Sometimes it’s nice to just sit down and have a rambling conversation. That’s this episode, with MD/PhD students Madi Wahlen and Sahaana Arumugam and M3s Jacob Hansen and Jacob Lam.
We discuss the non-weighty topics of why people don’t know they shouldn’t stare at a ball of fusion in the sky, niche online community drama, a Texas transplant surgeon accused of manipulating transplant lists, everyday things that might not be things someday, why Dave doesn’t yet want an electric vehicle, the co-hosts plans for their futures beyond seeing patients, and so much more that is barely relevant to medical school.
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
Occupational Medicine offers a great lifestyle, scope mix, and early-career satisfaction
Matthew Kiok, MD, MPH tells us he’s found the perfect specialty. Occupational Medicine is one of those careers we’re exploring in our sleeper specialty series–those which you might not immediately think of when you’re considering a career as a physician. Dr. Kiok tells M1 Fallon Jung, PA1 Julie Vuong, and M2 Jeff Goddard that he has great work-life balance and a satisfying scope of practice. He makes a difference in peoples’ lives by keeping them safe in their workplaces or assessing work-related injuries, even testifying as an expert in court. His experiences highlight the unique challenges and rewarding moments in his chosen career and insights into the complicated relationship between doctors, employers, and employees. He offers advice to those considering a similar career path–and he even gave us his email address if you want to ask him more about it! What a guy!
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Leave a message at 347-SHORTCT (347-746-7828) and we’ll put your message in a future episode (use *67 to be an “Unknown caller”). Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
Tailoring your medical career to fit your personality
Are you better off as a surgeon or in palliative care? MD/PhD student Jacqueline Nielsen, M2 Hend Al-Kaylani, and M1 Fallon Jung play with personality to see if their path toward choosing the right medical specialty should be dependent on their personality traits. From the introspective nature of psychiatry to the rapid decision-making required in emergency medicine, Dave and crew explore how tests like The Big 5 or Meyers Briggs might influence their specialty choices. Some question the scientific validity of most personality testing, but the Big Five has some evidence behind it, so Dave also created a custom GPT to analyze their test results and suggest best (and worst) specialties for all of them. This episode also touches upon the broader implications of these choices on personal satisfaction and professional success in medicine. Also, we ponder our consumption of news and its impact on mental health and the Kate Middleton mystery’s hold on the world.
We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Leave a message at 347-SHORTCT (347-746-7828) and we’ll put your message in a future episode (use *67 to be an “Unknown caller”). Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
The unique experiences and challenges of practicing medicine where everyone knows your name
M1 Fallon Jung, PA1 Olivia Quinby, MD/PhD student Faith Prochaska, M2 Jeff Goddard, and special guest Dr. Peter Kaboli dive deep into the heart of rural medicine. We kick off with a candid discussion about growing up in small towns and how these experiences shape our understanding of community and healthcare.
Dr. Kaboli, an expert in rural health with the Veterans’ Administration, shares his insights into the nuances of rural medicine. We explore the multifaceted challenges and rewards of practicing medicine in rural settings, from the importance of forming deep connections with patients to navigating the scarcity of healthcare resources.
Telemedicine, workforce issues, geographic barriers, and the digital divide are central to the art of medicine in small towns and on county roads, sometimes requiring innovative approaches to healthcare delivery.
We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Leave a message at 347-SHORTCT (347-746-7828) and we’ll put your message in a future episode (use *67 to be an “Unknown caller”). Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
[Because of Match Week and Spring Break, we didn’t record a new ep last week. Enjoy this rerun instead, and we’ll be back next week! –Dave]
Speaking up for your patients will have profound impacts
Short Coat Savannah’s previous work in mental health settings exposed her to situations where she had to report abuse. She left us a message at 347-SHORTCT asking us to talk about patient advocacy.
MD/PhD student Riley, PA1 Faith, M1 Jeff, and M3 Happy–along with some of our faculty–look at what doctors actually do to advocate for their patients in that situation, as well as other more common situations.
Plus, Jeff licks an elephant to right an old wrong.
We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
No matter where you fall on any spectrum, we want your thoughts on our show. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? We’ll be sure your ideas are heard by all–leave a message at 347-SHORTCT (347-746-7828) and we’ll put your message in a future episode (use *67 to be an “Unknown caller”). We want to know more about you: Take the Listener Survey We do more things on…
[I’m releasing this second version with no background sound effects, for our friends who might find such things annoying. –Dave]
Come to our weird, casual get-together.
Dave hosts a weird cocktail party for his co-hosts, M1s Fallon Jung and Taryn O’Brian, MD/PhD student Jacqueline Nielson, and M3 Chirayu Shukla.
The group dives into a variety of topics: surreal dreams, spring break plans, which celebrity they would replace one of their organs with, book recommendations, personal stories, and AI-generated songs about Menards and Chirayu’s curtailed tennis career.
AI song lyrics
A Podcaster at Heart
I’m an administrative services coordinator But my heart’s on the mic, a podcast connoisseurIn a cubicle, with paperwork piled high But all I wanna do is let my voice fly
I got responsibilities, emails to send But my mind’s on the episodes I haven’t penned I sneak in headphones, catchin’ up on my faves Dreamin’ ’bout the day I’ll be podcastin’ my own ways (ooh-yeah)
[Chorus]I’m a podcaster at heart Living for those podcastin’ vibes, it’s an art While spreadsheets stack up, I’m in my own zone Dreamin’ ’bout the day when podcastin’ is my throne
The Jig of the Horse Loving Medic
Oh, I’m a medical student, learnin’ day and night But when I’m not studyin’, I’ve got a different delight I love horses, they bring me so much joy And Menards, oh Menards, it’s like a superstore of toys
[Chorus]I take long walks down every aisle at Menards (oh yeah) From the lumber to the paint, it’s never too hard (woo!) With a bounce in my step, and a twinkle in my eye (uh-huh) I’m a horse-loving medic, livin’ life on a high (woo!)
No Regrets
[Verse] We don’t care ’bout the grades, don’t need no A’s Livin’ fast, we’re in a disobedient phase Don’t care ’bout the cash or the future ahead We’re just here for the punk rock, not the life we’re fed (ooh-yeah)
[Chorus] No regrets, we don’t give a damn Breakin’ all the rules, stickin’ it to the man No regrets, we live on the edge Skipping class, punk rock is what we pledge
Medicine or Tennis
In the dead of night, I’m stuck in time, Torn between two paths, My heart’s on the line,
A love for medicine. The field is my callin’ but the court’s my passion.
[URL template for episode https://media.blubrry.com/theshortcoat/podcast.uiowa.edu/com/osa/CHANGETHIS.mp3]
We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Leave a message at 347-SHORTCT (347-746-7828) and we’ll put your message in a future episode (use *67 to be an “Unknown caller”). Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
[This episode has some background sound, which maybe some listeners find annoying. Look for the second version, which has none of that. –Dave]
Come to our weird, casual get-together.
Dave hosts a weird cocktail party for his co-hosts, M1s Fallon Jung and Taryn O’Brian, MD/PhD student Jacqueline Nielson, and M3 Chirayu Shukla.
The group dives into a variety of topics: surreal dreams, spring break plans, which celebrity they would replace one of their organs with, book recommendations, personal stories, and AI-generated songs about Menards and Chirayu’s curtailed tennis career.
AI song lyrics
A Podcaster at Heart
I’m an administrative services coordinator But my heart’s on the mic, a podcast connoisseurIn a cubicle, with paperwork piled high But all I wanna do is let my voice fly
I got responsibilities, emails to send But my mind’s on the episodes I haven’t penned I sneak in headphones, catchin’ up on my faves Dreamin’ ’bout the day I’ll be podcastin’ my own ways (ooh-yeah)
[Chorus]I’m a podcaster at heart Living for those podcastin’ vibes, it’s an art While spreadsheets stack up, I’m in my own zone Dreamin’ ’bout the day when podcastin’ is my throne
The Jig of the Horse Loving Medic
Oh, I’m a medical student, learnin’ day and night But when I’m not studyin’, I’ve got a different delight I love horses, they bring me so much joy And Menards, oh Menards, it’s like a superstore of toys
[Chorus]I take long walks down every aisle at Menards (oh yeah) From the lumber to the paint, it’s never too hard (woo!) With a bounce in my step, and a twinkle in my eye (uh-huh) I’m a horse-loving medic, livin’ life on a high (woo!)
No Regrets
[Verse] We don’t care ’bout the grades, don’t need no A’s Livin’ fast, we’re in a disobedient phase Don’t care ’bout the cash or the future ahead We’re just here for the punk rock, not the life we’re fed (ooh-yeah)
[Chorus] No regrets, we don’t give a damn Breakin’ all the rules, stickin’ it to the man No regrets, we live on the edge Skipping class, punk rock is what we pledge
Medicine or Tennis
In the dead of night, I’m stuck in time, Torn between two paths, My heart’s on the line,
A love for medicine. The field is my callin’ but the court’s my passion.
[URL template for episode https://media.blubrry.com/theshortcoat/podcast.uiowa.edu/com/osa/CHANGETHIS.mp3]
We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Leave a message at 347-SHORTCT (347-746-7828) and we’ll put your message in a future episode (use *67 to be an “Unknown caller”). Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
The Sheriff of Sodium investigates the current state and future of medical training
If you’ve wondered how well the system that trains future doctors works, or about what factors really determine which medical students get into the most competitive residency programs, this episode is for you.
M1 Fallon Jung, M2 Jeff Goddard, and M4 AJ Chowdhury get deep into these issues with a very special guest – Dr. Brian Carmody, known on his blog and YouTube channel as “The Sheriff of Sodium.”
Dr. Carmody, a pediatric nephrologist by training, closely analyzes and shares data-driven perspectives on medical education, pulling on threads to understand whether the current medical training system is truly functional, fair, and efficient, examining factors like student debt burdens, physician shortages projections, and the utility of metrics like Step 1 and Step 2 scores.
Like any good sheriff, Dr. Carmody is skeptical, especially about ideas like future physician shortages, and how schools report residency match outcomes.
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Leave a message at 347-SHORTCT (347-746-7828) and we’ll put your message in a future episode (use *67 to be an “Unknown caller”). Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
An alumni of CCOM and SCP returns to prove: you can do it!
MD/PhD student Miranda Schene, M2 Jeff Goddard, and M1 Fallon Jung visit with alumni Teneme Konne, MD, now a second-year resident. They start by smacking their foreheads over AI-generated images in a recent medical journal, unpacking the rigorous demands of peer review and its pivotal role in scientific accuracy. The conversation then shifts to Dr. Konne’s journey in medicine, and the broad responsibilities of family medicine practitioners beyond clinical care. The resilience and growth he achieved during residency offer a comprehensive insight into the realities of becoming a doctor. Key moments include discussions on medical misinformation, the integral role of primary care physicians, and the personal and professional evolution experienced through residency. It wasn’t completely smooth, but he did it! And the crew discusses Medscape’s Physician Lifestyle & Happiness Report 2024.
We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Leave a message at 347-SHORTCT (347-746-7828) and we’ll put your message in a future episode (use *67 to be an “Unknown caller”). Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
Jacob successfully finished Step 1 and the co-hosts tap him for some of his insights from clinical rotations, particularly learning he won’t be pursuing a career in surgery.
Dave tries to understand an important aspect of med student culture using his Gen X brain: memes, including their potential as educational tools.
We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Leave a message at 347-SHORTCT (347-746-7828) and we’ll put your message in a future episode (use *67 to be an “Unknown caller”). Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
