Our Achilles’ Heel: Vulnerability and Medical Uncertainty
Release Date: 03/18/2024
Dealing With Medical Realities—Pessimism or Realism?
Academic Medicine Podcast
I had not role modeled cynicism or pessimism. Rather, my student’s statement was a sign of learning and understanding what I had taught: processing and handling the reality of medical practice. Beatrice T.B. Preti reflects on teaching students to be aware of the systems they work in (including limitations and flaws), which helps them to prepare for future practice. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Key Features and Outcomes of Accelerated 3-Year MD Programs
Academic Medicine Podcast
Authors Joan Cangiarella, MD, and Catherine Coe, MD, and medical student Lily Ge discuss the goals, features, evolution, and outcomes to date of accelerated 3-year MD programs, focusing on the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine FIRST Program. They explore the experiences of accelerated program medical students and how these programs fit into broader efforts to improve medical education. Read the articles discussed and access the episode transcript at .
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Navigating the Shadow Economy of Effort in the Residency Application and Selection Process
Academic Medicine Podcast
Authors Eric Warm, MD, and David Hirsh, MD, and medical student Kate Jennings join host Toni Gallo to discuss the unintended consequences of the shift to pass/fail grading in undergraduate medical education and current challenges in the residency application and selection process. They explore the feedback culture and incentives for pursuing clinical excellence in medical school. They also present the complex adaptive system model as a framework to consider the dynamics at play and ways to improve the transition to residency. Read the article discussed and access the episode...
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My First Foley
Academic Medicine Podcast
As I reflect on my initial years of training, I am deeply moved by the kindness that surrounded me, especially during hands-on interactions with patients as an anxious new trainee. The warmth and guidance that were shown to me had a profound influence on my personal learning and growth. Oscar Li and Yeonsoo Sara Lee reflects on their experience inserting a Foley catheter for the first time, and how crucial a supportive environment in medical education is. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2025 issue of Academic Medicine....
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Cup of Tea?
Academic Medicine Podcast
In some ways, I walked a mile in the refugee doctors’ shoes. I learned about culture through my mistakes instead of being explicitly taught. Although mistakes aid learning, they also have the potential to erode relationships. Samantha E. Smith reflects on her experience teaching refugee doctors and the importance of intercultural competence teaching for international medical graduates and the faculty who train them. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at...
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Innovations in Education Scholarship and Scholarly Publishing: A Conversation with Lauren Maggio, PhD, MS
Academic Medicine Podcast
Lauren Maggio, PhD, MS(LIS), joins host Toni Gallo to discuss open science and innovations in education scholarship and scholarly publishing, including the role of AI. As the new editor-in-chief of MedEdPORTAL, Lauren also shares what makes the journal unique, her advice for authors, and her vision for the future. Read the articles discussed and access additional resources and the episode transcript at .
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The Tattooed Connection: Nurturing Curiosity in Medicine
Academic Medicine Podcast
Above all, the impact of this initial connection between us on his engagement in the care journey filled me with a profound sense of accomplishment. What would have become of Bernard without this connection? This experience confirmed for me the importance of an authentic connection with the patient. Rémi Esclassan reflects on bonding with a patient over his tattoo, which illustrated the profound beauty and complex nature of health care. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the December 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at...
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Baby J’s Song
Academic Medicine Podcast
I realize it’s my calling to hear heartache, but it’s also my calling to feel hope, see beauty, and experience life in its entirety. Final-year Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Midwifery student Hailey Sommerfeld reflects on a shift that began with sadness and doubt but ended with reassurance and optimism. This essay placed first in the 2024 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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The Cat
Academic Medicine Podcast
There is an unspoken understanding that nursing is both an art and a science. Often, you will be called to use your critical-thinking skills and training to help save lives. Other days, you will need to show compassion and understanding to meet the needs of your patients. Most days involve a combination of both. And some days, it means breaking the rules to allow a cat in the ICU. Doctor of nursing practice student Megan McDowell reflects on sneaking a pet into the ICU so a patient could say a final goodbye. This essay placed second in the 2024 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in...
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Apartment 5 on Dolphin Drive
Academic Medicine Podcast
Something special happens when you work in the field. It speaks to you. It calls on the bounty of your generosity. It coaxes you to the precipice of your creativity, and it demands that you become sharper, savvier, and more self-possessed. If you listen, then in return you find it affords you the greatest gift life can offer: the privilege of having touched someone’s heart. Medical student Noor Ahmed reflects on the special year-long connection forged with a patient during her time in the field as a health outreach worker. This essay placed second in the 2024 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in...
info_outlineRather than sheltering me from the rigors of doctoring, the museum has deepened my relationship to medicine by restoring its inherent mystery. It reminds me that the reality of our patients will always exceed our understanding of them.
Kain Kim reflects on how teaching the humanities can help normalize uncertainty in medical training.
The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.