Academic Medicine Podcast

"Many aspects of medical school and residency are akin to patients’ lack of control as they navigate their diagnoses. It is this parallel display of grit that students and physicians can reflect upon when counseling a patient who is struggling to cope." Jaclyn Mauch, fourth-year medical student at the Perelman School of Medicine at The University of Pennsylvania, describes a life changing event that redefined the grit of her courage, character and resilience, and helped her to better empathize with patients and colleagues. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the June 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"Speaking from both a clinical and a personal perspective, I know the importance of accepting outside help, especially when battling a mental illness. ... Learning that conditions like mine remain stigmatized is crushing because I know the importance of fighting these illnesses in groups rather than in isolation." A surgical research fellow describes their personal mental health journey and the importance of destigmatizing mental illness and seeking treatment.  This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

“Now, in the unavoidable silence, I was forced to consider Mr. L, his mind and world. I was forced to move beyond myself, and in that movement, understand that a medical education meant far more than the acquisition and demonstration of clinical knowledge.” For Aldis H. Petriceks, second-year medical student at Harvard Medical School, silence unexpectedly becomes a valuable tool in his patient assessment toolkit as he learns how to truly listen to his patient needs and struggles. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the December 2020 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"The core competencies required for providing quality medical care did not lie only in medicine itself, but in the interpersonal interactions and relationships built between provider and patient." Samuel Zverev, fourth-year Human Biology, Health, and Society student at Cornell University, describes an interaction as a patient experience intern that revealed how teachers and teaching moments can appear anywhere. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

This episode addresses mental health, burnout, depression, and suicide. If you or a loved one is in distress, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential support online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org or over the phone at 1-800-273-8255. Hosts Toni Gallo and associate editor Dr. John Coverdale and guests Drs. Christopher Veal and Richard Page discuss medical student mental health, the barriers to students and physicians seeking treatment and disclosing their distress, and how medical schools can better support students to preserve their mental health. Dr. Veal starts the conversation by telling the story of his mental health journey as a medical student.  Read the article discussed in this episode at academicmedicine.org:  We Burn Out, We Break, We Die: Medical Schools Must Change Their Culture to Preserve Medical Student Mental Health A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org. 

“Homes do not fall apart by themselves. They fall apart because of incidental neglect stemming from the amalgamation of burdens and stressors that prevent the owners from maintaining their homes.” Benjamin Rees, a third-year student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, reflects on health inequities and his experience working in affordable housing and construction. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Hosts Toni Gallo and editor-in-chief Dr. Laura Roberts and guest Dr. Arno Kumagai, the journal's new assistant editor for medicine and the arts, discuss the role of the arts and humanities in medicine and medical education, Dr. Kumagai's vision for his new role, and the special features in the journal that incorporate the arts and humanities. Read the special features discussed in this episode in every issue of the journal at academicmedicine.org.  Call for Cover Art Call for Letters to the Editor From Trainees: Trainees as Agents of Change in Academic Medicine and the Health Professions A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org. 

"I was his sin-eater. In this moment of vulnerability, I was attempting to take his ills away, alleviate his pain, and internalize his grief. I had hope for his healing, but I knew his fate." Gillian Naro, first-year resident of internal medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, draws comparison between a medieval Welsh tradition and modern-day physician burnout. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

In honor of Earth Day, host Toni Gallo and guests Drs. Kari Nadeau and Ari Bernstein discuss climate change and its effects on human health. Drs. Nadeau and Bernstein describe their efforts and the work of others to teach the science and health effects of climate change to medical students and residents, and they argue for the importance of this work for caring for patients.  Read the articles discussed in this episode at academicmedicine.org:  Addressing Climate Change and Its Effects on Human Health: A Call to Action for Medical Schools  Climate Change and the Practice of Medicine: Essentials for Resident Education A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org. 

“Running, we agreed, was like an invisible bridge between the mind and the body. Just as doctoring connects the pathophysiological and human elements of illness, running marries the physical and mental components of health.” Fourth-year medical student, Nicholas Lenze, examines the connection between running and practicing medicine as he continues his journey of becoming a doctor. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"Sure, she wanted the catheter out, but the most dramatic thing I removed that day was fear and confusion. Suddenly, she had become part of her own care." Jonathan Steinmetz, senior resident of internal medicine at UConn Health, recalls an interaction where communication was key to empowering a patient's sense of purpose in managing her own health care and quality of life. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

“As a resident who at times lived in a place of physical and mental exhaustion, I often failed to appreciate these differences and the lessons I was being offered.” Assistant Professor, Dr. Catherine Callister, tells the tale of how some of the most profound lessons camouflage their way into her years of training as a resident. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

“I study, because when I return to that hospital without doctors, deep in the West African bush, I want to be better. I teach, because I am but one, and it is the many which make the most difference.” Having to face the death of his patients, resident medical officer, Dr. Aidan Tan, reflects on his lessons learned regarding a doctor's responsibility. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

“It made me wonder what else we could have done. But I wish I had heard the news in person, with my team there to help me process what happened.” Digital applications can deliver timely, functional, and convenient solutions to complex matters, but what happens when digital applications become an obsession? Fourth-year medical student, Arifeen S. Rahman, reflects on the pivotal moment which leads to the decision to curb her digital obsession. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Hosts Toni Gallo and assistant editor for trainee engagement Lala Forrest (@Lala_Forrest) and guests Drs. Maija Holsti and Sam Hawkins discuss the Native American Research Internship program (@NARI_UofU) at the University of Utah, which is open to Native college students across the United States who are interested in pursuing biomedical careers. They describe the components of the NARI program, including its integration with the local Native elders and tribal nations, and share advice for other institutions looking to support the Native students in their communities. Read the article discussed in this episode, “Lessons From the First Decade of the Native American Summer Research Internship at the University of Utah,” at academicmedicine.org. 

"As future medical professionals, we are taught about the importance of mental health. Many of us will talk to our patients about their struggles, yet we cannot talk to each other about our own." Heather Stewart, fourth-year medical student at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, recounts her first therapy session and questions why the stigma around asking for help still exists. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"In certain cases, it is the odors that emanate in a patient’s room that have proven to be as important in making a diagnosis as their renal function or the opacity on their chest X-ray." Patrick Twohig, a fellow with the University of Nebraska Medical Center, shares how performing a thorough physical examination draws on a variety of tests and tools - even one's olfactory sensibility. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"I looked at my own white coat and wondered. What obligation do we, as medical students, physicians, and educators, have to people like the Dreamers, whose health, well-being, and livelihoods are affected by policies and decisions which are, technically, nonmedical?" Aldis Petriceks, Harvard Medical School second-year medical student, explores how caring for the well-being of all people is inextricably woven into the fabric of social medicine and advocacy. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the November 2020 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Hosts Toni Gallo and assistant editor Dr. Will Bynum (@WillBynumMD) and guests Drs. Mike Kemp, Samantha Rivard (@rivardsj), and Joceline Vu (@jocelinevu) discuss the clinical learning environment and resident well-being during COVID-19. They describe efforts by the University of Michigan Department of Surgery to support trainee wellness during COVID and how their work will continue beyond the pandemic. Read the article discussed in this episode, “Trainee Wellness and Safety in the Context of COVID-19: The Experience of One Institution,” at academicmedicine.org. 

"When our demanding days, pressured pace, and weighty emotions leave us tired and weary, could 'pressing pause' lessen the burnout we feel?" MD-PhD student Caroline Jansen reflects on how the current coronavirus pandemic created a variety of challenges and anxieties, yet also presented an opportunity to begin intentionally claiming moments to slow down and check in with one's self. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the December 2020 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.