medical students
Guilt
By JS I recently completed a 1-year hospital based fellowship that is designed to provide faculty and staff with the expertise and skills needed to advance academic careers in medical education. While I originally applied for the fellowship in order to improve my teaching style, I was particularly drawn in by the wellness sessions. I learned about the high prevalence of physician burnout, which is 30-40% amongst American surgeons1 and the many signs to help recognize it in myself and in others. I also became more aware of the resources available to help someone who is dealing with burnout. As the only surgeon in the group, it quickly became obvious to me that many of the solutions to preventing burnout required time and rearranging one’s schedule, for example, to go to a yoga class or meet with a peer support person. Of course, the irony was not lost on the...
Learning New Roles
By Joanelle A. Bailey, M.D. My last call of my intern year is on June 30th, which means that I will be supervising the new incoming interns when they come to care for patients for their first time as physicians on the morning of July 1st. I have been thinking of the logistics for that day, specifically how important communication between team members will be as our roles on that morning will be changing. I remember my first day of residency, nearly one year ago, and how I had a rather idealistic view of how the first few weeks would go. I knew my year would be an arduous one, but I hoped to quickly become an efficient intern and an effective member of the patient care team. Many of my co-residents set a great example for my class and provided great advice and guidance. The best advice I got...
Finding Comfort in Silence
By Madeline Torres It was another night in the SICU: 5:30 pm sign out, resident rounds, and dinner. As usual, I’d go into Mr. X’s room to examine him and make small talk with his wife but tonight she was not there. Mr. X was a 55-year-old otherwise healthy man who came in as trauma patient after a motor vehicle crash. His hospital course had been complicated by multiple surgeries, cardiac arrests, renal failure, and eventually a debilitating stroke. That night, he was in his usual state: with sluggish pupils that would respond to verbal stimuli and a slight movement of his left upper extremity. At around 10 PM, his nurse called me to evaluate him as his pupils were no longer reactive and his strength had decreased. I was scared and preoccupied, something was off and I did not know what it was. I also knew that he would...
Entering the Surgical Profession
By Rogette Esteve Recently, I found myself in Danbury, CT searching for a new apartment. It made me pause for a moment and reflect on the fact that I will be starting general surgery residency in just a few short months at Danbury Hospital. If you had asked me back in college, when I was still a pre-med freshman, what I thought of surgery, I would have quickly answered, “Oh no, I want a life! I want a family!” Thank God I was introduced to the AWS Pocket Mentor toward the end of college!t forever changed my perspective on becoming a surgeon. I was amazed there was an established organization for female surgeons – by female surgeons. As a medical student, I am fortunate to have attended a number of AWS Conferences . Each time, I have been floored by the outstanding surgeons I have met. The women I met...
The Start of a New AWS Chapter
By Sarah Armenia One of the best aspects of AWS is the amazing support its members in training and practice and committees show medical student members. I have experienced this support firsthand at the annual conference and as a member of the national medical student committee. This year, I also had the opportunity to join with other women at my medical school to start a new AWS chapter at New Jersey Medical School. Many people frequently asked me why AWS was a necessary addition, given that our school already had several surgery interest groups. This was the perfect opportunity to show my peers, who were unfamiliar with AWS, just how instrumental the organization can be in nurturing the interests of female medical students interested in surgery. The members of AWS span all levels of training and each individual uses their experience to help others about to encounter similar milestones along...
#SurgStory(ies): Why do we do it?
By Joel Adler (with special guests Niraj Gusani and Heather Yeo) Rise of Twitter in Surgery: It’s no secret that there is a growing community of medical students, surgeons-in-training, and surgeons on Twitter. Many use Twitter and other social media to keep up on news, connect with colleagues, and access the latest medical innovations and data, or promote their own research. But Twitter can also be a source of inspiration and a fantastic way to share ideas and stories (140 characters at a time). #SurgStory: This past week, in the midst of a normal exchange, a discussion about being inspired by mentors to choose surgery as a career led to the beginning of the #SurgStory hashtag. The idea quickly caught on as surgeons contributed their own stories about a moment when it all clicked and they knew they had to become a surgeon or about a key role model...
Medical Students Petition to End Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam
By Nickey Jafari Recently, several students at Harvard Medical School started a petition to eliminate the national clinical skills exam for US medical graduates, a requirement they regard as an unnecessary expense providing little to no educational purpose or benefit to future patients. They argue that the high cost of the exam, combined with the very low number of medical students that fail, results in an undue burden to medical students. Indeed, USMLE cites a pass rate of 96% for first-time takers of Step 2CS. While the students behind this movement have not yet spoken directly with the NBME, members of the medical community who have encountered the petition have exhibited no real pushback to the idea of ending the Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam. Over 14,000 individuals have already signed their petition. We interviewed Carolyn Treasure, a 4th year medical student at Harvard, and one of the leaders of...
Greening the OR
By Abigail Forbes As a medical student I have learned to seek out opportunities that will foster my journey through medical school and facilitate my goal of becoming a surgeon. The Go Green Contest is one of those many opportunities I came across through AWS. I gained an invaluable mentor and was able to promote a great cause: benefitting our environment. Students and residents should take advantage of this opportunity! When I was formulating a ‘green solution’ to submit, I benefitted from my surgeon mentor’s knowledge. Additionally, I was able to communicate my commitment and wide interests in the medical field. I found this unique interaction with faculty that allowed me to stand out as a medical student and to explore the possibilities and process of improving healthcare in my community. Together, we were able to outline an educational plan to train medical students about operating room procedures by saving...
Polka-Dots, Checks, and Stripes: Does Gender Expression Matter?
By Gabrielle Rieth I am soft-spoken and often characterized as “nice,” “sweet,” or “adorable.” I express my gender identity in a way that is traditionally ascribed to females. This combination of characteristics has allowed me to be perceived as non-threatening, accessible, and approachable - all of which have benefitted me when working with new colleagues and when interacting with patients. However I also recognize that these traits may cause those same colleagues to overlook or underestimate my work ethic. Knowing this, I still do not bother to invest additional energy to correct their behaviors or assumptions about my capabilities. Why? While my peers are busy assessing my competence from the way I speak or portray my gender, I am focusing on getting ahead in my career. This was my default internal monologue. I drew inspiration from the #ILookLikeASurgeon campaign and believed my gender has made progress, as it is 2016...
When Breath Becomes Air: Understanding Mortality
Tweet chat (follow @WomenSurgeons) and additional blog post to come on March 13th 8 PM EST! By Shree Agrawal Dr. Paul Kalanithi’s memoir, When Breath Becomes Air, as Dr. Abraham Varghese promised in his foreword, confronted me with the truth of mortality. The kind that lies beyond textbooks, evidence-based medicine, and clinical research. Prior to reading his work, I perceived statistics about patient populations experiencing difficult diagnoses to exist in a world detached from my reality. I likened data surrounding diseases to Dr. Kalanithi’s perspective of “country facts”, his term for theoretical old wives’ tales about dangers in his hometown. The probabilities of human vulnerabilities, especially those that could apply to my loved ones and me, are ones I avoided and discreetly hoped to be untrue. When I read about his evolution from pre-medical years to those as a neurosurgery resident, there is a surprisingly relatable quality. I am with...
