MAOPS Guide to DOing Med School

3rd year of med school is an exciting time with real world learning on clinical rotations, but how do you balance studying for shelf exams on top of this? This episode Student Doctor Emalie Petersen, OMS-IV at ATSU-KCOM, discusses everything you need to know to succeed on shelf exams. From setting goals for the exam to which resources to use to time management, Student Doctor Peterson expertly navigates how to achieve the scores you want each month.

Welcome back to Season 3, this season you can look forward to meeting our slate of brand new and returning hosts covering more topics on all things med school! We're kicking off this season with host Madisen (Maddie) Bromfman, OMS-II at ATSU-KCOM, talking about how do you make the most of your little free time? Joined by guests Maddie Albrecht, OMS-II at ATSU-KCOM, and Christine Chen, OMS-II at ATSU-KCOM, they discuss what does a med school schedule look like, what hobbies are out there, and how do you maximize your breaks?

In the final episode of Season 2, Student Doctor Rachana Tadakamalla, OMS-III at KCU-Joplin, offers thoughtful insight into making one of the biggest choices of your life - what speciality you choose to practice. Spoiler: You're not just choosing a job, you're choosing an identity and a community.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• AAMC's Careers in Medicine
• Student Doctor Network's Medical Specialty Selector Quiz

Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV

Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II

Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II

Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II

**This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

What's the difference between a CV and a resume? What experiences are CV-worthy? Should we still be listing experiences from our time as an undergrad? This episode, hosted by Student Doctor Raven Lirio, OMS-II at ATSU-KCOM, covers all things curriculum vitae (CV). To help students prepare their CV for things like applying to residency, Student Doctor Lirio interviews the Director of Student Success at ATSU-KCOM, Ted Frushour.

...and congratulations to our Season 2 Giveaway winner - Katelyn Young, OMS-III at KCU-Joplin!

Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV

Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II

Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II

Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II

**This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

OMM is like a martial art form, it’s a healing martial art; you need to practice it…you’ve got to be doing this every day. And, as with martial arts, there are masters for each style of practice. In this episode, Student Doctor Colon “Vinny” Cook, OMS-III at ATSU-KCOM, interviews OMM master Dr. Alex King, DO. Dr. King is the Associate Professor and Residency Program Director of osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. They discuss his route to osteopathy, including a background in sculpture, and his use of creativity in medicine.  

Student Doctor Cook completed academic fellowship in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, or OMM, during medical school. OMM is sometimes also called Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, or OMT. (For a definition of OMM/OMT for the layperson, skip ahead briefly and listen to 22:20 - 24:30.)

You can find Dr. King on social media:

Instagram: instagram.com/doctor.alex.king

TikTok: tiktok.com/@doctor.alex.king

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Doctoralexking 

For more on OMM/OMT, check out this presentation: https://www.atsu.edu/ncoppe/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Intro-to-OMM-2024-1-Introduction-to-OPP.pdf

If you’re a Missouri medical student, don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a $100 Fabletics gift card to upgrade your scrubs! 

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this episode and let us know which episode has been your favorite so far.
2. Follow us on the platform you left your comment: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Giveaway ends March 31, 2026. Winner announced in April episode.

Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV

Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II

Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II

Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II

**This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

Board exams, also known as the tests that haunt medical students’ nightmares. They’ll cause you less stress if you know what you’re going into. Student Doctor Phil Sheridan, OMS-III at KCU Joplin, discusses information about the boards and best practices to succeed on them. In this episode, you’ll learn about the difference between USMLE Step vs COMLEX Level exams, which resources you can use to study, and general advice on how to approach them. Phil also talks about the importance of trying your best to succeed on your first attempt and what’s at stake for these exams. 

If you’re a Missouri medical student, don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a $100 Fabletics gift card to upgrade your scrubs! 

To enter:

1. Leave a comment on this episode or the upcoming March episode, let us know which episode has been your favorite so far 
2. Follow us on the platform you left your comment: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

Giveaway ends March 31, 2026. Winner announced in April episode.

Need more guidance on finding resources to study? Check out our episode - There’s TOO MANY Resources: What Med Students Found Most Helpful

MAOPS Wetzel Scholar Application: https://maops.org/scholarshipfunding/

MAOPS Post-Graduate Scholarship Application: https://maops.org/ypn-scholarships/

Physician Advocacy Day Information & Registration: https://maops.org/advocacyday/

Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV

Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II

Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II

Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II

**This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

"At some point, studying stopped feeling productive - and started feeling like a punishment." What happens when burnout hits motivated, capable medical students? How can we remind ourselves of why we choose this incredibly stressful, endurance-demanding path?

In this episode, Student Doctor Christopher Hagerman, OMS-IV, and his wife Chastyti, discuss what burnout looked like for them and what they used to build resilience. Chastyti discusses what burnout looks like in education, as a professional educator, and offers insight into reframing stress.

Sources:

• Frajerman et al., 2022 — Burnout in medical students before residency
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35775726/
• WHO/PMC — Burnout definition
  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7604257/
• Systematic review of mindfulness-based interventions in medical students
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34995839/
• Shanafelt et al. — Meaning in work and burnout
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19773573/

• Harvard Health. How much sleep do you actually need?
  https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-sleep-do-you-actually-need-202310302986
• Harvard Health. Sleep hygiene: Simple practices for better rest
  https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/sleep-hygiene-simple-practices-for-better-rest
• Harvard Health. Short on slumber
  https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/short-on-slumber

Next steps...

• Medical Student Well-Being Index
  https://www.mywellbeingindex.org/

• AMA Steps Forward — Physician Wellness
  https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health
  

Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV

Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II

Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II

Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II

**This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

There's not one, single way to succeed in med school. This episode chronicles some of the MANY resources available to medical students during their first and second years (also called the "preclinical" or "basic science" years). Student Doctors Jared Busch and Gage McNett, both OMS-II at KCU-Joplin, discuss how to leverage resources like Sketchy, Pathoma, Ninja Nerd, and Anki for success and what has worked for them.

Explore flash card add-on options for the Anki-ambitious.

Ninja Nerd can be found at this website or on YouTube.

Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV

Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II

Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II

Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II

**This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

This has to be the difference between second year and third year - what everyone has been talking about. Welcome to your guide to rotations, hosted by Student Doctor Hailey VanRonzelen, OMS-IV at KCU-Joplin. In this episode, you'll learn more about how osteopathic students get placed at their rotation site third year of medical school, and how to set yourself up for success. You'll also hear from Hailey about her clerkship experiences in emergency medicine, OB/GYN, and more.

Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV

Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II

Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II

Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

What is a fellowship in medical school? What are the pros and cons to dedicating an extra year to fellowship? In this episode, Miranda Kennedy, OMS-III at KCU and former Clinical Anatomy fellow, hosts a roundtable with fellow friends Megan Stacy and Shalom Lee. Megan Stacy is an OMS-III at KCU and former Clinical Anatomy Fellow. Shalom Lee is an OMS-III at KCU and current OMM Fellow.

Read about fellowship opportunities at KCU.

Read about what First Generation Student Physicians (FGSP) at ATSU-KCOM presented on fellowships.

Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV

Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II

Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II

Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II