The candles ignited my pants that evening. But the real culprit was my anxiety over making a good first impression: in an effort to avoid the approaching dean, I unwittingly backpedaled into an open flame. Matthew R. Klein reflects on an embarrassing incident in medical school and the importance of sharing vulnerability with learners and patients. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2026 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at https://academic.oup.com/academicmedicine.

The candles ignited my pants that evening. But the real culprit was my anxiety over making a good first impression: in an effort to avoid the approaching dean, I unwittingly backpedaled into an open flame. Matthew R. Klein reflects on an embarrassing incident in medical school and the importance of sharing vulnerability with learners and patients. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2026 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at https://academic.oup.com/academicmedicine.

The candles ignited my pants that evening. But the real culprit was my anxiety over making a good first impression: in an effort to avoid the approaching dean, I unwittingly backpedaled into an open flame. Matthew R. Klein reflects on an embarrassing incident in medical school and the importance of sharing vulnerability with learners and patients. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2026 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at https://academic.oup.com/academicmedicine.

First Impressions

Meet medical students and residents, clinicians and educators, health care thought leaders and researchers in this podcast from the journal Academic Medicine. Episodes chronicle the stories of these individuals as they experience the science and the art of medicine. Guests delve deeper into the issues shaping medical schools and teaching hospitals today. Subscribe to this podcast and listen as the conversation continues.

The journal Academic Medicine serves as an international forum to advance knowledge about the principles, policy, and practice of research, education, and patient care in academic settings.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are the guests' alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the AAMC or its members.

Medicine

Health & Fitness

Education

Meet medical students and residents, clinicians and educators, health care thought leaders and researchers in this podcast from the journal Academic Medicine. Episodes chronicle the stories of these individuals as they experience the science and the art of medicine. Guests delve deeper into the issues shaping medical schools and teaching hospitals today. Subscribe to this podcast and listen as the conversation continues. The journal Academic Medicine serves as an international forum to advance knowledge about the principles, policy, and practice of research, education, and patient care in academic settings. Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are the guests' alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the AAMC or its members.

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