Education

The preceptor paradox: PAs get the nod while NPs are sidelined

Education
April 23, 2025

Let’s talk about a trend I’m seeing—and honestly, I can’t stay quiet about it anymore.

Across the country, more and more NP programs are telling highly experienced family nurse practitioners (FNPs) working in acute care settings that they can’t precept ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) students. Meanwhile, those very same programs are approving Physician Assistants to precept ACNP students in those exact same roles.

I’m all for collaboration, and I respect the …

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From isolation to innovation: the power of learning communities in health care

Education
April 22, 2025

Many years ago, I thought I was going to be a mechanical engineer. My studies revolved around case-based learning and field work, all of which I enjoyed immensely. Then I learned about biomedical engineering and decided to go to medical school.

For the first two years of medical school, my education focused on classroom didactics and instruction, with little to no involvement in what was happening with patients in the real …

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Leaving medicine is not a failure: It might be the change you always needed

Education
April 12, 2025

Four rigorous years, filled with countless long days and nights of education, is often just the beginning for most medical trainees. The Match and subsequent residency await on the horizon. It is the norm in health care, and very few stray from that path. But medicine is a long and arduous path, one that can take its toll on trainees and physicians alike.

As I entered my final year …

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The emotional weight of witnessing a patient’s final moments

Education
April 9, 2025

The first time I witnessed someone die in front of me will stay with me for a long time. I was only eighteen, early in my EMT experience, and transporting a patient home from the hospital while my colleague drove the ambulance. The patient was an eighty-seven-year-old man, and although I do not remember the exact diagnosis, I knew he was on hospice, nonverbal, and expected to pass soon. He …

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Finding your medical specialty: Embracing uncertainty in clinical rotations

Education
April 8, 2025

We have all been asked the infamous question as medical students: “What kind of doctor do you want to be, or what specialty do you want to specialize in?” If you have already made up your mind, answering this question can be exciting; if not, it can be extremely intimidating.

Regardless of what drew you to medicine—parental pressure, a strong desire to rescue lives, or simply just a few too many …

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7 proven strategies to beat test anxiety and ace the USMLE

Education
April 5, 2025

Test anxiety is common among medical students, especially with the high-stakes USMLE. While some anxiety can drive performance, too much can spiral into paralyzing “what-ifs.” Here’s how to turn anxiety into an ally and perform at your best on exam day:

1. Recognize the role of anxiety. Accept that a certain level of anxiety can be a motivating force. It keeps you alert, focused, and prepared to tackle the task ahead. …

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The hidden cost of a medical career: Is it still worth it?

Education
March 25, 2025

In her KevinMD article, Janet Constance Coleman-Belin describes the overwhelming difficulties increasingly being seen by many during their medical education and now facing many more of our young, bright minds as they choose and migrate into their future life’s work.

I suggest that a majority of these difficulties are pressures witnessed and felt as these students begin to enter clinical workplaces—the same pressures being experienced by …

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Medical curriculum 2.0: Integrating technology and innovation in medical education

Education
March 19, 2025

Just as society has been transformed by technology solutions driven by connectivity and ubiquitous information, medical practice is undergoing a digital transformation that was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today’s medical students will practice in a world where technology is a more integrated part of health care; technology and innovation should become a cornerstone of medical education and training. This proactive approach will prepare future physicians for the technology-driven health …

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How a law school elective changed my perspective on medicine

Education
March 13, 2025

I was approaching the final rotations of my third year in medical school when it came time to create my fourth-year schedule. I wanted to participate in electives that aligned with my passions for advocacy and addressing health disparities but were also unique. That’s when I stumbled upon a few courses at a nearby law school that explored the intersection of law and medicine.

Though I knew the course was offered …

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How to write essays that get you into medical school

Education
March 12, 2025

How do I get accepted to medical school? This is the question at the forefront of every premedical student’s mind. As the competitiveness of each medical school application cycle increases and it feels like all those applying have cured cancer, dedicated their entire lives to some amazing community service effort, achieved a perfect MCAT score, and found time to invent a time machine, the importance of good writing and weaving …

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The hidden financial burdens shaping modern medicine

Education
March 12, 2025

Imagine this: Two attending surgeons undertake a surgical procedure on a patient. The surgical residents have draped the patient; the surgical tech and the circulating nurse are ready to begin the operation. The surgical attendings enter the OR, scrub in, and move to the next order of business: “How are we going to bill for this procedure?”

Often, there is an unspoken—and spoken—consensus that the medical field is a lucrative one. …

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Breaking the cycle of pain: practical steps to improve medical training

Education
March 6, 2025

Medical training is hard for everyone, but faculty and administration influence trainee success—and have the power to drive change.

This article follows “The hidden cost of medical training: Debt, depression, and despair,” which left one crucial question unanswered: What can be done to improve medical training?

The answer is simple, but not easy: We must fix it.

Mending what’s broken

While mindfulness, meditation, and resilience are valuable tools, they’re too often used to …

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Residency programs value diversity and inclusivity

Education
February 28, 2025

Residency interview season is wrapping up; applicants and programs are weighing each other’s relative flaws and merits. In about a month, rank lists are due, and then the applicants’ fates are up to the Match. Where they will spend the next three to seven years of their lives, the people with whom they will work 80-plus hours per week, and the culture in which they will be steeped will be …

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Why pursue a dual degree in medicine and policy?

Education
February 23, 2025

As a third-year medical student pursuing both an MD and an MS in public policy, I am often asked, “Why add another graduate degree when medicine is already so demanding?” Wrapping up my first semester of policy graduate school, I’ve been reflecting on that choice. For those considering applying to dual-degree programs, this is a time to ask not only where you want to go but how you can make …

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The missing piece in medical education: Why health systems science matters

Education
February 22, 2025

After the world watched a health care CEO get murdered on the street, the views of the public became intriguing. Although there are more current health care concerns on our minds, the murder of the United Health Care CEO should and will continue to be reviewed and examined. The U.S. health care system is broken, and the right individuals need to learn how to fix it early in their education, …

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The future of diversity in medical schools is under threat

Education
February 16, 2025

The recent decision by the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from its website has sparked a significant debate within the academic community. This move, aimed at complying with an executive order from President Donald Trump, highlights the tension between institutional values and political mandates. This essay explores the implications of Penn’s actions, contrasting …

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Why I have mixed feelings about being inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society

Education
February 15, 2025

When I learned that I had been chosen for the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), I was ecstatic. It felt like a profound recognition of my values and hard work—a celebration of compassion, empathy, and humanism, which have always been the cornerstone of my personal and professional life.

Throughout medical school, I spent considerable time addressing gaps in my medical school’s curriculum and community engagement, founding several initiatives and organizations to …

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The burden of shadowing and volunteering in medical school admissions: a hurdle, not a measure of commitment

Education
February 9, 2025

In recent years, the requirements for medical school admission have expanded far beyond academic excellence and personal statements. Shadowing physicians and accumulating volunteer hours are now seen as prerequisites for demonstrating commitment to the profession. However, these requirements, while well-intentioned, have become unnecessary hurdles rather than meaningful indicators of dedication or future success as a physician.

Unnecessary compared to other professions

Medical school applicants are asked to prove their commitment in ways …

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Rethinking residency: How to reshape graduate medical education

Education
February 7, 2025

Graduate medical education (GME) could explore several forward-thinking processes to enhance the journey of medical trainees. These processes could focus on selecting applicants for residency, fostering their development to excel as trainees, and preparing them to graduate as competent, certified physicians capable of independently practicing their specialties.

As objective numerical scores from the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) become a thing of the past, it may be time to consider …

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The weight of the white coat: imposter syndrome among medical students

Education
January 29, 2025

For students, medical school is more than just an educational opportunity: it’s a major stage of life that can evoke profound self-reflection. Between classes, clinical experiences, and interactions with classmates, one of these reflections may be the following: Do I really have what it takes to be here?

This is known as imposter syndrome, a phenomenon whereby a person’s perception of their merits or skills doesn’t match their actual accomplishments, leading …

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