Tag Archives: family

My Family Thinks I’m a Doctor Already

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What med students wish their families actually understood about medical school

Your family means well… but when you start med school, suddenly every ache, rash, and conspiracy theory in the house is your domain! In this episode, the Short Coat crew gets real about what it’s like to be seen as a doctor when you’re really drowning in flashcards.

M2s Srishti Mathur and Nick Abouassally, and M1s Anna Royer, and Drew Bolisay trade stories about how their families misread med school life — from assuming they’re “on the wards” in year one to asking them to diagnose random symptoms at family gatherings.

They unpack what kind of support actually helps (spoiler: food) and what doesn’t (“It’s just a season of life, honey”). You’ll hear heartfelt moments about parental pride, intergenerational tension, and cultural expectations — plus a final improv game that proves even fake medicine is hard work.

If you’ve ever tried to explain Step 1 to your grandma, this one’s for you.

Episode credits:

  • Producer: Dave Etler
  • Co-hosts: Srishti Mathur, Nick Abouassally, Anna Royer, Drew Bolisay

The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions.

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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.

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Continue reading My Family Thinks I’m a Doctor Already

MCAT Score Reveals, MMA or Family, and Never-ending Sacrifices

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Are You The Asshole?

Dave is joined by co-hosts M1 Alec Marticoff, M1 Zach Grissom, PA1 Chloe Kepros, and M2 Holly Hemann. Together, they adjudicate several of reddit’s Am I The Asshole submissions. Why is discussing MCAT scores such treacherous ground? Is it an overreaction to get a second opinion? Are UFC/MMA fights sacrosanct? They also explore what it’s like to be involved in relationships with medical students (it ain’t easy), and the sacrifices each partner should be prepared to make. These stories of struggle and strife offer an inside look into what it’s like to be, date, and prepare for a life with a medical student. Share today’s episode with your partner!

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? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.

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Continue reading MCAT Score Reveals, MMA or Family, and Never-ending Sacrifices

Public Studying, Ultrasound Oopsie, and Stealing Valor from Nurses: AITA

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It’s another trip through Reddit, arbiter of A-holishness

  • What lessons does medical school teach? Aside from the foundations of cellular life, mechanisms of health and disease, and clinical and professional skills? As M2 Holly Hemann, MD/PhD student Miranda Schene, PA Professor Jeremy Nelson, and PA1 Julie Vuong discover, it can teach you where it’s not appropriate to study external reproductive anatomy, that some people consider wearing scrubs an example of stolen valor, and that it’s sometimes best for a student to keep his mouth shut. It’s okay, we’re here to learn from each other!

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? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.

We want to know more about you: Take the Listener Survey

Continue reading Public Studying, Ultrasound Oopsie, and Stealing Valor from Nurses: AITA

Recess Rehash: When Life Is Getting In the Way of Med School: the Value of the Tactical Retreat.

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Save Your Resources to Fight Another Day

TL;DR

  • Medical school is all-consuming, but sometimes you need to take time to deal with the slings and arrows of life.
  • Don’t be afraid that you’ll jeopardize your career by taking a leave during medical school. Better to do it before your situation causes harm to your test scores or grades.
  • A Brown University study finds that schools are failing in their diversity goals for admitting URMs.

We’re on a holiday break, but we’ll be back next week. Until then, enjoy this rerun.

Poking around on Reddit’s r/medschool, Dave found a rather desperate message from an M3 who’s life is collapsing around him–death, marriage troubles, family illnesses, and all at the same time. so much so that Dave fears their progress might suffer. Is it time for what a military commander might call a “tactical retreat?” Note: Dave isn’t really sure of the technical definition of a tactical retreat, but let’s just say it’s about stepping back and conserving your resources until the situation becomes more favorable to your goals. It’s a metaphor, go with it.

And co-hosts Aline Sandouk (MD/PhD), Nicole Hines (M1), AJ Chowdhury (M1), and Miranda Schene (MD/PhD) discuss the disappointing news that medical schools have made negative progress in attaining diversity goals for students underrepresented in medicine, despite years of effort.

We Want to Hear From You

How’d we do on this week’s show? Did we miss anything in our conversation? Did we anger you? Did we make you smile? Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime  or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  It’s always a pleasure to hear from you!

Continue reading Recess Rehash: When Life Is Getting In the Way of Med School: the Value of the Tactical Retreat.

When Life Is Getting In the Way of Med School: the Value of the Tactical Retreat.

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Save Your Resources to Fight Another Day

TL;DR

  • Medical school is all-consuming, but sometimes you need to take time to deal with the slings and arrows of life.
  • Don’t be afraid that you’ll jeopardize your career by taking a leave during medical school. Better to do it before your situation causes harm to your test scores or grades.
  • A Brown University study finds that schools are failing in their diversity goals for admitting URMs.

Poking around on Reddit’s r/medschool, Dave found a rather desperate message from an M3 who’s life is collapsing around him–death, marriage troubles, family illnesses, and all at the same time. so much so that Dave fears their progress might suffer. Is it time for what a military commander might call a “tactical retreat?” Note: Dave isn’t really sure of the technical definition of a tactical retreat, but let’s just say it’s about stepping back and conserving your resources until the situation becomes more favorable to your goals. It’s a metaphor, go with it.

And co-hosts Aline Sandouk (MD/PhD), Nicole Hines (M1), AJ Chowdhury (M1), and Miranda Schene (MD/PhD) discuss the disappointing news that medical schools have made negative progress in attaining diversity goals for students underrepresented in medicine, despite years of effort.

We Want to Hear From You

How’d we do on this week’s show? Did we miss anything in our conversation? Did we anger you? Did we make you smile? Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime  or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  It’s always a pleasure to hear from you!

Continue reading When Life Is Getting In the Way of Med School: the Value of the Tactical Retreat.

Exploring Your New Med School City

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Moving to a new place can be daunting–but it’s an amazing opportunity!

This episode is brought to you by Pattern. We hope you’ll check out their disability insurance offerings for docs at http://patternlife.com/partner/shortcoat.

Listener Noodles (not her real name) is planning to go to med school in a new state, perhaps. What’s it like, she wondered, moving to a new state for med school? And Lex Turesboreme is back to ask how MSTP student Miranda Schene and M1s Brandon Bacalzo, Maggie Jakubiak, and Kenzie McKnight deal with an inevitable part of med student life–their families’ medical questions.

Got a question we can help with? Call 347-SHORT-CT or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We’ll talk about it on the show!


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This Week in Medical News

A Texas nursing home medical director has decided it’s a good idea to do what he’s calling an “observational study” of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine on his elderly patients with COVID-19. And we can’t help but discuss the president’s thoughts on disinfectant and the VP’s coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx’s rather visible reaction:

Continue reading Exploring Your New Med School City

Relationships and Medical School.

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About three weeks ago our guests, Lisa Wehr and Matt Maves, Jacob and Rachel Evans, and Jessica Kincheloe, were plunged into another year of medical education at the UI Carver College of Medicine.  Since some, notably first-year medical students, find that it is an icy plunge, indeed,  we got together to discuss relationships in medical school: how our guests maintain them, how to allow them to flourish, and how to prevent them from being crushed by the pressure of medical school.

Okay, so it’s not that bad…but everyone could use a few tips, amiright?

Listen to Episode 023: Relationships and Medical School

The opinions expressed in this feed and podcast are not those of the University of Iowa or the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine.