Do you remember times when your dreams, hopes, and aspirations were crushed by teachers and other authority figures? We’ve all encountered such times. These experiences shape our character in negative ways and can lead to devastating psychological effects. This kind of negative influence can greatly impact our self-esteem and self-worth, instilling a deep-seated fear of Read more… Dealing with discouragement: strategies for aspiring medical students originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more

In February 2024, the resident physicians in South Korea resigned in waves. This was not a strike; striking seemed meaningless, and the residents went right on quitting. This occurred after the Korean government promulgated health care reform plans to tackle major problems brewing under the nation’s universal health insurance system. One of the plans–to increase the medical Read more… Why South Korean resident physicians are quitting originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more

Taking gap year(s) before medical school does not mean that you have failed or that you are “lesser than” as a student. These are the words I needed to hear as a resolute pre-med student who used to proudly proclaim that I was “going straight through” to med school. It was like a badge of Read more… Ode to the gap year(s) before medical school originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more

I’m not sad – I’m numb. My friend, a seasoned internal medicine resident, revealed a chilling truth after grappling with eight patient codes – three lives eluded salvation. The gravity of his words froze me. When did the mourning for human existence transform into a necessity to numb our very core? I found myself pondering Read more… From numbness to empathy: a reflection on medical practice originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more

What drew me to spending my gap year as a medical assistant was the advertised “direct patient care experience.” While patient care is my favorite part of the job, it comes with its own unique challenges for a first-time health care worker. An unexpected challenge that I had to overcome with patient care was learning Read more… The unspoken skill of touch in health care originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more

The words “gap year” are enough to panic any high-achieving premedical student with their heart set on matriculating straight into medical school. Many students feel like a gap year will set them back in their journey to become a doctor, adding more years to the ever-long path to an MD behind their name. What these Read more… Medical school gap year: Why working as a medical assistant is perfect originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more

Tolstoy. Dostoevsky. Repin. Stravinsky. While many people may not appreciate the significance of these Russian geniuses, or think that knowledge of them could enhance a pre-med education, I would not be the same person without learning about them. For me, pursuing a Russian major was more than a list of vaguely interesting classes or language Read more… How Russian studies enriched my journey to become a physician originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more

Match day. Many of you are rejoicing in the outcomes, while many of you might be experiencing these “other” emotions. They might sound like rejection, shame, hopelessness, despair, disappointment, anger, exhaustion, or self-doubt. The wounds from this year’s match might still be fresh, and I do not want to thrust any toxic positivity on you. Read more… To the physician who didn’t match: You are not forgotten originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more

Within 48 hours of every job posting, hundreds of applications pour in. As the hiring manager, you want to fill the position within two months, or your supervisor might cut it out of your budget. After triaging the unqualified applicants using data-driven filters and artificial intelligence tools, you still have a few hundred left. At Read more… How situational judgment tests help medical schools evaluate applicants originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more

Although I have a deep respect for everyone who contributes to the education of our next generation of physicians, I also feel that the current hierarchy in graduate medical education is damaging U.S. health care. That is, the best students go to the best residency programs and get the best jobs and subsequently teach the Read more… Confronting the damaging hierarchy in graduate medical education originally appeared in KevinMD.com ..read more