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Short Coat Podcast

Does the Medical Profession Glorify Misery? (Recess Rehash)

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[With Dave taking a vacation, here is your opportunity to enjoy this rerun. We’ll be back with a new episode next week!]

Do everything you can to avoid the misery trap

On this episode we welcome guest Dr. Joshua Trebach, an emergency medicine physician here at Iowa. This past spring he posted on X that medicine must “lose the mentality of thinking its okay to be miserable for years (or decades) to justify it being ‘finally worth it’ in the end.”

We couldn’t agree more–live now, not later! Which is why PA2 Julie Vuong, M2 Fallon Jung, and MD/PhD student Madi Wahlen are each finding ways to reject that mentality. Indeed, medical education is changing, perhaps slowly, to reinforce the idea that just because medicine can be a difficult life doesn’t mean that you should obsessively look forward to the day it gets better. That day is a long way away, so do what you can (what you must) to be who you want to be even as you’re drinking from the firehose.

Also, we answer one of listener Mohamed’s questions on how he can jump right into his first year this fall with his eyes on patient advocacy.

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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Short Coat Podcast

Is Med School Impossible with a Serious Mental Illness?

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[Content warning: this episode contains frank discussions of mental health and mentions suicide.]

Getting your support systems in order is key to success in med school with a mental health diagnosis

In this episode listener Haley, who is considering medical school while managing a bipolar diagnosis has been told by her psychiatrist that med school probably isn’t for her. PA2 Julie Vuong, M3 Shana Liu, M1 Riley Dean, and MD/PhD student Sebastian Gomez, join host Dave Etler share their personal experiences with mental health challenges, including anxiety, PTSD, and ADHD. The crew candidly discusses the importance of seeking support, the stigma around mental health, and the accommodations available in medical school. Advice is offered on forming a strong support network, being open about personal struggles, and leveraging mental health diagnoses as a unique strength in the medical field. The episode concludes with insights into the support systems to look for in a school, the balance of life and medical education, and the significance of mental health awareness.

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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Short Coat Podcast

Physician Assistants Week 2024!

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Sign up for the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Professional and Graduate School Virtual Conference!

Compared to MDs, the PA profession offers flexible employment and a (relatively) relaxed path to a healthcare career.

Dave teams up with PA2s Noah Vasquez, Olivia Quinby, and Anna Cole, and PA1 Chloe Kepros to celebrate PA Week 2024! The crew looks at the unique challenges and experiences of being a physician assistant student, like why they chose the profession, the contrasts between themselves and their MD-student colleagues, the value of diverse educational backgrounds, the clinical experiences they’ve gathered along the way, the lessons they’re learning watching people in other healthcare roles, and how their different pre-PA work experiences shape their perspectives and skills. Plus, without the additional hoops physicians must jump through (eg., their match process, residency education, and state licensing), PAs enjoy a flexibility of employment that’s unmatched in the MD 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? 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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Short Coat Podcast

Rachel Takes Over to Ask the Big Questions

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She’s arguably the better host

Dave is too tired to helm the show, so he lured Admissions Coordinator Rachel Shulista to be on the show, then hands over the hosting duties to her while he instead takes a co-host’s chair! Joined by M3 Jeff Goddard, and M2s Taryn O’Brien and Fallon Jung, the group discusses the questions that Fallon apparently has had tucked away in her drafts folder and never sent in back when she was a listener. The episode also dives into serious discussions, such as the approach to end-of-life care, the importance of mental health among medical professionals, and personal reflections on life’s purpose. Midway, a spontaneous game of pondering deep questions amidst in-depth conversations about the medical profession, aging, and life choices. And stay to the end to see Dave’s movie star doppelganger, according to Rachel.

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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Short Coat Podcast

Too Much, or Never Enough

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Sign up for the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine Professional and Graduate School Virtual Conference!

Balancing Medical School Ambitions and Personal Well-being

Dave is joined by M2 Taryn O’Brien, M1 Sarah Sarah Lowenberg, Luke Geis, and Radha Velamuri dive into some listener questions, including from Charlotte, a senior in college recently accepted into medical school who is doing a lot and wants to do more. Meanwhile, Moesha wrote in to ask how pre-meds can stop feeling like they’re not doing enough! And a 70-year-old man graduates from medical school proving that too much is never enough. What’s the balance between gaining more experience and taking time to relax? How might Charlotte balance personal well-being and enjoying one’s remaining college days? The cohosts share their own challenges, including managing self-doubt and the rigorous demands of medical school. We also play a fun game in which Dave proposes that Radha be the dean of a medical school for cave people, and that the others practice communicating biomedical terms to her new clan.

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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Short Coat Podcast

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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Short Coat Podcast

The Disease Medicine Suffers From That’s Causing Immense Suffering

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Groupthink Kills

Do any of these ideas sound familiar?

Whether born by C-section or vaginally, outcomes are the same for babies.

Opioids aren’t addictive.

Appendicitis must be treated by appendectomy.

Children shouldn’t have peanuts until they’re at least 3 years old.

Antibiotics have no downside.

Hormone replacement therapy causes breast cancer.

These recommendations and many more were based largely upon unexamined ideas and bad science. And in recent years through well-designed science we’ve been learning that they made patients sicker.

Dr. Marty Makary is a public health researcher and bestselling author whose new book, Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets it Wrong and What It Means for Our Health, is an incredibly accessible exploration of the pitfalls of medical groupthink and the importance of questioning deeply held assumptions in medicine. It explores how medical training often suppresses big-picture thinking and critical questioning. Co-hosts M2 Alex Nigg, PA2 Julie Vuong, and M3 Jeff Goddard, and M2 Fallon Jung talk with Dr Makary about the disconnect between what’s practiced in medicine and science, the dangers of dismissing new ideas due to fear of association with discredited concepts, and the significance of maintaining scientific objectivity. The episode combines personal anecdotes, practical advice for navigating medical school, and a thought-provoking discussion on improving transparency and trust in healthcare. Join us for an engaging exploration of the critical issues in modern medicine and the role of young doctors in driving change.

More about Marty Makary:

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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Short Coat Podcast

New MD and PA Students: Why Medicine?

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Med Students discuss what led them to med school

Dave welcomes newly minted medical and PA students at the Carver College of Medicine to share their first-week experiences and the challenges of adapting to medical school. M1s Sydney Skuodas, Michael Arrington, Alex Murra, Luke Geis, and PA1 Harrison Parker discuss what they’ve learned about time management, personal growth during “gap years,” overcoming imposter syndrome, and balancing personal life with rigorous medical training. The co-hosts also discuss the personal motivations behind their decisions to pursue medicine, revealing stories of past careers, family influences, and the aspiration to impact lives directly. Don’t worry about the shock device we’re using, I’m sure they’re fine, plus it was Luke’s idea.

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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Short Coat Podcast

New Students Arrive, How to Live in the Present, and Staying Sane While Applying

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Welcome New MD/PA students!

M2s Leticia Franciso and Gizzy Keeler, who served as orientation leaders for this year’s new crop of medical and PA students, were in a good position to talk about the experience of transitioning from Orientation Week to the first year of medical school, highlighting the changes in attitudes and relationships they saw. They, along with PA2 Julie Vuong and M4 Katie Higham-Kessler compare the pre-med and medical school environments and offer advice to incoming students. And our admissions expert Rachel Schulista returns to help answer questions from listener JustAGirl who’s trying to stay sane during the application process while the other applicants around her are not being especially helpful, and listener Chris’s worry that he’s looking to the future at the expense of the present. Plus, the importance of having diverse experiences, the real value of personal statements in applications, and why the pursuit of genuine personal interests will help you get into med school and beyond. Join us!

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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Short Coat Podcast

Blechardy and Beans

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Med School is Non-Trivial, but…

Against the backdrop of a new class of MD and PA students arriving at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Dave and the co-hosts–including M3 Hend Al-Kaylani, PA2 Julie Vuong, M2 Gizzy Keeler, and M3 Trent Gilbert–share their humorous and sometimes ‘smelly’ experiences from their first semester, play a trivia game Dave made up called ‘Blechardy with Alex Trebot 2.0,’ and eat jelly beans. This is high-yield stuff, folks.

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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