statistics in light of the fact that many who appear to match in primary care will go on to specialize after their first year residency? Lisa Wehr, Teneme Konne, Aline Sandouk, Amy Young, and Kaci McCleary are here to drop some truths about the so-called “Dean’s Lie” (less a lie as much as it is a truth that doesn’t tell the whole story). Continue reading “The Truth About "Primary Care" Statistics”

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Non-Academic Ideas to Boost Your Med School Chances

non-academic ideas

By Joel Butterly

At this point, you are probably already aware of how competitive medical school admissions are. For instance, you may already know that the most competitive med schools boast acceptance rates of nearly 3%—that’s almost half the acceptance rate of Harvard College. Pretty dire, right?

The truth, however, is that while medical school admissions are and will continue to be incredibly competitive, there are a number of steps you can take throughout college to distinguish yourself from the enormous pool of hyper-qualified candidates. Along with doing the typical extracurricular activities for med school like lab research, teaching experience, etc. the best candidates think outside of the box to make their extracurriculars stand out. Continue reading “Non-Academic Ideas to Boost Your Med School Chances”

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Should You Retake the MCAT? 3 Key Things to Consider

retake the mcat

By Andrew George

Studying your butt off for months, suffering through an anxiety-inducing test day, and then waiting an entire month just to get a lower-than-expected MCAT score is by no means a pleasant experience. It is so bad in fact that many students decide to quit trying to go to medical school altogether. But please don’t despair. You may still have a good chance without needing to take the MCAT again. Let’s consider three things that will help you decide on what steps to take next: Continue reading “Should You Retake the MCAT? 3 Key Things to Consider”

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Putting the Anxiety Cart Before the Horse

Anxiety about your competitive specialty ambitions in your first year isn’t worth it.

Listener Luis wrote in expressing his anxiety that his med school–which he’ll begin attending this fall–doesn’t have the prestige or programs to support his desire for a competitive specialty like ophthalmology. If that’s the case, he wondered, what can he do to increase his chances of obtaining his dream career? Fortunately for Luis, Irisa Mahaparn, Gabe Conley, Brendan George, Jason Lewis, and new co-host Andres Dajles were on hand to give Luis the advice and encouragement he needs…and a tiny dose of tough love, too. Continue reading “Putting the Anxiety Cart Before the Horse”

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