Academic Medicine Podcast

"So now I am faced with dual dilemmas; not only with what to do for this patient, but also with how to display (or obscure) this gap in my medical knowledge to Mike." Third-year internal medicine and pediatrics resident physician, Dr. Ben Frush, acknowledges the power of mutual humility, especially among medical trainees, as he reflects on his first "I don't know" moment as a supervising resident. 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.

"As a teacher, I can do better. If learners find it tedious to explore patient histories, I must strive to effectively clarify the connection between rigorous patient history-taking and the clinical impact that these findings can have." Physician and educator, Dr. Joey Fisher, recognizes the importance of fostering compassion and flexibility in her teaching approach as she reflects on how technology-driven medicine might have impacted the learning mentality exhibited in the newer generation of physicians-in-training. 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.

"We are challenged to understand both the reason for a person’s suffering and that she was much more than a suffering person." Resident physician in anatomic and clinical pathology, Dr. William Humphrey, recalls a unique autopsy inquiry that challenges his perspective of life and of the special role a physician plays in guiding their patients through different stages of life. 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.  

"We are left to think outside the box, seek answers in places we didn’t look before; doing so challenges us to become better physicians." Third-year psychiatry resident, Dr. Monique Mun, describes the challenge of upholding patient care quality with limited resources amid the COVID-19 pandemic and reflects on how adaptability is key to successfully navigate and grow in a time of crisis.  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.

“The ability to meet patients where they are, to give them what they need to rise again—perhaps even stronger than before—is ultimately to me what it means to be a doctor.” Second-year neurology resident, Dr. Nara Michaelson, offers a fresh look at the basic acts of healing as its life-sustaining impact unfolds during one of Nara’s inpatient encounters. 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 hands that conducted the neurological exam were not hands that could cure this affliction. However, they did heal. The hands sewed a seam between the patient and themselves, filling the gaping hole with support and compassion." Second-year medical student Mahima Sukumar explores how, in the exam room, finding shared experiences can transform mistrust into promise and faith. This essay placed in the 2020 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2020 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"A wise professor of mine compelled us on our first day of training to know our superpower. She advised it may be the only thing to get you through the darkest of days." Nurse practitioner student Emily Friedman dedicates her essay to the patient who, in one of his darkest days, shed light on her superpower. This essay placed in the 2020 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2020 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"You are here. Be with her. You are good enough." Nursing doctoral candidate Lisa Cross recounts the story of a hospice patient and her visiting son, reminding us we are each good enough to be present for what the moment requires. This essay placed in the 2020 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2020 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"Taking a few extra minutes to get to know our patients on a deeper and more human level can help unearth forgotten passions that were once dear to them. This reminder of their unique experiences can empower them to continue to find meaning in their lives, no matter what circumstances they may face." Medical student Grace Ro describes one experience that reminded her every patient has a story that shapes their hopes, fears, and dreams. Learning these stories can help to humanize and better understand the doctor-patient experience. This essay placed in the 2020 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2020 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"Healing comes from genuine interpersonal connection, and I will take this lesson to heart as I enter my career as a nurse." Recent nursing graduate Sonia Max reflects on an interaction with a pediatric patient and how the nurse-patient divide was bridged by looking beyond the technical aspects of nursing to connect with the human being before her. This essay placed in the 2020 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the October 2020 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.