Medical school curriculum has traditionally been split into two halves: preclinical and clinical years. Preclinical years generally include the first two years of medical school, when topics including anatomy, biochemistry and organ system-based physiology, pharmacology and pathology are taught in lecture halls. At most schools, clinical years encompass the last two years of medical school,(...)
A Day in the Life
Mental Health on the Reservation: Native American Teens and Toxic Stress
Posted by | A Day in the LifeToxic stress is everywhere. As a pediatrician in Baltimore City, I acknowledge the elephant in the exam room at nearly every appointment. Abuse. Neglect. Domestic violence. Toxic stress is a term used to describe the repeated experience of adverse childhood events without positive interpersonal relationships to buffer the ongoing trauma. As a result, children in(...)
From Baltimore to Guatemala: Experiences in Global Health
Posted by | A Day in the LifeInternational medical work is a passion of mine and one that I hope to continue pursuing throughout my career. As I write this blog post, I’m flying to Peru to volunteer at a traveling medical clinic. In preparation for my trip, I’m reading a book called When Helping Hurts, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.(...)
Finding Your Niche: How Rebecca’s Ph.D. Launched a Career in Medical Writing
Posted by | A Day in the LifeThe holidays can be a trying time for graduate students. We are frequently bombarded with two questions: “When will you graduate?” and “What will you do when you’re done?” The first question is a sort of moving target — Ph.D. programs do not have a specified length or graduation time — and the second is(...)
The Opportunity in Failure
Posted by | A Day in the LifeEach year, the Johns Hopkins graduate programs organize a white coat ceremony for graduate students to recognize the completion of their graduate board oral examinations (GBOs). For graduate students this test is the gatekeeper to our training; it transitions us from students to Ph.D. candidates and marks the commencement of our thesis work. The students(...)
Students Impact AMA’s National Health Policy
Posted by | A Day in the LifeAloha! Being a medical student has its perks. Over the past semester, my medical school experiences have taken me across the country. I’ve traveled to various conferences in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Boston, and this month, Hawaii, where I attended the American Medical Association (AMA) Interim Meeting in Honolulu. The AMA is the largest coalition of(...)
What to Expect When You’re Expecting Graduate School Interviews
Posted by | A Day in the LifeIf you’re in the process of applying to graduate school, by now you’ve either submitted your applications or are gearing up to do so. After clicking the “submit” button, you may feel a wave of emotions - exhilaration, dread, anxiety, or relief. I distinctly remember that when I submitted my applications, the principal emotion I(...)
The Fate of Science Rests on Our Ability to Communicate
Posted by | A Day in the Life“It is absolutely impossible!” While the student next to me was the one to vocalize an incredulous attitude, everyone was thinking it. We were in a workshop provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF), as NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program fellows, and we were tasked with explaining the importance of our research to someone with(...)
When Cancer Hits Home: A Researcher’s Call to Action
Posted by | A Day in the LifeMy fifth grade world — a typical one concerned with classes, friends, recess, lunch menus and dreading middle school — forever changed one day, when I sat on the ABC-patterned carpet in my classroom and watched my favorite teacher hide tears from the class. I first met her in third grade. She was always peppy(...)
The Simplest of Remedies: Rediscovering the Experience of Healing
Posted by | A Day in the LifeI sat, enveloped by the clinic’s dusty walls and chalky smell. It felt as if a fog of gray haze had descended over the building and muted the surrounding colors. Two plastic chairs were positioned next to the door, with one single picture of skeletal anatomy hanging above them, forcing the makeshift closet to resemble(...)