Tag Archives: parenting in medical school

Short Coat Podcast

Med Student Leaders: Juggling Roles at School and Home

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Is work-life “balance” the right framing?

Is “work-life balance” a myth in medical school? What do successful students do to manage leadership positions, marriage, kids, and academics?

Our co-hosts–M2s Zach Grissom, Megan Perry, Sarah Upton, and Chase Larsson–lead specialty interest groups, student government, advocacy organizations, and their learning communities; all of their roles compete for their time. Then someone asks if they want to start a new thing, and somehow they say yes. even if they say no. It’s a mystery how that happens.

We break down what happens when “getting involved” becomes “drowning in responsibility,” especially with that otherwise pretty sweet 18-month preclinical timeline that makes succession planning feel like a game of musical chairs with first-years who are still learning how to med school.

But here’s where it gets interesting. These aren’t just resume builders—our students are genuinely passionate about their causes, from organ donation advocacy to single-payer healthcare organizing to…podcasting! They’re learning that leadership isn’t about balance; it’s about accommodation. Sometimes the leadership thing gets bumped for the anatomy exam. Sometimes you’re editing a newsletter while your kid bounces off the walls. Sometimes you realize you’re not actually superhuman, and that’s okay.

Also, Short Coat listener Evan asks us how do we manage a parenting, marriage, and medical school without losing your minds? Our conversation gets brutally honest about the reality of parenting through M1 year, the myth of work-life balance, and why some students might feel “infantilized” by the medical school experience while others are changing car batteries in business attire between classes or trying to meal prep while being tutored (that doesn’t work, BTW).

Episode credits:

  • Producer: Zach Grissom
  • Co-hosts: Zach Grissom, Megan Perry, Sarah Upton, Chase Larsson

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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Short Coat Podcast

Ableism in Medicine Often Forces Learners to Advocate For Themselves

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We live in a world that still believes the disabled are a danger to patient safety

TL;DR

  • An injury during medical school or residency can temporarily or permanently alter one’s career prospects and trajectory.
  • Even serious disabilities don’t have to be career-enders. But in many cases, it’s up to the injured to counter the ableism that still exists in medicine.
  • What unionizing residents might accomplish, and why it might be needed even in today’s graduate medical education paradigm.

Bluebell (not her real name) called The Short Coat Listener Line as she is recovering from an injury; her injury isn’t serious, but it got her thinking–in what ways would an injury, temporary or permanent, alter a medical student’s career trajectory? M3s Brandon Bacalzo and Nathen Spitz, M2 Lola Lozano, and M1 Noah Wick discuss what has happened to people they know who’ve faced this situation, some ideas on protecting their livelihoods from the effects of a permanent disability, and how ableism may continue to exist in medicine and medical education.

The crew also offers some thoughts following Match Day 2022, Brandon’s newfound responsibilities as a father, and the possibilities of unionizing residents.

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Short Coat Podcast

Unsatisfied Just Learning Medicine, These Students Became Journalists, Too

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The case for the physician-journalist

The Takeaways:

  • One important responsibility that doctors can and should take on is to educate their communities on health issues.
  • Learning how to do this in medical school can be as easy as collaborating with your university news paper.
  • Plus, our advice for a young mother and wife whose med student husband will be away during third year: plan, iterate and empathize.

In 2018, CCOM M4 Pavane Gorrepati launched The Doctor Is In, a recurring column in The Daily Iowan, the University of Iowa’s newspaper. The goals were to give all healthcare students an opportunity to publish science and opinion pieces, to bridge the divide between our undergrad and grad campuses by focusing on health-related issues that are relevant to the undergraduate population, and to give students experience on how they might convey complex topics to the general public through the popular press.

Pavane and her successor M2 Vijay Kamalumpundi join us for a discussion on this very successful endeavor and what they’ve learned. Among the things COVID has taught us is the importance of understanding complex topics!

But first, offer some advice to a nervous med student’s wife who will be spending a significant time apart from her spouse during his third year. MD/PhD student Aline Sandouk, and M2s Nicole Hines, Sarah Costello, and AJ Chowdhury offer some ideas on how they might cope with the separation and make sure their very young children don’t miss their dad too much.

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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!

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Short Coat Podcast

Parenting in Med School, Part 3: What About the Partners?

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Because med school is all-consuming, partners often take on much of the parenting tasks

TL;DR

  • Asking for and getting help from one’s med-student partner when parenting gets overwhelming is essential.
  • Organizing with other med student parents for mutual support is crucial.
  • The fear that med school is completely inflexible for parents may be unfounded.

M4 Nick Lind and Miriam Lind are joined by M4 Michael Lung and Christina Lung to talk about the arrangements they’ve had to make and the techniques they’ve used in order to make med school parenting work. Also unintentionally, but predictably, on the mic–Nick and Miriam’s newborn Ingrid and Michael and Tina’s 11-month old Michaela. Warning–cute baby coos and mic-grabbing noises are a feature of this episode, not a flaw! Check out our YouTube channel for the video to see cute babies.

One of the things that’s come out of Nick’s efforts putting together this series for The Short Coat is that the families have started talking more. In fact, they’ve begun organizing a parents’ group to open lines of communication and support for each other. Podcasting FTW!

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!

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