medical license Archives | The Short Coat

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Three exams that might drive you crazy.

If you’re a pre-med, you may have heard about Step exams. But what are they? When the hell are you supposed to start studying? Should you be doing Anki cards in the womb? And are your scores actually going to determine your entire future? This episode is basically your reality check from people who’ve either survived these medical licensing exams or are currently drowning in practice questions right now. M4 Zay Edgren and M3 Radha Velamuri help M1 Isa Perez-Sandi and M2 Zach Grissom understand the whole chaotic timeline—from Step 1 going pass fail (RIP to the days when that score mattered) to Step 2 being the new make-or-break moment for your residency application. And let’s not forget Step 3 which comes later and is–some will say–just another expensive box to check during residency.

You’ll hear honest takes on when people actually start medical board exam preparation, how medical school rotations can change everything about studying for these beasts, what those clinical vignette questions are really testing, and why practicing on actual patients beats memorizing the whatever cycle. Whether you’re an pre-med just learning what “shelf exam” means, deep in medical student board preparation hell, or a parent of one of those—we’ve got the insider info, the real timeline, and exactly zero sugarcoating. Plus: hot takes on curly hair management, why being ten years old means you’re already behind, and a very specific discussion about dumpster diving that makes sense in context. But probably not.

Episode credits:

Producer: Zay Edgren
Co-hosts: Isa Sandi-Perez, Zach Grissom, Radha Velamuri, Zay Edgren

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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You can have the best scores and grade, but personality counts

TL;DR

Affective presence is the lasting and stable impressions your interaction partners get from you.

Your scores and grades only get you in the door.

It’s your personality that makes you a medical student, and later, a doctor. So make sure you’re giving off the right vibes!

Listener Kalmen reminds us of a paths for some students who don’t match.

Dave continues his ruminations about why a very few people don’t match into residency. He thinks that some of those people (who weren’t the victims of luck or strategic errors) were burdened by a negative affective presence–the feelings that others have about interpersonal interactions with them.

Which brings up (at least) two questions: how do you know if people have a negative impression of your affective presence? And even if you do notice, how do you fix it? M4 Holly Conger, M3 Emma Barr, and M1s Albert Pedroza and Rick Gardner help him hash it out.

And reacting to Dave’s other concerns about graduating students having additional paths if they don’t match, listener Kalmen writes in to theshortcoats@gmail.com to point out that some states do have such a path. These states offer licensing for so-called associate or assistant physicians. Aside from the confusing name of this kind of practitioner, Dave is down with that because he just wants everyone to be happy. But many–including Holly–aren’t so sure.

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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! And remember that we livestream every recording on our Facebook group, The Short Coat Student Lounge. Join us and help us with our discussions!

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Medical School Podcast: What They Don't Tell You | The Short Coat

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Tag Archives: medical license

Step Exams: Ready Or Not Here They Come