Your family means well… but when you start med school, suddenly every ache, rash, and conspiracy theory in the house is your domain! In this episode, the Short Coat crew gets real about what it’s like to be seen as a doctor when you’re really drowning in flashcards.

M2s Srishti Mathur and Nick Abouassally, and M1s Anna Royer, and Drew Bolisay trade stories about how their families misread med school life — from assuming they’re “on the wards” in year one to asking them to diagnose random symptoms at family gatherings.

They unpack what kind of support actually helps (spoiler: food) and what doesn’t (“It’s just a season of life, honey”). You’ll hear heartfelt moments about parental pride, intergenerational tension, and cultural expectations — plus a final improv game that proves even fake medicine is hard work.

If you’ve ever tried to explain Step 1 to your grandma, this one’s for you.

The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions.

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you.

If you’re thinking of starting over and going to med school, you might wonder what your previous jobs have done to prepare you for it. Good news: your old jobs and activities might matter more than your GPA ever will.

In this episode, M2s Samantha Gardner, Sarah Upton, Nick Lembezeder, and Srishti Mathur unpack the skills they didn’t know they’d use in medicine—the ones they gained by being not-a-doctor. From surviving music juries to calming drunk uncs, from educating bros about consent to making the hard calls without enough information, they’ve found the road to medicine is rarely straight—and that’s probably a good thing.

Also, why confidence is overrated and how to react when given feedback (hint: STFU). Oh, and we hear from a listener who wants to know if we were super studious in high school. We try to let him down gently.

The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the official positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions.

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you.

Medical school just became a lot more expensive for some students and potentially impossible for others, thanks to the “Big Beautiful Bill.” We sit down with Chris Roling, University of Iowa’s financial aid guru, alongside M1 students Anna Royer and Isa Perez-Sandi, and M2 Maria Schapfel, to break down the most significant changes to medical student financial aid in decades. The new federal loan cap of $200,000 sounds generous until you realize the average four-year cost at public schools exceeds $280,000 and private schools hit $390,000. We talk through what happens when roughly a third of the student body already borrow more than the new limit would allow.

Chris explains how private loans work, why your credit score suddenly matters as much as your board scores, and what interest rates actually look like when federal options disappear. We examine the new Repayment Assistance Plan that replaces income-driven repayment, run the numbers on what unexpected life events could cost you, and discuss whether Public Service Loan Forgiveness is worth banking on (spoiler: Chris says don’t count on it).

Anna, Isa, and Maria share how these changes would’ve altered their medical school decisions, particularly for out-of-state students facing tuition bills that federal loans won’t touch. We also explore three-year MD programs as a potential cost-saving measure, debate whether institutions will actually lower tuition or just pass costs to students, and consider how these changes might further stratify who gets to become a doctor.

Plus, we tackle the week’s news: the Trump administration’s acetaminophen-autism claims, why AI still isn’t replacing radiologists despite 700 FDA-approved models, and the American College of Physicians calling for RFK Jr.’s removal from HHS.

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

We need to know more about you! https://theshortcoat.com/survey (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you.

We talk a lot about medical students on this podcast, but at Iowa we also have a physician assistant program, one that’s very well regarded, nationally. So to kick off national PA Week, we’ve got a bunch of PA students to talk about their profession. PA2s Emily Mazzeo and Abby Crow, and PA1s David Walker Hofbauer and Jake Groh talk about what it’s like to study alongside MD students (something unique to Iowa), how they view their place in healthcare, how they knew they wanted to be a PA, and where they see their profession heading in the next few years. Hint: their profession is the 10th fastest-growing career in the US, with an enviable work-life balance, more mobility than MDs, and similar opportunities to specialize or go into primary care.

BTW, you can find out more about the PA career, as well as the MD and biomedical science PhD programs, at our virtual conference next week!

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you. Music provided by Argofox.  License: bit.ly/CCAttribution
DOCTOR VOX – Heatstroke: youtu.be/j1n1zlxzyRE
Catmosphere – Candy-Coloured Sky: youtu.be/AZjYZ8Kjgs8
Hexalyte – Wandering Hours: youtu.be/FOAo2zsYnvA

Doctors make bank, so why do they feel poor? We’re breaking down the brutal reality of medical money myths—starting with the lie that your six-figure salary will solve everything. With financial advisor Tyler Olson, M4s Jeff Goddard and Trent Gilbert, and M2 Luke Geis ask whether med school is still a good investment or just an expensive trap wrapped in prestige.

We talk always-on-the-verge-of-disappearing Public Service Loan Forgiveness, we drag lifestyle creep, go full scorched-earth on bad budgeting, and explain why even a half-million bucks a year won’t automatically save you from living paycheck to paycheck. If you’ve ever looked at an attending and thought “they must have it made,” this episode will explain why they often don’t.

Learn what to do before residency, how to prep for your 4th-year expenses, why disability insurance might be more important than your board scores, and whether that $15/month budget app is actually worth it. Spoiler: Tyler prefers sticky notes on mirrors.

Oh—and if you thought $275K was a lot, wait until taxes take their cut.

[URL template for episode https://media.blubrry.com/theshortcoat/podcast.uiowa.edu/com/osa/CHANGETHIS.mp3]

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you.

Turns out, pausing med school can actually be the smartest career move. Whether you’re spiraling in burnout, floundering in step prep, or just eyeballing that MPH, here’s an option you should consider: taking a leave of absence.

MD/PhD student Riley Behan-Bush, and M2s Srishti Mathur, Megan Perry, and Jay Miller take on the taboo option you’ll only find in the student handbook—what happens when med students hit pause. From Riley’s built-in MD/PhD “leave” to Srishti’s public health ambitions and Dave’s stats on distress, the Short Coats break down the reasons people step back… and why they return stronger.

Of course, going on leave isn’t without risks. The crew spills on insurance nightmares, loan limbo, and the heartbreak of watching your classmates match without you. But they also dish on planning your leave, making it productive, and protecting your peace.

Look to your left. Look to your right. Y’all are going to graduate.

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you. Music provided by Argofox.  License: bit.ly/CCAttribution
DOCTOR VOX – Heatstroke: youtu.be/j1n1zlxzyRE
Catmosphere – Candy-Coloured Sky: youtu.be/AZjYZ8Kjgs8
Hexalyte – Wandering Hours: youtu.be/FOAo2zsYnvA

Recently, our admissions coordinator Rachel was surprised by the reaction from an applicant CCOM chose not to admit. She’d set aside time to give the applicant some feedback on their application–an extra service we provide those who weren’t successful in their bid to study medicine here. But instead of a thoughtful reaction to her notes, the unsuccessful applicant told her that they “didn’t agree with any of that.”

The problem with this attitude is that in medical school feedback is never ending! Students get notes on interpersonal skills, professional behaviors, clinical skills, your knowledge base. And the feedback comes from everyone involved: simulated patients, actual patients, faculty, residents, nurses, even each other! Sometimes the feedback is formal and written; sometimes it’s verbal; and sometimes all you get is a raised eyebrow or a smile. Sometimes it’s rough, other times it’s SMART.

So M2s Zach Grissom, Sahana Sarin, Srishti Mathur, and Jay Miller give their take on this vital skill in medicine: using feedback as data, as fuel for growth. They share stories of getting useful and useless feedback. And whether you love it or hate it, you’ll leave with a playbook for using feedback to boost your success in medical school and your career.

Also, we discuss a study on AI “de-skilling,” and recent shifts in the amount of research medical students are doing versus the number of service and humanities experiences they’re doing.

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you.

The way docs are paid can make patients sicker…or can lead to healthier ones. The payment schemes most docs work under incentivize them to fix patients, while others motivate them to prevent illness—and geriatrician Dr. Jonathan “Nathan” Flacker is here to explain why. This episode rips the curtain off RVUs, fee-for-service traps, and the real reason your doc is rushing through your visit (hint: it’s not personal, it’s math).

We dig into ChenMed’s wild idea: what if clinics got paid to keep you out of the hospital? Turns out, when money flows toward health instead of procedures, everyone wins. Except maybe the $400M proton beam facility (for the record, we love proton beams, but you might not need them if you can avoid cancer altogether).

Is concierge-style medicine only for the wealthy? What happens when you build “rich person care” for low-income seniors? And how many patients can a doc see well before it all breaks? If you’re dreaming of a career where you actually help people instead of just clicking boxes—this one’s a wake-up call.

Also: Love calls, RVU debt, and why pajama time should be illegal.

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you. Music provided by Argofox.  License: bit.ly/CCAttribution
DOCTOR VOX – Heatstroke: youtu.be/j1n1zlxzyRE
Catmosphere – Candy-Coloured Sky: youtu.be/AZjYZ8Kjgs8
Hexalyte – Wandering Hours: youtu.be/FOAo2zsYnvA

We’re passing judgment, because someone has to. This week’s Reddit-fueled medical panel takes on uncomfortable questions that your group chat definitely isn’t ready for: Is dating an OB-GYN inherently weird? Should your partner be your #1 even when you’re literally delivering babies at 3 AM? And what happens when your parents think taking three days off is career suicide?

We drag a few well-meaning but very misinformed relatives, unpack how culture collides with medicine, and dissect how med students actually keep their relationships alive. Plus, one brave listener dares to ask: “Can I move out of my family’s one-bedroom and still be a good daughter?”

Expect spicy, real talk, and a few questionable ideas we’re choosing not to redact.

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you. 

Summer in med school: is it beach vibes or big-doings? Turns out, it’s a weird mix of both—and we’re here for it. In this episode, we get the inside scoop from second-year med students Tyler Pollock, Cara Arrasmith, Anjali Puranam, and Sophia Nopoulos on how they spent their first “break.” Spoiler: it includes orthopedic research, global health rotations in Ecuador, community hospital crash courses, and teaching the next wave of M1s!

We’re also talking about gap years. Yep, those mysterious in-between years that admissions committees don’t actually hate. In fact, they might be your greatest flex.

Whether you’re curious what a summer research fellowship really looks like or wondering if you’ll be the only 27-year-old in your class (you won’t), this episode proves you’ve got options—and none of them are bad.

Stick around for pediatric murmurs, shoulder anatomy, and why some med students literally dream in Spanish.

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to [email protected] with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email [email protected].

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to [email protected]. We love you. Music provided by Argofox.  License: bit.ly/CCAttribution
DOCTOR VOX – Heatstroke: youtu.be/j1n1zlxzyRE
Catmosphere – Candy-Coloured Sky: youtu.be/AZjYZ8Kjgs8
Hexalyte – Wandering Hours: youtu.be/FOAo2zsYnvA