Midterm elections are right around the corner. Now is the time to register to vote — the Maryland registration deadline is Oct. 16, 2018. Why should health care workers and scientists care about voting? Simply put, the very foundations of our professions, such as access to health care or funding for research, are dictated by(...)
A Day in the Life
A Day in the Life of a Medical Student
Posted by | A Day in the LifeThrough triumphs, inspiration and heartache, our medical students offer rich, vivid accounts of their time at the school of medicine. Here are some of our favorites: The Hidden Joys of Medical School The rigor of medical school provides little time to celebrate or reflect on one’s accomplishments. The truly exhilarating moments, however, come most unexpectedly.(...)
I’m Alive!
Posted by | A Day in the LifeHer first impression: The supernatural world was surprisingly similar to reality. She opened her eyes and looked around. Lifting her hand in disbelief, she slowly flexed each intricate finger muscle. She gingerly touched her nose and ran her hand through her hair. “Are you an angel?” she asked. This 80-year-old lady had recently been diagnosed(...)
Delivering Your Goals
Posted by | A Day in the LifeOn Day 1 of my residency in the Gyn/Ob department at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, I remember feeling intimidated by all the skills that I had to develop: placing orders, writing notes, managing labor, performing vaginal deliveries, repairing lacerations, performing C-sections, placing Nexplanon implants for contraception, managing triage patients, answering consults, and(...)
Electronic Health Records Shape the Medical Student Experience
Posted by | A Day in the LifeWhile entering a clinic room one day, I closely followed the attending physician as she greeted the patient and made introductions. That morning I was participating in a form of learning that is all too common in medical school: passive observation. “Now let me just pull up the note,” the doctor said to the patient,(...)
Lessons from the Wards
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAt the end of May, I finished graduate school and resumed medical school. Returning to clinical rotations with a fresh perspective, I have been able to more clearly reflect on the many lessons we learn from everyday interactions with patients, caregivers and colleagues. I would like to share a few valuable lessons. My first rotation(...)
The Universal Lab Language
Posted by | A Day in the LifeOn the floor where I work in the preclinical teaching building at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there are a variety of postdoctoral fellows, students, technicians and faculty from all over the world. We have postdoctoral fellows from China, Portugal and Israel, and graduate students from Germany, Canada and Taiwan. You can always(...)
The Organization of Student Representatives: A Student Government of Medical Education
Posted by | A Day in the LifeThe Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is well known to premedical students. Founded in 1876, the AAMC — comprised of all 151 accredited U.S. medical schools and 17 Canadian medical schools — is a not-for-profit organization that coordinates medical school applications, the Medical College Admission Test and the Electronic Residency Application Service, which is(...)
Open Access: Making Scientific Findings Available to All
Posted by | A Day in the Life, Perspectives in ResearchMost would agree that a principal goal of scientific research is to enhance society’s understanding of the world around us. In biomedical research, we are particularly interested in discovering the workings of the body to find better treatments for disease and enact better guidelines and policies for healthy living. A crucial element of this endeavor(...)
Teaching About Vaccines — A Miracle of Modern Medicine
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAs an immunologist-to-be, few things frustrate me more than hearing of misinformed antivaccine sentiments. I have been of the opinion for some time now that education about vaccines should begin in high school to give students the tools to properly combat misinformation campaigns. Thus, when I learned that Johns Hopkins was looking for applicants to(...)