The Short Coat: An Inside Look at Getting Into and Getting Through Medical School
Episodes
Advice For Incoming Medical Students–Friends, Studying, Specialties, And More!
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some things all students should know when entering medical school Riley, Sahaana, Nicole, and newbie Mao discuss their answers to questions that i...
Hacks to Build Patient Rapport In An Instant
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How medical students learn to start off patient interactions on the right foot Short Coat Listener Josh wrote in to share some hacks he uses to ge...
What Is the First Year of Medical School Like?
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the end of their first year in medical school approaches, M1s summarize their experience Dave asks his co-hosts to discuss the ups and downs of...
The Power of Discomfort in Learning Medicine
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you don’t like what you’re learning, look even closer. TL;DR Dave asks his co-hosts to think about the role of discomfort in lea...
Adding a PHD: Choosing the Right Option for YOu
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Should you do a combined MD/PhD, an Medical Scientist Training Program, or get them one-at-a-time? TL;DR There are at least three ways an aspi...
Tall Testosterone Tales for the Toxic testicle Troops
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A silly documentary about the decline of men. TL;DR A man in Germany takes 90 for the team to sell vax cardsTucker Carlson’s new document...
NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE MEANINGFUL, Y’ALL.
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Meaning of Purposelessness On This Episode: Join this week’s co-hosts M4 Madeline Cusimano, M3 Nathen Spitz, M3 Mason LaMarche, and ...
Lessons from the Wards: what Future Residents Need to Know (Ft. Dr. Abbey hardy-Fairbanks)
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
TL;DR Abbey Hardy-Fairbanks is an OB/Gyn who often works with expectant moms who use drugs.Future resident MDs: this episode features some of the ...
Today’s Healthcare Careers are More Varied Than Ever. Explore Them Before You Risk Med School
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Schools want to know that you’ve looked at other careers, otherwise they won’t take a chance on you. TL;DR Listener Preston is weig...
Criminal Charges for Medical Mistakes: A Bad Idea?
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Medical errors are an unfortunate and sometimes tragic fact of life. Jailing nurses without addressing root causes compounds the tragedy Nurs...
Ableism in Medicine Often Forces Learners to Advocate For Themselves
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We live in a world that still believes the disabled are a danger to patient safety TL;DR An injury during medical school or residency can tempo...
Med Schools Hate When Students Have Jobs. Some People Take the Risk Anyway.
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps no school would recommend working during med school, but plenty of people do it. TL;DR Sometimes, you just don’t want...
Rushing to Med School means Missed Opportunities (RECESS REHASH)
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The gods of podcasting smote our recording session last week, but at least we can enjoy this rerun. Luckily, it’s a good one! Taking your t...
Sociaizing and Studying: How do Med Students Do It?
03 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Med students are usually intentional about everything, even the balance between social and school TL;DR The M4s are picking their favorite res...
The Trainees Who Don’t Fit the Med Ed Mission
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Should medical education make a larger space for trainees who don’t want to see patients? TL;DR Medical schools’ mission is t...
Low MCAT Ruins Listener’s Med School Plans. Or Does It?
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Med schools denied this listener’s application, so he worries his low-and-not-improving MCAT will mean he’ll have to settle for a non-res...
Pre-med Advisors Don’t Know Everything: Recovering after Dismissal
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t let negative feedback from an advisor cause you to self-scuttle your med school dreams! TL;DR Listener Valerie’s pre-med advi...
MUSICIANS TAKE A STAND ON SPOTIFY/ROGAN. WILL that FIGHT HEALTH MISINFO?
03 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Standing up against health misinformation is great, but will it help people understand? TL;DR Folk rock god Neil Young and others have removed ...
Why Med Learners are Asked to “Reflect,” And What Does It Even Mean?
27 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How students should think about reflection when the word isn’t always well-defined. TL;DR Whether it’s a class assignment, a person...
The Question All Future Applicants should Ask: “What Will Help Me Grow?”
20 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Growth requires embracing unfamiliar and even scary situations. TL;DR Listener Riley wants some suggestions on experiences that will help him g...
Overcoming Your Undergrad Apathy Now that You’re Applying to Medical School
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Good news: medical schools don’t just want perfect people! TL;DR If your undergraduate studies in a different field lacked a certain en...
The Coming Physician Exodus: Why Doctors May Leave the Profession Soon (Recess Rehash)
06 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
COVID taught many employees what their employees think of them. Doctors are no different. TL;DR Most people don’t see themselves as part...
Recess Rehash: When Life Is Getting In the Way of Med School: the Value of the Tactical Retreat.
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Save Your Resources to Fight Another Day TL;DR Medical school is all-consuming, but sometimes you need to take time to deal with the sling...
Academic vs. Community MDs: Who Has It Better? Ft. Santa Claus
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Among the many choices med students make is between community medicine and academic medicine. TL;DR Doctors who practice community medicine m...
Finding Meaningful Research Opportunities
16 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You can ‘do’ research in med school or undergrad, but no one’s going to just give you the opportunity TL;DR If you want t...
Med School App Mistakes to Crush Under Your Feet Like Worms (Recess Rehash)
09 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
[Our Thanksgiving break involuntarily continues because a couple co-hosts were out sick on recording day. Rude. Anyway, enjoy this rerun!] Sc...
Recess Rehash: Life Hacks for Med Students
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, we weren’t in the studio to record a new show last week. Instead, enjoy this rerun! Med school life hacks ...
BEST JOBS FOR A FUTURE MD/PHD STUDENT, and Turkey Day Shenannigans
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Any job can be a good premed job, but what about for the future physician scientist? TL;DR Happy Thanksgiving!We discuss the MD/PhD life, and t...
Dr. Bruce Campbell, and a Fullness of Uncertain Significance
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A cancer surgeon’s stories offer lessons of humility and grace TL;DR Medicine is filled with both the momentous and the prosaic. Ye...
Electronic residency Application Service Glitching…Again?
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
More tales from Residency Interviews TL;DR Puzzled by the interviewer’s question? You can fumble around with the answer, or answer a que...
Nothing is Out of Your League
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Stop gatekeeping yourself TL;DR A question Dave found on reddit inspired this week’s topic: is there any program or school that is “...
Hot Sauce Halloween
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hot sauces rule TL;DR We discuss the many uses (real or potential) of capsaicin as we taste hot sauces from some random multipack co-host AJ ha...
Is Medicine the Squid Game?
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are there parallels between medicine and Squid Game? TL;DR The experience of job hunting for a residency position is unlike any other. It̵...
Physician Assistant Week!
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A relatively new partner in medicine, the Physician Assistant has become vital to team-based healthcare TL;DR The Physician Assistant can d...
The Obscure Document Residency Programs Use to Decide If You’re Worthy
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Medical Student Performance Evaluation (or dean’s letter) will be sent to all your potential employers. Let’s talk about what’...
Married Applicants: What Do Schools Think?
30 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Applying to med school together might be easier than couples think TL;DR Married couples applying to a school together are really a bonus for s...
How to Find a Non-Trad Friendly School
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What to look at when shopping for schools to apply to when you aren’t like other students TL;DR We discuss with a listener how to find a ...
Music Soothes and Builds Teams
16 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Medical students who play instruments together and with others see benefits for teamwork and learning Today’s episode is sponsored by Panace...
Lone Stars and Lawsuits : Will Texas’ unique Solution to Abortion stand?
09 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Texas thinks it’s finally found the solution to the abortion ‘problem.’ What will it cost them? TL;DR Now that Texas has conf...
Rushing to Med School means Missed Opportunities
02 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Taking your time may actually be better for your career than rushing through it TL;DR Rushing to med school may be a good idea, but there is a ...
Overthinking: Keeping AdComms Up To Date
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is there etiquette on staying in touch with admissions? TL;DR A listener asks about the etiquette of keeping the adcom up to date on their acti...
Unsatisfied Just Learning Medicine, These Students Became Journalists, Too
19 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The case for the physician-journalist The Takeaways: One important responsibility that doctors can and should take on is to educate their commu...
5 Med School Application Mistakes Everyone Makes, and How to Crush Them Under Your Feet Like Worms
12 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Screw these up, and you may not get in! TL;DR Our expert looks at the mistakes that can keep you from landing your spot in med school Give the ...
Ask Your doctor if COVID is Right For You.
05 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As COVID numbers tick up, we choose to drown our sorrows in French/Korean fusion baked goods. TL;DR Dave picks his co-hosts’ brains on ho...
The Coming Physician Exodus: Why Doctors May Leave the Profession Soon
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
COVID taught many employees what their employees think of them. Doctors are no different. TL;DR Most people don’t see themselves as part...
Awesome, More application Hoops!
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready for new application requirements (and to pay more money?) TL;DR CASPer seeks to help schools understand applicants’ non-academ...
WHAT Are They REALLY LOOKING FOR IN YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT? Top Tips from our Expert
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Hint: it’s NOT a dramatic, ‘lightbulb’ moment. TL;DR Your med school application won’t be the last time you write a per...
Parenting in Med School, Part 3: What About the Partners?
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Because med school is all-consuming, partners often take on much of the parenting tasks TL;DR Asking for and getting help from one’s med-...
Life Hacks for Med Students
01 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Med school life hacks are all about maximizing efficiency, minimizing friction. TL;DR Eliminate unnecessary friction to the completion of a tas...
HAVING BABIES IN MED SCHOOL, PT. 2: HOW DO SCHOOLS SUPPORT PARENTS?
24 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is it enough to deal with issues on a case-by-case basis, or do schools need to do better? TL;DR We share more stories from our med student pa...
Urology is about more than penises and prostates, ft. Men’s Health Doc Amy Pearlman, MD
17 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Serving Your Patients Shouldn’t Just Happen in the Office TL;DR Urologist Amy Pearlman has built her practice upon the opportunities offe...
When Life Is Getting In the Way of Med School: the Value of the Tactical Retreat.
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Save Your Resources to Fight Another Day TL;DR Medical school is all-consuming, but sometimes you need to take time to deal with the sling...
Hot Takes: Dr. Marty Makary dissects the US COVID Response, and he isn’t happy
03 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We were too slow, too cautious, and too “old-guard” in our responses to COVID TL;DR Guest Marty Makary condemns the old way tha...
HAVING BABIES IN MEDICAL SCHOOL
27 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Raising babies in med school is possible, with careful thought and lots of help TL;DR The choice to become pregnant in medical school is always...
Practicing Humanism when patients Doubt Your Motives
20 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Humanism isn’t just for the good days. Today’s episode is sponsored by Panacea Financial, a division of Primis, member FDIC. Hope you...
Recess Rehash: DROWNING IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
13 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Doing stuff outside of your coursework is fantastic…until it isn’t. Actual photograph of Gwyneth Paltrow’s “This Smells Li...
Hitting the Wall, Then Scaling the Heights
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The M1 Wall is Real. You’ll Probably Have to Climb It. TL;DR Taking the med ed bull by the horns in a purposeful way will get your throu...
Table Rounds: Gamifying Med Ed, ft. Paulius Mui, MD
29 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How Gaming Can Help You Learn Medicine Better TL;DR Rote memorization is part of medical education, but drawing deeper connections between conc...
The New Medical Student: Tips and Tricks from First-Years
22 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A new group of co-hosts, all M1s, discuss what it’s been like to start medical school (in a pandemic). TL;DR We discuss what our new co-h...
Requiem for a Meme: Yahoo! Answers will close
16 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! TL;DR Should Victoria also get a law degree to facilitate a career in health policy?Shea sends feedback on o...
Is Your Affective Presence Killing Your Dream?
09 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You can have the best scores and grade, but personality counts TL;DR Affective presence is the lasting and stable impressions your interaction ...
Seizing The Moment: How COVID Could Change Healthcare, Ft. Shantanu Nundy, Md
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
COVID stressed healthcare but showed us a better future. TL;DR COVID revealed what’s broken in healthcare, and also offers a glimpse of h...
Did Match Day Implode?
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How did COVID affect the 2021 Match? Photo by muffinn This week’s sponsor, Panacea Financial (Member FDIC) is giving away $500 to five ...
Complimentary Therapy
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Art of Compliments Photo by Ross Dunn Our sponsor, Panacea Financial, is having a giveaway! 5 students in the 2021 Match will get $500 in...
How To Fix A Gap: Do It Yourself!
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
No school, employer, or profession is perfect; and lots of times, you have to step up to fix it. Photo by Georgie Pauwels This episode’s...
The King of Intestinal Gas
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is sponsored by Panacea Financial, a Division of Sonabank, Member FDIC. Panacea is banking for medical students and doctors. Ever...
Good Advice: Wrong Answers Only
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The advice students get from mentors, peers, and advisors isn’t always good. Photo by CarbonNYC [in SF!] This episode is sponsored by P...
In Med School We Trust. or not.
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When should med students trust their school…and when should they push back? This episode is sponsored by Panacea Financial, a division o...
What Jobs to Med Students Actually Do in their clerksh?
11 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The medical student’s jobs may be less than sexy, but they’re important. Photo by Oregon State University Medical students are bot...
DROWNING IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Doing stuff outside of your coursework is fantastic…until it isn’t. Actual photograph of Gwyneth Paltrow’s “This Smells Li...
Is Medicine A Calling, or a Job?
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Which take on medicine is best for patients and provider mental health? Dave and the gang–including M1s AJ Chowdhury and Alex Belzer; M4...
What You Should Tell Your FAmily About Med School
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How they can help, support, and understand what you’re doing here. “I’m afraid medical science has yet to find a cure for ‘...
MD or DO: What is the Difference?
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Are you an allopath or an osteopath? Photo by cogdogblog [Happy New Year! Did you know you can join The Short Coat Student Lounge on Faceboo...
Recess Rehash: Microaggressions: preparing to experience, witness, and commit them
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Photo by F H Mira [Were on a break from recording, it we’ll be back on January 14 with a new episode. Enjoy this rerun for now!] Good intentio...
Recess Rehash: This Student’s Shame is Changing Our Curriculum
31 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Photo by Joe Gatling [Happy New Year! We are taking a break from recording, and our next new show is out on January 14. In the meantime, enjoy th...
Vaccine Fever
24 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Holidays! As we recorded this show, vaccine doses were beginning to spread across the world–well, across the rich countries of the...
Recess Rehash: Liver Bits, Cold Glocks, and Cancer of the Cancer
17 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
[Last week’s show encountered some technical difficulties. So enjoy this rerun instead. We promise it’s cool.] “He who laughs ...
AMA: Racism is a Public health Threat. SCP Co-hosts: Gosh, really?
10 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
[This episode is sponsored by Panacea Financial, a Division of Sonabank, Member FDIC. Please support our sponsor by visiting https://panace...
Recess Rehash: When Doctors Do Harm ft. Danielle Ofri, MD
03 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hippocrates set a high bar. [Hope your Thanksgiving was excellent, safe, and happy! We didn’t record anything this week, so here’s a reru...
Quality over Quantity: Clinical Experiences and Volunteering in COVID Times
26 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
[This episode is sponsored by Panacea Financial, a Division of Sonabank, Member FDIC. Please support our sponsor by visiting https://panaceafin...
What About Choosing the Cheapest Medical School?
19 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Given how much med school costs, isn’t it best to go for your cheapest option? [This episode is sponsored by Panacea Financial, a Divi...
To Leave or Not To Leave
12 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Should Jenna broaden her horizons by moving away for medical school? Photo by merra marie [This episode is sponsored by Panacea Financial, a ...
The Power and Perils of Prestige in Med Ed
05 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Name recognition is great, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. So Fancy! Listener Morgan wrote in to ask what we thought about ...
Choosing Your Clinical Education: Community Hospital or Academic Medical Center?
29 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Photo by quinn.anya On this episode, M2s Nathen Spitz and Sahaana Arumugam, M3 Emma Barr, and MD/PhD student Aline Sandouk reminisce about simple...
Md/PhD worries: Transitioning to the Lab
22 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Next semester Madi Wahlen will enter the PhD phase of her MD/PhD journey, and the though to that transition makes her kind of nervous. Fortunat...
On Top or Down Low: The Status Hierarchies in Medicine ft. Tania Jenkins, PhD
15 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What you should know about the super hierarchical world of medicine Have you ever wondered what the world of medicine would look like to an et...
Chronic Conditions in Medical School
08 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What having a chronic health issue means to medical students varies…except that it will make them even better doctors. Listener Michael ...
The Doctor is Burned Out ft. Jeff Moody, MD
01 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
We are honored to talk with author and physician Jeff Moody, University of Iowa College of Medicine class of ’92, and urologist, here to ta...
Flyover Country? Far From It!
24 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Things happen in Iowa. They really do. That’s why Dave put together a little trivia contest for his co-hosts–Sahaana Arumugam, Emma...
Liver Bits, Cold Glocks, and Cancer of the Cancer
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
“He who laughs has not yet heard the bad news.” Photo by firepile Co-hosts Nathen Spitz, Brandon Bacalzo, Mariam Mansour, and Greta...
Recess Rehash: MD/MBA: Why Physicians Must Know More About Business
10 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Does a physician need to know everything about healthcare, even the *shudder* money stuff? Photo by free pictures of money [Dave was out of the ...
BONUS: The challenges of Refugee Healthcare with Dr. Akihiro Seita
08 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The UN Relief and Works Agency has a tough job, especially in Palestine. In this bonus episode (recorded prior to the US pa we talk with Dr. Akihi...
“Preference Signaling” –the Future of Applications?
03 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Preference Signaling Tokens may be a way to combat over-applying for residencies, but the schemes have a ways to go yet before they’re ready fo...
does a DO Degree Ruin your Speciality plans?
27 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Listener Shivam wrote to theshortcoats@gmail.com to ask his question: does beco...
A COVID Puzzle in a Rural Iowa Community
20 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Why was the Hispanic population in Clarion, Iowa seeing so many more infections? Wright County Courthouse, Clarion, Iowa. Photo by Brandonrush (C...
Putting on your #MedBikini
13 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A study is only as good as its methods, and the #medbikini study wasn’t pretty bad. Maybe you heard: some researchers tried to help va...
When Doctors Do Harm ft. Danielle Ofri, MD
06 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Hippocrates set a high bar. Dr. Danielle Ofri–NYU professor of medicine, Bellevue Hospital internist, and author of great renown–j...
Recess Rehash: Is Academic Medicine Right For You?
30 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Photo by simpleinsomnia [SCP has been given a week off–thanks, pandemic/economic collapse! We’ll be back next week, but here’s...
MD/MBA: Why Physicians Must Know More About Business
23 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Does a physician need to know everything about healthcare, even the *shudder* money stuff? Photo by free pictures of money Physicians go through...
How A Young FAmily Should Think About The Risks Of Med School
16 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
No doubt about it, this road to becoming a physician has financial risks Photo by anathea It feels risky to go to medical school, and for someon...