education
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month!
By: Heather Yeo, MD, MHS March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness month an important time to talk about Colorectal Cancer, because it is a time of national focus and provides an opportunity for education and prevention for a common, but often “hidden” form of cancer. One of the reasons that I decided to spend my life treating colorectal cancer is because of the exciting progress that has been made in its detection, understanding, and treatment over the last decade and the potential for even greater progress on the horizon. While I deal with colorectal cancer every day, as I am caring for my patients, I am always researching ways to improve their care and quality of life. A few key points I would like patients to think about: Prevention is Key. There are certain risk factors that we know put individuals at higher risk, for example, consumption of red meat, smoking,...
The Greenberg Spike: How speaking out on implicit bias and gender equity in surgery continues to trend
By Marissa A. Boeck When #ILookLikeASurgeon went viral in August 2015, many expected a short lived hashtag. Yet Dr. Caprice Greenberg, the president of the Association for Academic Surgery (AAS), has shown the conversation on diversity, inclusion, and equity in surgery is far from over. During the recent AAS and Society of University Surgeons (SUS) 12th annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada around 2,000 medical students, residents, fellows, and attendings gathered to network, mentor, collaborate, and discuss academic surgery. Despite the abundance of stiff competition, the AAS Presidential Address “Sticky Floors and Glass Ceilings” by Dr. Greenberg stole the show. All those packed into the large event hall immediately knew the focus: women in surgery. This subject continues to be pertinent and necessary to discuss despite many notable advances, such as both the current and incoming presidents of the AAS and SUS being female. Yet Dr. Greenberg steered the conversation...
The Intersection of Race and Gender in Surgery
By Mohini Dasari In light of February being Black History Month, I was inspired to write about the intersection of race and gender in surgery. As a woman of color currently applying to surgical residency programs, the issues of diversity and gender have been on my mind for quite some time. While diversity can also refer to socioeconomic status, religion and sexual orientation, I will be focusing on one definition of diversity: race/ethnicity. Why does race matter? Do we live in a post-racial society, where we can all identify together under broader terms such as “women”? Can all women identify under the single label of “women in surgery” within a traditionally male-dominated field? While I would like to say yes, for the sake of unity, I must say “yes and no.” Whenever I go to national meetings, or when I was on the interview trail, I usually count how many...
The Osteopathic Match Day
By Aileen Larson and Grace DeHoff Every spring, fourth year medical students anxiously await “Match Day”. Students in both allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) programs submit a rank list of their favorite residency programs and order them according to their preference. Residency programs also create a list of their top students and rank them accordingly. For allopathic medical students, Match Day is typically the third Friday in March. Every February, osteopathic medical students also await their fate in a similar match algorithm. This year the DO Match Day is held on February 6th, 2017. As an osteopathic student, there are many choices to make when applying for residency programs. While the MD match is open to both MD and DO students, the DO match is exclusively for DO students and organized under the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) National Matching Services Inc. A student may decide to attempt the match only...
To Look in the Mirror and Not See Further than My Neck
By: Natalie Tully January is Thyroid Cancer Awareness Month. As you may have read in an earlier blog post, thyroid cancer is the most prevalent cancer in young women under 25. This is the story of one of those young women. It was June of 2011, and I had just come home to Pennsylvania for summer vacation after completing my sophomore year at the University of Texas (and finally passing organic chemistry). In an effort to get back in shape for our family beach vacation (and after six months of eating like a nineteen-year-old college student does), I went out for a bike ride. Naturally, I was drenched in sweat when I got home and decided to give my mom a sweaty hug-a move she wasn’t exactly keen on. As we play-fought, I turned my head to the side and instantaneously, she went from mom to nurse. She saw a...
Never overdressed
A resident’s perspective on dressing for success By: Danielle Henry The New Year brings new goals and personal improvement is always on the list of priorities. This month we are exploring the impact of professional attire on professional and personal achievement. Oscar Wilde once said, “You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” I have taken this to mean, you should never stop learning and can never be overdressed when you look your best. We are in a profession where we are always learning, and even though we wear scrubs often, we can still find ways to look our best. Ditch the scrubs when you can - When given the option to wear something other than scrubs, I always take the opportunity. One example is when I am presenting at the Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) conference I will often wear business professional attire. It is not required at my institution, however...
A cancer of young women
By Minerva Romero Arenas The new year brings with it a time to reflect on the past, the present, and the future. Inspired by the writers the past few weeks, I also took the opportunity to reflect on what I have learned during my first few months in fellowship training in surgical endocrinology. What an appropriate time to share some reflections, considering January is thyroid cancer awareness month I chose to focus on my experience with thyroid cancer patients. I have seen a lot of young patients. Thyroid cancer is on the rise and is now the 8th most common cancer in the US, and the number 1 cancer amongst young women (under age 25). Radiation exposure is one of the most common risk factors, while having family history also plays a role in specific types of thyroid cancer. While symptoms may be attributable to mass effect (“compressive symptoms”), many...
Dressing Your Best, Inside Out
By: Natalie Tully Every year after the post-midnight New Year’s celebrations wind down, we each start the all-too familiar process of declaring resolutions for the coming twelve months. In that spirit, I hope to explore ideas (most old, but perhaps a few you haven’t heard) and encourage some of you to put on your best self in 2017- mind, body, and wardrobe. Dressing your best-literally Fair warning: most of my clothing is sportswear and I prefer the DMV and the Dentist to going clothes shopping. That said, this is something I struggle with but have found strategies that result in me feeling more confident in professional situations without excessive strain. Err on the Conservative-Yes, you’ve heard this ad nauseum, but no matter your career stage or if it’s an interview, clinic, or social event, you never want your clothing to distract from you. If you question your outfit’s appropriateness, either...
Residency Applications: The Curriculum Vitae
By Mary Brandt This article originally appeared on Dr. Brandt's blog, the wellnessrounds. Other than the personal statement, there is nothing more distressing to medical students applying for a residency than putting together a Curriculum Vitae (CV). So, what exactly is a CV? “The original Latin meaning of curriculum was a course, but of the kind that one runs around (it came from currere, to run). Even more recent — dating from 1902 — is curriculum vitae, literally “the course of one’s life” (from World Wide Words) Your curriculum vitae is a document that serves as a summary of what you have accomplished as a professional. What’s the difference between my CV and what I put on my ERAS application? Your CV and what you put in ERAS differ in two important ways – the content and the format. ERAS will generate a CV from the information you enter, but...
An Open Letter to Young Women Considering a Career in Surgery
This post originally appeared in Hot Heels, Cool Kicks, & a Scalpel Dear Young Woman Considering a Career in Surgery, It was lovely to meet you the other day. Many times a month, a young woman just like you comes to me with similar interests and concerns. “I really love surgery,” she says, ” But I am afraid of the lifestyle and I really want to have a family.” Oh, and thank you for also inviting me to speak at your seminar the other day on Women in Traditionally Male Dominated Fields. I have been speaking at similar panel sessions since 2005 when I was a bit of a novelty at my training program as a clinical PGY-4 with an infant daughter. Your collective curiosity on what my life must be like is of great interest to me because to me it’s just my life. It’s the only reality that...
