career development
Applying to Residency as an International Student at a US Medical School
By Yoshiko Iwai Part of being an international student in the US is navigating the complex process of visa sponsorship. I have been fortunate to have had tremendous support from my various international student offices, but even now I have trouble understanding the system. One of the reasons that obtaining a visa and maintaining status is so challenging is that there are so few international students to begin with—and therefore few mentors who can provide us with meaningful guidance. These are some things I wish I knew as an international student in the US applying for residency. I applied in general surgery, so the details may be different in other specialties. This is not legal advice and does not represent the official policies or views of the institutions I have been a part of. Rather, they are things I have learned through my research or from the generous advice I’ve...
Being Vulnerable is Human; Even for Surgeons
By: Cathy Hung In the earlier years of my career, I always tried to accommodate patients’ needs anytime, all the time, whenever possible. I opened my office many times off-hours at the slightest concern of patients with complaints of bleeding or pain. One time, I rerouted my weekend day trip when my son was still a toddler. We planned to take him to a museum, but as soon as I got called, my family drove one hour back for me to see a consult while my family waited in the parking lot outside the emergency room, only to find out that it was a routine consult with no urgency what-so-ever. I jumped whenever someone called me off-hours. After all, I pride myself as a caring human and a good doctor. The fight-and-flight responses were by-products of being trained at a level-one trauma center during my residency. I would be frisked...
What @womensurgeons Has Done For Me
By: Katerina Jou Setting the scene: My medical school didn’t have an AWS chapter. Surgery was just starting to become a growing presence on the school’s campus, with most students pursuing specialties like pediatrics, internal medicine, and emergency medicine, and few, in this new era, choosing surgery. For a little background, my medical school is now eight years old. I’m a student in the 7-year BS/MD Sophie Davis Program for Biomedical Education/City University of New York (CUNY) School of Medicine – we used to be a 5+2 program, where students would complete five years at Sophie Davis and “match” into affiliated medical schools to complete clerkship education. Our program historically has prioritized primary care, and despite expanding surgical presence with coordinators and advisors of practicing surgical background, a good part of my time there was spent wondering how I was going to get from point A to point B -...
Exercise and Fitness During Medical School
By: Amber Park The way physicians provide care for their patients versus the way physicians care for themselves has been one of the most controversial and puzzling concepts I have yet to grasp. The undeniable hours and extent of effort we put into our studies and work can interfere with our ability to work out. However, I have realized that much of the disconnect truly comes from what we prioritize and how we schedule our days. As a former athlete, I have the advantage of knowing what kinds of exercises I like and can do in the gym. I know what has fueled my love for fitness. Given this background, I wanted to provide some tips for medical students, residents/fellows, and attendings who might not have had the same experience as myself in terms of learning about nutrition, scheduling, and the types of workouts that we can be doing. Nutrition...
Navigating Medicine: A Journey with Non-Physician Parents
By: Emma Barham Growing up in a household where medical jargon sounded like a different language and stethoscopes were sparse, my journey into medicine was an uncharted territory. My parents always valued education, and I was taught from a young age that knowledge is power and can take you far in life. Although my parents were always supportive of me pursuing medicine, but they were unfamiliar with the intricacies of embarking on a career in the medical world. Their lack of firsthand experience in medicine meant that I had to chart my own course, relying on my own determination to navigate the challenges ahead. As I started my pre-medical journey, I quickly realized the importance of seeking guidance from mentors within the medical community. I gained invaluable insights into the realities of a career in medicine through my interactions with physicians and healthcare professionals. During sophomore year of my undergraduate...
The Imprint of 3D-Printing in Health: A Students Perspective
In a technology driven world, the abundance of information and ease of communication has influenced every aspect of our lives. Not only has it affected the way we interact as humans, but it provided new outlets for skill development and creativity. One of my favorite expressive outlets is 3D-printing. From designing flower vases to replicating anatomical models, my engagement with 3D-printing allowed me to bring theoretical ideas to life by combining the natural sciences, technology, and art. When I first observed my older brother use a 3D-printer, I was fascinated by the geometric lattice in which the machine ejected thermoplastic, as it closely resembled the molecular arrangement of atoms observed in structures like crystal and bone. My curiosity with both technology and human health, led me to learn more about 3D technology and its applications in research, specifically on improving and enhancing human health. Introduced in the 1980s as a...
Navigating Science Policy as a Medical Doctor: Strategies for Engaging Beyond the Clinic
By Sewar Banimusa, MS3 In the realm of healthcare, the influence of medical doctors transcends the boundaries of clinicalsettings. Beyond diagnosing ailments and administering treatments, there lies a realm wheremedical professionals wield the power to shape policies that profoundly impact the health andwell-being of entire populations. Engaging in science policy empowers medical doctors toharness their expertise and advocate for evidence-based solutions to pressing health challenges. Science policy encompasses the intersection of science, technology, and society - guidingdecisions that affect research funding, healthcare delivery, public health initiatives, and regulatory frameworks. For physicians, involvement in science policy represents an opportunity to contribute to the greater good and drive positive change beyond individual patient interactions. Navigating the landscape of science policy can seem daunting at first, but there are numerous opportunities to start navigating your passion. Here are some ways to start your science policy career: Joining professional organizations dedicated to health policy...
Tackling Imposter Syndrome by Embracing Failure
By: Rachel Akers Failure is something I’ve become intimately acquainted with throughout my career. I’m not alone in this. We can all recall instances in our professional lives where things haven’t gone our way, and we’ve failed to reach the expectations set by our educators, mentors, colleagues, families, or ourselves. Failure can be painful, embarrassing, and even harmful for those in the medical profession, and it’s not easy to talk about with others. As students transition to residents and eventually become attending physicians, our understanding of failure changes in tandem with our values. New responsibilities like parenthood, caring for your own aging parents, repaying gargantuan loans, and being directly in charge of patients’ well-being supersede the worries of passing exams or confidently blurting out a wrong answer. Regardless of the nature of a mistake or the level of training you’re at, failures shouldn’t be seen as something shameful to hide...
Mindfulness as a Tool to Build Confidence
By: MaryAnn Ulasi I spotted a number 5 on the concrete street. By number 5, I mean the stage of a particular “bug” that was made famous by the swarm that landed in NYC last year. Its growth curve is visualized in order of the clockwise circuitous pathway of a quarter; it reminded everyone what they were looking at. As I continued to gaze at the nymph stage of the dead lanternfly with its mangled red body, crushed under spotted black and white wings, I was sucked into a moment of time that I rarely experienced - the present. It was gross and painful, and the exposure was a little too much for real life. After all, for most of us, real life is not the present but rather the past or the future and the irony is hardly ever obvious to us. I certainly have been guilty of living...
Impact of Narrative Medicine in Surgery
By: Raslina Shrestha, MD “We can make the world a better place, one story at a time.”- Lisa Gerber A revelation unfolded during my shifts in the burn ward in Nepal. As the patients grappled with excruciating pain, disfigurement, and an arduous path to recovery, I observed an extraordinary phenomenon: patients from diverse backgrounds, occupying different beds, formed unexpected bonds of friendship and support. They shared their personal stories, extended solace to one another, and, most significantly, provided invaluable insights into coping and healing. It became abundantly clear that shared experiences and a sense of community had a remarkable impact on the recovery process. To bolster the confidence of these patients, they needed to be reminded that they were not alone. Motivated by this insight, I stumbled upon the realm of “Narrative Medicine”, the intersection of the humanities, art and health care. This emerging discipline equips clinicians to better comprehend...
