Audio

Short Coat Podcast

Doctor down under, or Medicine in ‘Merica?

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 46:19 — 63.6MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

australia photo

This week, we’re winging it on SCP–life was a bit more complicated for Dave than usual–but we have some great questions to address from some non-US listeners.  Nice to have confirmation that we have more than a couple of those!  Luke from Australia wants to come to America, either to study medicine or after his Australian medical education is complete.  Which should he choose, and what will he think of our Australian accents after he listens?  And Justin, listening in the Philippines, wants to know what story our co-hosts tell themselves when they think about why they’re studying medicine.  Justin Hababag, Aditi Patel, and Kylie Miller are on hand to discuss.

We Want to Hear From You

What story do you tell yourself about your interest in medicine? Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime, visit our Facebook group, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  Do all three!

Continue reading Doctor down under, or Medicine in ‘Merica? →

Share
Short Coat Podcast

Med School Hidden Costs, and Extracurricular Activities

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:17 — 85.6MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

Med School is Expensive…More Than You Know

But what’s this? Podcast merch?  Dave has a special announcement, what we’re going to use the money for (it’s not for the show), and how you can get a special offer and help do some good at the same time.

Everybody knows about med school tuition.  And then there’s the cost of student loans.  But there’s so much more, and listener Richard wrote in to theshortcoats@gmail.com ask: what are the hidden costs of attending medical school?  Luckily Dave has a crew of people on hand who’ve figured that out: Aline Sandouk, Nick Lind, Maddie Mix, and LJ Agostinelli.  Get prepared with their list of things you need to spend money on, and a couple things you shouldn’t spend on.  Another listener, Sarah, would like some idea of what kinds of extracurricular activities med students can get into, and how to find them. We got you, Sarah!

And after pondering what the point is of the case study in medical literature (aside from amusing Dave to no end), the crew takes a pop quiz on weird cases found on the internet.

This Week in Medical News

The Gates Foundation may be throwing it’s considerable weight and funding behind reducing maternal deaths in the US.

We Want to Hear From You

What hidden costs of medical school did we miss?  Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime, visit our Facebook group, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  Do all three!

Continue reading Med School Hidden Costs, and Extracurricular Activities →

Share
Short Coat Podcast

The MD path or the PA path

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:05:50 — 90.5MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

choices photo

When thinking about  a career in medicine, those who are leaning towards getting an MD often consider the Physician Assistant path; and if they’re leaning towards a PA career they often consider the Medical Doctor path.  On this show, PA students Steffanie Robertus and Terry Hayes join MD students Emma Barr and Katie Christel explore the similarities between their educational journeys, the exams they’ll take, the career paths, and the lifestyles they’ll enjoy.  Then, Dave pits the two teams against each other in a fight to the death.  Or was it a trivia contest?

This Week in Medical News

Have you ever wondered if “defecation postural modification devices” (i.e., those potty stools recommended by unicorns to help you poop) really work?  So do gastroenterologists and their friends.  Cancer rates have dropped a whole bunch in the last few decades.  And a Chinese researcher who edited the genomes of twin baby girls is either in danger of being put to death or is doing just fine thank you.

We Want to Hear From You

Love or hate the Squatty Potty? Need advice? Have questions? Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime, visit our Facebook group, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  Tell us all about it.

Continue reading The MD path or the PA path →

Share
Short Coat Podcast

Don’t count on Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:00 — 78.3MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is Broken

loan photoFormer co-host and now PM&R Doctor Cole Cheney returns for a discussion of what he’s discovered about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which rewards careers in public service by forgiving student loans after 10 years of qualifying work.  The first 11 years have passed since its inception, and you’ll never guess how many people have had their loans forgiven.  Aline Sandouk, Dylan Todd, Brady Campbell, and financial aid counselor Chris Roling were on hand for a discussion of why you’ll want to have a backup plan to pay off your med school debt.

This Week in Medical News

A study looks at whether we’re ready for whole genome sequencing as a screening tool for newborn babies.  We discuss whether teenagers are capable of withstanding the rigors of medical school.  And an we explore the ‘confidence gap’ between men and women in medicine and whether it’s even important.

We Want to Hear From You

Are you a woman who has been counselled to lean in and act more confident? Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime, visit our Facebook group, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  We’d love to hear from you!

Continue reading Don’t count on Public Service Loan Forgiveness →

Share
Short Coat Podcast

The Harsh Truths and Pleasant Realities of Med School

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:14 — 80.0MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

harsh reality photo
What? No sleep mask? No weighted blanket? No blackout shades? She’s a witch! Photo by C_Scott (Pixabay)

Happy New Year!  With the holidays slowing down the pace of listener questions, Dave asks new co-host LJ Agostinelli and old hands Rob Humble and Hillary O’Brien to discuss the harsh truths and pleasant realities of studying medicine.  Plus, Yahoo! Answers gets another visit, and manages to live up to Dave’s characterization of it as the saddest place on the internet.

This Week in Medical News

Scientists make themselves chuckle while proving a point about the gold standard of research, the randomized controlled trial, by elaborately studying whether parachutes save lives.  Expensive drugs eek out a win over cheap exercise in treating high blood pressure, causing doctors and patients everywhere to cry, “Meh.”  And in the battle to curb the ever-increasing national sleep debt, Dave gets a weighted blanket for Christmas.

We Want to Hear From You

We crave your questions! Leave a message at 347-SHORTCT,  hit us up on the socials, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  Do all three!

Continue reading The Harsh Truths and Pleasant Realities of Med School →

Share
Short Coat Podcast

The Darkness Without: SAD in Med School

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:07 — 74.3MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

Madeline called to ask: it’s finals week and you’re stricken with seasonal depression–what’s a med student to do?  We feel you, Madeline.  Luckily, Aline Sandouk, Nick Lind, Derek Bradley, and Hillary O’Brien are ready to throw open the curtains on their ideas to help.  And Jeannet-tello hit us up on our Instagram to find out what she should do about impostor syndrome.

Plus, Dave shares the recent video that UIHC Marketing and Communications unwisely allowed him to be in.

 

This Week in Medical News

Healthcare providers, if you want to take the Surgeon General’s advice and save people from dying of opioid overdoses, you might kiss your ability to get health insurance goodbye.  And a Tennessee physician starts off his new job as a US Representative by promising–for no reason at all–to dig up the dirt the CDC has been hiding about vaccines and autism.  Thank goodness, we’re all saved.

We Want to Hear From You

Are you nervous about starting med school? Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime, visit our Facebook group, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  Share your fears!

Continue reading The Darkness Without: SAD in Med School →

Share
Short Coat Podcast

Mouths Wide Open

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:58 — 82.4MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-20427-9

Aline Sandouk discusses with her co-hosts the recent breakthrough in her research–which is pretty much that she’s experiencing the exact opposite of what PhD students fear, and that her research may just have a path forward.  Whew!  And while we couldn’t answer any listener questions this week–hang in there, Madeline and Tiana, you’re on the list!–we did answer anatomy questions asked with dental mouth spreaders in our mouths.  Warning: this episode contains more than the usual amount saliva-based sounds.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Etler (@chzdanish) on


Plus, Kylie Miller explains to Aline, Madeline Slater, and Nick Lund that she is a compulsive licker.

This Week in Medical News

A DNA study determines that stethoscopes are gross.  More doubts expressed at the validity of research in light that many top docs aren’t disclosing conflicts of interest in their publications.  And docs (plus Dave) are learning that women might actually need uteruses for more than housing and then expelling babies.

We Want to Hear From You

Are you a compulsive licker? Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime, visit our Facebook group, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  Do all three!

Continue reading Mouths Wide Open →

Share
Short Coat Podcast

Genetically Engineered Babies, Medical Student Influencers

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:24 — 78.9MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

Are you buying what med student Instagrammers are selling?

genetically engineered photo
Photo by MillionsAgainstMonsanto

You’ve probably noticed them.  Cute med students hawking makeup and study guides on Instagram, posting photos of their fav study beverage, and composing carefully arranged shots of the contents of their backpacks, #medstudentlife #sponsored.  Well, who can blame them–med school’s expensive!  But is it a slippery slope, just waiting for some unsuspecting student to lose their ethical footing?  Short Coats Sam Palmer, Miranda Schene and newbies Allie Fillman and Allison Klimesh take a look.

This Week in Medical News

Funny thing:  that stuff you learned about mitochondria?  Wrong.  And with the news that there are now real live genetically engineered babies in the world–thanks to a Chinese scientist with his own ethical problems–we wonder why it was even necessary, what the dangers are to the family who ‘benefited,’ and just where the heck is this young mad scientist, now, anyway?

We Want to Hear From You

Would you be a med student influencer if you could?  Why, and what limits would you set? Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime, visit our Facebook group, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  Do all three!

Continue reading Genetically Engineered Babies, Medical Student Influencers →

Share
Short Coat Podcast

LGBT in Med School

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:09:41 — 95.7MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

What’s it like being a ‘sexual minority’ in medical school?

lgbt photoShort Coats Rob Humble and Claire Castaneda are joined by new co-hosts Mitchell Hooyer and Jeremy Sanchez to talk about their personal experiences as members of the LGBT community while studying medicine.  They highlight Iowa’s surprisingly inclusive nature–among other things, Iowa was only the third state to legalize same-sex marriage.  And they discuss the interesting origin of CCOM’s student group EqualMeds, as well as how LGBT topics are covered in med school curricula. We also answer the question: why is it even necessary to include specific discussion of these groups given that all people are the same on a cellular level?

Plus, we answer a listener question from Nikki:  is it easy to make friends in medical school if you’re an introvert?

We Want to Hear From You

What have you experienced as an LGBT student or seen as an LGBT ally? Call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime, visit our Facebook group, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.  Do all three!

Continue reading LGBT in Med School →

Share
rerun, Short Coat Podcast

Recess Rehash: Poor: a deadly diagnosis in America, ft. Sarah Smarsh

Audio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:02:39 — 86.1MB)

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS | More

A look at the people valued more as functioning machines than as people

Sarah Smarsh

[We had an interview show lined up for this week’s show, but sucky winter weather intervened to ruin our guest’s travel plans.  C’est la vie!  We’ll be back next week with a new show, so stay frosty.]

This past week, the Carver College of Medicine hosted its 12th annual Examined Life Conference.  Our featured presenter, journalist and memoirist Sarah Smarsh, grew up in a family of farmers and teen mothers in Kansas.  Her family, laborers trapped in a cycle of poverty, made the kinds of choices that poor people must make in rural America–whether to eat or seek medical attention, for instance.  Decades of inattention–and scorn–from politicians and the media have widened this class divide, and have sent the inexorable message that their voices don’t matter.  Ms. Smarsh’s recent book, Heartland: A Memoir of working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth, tells the tales of her family’s struggles with poverty, addiction, workplace injuries, and family violence that many economic and political elites don’t have the background or will to truly understand.

Though Ms. Smarsh has managed to escape the cycle, she has retained her citizenship in–and love for–that largely unexplored country, and offers a deep look at what it’s like to be poor in the wealthiest and most powerful society on the planet. Our executive producer Jason T. Lewis, Rob Humble, Gabe Conley, Teneme Konne, and Christopher Portero Paff talk with Ms. Smarsh about what the working poor are facing, how our willful lack of understanding shapes our perceptions of their struggles, and why it’s crucial that medicine encourages and welcomes them as providers.

We Want to Hear From You

Your voice does matter.  So call us at 347-SHORTCT anytime, visit our Facebook group, or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.

Continue reading Recess Rehash: Poor: a deadly diagnosis in America, ft. Sarah Smarsh →

Share