Thoracic Exams and the Grand Canyon
I tripped into the practice clinic room at 12:05 p.m., cradling my cold coffee and explaining to my preceptor that, despite being a first-year medical student, I did not own a stethoscope yet.
Preclinical
Contributing Writer
University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
Claire is a first year medical student at University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine in Vermillion, SD. In 2017, she graduated from University of Minnesota, Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. She enjoys running, watching Law and Order reruns, and bar trivia in her free time. In the future, Claire would like to pursue a career in pediatrics and/or palliative care.
All Glory is Fleeting
“So, how would we test for PBC?” my professor asks from the front of the room.
Reflections from Anatomy: A Letter to Myself
If gross anatomy has taught me any topics, they are the sheer beauty and capability of the human body.
If Mary Oliver Were a Medical Student
Recently I have let myself consider how wonderful of a physician Mary Oliver would have been, and how wonderful a medical school classmate.
A Letter to My Pre-Medical School Self
After our first year of coursework, our LC mentors asked us to write a confidential letter to our “2016 self,” or ourselves at the time just before we began medical school. Right away, I recalled that at that time, I was a nervous wreck.
Lessons from Anatomy Lab
It was not until our second semester of medical school that we started gross anatomy. Finally, I became that quintessential medical student walking home too tired to change out of my formaldehyde-tinged scrubs.
A First-Year Flashback
Second year? Could that be? It felt wrong. It threw off my whole identity. “I’m just a first-year,” had been my motto for the past twelve months.
Of the Mindful Clinician
The opportunity to be immersed in learning the stories behind the health of patients is one of the things that drew me to medicine, and, indeed, it still intrigues me. More importantly, I was (and still am) intrigued by the opportunity and challenge of using the multiple streams of information patients present with to make functional improvements in their lives.
A Slap in the Face Might Just Be Exactly What You Need
Medical school hit me, and I mean it hit me hard. I would describe it as a boulder rolling down a hill straight towards me, multiplied by ten, and that is how scared and unprepared I was for my first few weeks of medical school.
It’s Okay
It’s okay to feel in the cadaver lab. It’s what your first patient wanted for you.
The Dreaded Exam
The medical school recruiters and academic advisers had conveniently forgotten this detail during my educational overview when I originally signed up to be a physician.
Medical School (in Numbers)
Whenever my friends or family ask, “How’s medical school?” I have a simple, scripted response … But this response relays a fraction of what medical school has been like.
Writer-in-Training
Warren Alpert Medical School
Jeffrey Lam is a second year medical student at Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island. Jeff was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. In 2016, he earned his Bachelor of Science in health and human biology from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Jeff's senior thesis focused on the intersection between positive psychology and public health. Before medical school, Jeff worked on public health research in Hanoi, Vietnam. In his free time, Jeff enjoys thinking, lifting heavy things, having good conversations, dabbling in new hobbies, and learning about himself and the world. After medical school, Jeff would like to pursue a career in internal medicine or psychiatry.