Prospective Doctor (from MedSchoolCoach)

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen is joined by Dr. Jia Ng. She is a board-certified nephrologist and epidemiologist and today, she talks about the world of research for medical students. Dr. Jia describes the opportunities and procedures  she encountered from doing research, as well as the conditions they need to be in for them to thrive in the field.

• [00:28] Introduction of Dr. Jia Ng
• [01:35] Transitioning and Opportunities in Research
• [03:18] Recommendation for Research Pursual
• [06:41] Importance of Research in Residency
• [11:51] Dr. Jia: Why the US over Australia?
• [15:47] How to Get Involved in Research

Research

Dr. Jia mentions that Research is more complex than students and experts should perceive. According to her, research is a field that not only takes on the basic know-hows of medicine, but also the data driving the knowledge that caters to how medicine works along the evolution of society. Research allows the industry to adapt new knowledge for medical practitioners to not only develop new medicines, but also the overall medical healthcare system application. These applications include the in and out flow of patient care from medications to consultations and prescriptions. For students who are interested to take up research, it’s important to note that they will be tasked on training with groups and mentors, working on large amounts of data that can be published in order to help a certain medical field in terms of innovative solutions to customer-friendly applications.

Paving Your Own Path

Medical students will have the opportunity to pave their own path in the field of research. The field may seem simple, but the avenue students take to be where they want to be may be more complex than they think. The key to having control over the path you want in the field of research is working around the knowledge that you are familiar with. Familiarity comes in the form of how well you know the healthcare system within a certain area and region or the connections you have with that set location as well. While it’s important not to look at it as a race, getting where you need to be in the industry takes time, and that is inevitable.

You can connect more with Dr. Ng through her website and YouTube channel.

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor or https://somedocs.com/.

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/somedocspublic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somedocs/

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Sarah Nasir, an osteopathic physician specializing in family medicine and sub-specializing in addiction medicine. In this episode, they talk about how medical students can cope with and navigate academic struggles in a far-from-perfect medical education system. 

• [00:00] Introduction
• [04:01] Coping With Academic Struggles
• [11:15] Navigating Your Journey in Medicine
• [17:56] Academic Bullying
• [21:14] What Dr. Nasir Would Change About the Medical Education System
• [33:13] Parting Words

How Can Medical Students Cope With Academic Struggles?

The medical process is so arduous that no matter who enters it does not come out unscathed. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, allow yourself some grace and give yourself some love. If you are overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Remind yourself of your greatness and progress when things get difficult, because every doctor has been through the same struggle. 

You can find Dr. Nasir on Facebook and Instagram.

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Mike Tang, an adult and child psychiatrist, addiction medicine doctor, paediatrician, and Vice President of Integrated Care at Cityblock Health. In this episode, they talk about how you can get additional certifications with addiction medicine and the importance of technology in the improvement of health across all social factors.

• [00:00] Introduction
• [07:51] Additional Certifications
• [09:55] Addiction Medicine
• [12:03] Tech to Decrease Disparities and Social Determinants of Health
• [15:23] What Dr. Tang Wishes He Knew As He Entered Medicine
• [19:47] What Dr. Tang Would Change About the Healthcare System
• [22:56] Parting Words

Additional Certifications in Addiction Medicine

Addiction and substance use disorders are a huge driver of disparities. Plenty of risk factors that drive poverty, inequality, racism, and decreased access to care can also increase the risk for substance use. By creating more just and better systems as well as addressing addiction, substance use, and recovery, we have an opportunity to improve care in our society. Addiction is present across all specialties and certifications through the American Board of Preventative Medicine and being able to layer that additional knowledge and latest science is very helpful.

Utilizing Tech to Decrease Disparities

At the end of the day, tech in medicine is still all about the relationship between the provider, the provider team, and the patients. Predictive analytics and AI help determine who will be needing care to help predict and provide preventative care before someone ends up in the emergency room or the inpatient room unnecessarily.

You can reach out to Dr. Tang through his e-mail and LinkedIn.

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. April Renee Ruffin. In this episode, they talk about everything you need to know about mentorship and finding the right mentor at the early stages of your medical career.

• [00:00] Introduction
• [03:54] The Importance of Mentorship
• [09:30] How Do You Find a Mentor?
• [13:33] How Many Mentors Should You Get?
• [18:47] Dr. Ruffin’s Advice For Those Starting Out in Medicine
• [20:39] Parting Words

The Importance of Mentorship

There’s existing literature that suggests how students excel academically and have higher graduation rates when they have a mentor no matter what grade they’re in. Mentors even help with promotions, sponsorships, and other career development. But beyond that, mentors also help you grow as a person. It helps you learn new skills, identify gaps in your own skill sets, and develop new ones. Mentees eventually become mentors and are able to keep that cycle going, mastering a certain level of expertise and being able to share that knowledge to someone else.

For graduate and medical students looking to find a mentor, first start with the community that you have around you. For undergrads on the other hand, you can look to certain professors that you may have a good relationship with, and even organizations. Look their bios up online and don’t be afraid to say hello and set an appointment. If you don’t have any organizations you can reach out to, you can take advantage of different clubs and organizations that have partnerships or affiliations with the school who can offer support and assistance. Harnessing the power of social media and finding your interest groups are also a plus.

You can find Dr. Ruffin on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Thomas Campanella, a healthcare executive-in-residence at Baldwin Wallace, healthcare consultant, and former healthcare attorney. They talk everything about rural health: the challenges, initiatives, and technology involved to help improve it. 

• [00:00] Introduction
• [03:00] Challenges Facing Rural Health
• [07:06] Initiatives for Rural Health
• [11:37] The Healthcare System, Legislature, and Technology
• [15:52] What Dr. Campanella Would Change About the Healthcare System
• [18:01] Parting Thoughts  

Challenges in Rural Health

Looking at the major cities from a population standpoint, most of America is in rural areas. In Ohio where Dr. Campanella is from, 80/88 counties are in rural areas. Health care in those areas is neglected compared to the major cities. There are challenges in major cities, however, there is a need to redirect resources to the rural areas as well. The aging population is over 65% in rural America.

You can find Dr. Campanella on LinkedIn and send him an e-mail. 

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Bradley Block, a general adult and pediatric ENT and host of “The Physician’s Guide to Doctoring” podcast. They talk about what every medical school should incorporate into their curriculum, the importance of patient-doctor communication, and what they think of the US healthcare system.

• [00:00] Introduction
• [07:19] Three Things That Every Medical School Should Incorporate
• [11:28] Patient-Doctor Communication
• [14:55] What Dr. Block Would Change About the Healthcare System
• [20:00] Parting Thoughts  

What Medical Schools Should Incorporate

According to Dr. Block, the three things that medical schools should incorporate into their curriculum is the importance of communication, such as sitting down with a family physician, shadowing them for the day, and reflecting on what skills each student needs to optimize each of those interactions, second is learning the skills of persuasion, and the last one would be habit development.

Patient-Doctor Communication

For Dr. Block, communication skills can definitely be developed, but there is a need to be methodical about it. Ask yourself, “What is it you need to work on to be an effective communicator?”, and then you work on it in your own life by being present and being undistracted.

You can find Dr. Block on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads and listen to his podcast The Physician's Guide to Doctoring Podcast.

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Adaira Landry, an emergency medicine physician, author, and assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. They talk about the impact and importance of advocating for diversity and mentorship, the power of networking, and how to create equitable spaces in the medical field.

• [00:00] Introduction
• [04:24] Advocating for Diversity, Mentorship, and the Power of Networking
• [10:43] Imposter Syndrome, Decreasing Bias, and Creating Equitable Spaces
• [20:33] Going After What You Want and Asking Questions
• [28:23] What Dr. Landry Would Change About the Healthcare System
• [30:51] Parting Thoughts  

What is Imposter Syndrome?

The original paper on Imposter Syndrome was published in 1973 by two white female psychologists where they looked at women, mostly white, mid-career, doing phenomenal work, and being recognized by their peers, but felt like they were fraudulent despite being in a positive environment. However, for Dr. Landry, she feels like people in her community recognize their own potential and know that there is a lot they can offer, but no one is welcoming them. It’s not imposter syndrome, but a feeling of being unseen, unheard, unwelcome, and unsupported.

Networking and Nurturing Relationships

How do you nurture relationships and go back to them and feel like it’s a safe space? First is to know that these relationships are bi-directional; you can’t just take and you also have to offer. Secondly, own your relationships and putting all the logistics on your plate such as meetings and even Zoom meetings. Lastly is to pace your asks and the amount of time you’re asking of someone.

Preorder Dr. Adaira Landry’s book “MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact”, which comes out on April 16, through Amazon or Barnes and Noble. You can reach out to her through Instagram and Twitter.

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Joe Greer, a hepatologist gastroenterologist. They talk about dealing with social inequality and social justice in the medical system as well as how we can integrate social justice into our educational system.

• [00:00] Introduction
• [13:22] First Generation Medical Students
• [14:44] Dealing with Social Inequality in Medicine
• [20:32] Social Justice in Education
• [26:55] Dr. Greer’s Advice for Medical Students
• [28:29] Parting Thoughts  

How to Deal with Social Inequality in Medicine

Dr. Greer’s advocacy centers around treating every individual with the utmost respect. When he started his career working with the homeless, he immediately thought to himself, “I couldn’t survive here. What makes these individuals so special that they can?”. There are too many injustices and according to Dr. Greer, what we need to do is advocate and defend those that are left behind. Doctors are blessed by being able to become professionals and are in a position where they can make change. We have the science and medical professionals should apply it equitably and in a way that makes the U.S. the healthiest country in the world.

Social Justice in the Education System

Dr. Greer was one of the first to have a curriculum on social justice and improving health equity, or rather, how social justice runs through the veins of the entire curriculum. He incorporates social justice in the education at Roseman University through curriculums and programs that focus on education for all family members belonging in racial minorities across the U.S. as well as programs for opioid and stimulant use disorder pregnant women to ensure that a mother and child stays together.

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Christina Gomez, a GI medical oncologist at Banner MD Anderson in Phoenix, Arizona. They talk about how doctors can best break bad news to their patients as well as her journey to writing her book, “Stopped in My Tracks”.

• [00:00] Introduction
• [06:08] Advice For Giving Bad News
• [10:14] “Stopped in My Tracks: A Physician's Collection of Cancer Patients' Quotes”
• [19:08] Sharing Quotes and Support Groups
• [21:07] What Dr. Gomez Would Change About US Healthcare
• [23:07] Parting Thoughts 

How Dr. Gomez Wrote “Stopped in My Tracks”

“I got all the pain, but she got all the suffering.” These were the words that touched Dr. Gomez and drove her to write her book “Stopped in My Tracks”, a collection of words and quotes from her patients under her care. Doctors are trained to send messages to their patients, both good and bad, and they pray that they can deliver them well. But instead of jotting down pearls of knowledge like how she was trained in med school, she started jotting down her patients’ words instead, which would literally stop her in her tracks. She would then ask her patients to pause, repeat their words, and she would write it down on any piece of paper she could find. Thus, her book was born.

Dr. Gomez’s Advice for Giving Bad News

Dr. Gomez has two pieces advice when it comes to giving bad news to their patients. First, is that patients want to know. She learned throughout her career that patients always want to know their diagnosis and will always ask about it. As a med student, she thought that patients wouldn’t want to know more details about their diagnosis, such as how studies might say that they only have 18 months, or that the new drug can only buy two months compared to the placebo or the standard of care. It should always be a doctor’s honour and privilege to deliver these bad news to the patients. Secondly, silence is powerful and loud and is a way to communicate with patients, especially learning how to practice our pauses. After all, our silence can and is able to heal.

Get Dr. Christina Gomez’s book “Stopped in My Tracks: A Physician's Collection of Cancer Patients' Quotes” at Itasca and Amazon, and reach out to her through her website.

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Shivani Shah, a 4th year paediatric neurology resident at Duke University in North Carolina. They talk about her app Foreverrx, dating and socializing in the medical industry, and how you can build your own app.

• [00:00] Introduction
• [03:51] How Foreverrx Started
• [09:25] Resources for Building an App or a Business
• [12:13] What Dr. Shih Would Change About US Healthcare
• [14:45] Parting Thoughts 

How Foreverrx Was Born

Dr. Shih founded Foreverrx with her brother during the COVID-19 pandemic and is a dating and social networking platform for all healthcare professionals as a way to create a community in the healthcare field for romantic and platonic connections, because finding connections for both are so important especially during the hardest days of training. 

How to Build an App

Dr. Shih cites her and her brother’s MBA degrees as helpful components to building their business as well as having a software developer and Dr. Shih’s passion for coding to help maintain the app. The resources are readily available everywhere, so the most important thing in creating your app is to know your “why”. Your “why” is what sustains you through everything and in all aspects of your life and if you are in harmony with your “why”, you eventually get on the path you’re supposed to be on.

Learn more about ForeverRx through Instagram and their official website.

To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 

You can also reach us through our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor