Academic Medicine Podcast
Meet medical students and residents, clinicians and educators, health care thought leaders and researchers in this podcast from the journal Academic Medicine. Episodes chronicle the stories of these individuals as they experience the science and the art of medicine. Guests delve deeper into the issues shaping medical schools and teaching hospitals today. Subscribe to this podcast and listen as the conversation continues. The journal Academic Medicine serves as an international forum to advance knowledge about the principles, policy, and practice of research, education, and patient care in academic settings. Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are the guests’ alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the AAMC or its members.
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Presence With Patients is a Gift: Building Meaningful Patient Relationships
04/30/2024
Presence With Patients is a Gift: Building Meaningful Patient Relationships
Katherine Chretien, MD, Grant Wilson, MD, and Michelle York, MD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss building meaningful relationships with patients, the small but impactful ways they show their patients they care, and the important role that learners play in connecting with patients and contributing to their care. A transcript of this episode is available at .
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What Cancer Did Not Teach Me
04/01/2024
What Cancer Did Not Teach Me
For those who do excellent work, but quietly, and sometimes under the radar, the simple phrase, confidently stated—“You are in good hands”—can make all the difference. You got this. Shailaja J. Hayden reflects on the importance of inspiring confidence in fellow members of the care team, which then inspires confidence in patients. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Our Achilles’ Heel: Vulnerability and Medical Uncertainty
03/18/2024
Our Achilles’ Heel: Vulnerability and Medical Uncertainty
Rather 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.
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Pain, Palliative Care, and Practicing Empathy
03/04/2024
Pain, Palliative Care, and Practicing Empathy
Through all the time I had known him, and through all the rounds and presentations, many voices were heard: my own, my senior resident, my attending, the ICU team, the consult teams, the family. But the softest voice, often overcome by dysphonia, came from the bed at the center of the room, and it needed to be amplified the most. Richard T. Tran reflects on a patient’s request for a vanilla Ensure and learning that sometimes the greatest comforts can come from the simplest of interventions. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Language Equity in Medical Education
02/20/2024
Language Equity in Medical Education
Pilar Ortega, MD, MGM, Débora Silva, MD, MEd, and Bright Zhou, MD, MS, join host Toni Gallo to discuss strategies to address language-related health disparities and enhance language-appropriate training and assessment in medical education. They explore one specific language concordant education framework, Culturally Reflective Medicine, which recognizes and supports the lived experiences and expertise of multi-lingual learners and clinicians from minoritized communities. A transcript of this episode is available at .
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A Familiar Question
02/05/2024
A Familiar Question
I started this letter with a question, but I pray not for an answer. I cannot accept one. Instead, please give me the strength to replace the wet mask soaked in my tears. Give me the power to continue the Sisyphean task of treating your ill and moving on to the next patient, especially on days like today. Norman R. Greenberg writes a letter to God asking why patients must suffer and how those who treat them can continue on amidst their grief. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Seeing Death for the First Time
01/22/2024
Seeing Death for the First Time
As medical students, we know of death. We study anatomy through cadaver lab, we memorize mortality rates of diseases, and we hear stories from our professors about their late patients. But most of us do not know death yet. Carlin E. Zaprowski reflects on the difficulty of losing patients and encourages supervisors to discuss this difficulty with trainees. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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The Closeted Curriculum
01/15/2024
The Closeted Curriculum
I wonder what would change if students were taught that personal leadership was not about hiding their brokenness, but recognizing their wholeness. If we were not asked to sacrifice ourselves to serve our patients. What would be possible then? How would medicine be different? Leighton Schreyer reflects on being a queer medical student and how things might change for the better in the future. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Biopsy
01/08/2024
Biopsy
What if I had not been at an academic institution, with a learner and a supervising teacher? Whose steadying hand would have been on my leg? I needed that hand. Katherine C. Chretien reflects on undergoing a procedure that taught her that together, teachers and learners bring value to patient care encounters. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the December 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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The Window
01/01/2024
The Window
When we really love it, we lend a little bit of ourselves, a little bit of our souls to the work that we do—to the art of nursing. If it is not us today, then it may be us tomorrow, and I hope that someone will be there to tell me what my view is like outside my window, too. Doctor of nursing practice student Courtney Polimeni reflects on how the practice of nursing, including helping patients learn to cope with the tenuous nature of the human condition, is an art. This essay placed first in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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I See You
12/18/2023
I See You
Psychiatry was going to require all of me... To see the human body as more than machine. Yes, the heart is a pump, and our neurons entangle one another in electrical circuits. Medicine, however, transcends the physiological being. Third-year medical student Riley Plett reflects on a transformative encounter with an Indigenous patient and learning that medicine requires much more than scientific aptitude. This essay placed second in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Do What You Do Better: Using AI Tools to Ease the Workload Burden on Faculty
12/13/2023
Do What You Do Better: Using AI Tools to Ease the Workload Burden on Faculty
Christy Boscardin, PhD, Brian Gin, MD, PhD, Marc Triola, MD, and Academic Medicine assistant editor Gustavo Patino, MD, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss the ways that artificial intelligence (AI) tools can help ease the workload burden on faculty and staff, with a focus on assessment and admissions. They explore the opportunities that AI tools afford as well as ethical, data privacy, bias, and other issues to consider with their use. They conclude by looking to the future and where medical education might go from here. A transcript of this episode is available at .
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The Nail Salon
12/04/2023
The Nail Salon
As Mr. D. stood up and attempted a few steps, tears of joy went down his cheeks. He was now free from the claws that were making his life miserable. This was much more important to him than talking about labs, medications, or dietary changes. Medical student Federico Erhart reflects on a patient encounter where he learned that providing empathetic and compassionate care for patients sometimes manifests in unexpected ways. This essay placed first in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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The Unspoken Language of Compassion
11/20/2023
The Unspoken Language of Compassion
In our suffering, sadness, and silence, we shared a language of humanity and we exchanged compassion ... It is this vulnerability, this deep and genuine connection that allows us to communicate across cultures and to feel the exchange of humanity. Master of Science in Nursing student Leah Rothchild reflects on a global health trip to Uganda, where she learned that caring about patients is vital in caring for patients. This essay placed second in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Put Some Gloves On
11/13/2023
Put Some Gloves On
As I traverse the many years of medical training ahead of me, I will undoubtedly remember my week in anesthesiology, and commit to passing on my knowledge to future students with the same patience and trust that was afforded to me by Dr. S. Sumedha Attanti reflects on the preceptor who gave her an unexpectedly hands-on role in a surgery during the anesthesiology elective in her first year of medical school. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the November 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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That Was Terrible: Public Humiliation in Preclinical Education
11/06/2023
That Was Terrible: Public Humiliation in Preclinical Education
I tell my students that we are constellations of our peers, mentors, and patients. What we learn from each other in preclinical education—spanning not just facts and answers, but also how we treat each other—will shape the future of medicine. Brian R. Smith reflects on creating a learning culture that is safe and empowering for students instead of humiliating. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the November 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Faculty Perspectives on Responding to Microaggressions Targeting Clerkship Students
10/31/2023
Faculty Perspectives on Responding to Microaggressions Targeting Clerkship Students
Meghan O’Brien, MD, MBE, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee members Tasha Wyatt, PhD, and Javeed Sukhera, MD, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss new research into faculty perspectives on responding to microaggressions targeting medical students in the clinical learning environment. They explore several tensions that affected how faculty responded to the microaggressions in the study scenarios as well as some of the strategies the faculty used to respond effectively. This is the final episode in this year’s 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field. A transcript of this episode is available at .
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Faculty and Student Perceptions of Unauthorized Collaborations
10/24/2023
Faculty and Student Perceptions of Unauthorized Collaborations
Carrie Chen, MD, PhD, Terry Kind, MD, MPH, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee members Cha-Chi Fung, PhD, and Daniele Ölveczky, MD, MS, join host Toni Gallo to discuss new research into faculty and student perceptions of unauthorized collaborations. They discuss several tensions in the preclinical learning environment that likely affect how faculty and students see unauthorized collaborations and the implications of those tensions for curriculum design and assessment. This episode is the second in this year’s 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field. Check back next week for the next episode in this series. A transcript of this episode is available at .
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Learner Perspectives on the Learner Handover Process
10/16/2023
Learner Perspectives on the Learner Handover Process
Tammy Shaw, MD, MMed, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee member Arianne Teherani, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss new research into learner perspectives on the learner handover process. They discuss the role of trust in this process, the potential for bias, the purpose of handovers vs. how they're perceived by learners, and recommendations for making handovers safer and more effective. This episode is the first in this year’s 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field. Check back next week for the next episode in this series. A transcript of this episode is available at .
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The Momentum of Human Kindness
10/09/2023
The Momentum of Human Kindness
I am not sure whether she attended my graduation, but her words were with me then and have remained with me throughout my decade-long career. Each time I have wanted to quit nursing, I hear her voice and recall her words of encouragement. Perioperative nurse and Master of Science in nursing student Nicole Diddi reflects on a deeply human exchange shared with a patient’s wife that reminded her to put humanity at the heart of her nursing practice. This essay placed third in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the October 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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The Gift of Grief
10/02/2023
The Gift of Grief
We come into medicine wanting to heal our patients, believing that we are here solely to help them. But I could not heal my patient. Instead, my patient healed me. Fourth-year medical student Emily Otiso reflects on a patient who reminded her that connection is the soul of her work. This essay placed third in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the October 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Ensuring Fairness in Medical Education Assessment
09/18/2023
Ensuring Fairness in Medical Education Assessment
This episode is a companion to the August 2023 Ensuring Fairness in Medical Education Assessment supplement, which was sponsored by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. The supplement focuses on creating an optimal, equitable system of learner assessment. In this episode, Holly Humphrey, MD, president of the Macy Foundation, discusses the origins of the supplement and the recommendations shared by the authors for fostering equity in assessment. Then the authors of each of the included papers share a summary of their work, including their key findings and takeaways to guide thinking on promoting fairness in assessment. Finally, Dowin Boatright, MD, MBA, MHS, a member of the planning committee for the conference that led to this supplement, discusses where medical education should go from here. A transcript of this episode is available at .
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When the Student Gave Me Feedback
09/04/2023
When the Student Gave Me Feedback
On a Thursday afternoon in clinic, in a situation made for learning, not grading, my learner taught me the essence of effective formative feedback. And for that lesson, I am forever grateful. Belinda Fu reflects on a student who taught her that helpful feedback must have formative simplicity. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the September 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Pink Toenails on a Tuesday
08/21/2023
Pink Toenails on a Tuesday
The next day, I knocked on the door of Room 412 armed with a bottle of baby blue nail polish. Not an elixir, but an oath—to face the unknown together, to sit with the uncomfortable silence, and to meet her in the middle, wherever that may be. Meher Kalkat reflects on accepting the messiness of life and the not having all the answers. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the August 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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A Note to My Daughters
08/07/2023
A Note to My Daughters
There will be a day when you are overlooked. You are not chosen. You will have worked hard, put in the time, been the next in line, and been ready, eager, and energetic to give it a whirl and still you are told no. Molly Uhlenhake gives her daughters advice on moving forward and continuing on despite life’s disappointments. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Thinking on Your Feet Well: Building Adaptive Expertise in Learners Using Simulation
07/24/2023
Thinking on Your Feet Well: Building Adaptive Expertise in Learners Using Simulation
Sam Clarke, MD, MAS, and Jon Ilgen, MD, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss the importance of teaching adaptive expertise to prepare learners for the types of complex cases they will encounter in clinical practice. This conversation also covers what adaptive expertise is, how simulation can be used to foster this skill in learners, and the complementary relationship between performance-oriented cases and adaptive cases in health professions education. A transcript of this episode is available at .
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When You Have No Words
07/10/2023
When You Have No Words
Shifting eyes, quivering lips, and fidgeting fingers can tell a million stories, but only if we open our eyes to those who are silently asking for help. Alexandra Cohen reflects on how making assumptions can harm the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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In Gratitude to the Patients Who Teach Us How to Be Wrong
06/26/2023
In Gratitude to the Patients Who Teach Us How to Be Wrong
This family taught me that it is exactly these patients—who are rightfully frustrated and afraid—who will push us and our institutions to improve. Instead of resisting that critique, we should support our patients in expressing it. Rebecca F.P. Long reflects on accepting that providers will not always meet patients’ expectations, despite their best efforts, and what to do when it occurs. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the June 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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Ask the Editors: Striving for Clarity in Designing and Reporting Quantitative Research
06/12/2023
Ask the Editors: Striving for Clarity in Designing and Reporting Quantitative Research
Academic Medicine's editors–Colin West, MD, PhD, Yoon Soo Park, PhD, Jonathan Amiel, MD, and Gustavo Patino, MD, PhD–join host Toni Gallo to share practical guidance for designing and reporting quantitative research. They share tips for success and flaws to avoid around designing your study, using descriptive and inferential statistics, and analyzing and presenting your data. While the advice in this episode comes from the editors of Academic Medicine, much of it also applies to designing and reporting quantitative research for other journals and publications. A transcript of this episode and additional resources are available at academicmedicineblog.org.
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Pumped on Surgical Sub Internships
05/29/2023
Pumped on Surgical Sub Internships
Small gestures, such as sparking a conversation when a student volunteers a personal detail, cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment. Performing these gestures publicly changes the status quo of how others behave and treat those around them, slowly etching away at cultures and institutions that exclude others. An anonymous resident reflects on the sometimes unwelcoming environments she experienced as a new mother who was completing surgical sub internships. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.
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