In-Training: Stories from Tomorrow’s Physicians

A new book, In-Training: Stories from Tomorrow’s Physicians, is a collection of essays by medical students that originally appeared online. The book’s editors, Ajay Major and Aleena Paul, created the In-Training website as a place where students could express their thoughts and feelings about life in the pressure cooker that is medical school.

The 111 essays are brief and as is true of any collection of writings from diverse individuals, are of somewhat uneven quality. Some are good. Some are fair. Some are meh.

One of my favorite pieces was one by a doctor who had received his diploma 10 days before a flight home. During the flight, a woman collapsed—prompting the dreaded “Are there any physicians on board” announcement. The new grad was the only responder. Having experienced this myself a couple of times, I had no trouble identifying with the author who described his predicament well.

I learned something from another of the essays which described a novel intervention for wandering patients with dementia.

A unique feature of the book is that every story is accompanied by a few “reflection questions” prompting the readers to think about what they just read. The questions add value and could serve as the basis for stimulating group discussions.

So you got into medical school… Now what?

"So you got into medical school… Now what?" is a book written by Dr. Daniel R. Paull, a recent med school graduate. His aim was to inform newly matriculating medical students about what to expect and how to survive. For the most part, he succeeds.

The first four chapters are a bit on the dry side because Dr. Paull tries to simplify such complex things as how to live with anxiety in the first two years of medical school. He also spends a bit too much time on how to study. I agree with him that studying in medical school differs from studying in college, and that sticking to a schedule is a sensible way to organize time. However, I think that most people will figure out what works best for them on their own.

The book picks up steam starting with Chapter 5 on how to prepare for USMLE Step 1. I get a lot of questions about USMLE, and with no recent experience, I sometimes find them difficult to answer. Dr. Paull takes care of that quite nicely.

The remaining chapters offer plenty of practical advice on transitioning to the clinical years, clerkships and how to arrange them, studying for the two parts of USMLE Step 2, the fourth year of medical school, and finally how to arrange and succeed in the all-important residency interview process.

Regarding clerkships, Dr. Paull wisely recommends that students ask their residents and attendings for feedback during the rotation instead of waiting until the end to find out that their performance was not up to par. He gives some specifics like asking for feedback about H&P's and presentations and how to improve on them.

The pros and cons of away rotations are discussed in some detail and should help any student who is conflicted about whether to do one or not.

He explains how the National Resident Matching Program works and offers some hints about ranking programs which echo similar comments I have made on this blog.

The book is in trade paperback format and inexpensive at a list price of $19.95. It's also available in a Kindle edition.

My only other criticism of the book is that Dr. Paull relies a little too much on an alarm clock about to go off or going off as a way to introduce a challenge he is trying to help students deal with.

Why should we believe anything Dr. Paull says? Well, he has a bachelor of science degree in physics from New York University, graduated from the University of Miami School of Medicine, and is currently an orthopedic resident at the University of Toledo in Ohio. In case you hadn't heard, orthopedic residencies are highly competitive.

Also, I have read the book myself and think most med students will find value in it.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author.

Book review: Operation Health—Surgical Care in the Developing World

The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery recently reported that “5 billion people do not have access to safe, affordable surgical and anesthesia care when needed. Access is worst in low-income and lower-middle-income countries, where nine of ten people cannot access basic surgical care.”
This timely book, edited by Adam L. Kushner, MD, MPH who is on the faculty of both Columbia University and the Johns Hopkins and is a director of the Society of International Humanitarian Surgeons/Surgeons OverSeas (SOS), explains many of the important issues.

In 100 pages and 11 chapters, the assembled international contributors cover such diverse topics as assessing the needs of low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) worldwide, HIV, trauma, women’s health, and process improvement.

The chapters are brief, but packed with useful information most of which is based on research carried out in the field.

Each chapter is introduced by a personal vignette that highlights the importance of the work that Dr. Kushner and his colleagues have been doing.