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Sagar Patel, MD Sagar Patel, MD (1 Posts)

Physician Guest Writer

Cleveland Clinic

Sagar S. Patel, MD, is currently a fellow in hematology and oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. A native of Minneapolis, he attended the University of Minnesota for both his medical school and internal medicine residency training. His disease research interests include leukemias, lymphomas, and bone marrow transplantation.




Applying to Residency is Overwhelming, Let’s Start with the Basics, by Sagar Patel, MD

Published by Sagar Patel, MD

You’re almost through with med school—the exams, the lectures, the rotations—but here’s where things get really real. Now it’s time to apply for residency. Don’t take your foot off the gas pedal yet, though. Residency applications are just as nuanced as medical school applications. They require plenty of preparation and attention to detail to ensure you have a successful match. A key difference, however, is that applicants and residencies are both trying to find an appropriate fit with each other.

Remembering Oliver Sacks: Review of “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat”

Published by Brent Schnipke

Last year, I was struck by the news that Dr. Oliver Sacks had died — I am not sure when I first heard about him and his writings, but I was familiar enough to feel a tinge of sadness at his passing. I’d read a short story or essay here and there, but I realized that I had not read any of his full-length books, and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat had been sitting on my bookshelf for quite some time. The timing to begin reading it, it turns out, could not have been better: I started it during the last week of my Medical Neuroscience course, and continued it through my next course, The Mind.

Breaking Bad News: A Side of Medicine That Is Not Easy, by Sahil Munjal, MD

Published by Sahil Munjal, MD

Have you ever had a sinking feeling in your stomach when you are about to tell something to a patient or family member that might change their life forever? I had that feeling before speaking to the wife of my patient, Mr. Smith. It had only been one day since Mr. Smith was first admitted to the inpatient unit but regardless of how long the interaction is with a patient and their loved ones, some news is always difficult to deliver.

Things To Do To Shine on Your Anesthesia Clerkship, by Daniel Orlovich, MD, PharmD

Published by Daniel Orlovich, MD, PharmD

You see, when starting your anesthesiology clerkship it feels as if you are learning a completely new skillset and knowledge base. Of course you are drawing on common principles in physiology, pharmacology, and anatomy. But how they play out, and how you apply those concepts, are fresh. Here are some tips to maximize your learning, assist your resident and really start to appreciate the field.

Lessons for Student Doctrepreneurs: How to Survive (and Thrive) as an Entrepreneurial Medical Student, by Konstantin Karmazin, MD

Published by Konstantin Karmazin, MD

The start of medical school is an exciting point in every student’s path toward finally becoming a physician. While you should be spending the majority of your day learning and part of each day marveling in the uniqueness of human anatomy and physiology, it is important for us to remain aware of the barriers to care that exist within the systems we train, and eventually practice in. But now more than ever, being a medical student with a penchant for innovation and entrepreneurship can lead to opportunities to create real change and impact real patients.

Inside Every Presidential Candidate is a Medical Student — Even Dr. Ben Carson

Published by Augie Lindmark

Ten male students crowded around a clean-shaven instructor who asked a series of questions. The students had meticulously prepared and would maintain close proximity to well-rehearsed answers. Hopefully the questions are simple, they thought. One by one, they answered, at times stumbling through their responses. This was expected. The students were learning and the incorrect answers allowed room for humility. Such a scene could easily describe an American teaching hospital, or, a Republican presidential debate.

Adventure #3: Punching and Kicking is Good for the Mind

Published by Neha Kumar

A very important topic is that of mental health in medical practitioners, notably medical students. According to a study in the Student British Medical Journal, 30% of medical students report having a mental health condition — with a majority of 80% stating the level of available support was poor or only moderately adequate. This column was born from these alarming statistics and aims to stimulate conversation on mental health in medical students, from providing suggestions on how to maintain one’s mental health to discussing the taboo and stigma surrounding conversations on mental health in practitioners and students, and how to eliminate it.

I Am a Brand New Intern, and This Is How I Show Solidarity with Black Lives Matter, by Katharine Lawrence, MD

Published by Katharine Lawrence, MD

Last week marked my first week as a doctor. Like thousands of my colleagues, I began intern year with a combination of enthusiasm and dread. On my first day of clinic, I woke well before dawn, full of nervous energy. I collected my precious intern paraphernalia — my stethoscope, my Pocket Medicine guide, and my crisp long white coat. I filled the pockets of my new uniform, smoothed the hems, and, as a finishing touch, began applying the pins I wore throughout medical school to the collar.

Katharine Lawrence, MD Katharine Lawrence, MD (2 Posts)

Physician Guest Writer

New York University School of Medicine

Katharine Lawrence is an Internal Medicine resident in New York City. She received a BA in Anthropology from Vassar College, and a Master's of Public Health from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. She attended FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami, FL. Katharine's writing has appeared in numerous medical and literary journals, including Hektoen International, the New Physician, and KevinMD.