Picturing Practice as a Medical Student
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As I brought the blade to the patient, I tried to infer the right depth, weight, and speed by match...
Reflections After Testifying at an Asylum Hearing
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
My hope is that, by learning to recognize how physicians interface with injustice in systems early ...
Trust the Process
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the years since this experience ... I have sought to encourage trainees and students to reorient...
Transitioning Identities: The Dual Identities of Medical Student Parents
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Discussing a new study into how medical student parents navigate their dual identities as physicians...
The "Uninsured" Patient
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I never saw Andrew after that night, but I think of him often. I hope that our interaction played a...
The Lure of Lore: How Medical Students Learn to Navigate Interprofessional Interactions
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Discussing a new study that explores medical student learning during interprofessional interactions ...
The Anatomy of Gratitude
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time, we began to understand not just their bodies and illnesses but their lives as jo...
This Academic Life
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are taught to think about what needs to be done in order for our patient to go home when we are ...
To Empty A Wheelchair
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout my medical training, I vow to make an effort to actively pursue each patient's full stor...
Delusions of Reference
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Regardless of how difficult medicine is, each small step we take to listen, be compassionate, have ...
Incorporating Art into Medical Education: The Artists' Perspective
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Artists Rachel Mindrup, MFA, and Tuyet-Minh Tran, MD, discuss their artwork that was featured on the...
The Gift
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I, like others in medical education, had the misconception that wellness could solely be achieved b...
Dealing With Medical Realities—Pessimism or Realism?
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I had not role modeled cynicism or pessimism. Rather, my student's statement was a sign of learning...
Key Features and Outcomes of Accelerated 3-Year MD Programs
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Authors Joan Cangiarella, MD, and Catherine Coe, MD, and medical student Lily Ge discuss the goals, ...
Navigating the Shadow Economy of Effort in the Residency Application and Selection Process
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Authors Eric Warm, MD, and David Hirsh, MD, and medical student Kate Jennings join host Toni Gallo t...
My First Foley
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As I reflect on my initial years of training, I am deeply moved by the kindness that surrounded me,...
Cup of Tea?
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In some ways, I walked a mile in the refugee doctors' shoes. I learned about culture through my mis...
Innovations in Education Scholarship and Scholarly Publishing: A Conversation with Lauren Maggio, PhD, MS
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lauren Maggio, PhD, MS(LIS), joins host Toni Gallo to discuss open science and innovations in educat...
The Tattooed Connection: Nurturing Curiosity in Medicine
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Above all, the impact of this initial connection between us on his engagement in the care journey f...
Baby J's Song
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I realize it's my calling to hear heartache, but it's also my calling to feel hope, see beauty, and...
The Cat
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There is an unspoken understanding that nursing is both an art and a science. Often, you will be ca...
Apartment 5 on Dolphin Drive
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Something special happens when you work in the field. It speaks to you. It calls on the bounty of y...
"Rediscovering My Why": Exploring the Role of the Arts and Humanities in Residency Training
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Andrew Orr, MD, MSEd, and Dorene Balmer, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss their study of a longi...
Rethinking Assessment and Supporting Learners Through Failure and Remediation
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lynnea Mills, MD, joins host Toni Gallo to discuss her new study of medical students' experiences of...
A Quiet Place
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whenever I pass that room, though, I will think of it as G.'s. A sacred sanctuary—where medicine,...
Fostering Belonging: Perceptions of Disability Inclusion in Medical Education Among Students With Disabilities
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Neera Jain, PhD, MS, and Erene Stergiopoulos, MD, MA, join host Toni Gallo to discuss their new stud...
Accessibility and Inclusion in the Clinical Learning Environment
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Theresa Papich, MD, Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, and Timothy Gilbert, MD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss fo...
Running the (Check)List
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The complicated positionality of a learner in medicine means that our fingerprints are always there,...
There Is Always a Lesson
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As I enter my final year of medical school reflecting on how I plan to care for patients, I will rem...
Putting Learners in the Driver's Seat for the Next Era of Assessment and Precision Education
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kayla Marcotte, MS, Jose Negrete Manriquez, MD, MPP, Maya Hunt, MD, Max Spadafore, MD, and Dan Schum...
Near Naked Vulnerability
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We must find the moments in medical education where we all can be models of thoughtful exposure, ris...
Presence With Patients is a Gift: Building Meaningful Patient Relationships
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Katherine Chretien, MD, Grant Wilson, MD, and Michelle York, MD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss bui...
What Cancer Did Not Teach Me
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For those who do excellent work, but quietly, and sometimes under the radar, the simple phrase, conf...
Our Achilles' Heel: Vulnerability and Medical Uncertainty
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Rather than sheltering me from the rigors of doctoring, the museum has deepened my relationship to m...
Pain, Palliative Care, and Practicing Empathy
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Through all the time I had known him, and through all the rounds and presentations, many voices were...
Language Equity in Medical Education
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Pilar Ortega, MD, MGM, Débora Silva, MD, MEd, and Bright Zhou, MD, MS, join host Toni Gallo to disc...
A Familiar Question
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I started this letter with a question, but I pray not for an answer. I cannot accept one. Instead, p...
Seeing Death for the First Time
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As medical students, we know of death. We study anatomy through cadaver lab, we memorize mortality r...
The Closeted Curriculum
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I wonder what would change if students were taught that personal leadership was not about hiding the...
Biopsy
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if I had not been at an academic institution, with a learner and a supervising teacher? Whose s...
The Window
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we really love it, we lend a little bit of ourselves, a little bit of our souls to the work tha...
I See You
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Psychiatry was going to require all of me... To see the human body as more than machine. Yes, the he...
Do What You Do Better: Using AI Tools to Ease the Workload Burden on Faculty
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Christy Boscardin, PhD, Brian Gin, MD, PhD, Marc Triola, MD, and Academic Medicine assistant editor...
The Nail Salon
04 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Mr. D. stood up and attempted a few steps, tears of joy went down his cheeks. He was now free fro...
The Unspoken Language of Compassion
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our suffering, sadness, and silence, we shared a language of humanity and we exchanged compassion...
Put Some Gloves On
13 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As I traverse the many years of medical training ahead of me, I will undoubtedly remember my week in...
That Was Terrible: Public Humiliation in Preclinical Education
06 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I tell my students that we are constellations of our peers, mentors, and patients. What we learn fro...
Faculty Perspectives on Responding to Microaggressions Targeting Clerkship Students
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meghan O'Brien, MD, MBE, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee members Tasha Wyatt, PhD...
Faculty and Student Perceptions of Unauthorized Collaborations
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Carrie Chen, MD, PhD, Terry Kind, MD, MPH, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee member...
Learner Perspectives on the Learner Handover Process
16 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tammy Shaw, MD, MMed, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee member Arianne Teherani, Ph...
The Momentum of Human Kindness
09 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I am not sure whether she attended my graduation, but her words were with me then and have remained...
The Gift of Grief
02 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We come into medicine wanting to heal our patients, believing that we are here solely to help them....
Ensuring Fairness in Medical Education Assessment
18 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a companion to the August 2023 Ensuring Fairness in Medical Education Assessment sup...
When the Student Gave Me Feedback
04 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On a Thursday afternoon in clinic, in a situation made for learning, not grading, my learner taught ...
Pink Toenails on a Tuesday
21 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The next day, I knocked on the door of Room 412 armed with a bottle of baby blue nail polish. Not an...
A Note to My Daughters
07 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There will be a day when you are overlooked. You are not chosen. You will have worked hard, put in t...
Thinking on Your Feet Well: Building Adaptive Expertise in Learners Using Simulation
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sam Clarke, MD, MAS, and Jon Ilgen, MD, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss the importance of teach...
When You Have No Words
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shifting eyes, quivering lips, and fidgeting fingers can tell a million stories, but only if we open...
In Gratitude to the Patients Who Teach Us How to Be Wrong
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This family taught me that it is exactly these patients—who are rightfully frustrated and afraid—...
Ask the Editors: Striving for Clarity in Designing and Reporting Quantitative Research
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Academic Medicine's editors–Colin West, MD, PhD, Yoon Soo Park, PhD, Jonathan Amiel, MD, and Gu...
Pumped on Surgical Sub Internships
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Small gestures, such as sparking a conversation when a student volunteers a personal detail, cultiva...
Ask the Editors: Practical Guidance for Designing and Reporting Qualitative Research
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Academic Medicine's editors--Bridget O'Brien, PhD, Jonathan Amiel, MD, Megan Brown, MBBS(H), PhD,...
When the Grass Stained Football Jersey Replaces the White Coat
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It is my hope that continuing to play with some dirt on my uniform will model to others that they ca...
Sick Day Shame: A Swinging Pendulum
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The next time that I am unwell, I will take a real sick day—and I hope my colleagues, students, an...
The Silent Room
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As medical professionals, our patients are putting their trust in us at their most vulnerable moment...
An Audio Abstract of "Rejecting Reforms, Yet Calling for Change: A Qualitative Analysis of Proposed Reforms to the Residency Application Process"
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Author Michael Gisondi, MD, provides an overview of this recently published qualitative study in whi...
Connections
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since 2020, learning to treat patients with COVID-19 reminds me that we remain humble learners of me...
Moments that Matter
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As medical professionals, it is tempting to cultivate a razor-sharp focus on symptoms and diagnoses....
Prayer and Care: Faith as a Form of Culturally Competent Care
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Faith is relevant to the clinical interaction when it gives patients and clinicians a shared ground ...
Prayers and Tuna Melts
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When we form enriched relationships, we allow ourselves to feel grief for the patients we lose, and ...
What's On Your Plate? Culinary Medicine as an Innovative Nutrition Education Model
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Guests Courtney Newman and Jaclyn Albin, MD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss culinary medicine and i...
Genetics Lessons From Rare Patients
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Every now and then, a patient will bring me new insights and knowledge, such as lessons on rare dise...
Medicine Where it Matters
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Medical students … need to build out reality-based curricula that equip future physicians to provi...
The Sound of My Voice
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this remarkable day, however, it was clear. This woman knew who I was, months later and from only...
Seeing Color
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As faculty, we are called to instruct and mentor students. And yet ... B, my colleagues, and friends...
Learning Curve
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
My experience that night in the ICU was the wake-up call I needed. It was a reminder to shift my pri...
She Served Him Well
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
She is a strong woman. The strongest woman I've probably ever met. Her strength is in her joyful spi...
As the Sun Sets
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When I think back on my career thus far, I do not remember the shifts that I left early or the days ...
Writing Effectively and Navigating the Publication Process: Advice from the Editors of Academic Medicine
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The editors of Academic Medicine share their advice for authors submitting their scholarship for pub...
The Light
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What I do know is in the desert of the Middle East I learned that the right decision isn't always th...
Religious Coverings in the OR and ICU: Unveiling the Need for Updates in Medical Education
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There is growth in speaking up for myself and others in my position, but I do not want to have to sa...
The Joy of Clinical Trials
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This one, brief moment opened me up to the greatest sense of appreciation; regardless of the treatme...
Exploring Our Ways of Knowing: About the Research Methodologies Used in HPE Publications
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guest Heeyoung Han, PhD, joins hosts Toni Gallo and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee m...
The Power of Our Words
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Medical practitioners of all specialties may lack Cassandra's divinely inspired prophetic powers, bu...
A Letter to Doctor William Schwab (on Mentorship…)
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Maybe this letter is more a letter to myself, a reminder … that mentorship is the key to training ...
Every Patient After
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The medical record from the day before includes a note from the chaplain who wrote that you smiled. ...
Including Standardized Patients With Diverse Gender Identities in Simulation Cases
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guests Luca Petrey and Laura Weingartner, PhD, MS, join hosts Toni Gallo and Research in Medical Edu...
When You Smile at Misfortune
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It is more likely emotional overload rather than apathy or insensitivity that prompts these contradi...
Reading Beyond the Medical Chart
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
So often, we get caught up in studying and updating the medical chart. When we get to know our patie...
The Value of Hope
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I was glad that I was too tired to speak at the close of the day, because by listening, I learned a ...
Fostering Psychological Safety in the Clinical Learning Environment
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guests Addie McClintock, MD, and Joshua Jauregui, MD, join hosts Toni Gallo and Research in Medical ...
How Is Residency? Life as a COVID-19 Intern
12 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As I progress through my training, I see more clearly how I benefited from my intern year; my comfor...
Nephrotic Nightmares
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Remembering my own medical experiences is an insistent reminder that disease is not mundane, no matt...
Educating Physicians About Firearm Safety and Injury Prevention
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guests Katherine Hoops, MD, MPH, Andra Blomkalns, MD, MBA, and Allison Augustus-Wallace, PhD, MS, MN...
Battle for the Faculty Soul
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When faculty members open themselves up to the idea that the work we do in seemingly different realm...
The Light
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After this patient encounter, I came to realize that my greatest strength, my finest therapeutic too...
There is More to Thank You than Meets the Eye
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Next time a patient thanks me, I will not let self-conscious worries diminish their words. True than...
Including Nurses as Members of the Resident Education Team
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Guests Chirag Bhat, MD, and Warren Cheung, MD, MMEd, join hosts Toni Gallo and associate editor Tere...
Ann's Final Gift
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the emotional challenges that my anatomy course presented, I feel reaffirmed in my desire to...
Blue Footprints
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As tears seeped from the corners of her eyes and stained her cheeks, I felt powerless. I reached for...