We’re getting old. Unprecedented advances in biomedical research and technology over the last century have increased the average human lifespan in the United States by over 50 percent.1 And with more people enrolling in Medicare than prenatal partner yoga, it is vital to understand and improve the health of the aging population. Unfortunately, getting older(...)
A Day in the Life
Nearing the Finish: A Reflection on Medical School
Posted by | A Day in the LifeThe seasons I spent running high school cross country have long gone, and I'm far from a great long-distance runner now, but I remember three things our coach was always shouting at us. "You're only as fast as the slowest person!" While it seemed like every runner was on the trail by herself, it was always, ultimately, a(...)
Ban the Box on College Applications
Posted by | A Day in the Life“From Prison Cell to Ph.D.” is a series following the journey of Dr. Stanley Andrisse, who was convicted of 2 felony drug charges and sentenced to 10 years in Missouri prison. He is now a postdoctoral scientist in pediatric endocrinology and trainee leader at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “This is a collect call from the Northeast Correctional Center,”(...)
Reflections on Residency from a PGY-3: The Beginning of the End
Posted by | A Day in the LifeIt’s the beginning of my third and final year of residency, and I can finally see the light at the end of the training tunnel. Second year was challenging — the first half was filled with weeks of nights, a crash course in pediatric intensive care, and months on the pediatric hematology and oncology floor.(...)
How to Beat the Third-Year Slump
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAfter their qualifying exams are over and most of their required coursework is completed, graduate students disperse back to their labs for the long haul. Most classes and exams occur in the first year or two of a Ph.D. program; afterward, students focus full-time on their independent studies and dedicate their time to pursuing their(...)
Hitting a Wall
Posted by | A Day in the LifeMore often than not, people come to a point in their academic careers where they hit a wall; some of us just do it more literally than others. What started out as a strange niche sport for people living on the fringe of society has quickly become a fast-growing sport in America. The first indoor(...)
Explorers Behind the Bench
Posted by | A Day in the LifeHave you ever had one of those days when everything and anything goes wrong? Your car won’t start; your roommate used the last of the milk; there is no hot water in your building and, of course, it is pouring outside. Well, in the life of a graduate student, those types of days can start(...)
Tips for Writing a Standout Personal Statement
Posted by | A Day in the LifeIf you’re planning to apply to Ph.D. programs this fall, hopefully you’ve — at the very least — thought about starting to write a personal statement. For many students this is one of the most daunting aspects of the application process; however, having a strong personal statement can really set you apart amid a thick(...)
From Classrooms to Clinics: A Former High School Teacher’s Reflections on Medicine
Posted by | A Day in the LifeThe term “doctor” can be traced to its Latin root, docēre, which means “to teach.” And indeed, teaching is ubiquitous in medicine; the residency system that trains physicians is grounded in intensive teaching and learning. Moreover, educating patients about their conditions is a primary objective for every doctor. But five years ago, I was involved(...)
From Prison Cells to PhD: Words Matter
Posted by | A Day in the LifeI have people contacting me from all over the country. A pastor called me after an interview I had with CBS and told me, "you still look, talk, and smell like a convict." Wow. What does a “convict” smell like? He continued, "You need Jesus in your life. Back in my day, people were ashamed(...)