Academic Medicine Podcast

"Our patients and their families are living that one-in-a-thousand life. Even if focusing on rarity helps us cope with the unpredictability of our own pregnancies and of the world in pandemic, rarity cannot protect us from the truth that the terrible is possible." Katharine Callahan is a neonatology fellow, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and an ELSI genomics fellow, Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, University of Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Salazar is a neonatology fellow, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. As two neonatologists, both navigating pregnancies in a landscape of uncertainty, Katharine and Elizabeth find strength and inspiration in the families they serve and support. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the September 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

“So, when I step back and think about the most important lesson I have learned in medical school, it is to have the courage to speak up when I am struggling.” Fourth-year medical student, Michelle M. Ikoma, describes how honoring vulnerability over shame allows her to speak up for her true feelings and get the help she needs to maneuver challenging times. 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.

Guests Catherine Lucey, MD, and Aaron Saguil, MD, MPH, join hosts Toni Gallo and assistant editor Paula (Ross) Thompson, PhD, MA, to discuss the consequences of structural racism on MCAT scores and medical school admissions. They also talk about the role of the MCAT exam in holistic admissions and how to mitigate the effects of structural racism to improve the diversity of the physician workforce.  Read the article discussed in this episode at academicmedicine.org:  The Consequences of Structural Racism on MCAT Scores and Medical School Admissions: The Past Is Prologue For one example of the persistent impact of 20th century discriminatory housing policies on 21st century educational opportunities, as described in this episode, see Supplemental Digital Appendix 1 from the article above. A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org. 

"People are not born racists; these are learned behaviors. Over time and generations, these learned behaviors have manifested in institutional and systemic racism, teaching our medical learners and demonstrating to our patients that the commission of racism is acceptable." Robert Sapien is a distinguished professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics, associate dean for admissions, director of the Combined BA/MD Degree Program, and principal investigator of the Child Ready Program and New Mexico Emergency Medical Services Program at the University of Mexico School of Medicine. He reflects on a lifetime of being on the receiving end of systemic and institutional racism, and how even institutions with strong social missions can misstep by overlooking how these learned behaviors manifest - in ways subtle or not. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the August 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

“This was not a case report in a medical textbook but a real-life situation, and my adrenaline and training had pushed me to fight and not freeze. My attendance at many prior deliveries had never presented me with quite the same challenges, yet they strengthened me for this moment.”   Pediatric chief resident, Dr. Sarah Justvig, emphasizes the positive impact of rigorous clinical training and acknowledges how the supportive teaching of her teachers and mentors has strengthened her readiness for real-life challenges.   This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Guests Pamela Chen, MD, Jyothi Marbin, MD, and Leanna Lewis, MSW, join hosts Toni Gallo and associate editor Monica Lypson, MD, MHPE, to discuss their novel approaches to addressing gender bias and structural racism in medicine, by painting honor wall portraits of women physicians and using travel to the American South to explore structural racism and health disparities, respectively. They also talk about the role of storytelling and getting proximate in overcoming bias.  Read the articles discussed in this episode at academicmedicine.org:  The Women Before Me: My Journey Painting Honor Wall Portraits of Women Physicians The Power of Place: Travel to Explore Structural Racism and Health Disparities A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org. 

"To my future patients I say this: When you give me the gift of your feelings, I may still freeze up for a moment, wondering how to best show that I care. But I will take this lesson that a global pandemic taught me and give space and significance to your emotion—and we will look at it, together." Baila Elkin is a third-year medical student at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Reflecting on the experience of making contact-tracing calls, Baila shares how learning to listen to and acknowledge the emotions living behind words can deepen the personal connection with patients. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

“In the single minute I spent listening to the patient’s story and auscultating her sternum, she went from feeling frustrated and unheard to respected and thoroughly cared for.” Fourth-year medical student, Abigail M. Schmucker, describes how she gains insight into the positive impact of patient-centered care through an unusual window: peach auscultation. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2021 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

"Setbacks and failures are inherent to play, yet there is little space for setbacks and failures as adults, making play risky. In a competitive work environment, play feels dangerous." Ashwini Bapat is a palliative care physician, founder of EpioneMD, and cofounder of Hippocratic Adventures. In a letter to a former mentor, she reflects upon the isolation experienced when the ability to play is usurped by the drive to succeed. 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.

“The physical contrast of the light fingers dancing around the dark, as well as the fault lines where the machine had met his hand, made me think harder and feel more than before about a topic we are taught in medical school—socioeconomic factors.” Fourth-year medical student, Kate E. Lee, describes how a surgery shadowing experience leaves her with lingering thoughts, not about the clinical aspect of the case, but about the vivid display of the socioeconomic determinants of health she encounters in the surgical room that day. 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.