Academic Medicine Podcast

Discussing a new study into how medical student parents navigate their dual identities as physicians-in-training and parents are author Emily Carroll, MD, MEHP, Research in Medical Education Committee member Gary Beck Dallaghan, PhD, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Kiani Gardner, PhD. They also explore how medical schools can foster an inclusive learning environment for these learners. 

Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

I never saw Andrew after that night, but I think of him often. I hope that our interaction played a small part in getting him the care he needed.

Sujal Manohar reflects on the  importance of digging deeper into a patient’s social history by expanding past the typical questions.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the September 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Discussing a new study that explores medical student learning during interprofessional interactions in clinical clerkships are author Kelsey Miller, MD, EdM, Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee member Bonny Dickinson, PhD, MS-HPEd, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Kelvin Pollard, MD. They explore the “lore” about working with other health professionals that medical students learn from their peers during clerkships and how interprofessional interactions shape students’ professional identity, autonomy and collaboration skills, and sense of their role on the health care team.

Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

For the first time, we began to understand not just their bodies and illnesses but their lives as joyful parents, enthusiastic musicians, expert race car mechanics, and loving spouses.

 David Deshpande reflects on the Service of Gratitude and the lessons learned from anatomy donors and their families.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the September 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

We are taught to think about what needs to be done in order for our patient to go home when we are on the wards, yet there is no care meeting, discharge coordinator, or bed huddle in academic medicine.

Julia Meade reflects on the difficulty of knowing when to retire from academic medicine.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the August 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Throughout my medical training, I vow to make an effort to actively pursue each patient’s full story. To cleave only the fragments of their existence that anchor them to the hospital room leaves behind parts of our patients, invisible and abandoned.

Madeline Blatt reflects on the importance of imagining and investigating the version of the patient who lives outside of the hospital after being discharged.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Regardless of how difficult medicine is, each small step we take to listen, be compassionate, have patience, and advocate is meaningful, even if we must start over and do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.

Lisa Gong reflects on a patient who helped her to see the value in normalcy and routine.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Artists Rachel Mindrup, MFA, and Tuyet-Minh Tran, MD, discuss their artwork that was featured on the cover of Academic Medicine. They explore the inspiration and creative process behind their pieces and how medicine has influenced their art and how art has influenced how they experience medicine. They also reflect on the role of the arts and humanities in medicine and medical education and how art can foster reflection and perspective taking in physicians.

Check out the artwork discussed, read the artists’ accompanying essays, and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

I, like others in medical education, had the misconception that wellness could solely be achieved by separating work from “real life.” I thought I needed to find wellness and restoration outside of medicine to be able to then empty myself again and again into this career. Jessica proved me wrong.

L. Elizabeth Moreno reflects on a student who reignited her commitment as an educator.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the June 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

I had not role modeled cynicism or pessimism. Rather, my student’s statement was a sign of learning and understanding what I had taught: processing and handling the reality of medical practice.

Beatrice T.B. Preti reflects on  teaching students to be aware of the systems they work in (including limitations and flaws), which helps them to prepare for future practice.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Authors Joan Cangiarella, MD, and Catherine Coe, MD, and medical student Lily Ge discuss the goals, features, evolution, and outcomes to date of accelerated 3-year MD programs, focusing on the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine FIRST Program. They explore the experiences of accelerated program medical students and how these programs fit into broader efforts to improve medical education. 

Read the articles discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

Authors Eric Warm, MD, and David Hirsh, MD, and medical student Kate Jennings join host Toni Gallo to discuss the unintended consequences of the shift to pass/fail grading in undergraduate medical education and current challenges in the residency application and selection process. They explore the feedback culture and incentives for pursuing clinical excellence in medical school. They also present the complex adaptive system model as a framework to consider the dynamics at play and ways to improve the transition to residency.    Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

As I reflect on my initial years of training, I am deeply moved by the kindness that surrounded me, especially during hands-on interactions with patients as an anxious new trainee. The warmth and guidance that were shown to me had a profound influence on my personal learning and growth.

Oscar Li and Yeonsoo Sara Lee reflects on their experience inserting a Foley catheter for the first time, and how crucial a supportive environment in medical education is.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2025...

In some ways, I walked a mile in the refugee doctors’ shoes. I learned about culture through my mistakes instead of being explicitly taught. Although mistakes aid learning, they also have the potential to erode relationships.

Samantha E. Smith reflects on her experience teaching refugee doctors and the importance of intercultural competence teaching for international medical graduates and the faculty who train them.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Lauren Maggio, PhD, MS(LIS), joins host Toni Gallo to discuss open science and innovations in education scholarship and scholarly publishing, including the role of AI. As the new editor-in-chief of MedEdPORTAL, Lauren also shares what makes the journal unique, her advice for authors, and her vision for the future.   Read the articles discussed and access additional resources and the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

Above all, the impact of this initial connection between us on his engagement in the care journey filled me with a profound sense of accomplishment. What would have become of Bernard without this connection? This experience confirmed for me the importance of an authentic connection with the patient.

Rémi Esclassan reflects on bonding with a patient over his tattoo, which illustrated the profound beauty and complex nature of health care.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the December 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the e...

I realize it’s my calling to hear heartache, but it’s also my calling to feel hope, see beauty, and experience life in its entirety.

Final-year Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Midwifery student Hailey Sommerfeld reflects on a shift that began with sadness and doubt but ended with reassurance and optimism.

This essay placed first in the 2024 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

There is an unspoken understanding that nursing is both an art and a science. Often, you will be called to use your critical-thinking skills and training to help save lives. Other days, you will need to show compassion and understanding to meet the needs of your patients. Most days involve a combination of both. And some days, it means breaking the rules to allow a cat in the ICU.

Doctor of nursing practice student Megan McDowell reflects on sneaking a pet into the ICU so a patient could say a final goodbye.  

This essay placed s...

Something special happens when you work in the field. It speaks to you. It calls on the bounty of your generosity. It coaxes you to the precipice of your creativity, and it demands that you become sharper, savvier, and more self-possessed. If you listen, then in return you find it affords you the greatest gift life can offer: the privilege of having touched someone’s heart.

Medical student Noor Ahmed reflects on the special year-long connection forged with a patient during her time in the field as a health outreach worker.

This essay placed second in...

Andrew Orr, MD, MSEd, and Dorene Balmer, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss their study of a longitudinal arts and humanities curriculum for internal medicine interns, which is part of this year’s Research in Medical Education (RIME) collection. Also joining the conversation are RIME Committee member Pilar Ortega, MD, MGM, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Nicole Findlay-Richardson, MD, MPH.    This episode is the final one in this year’s 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field. Check out last month’s episode on medical students’ experiences of failure and remediatio...

Lynnea Mills, MD, joins host Toni Gallo to discuss her new study of medical students’ experiences of failure and remediation in the United States and the Netherlands, which is part of this year’s Research in Medical Education (RIME) collection. Also joining the conversation are RIME Committee member Mike Ryan, MD, MEHP, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Anna-kay Thomas, EdD.

This episode is the second in this year’s RIME series. Check out last month’s episode on perceptions of disability inclusion in medical education among students with disabilities. And tune in next month for the final episode in the serie...

Whenever I pass that room, though, I will think of it as G.’s. A sacred sanctuary—where medicine, care plans, and labels like “incontinent” and “terminal” fall away and where priority is placed instead upon two human beings connecting at two different junctures of life, united in this powerful moment of G.’s creation and a shared love of chocolate. G.’s space. His quiet place.

Final-year nursing student Erin Bowdish reflects on the connection forged with a patient on comfort care during mealtime.

This essay placed third in the 2024 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Es...

Neera Jain, PhD, MS, and Erene Stergiopoulos, MD, MA, join host Toni Gallo to discuss their new study of the experiences of students with disabilities during the first 2 years of medical school, which is part of this year’s Research in Medical Education (RIME) collection. Also joining the conversation are RIME Committee member Andrea Leep Hunderfund, MD, MHPE, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Rosaysela Santos, PhD.

This episode is the first in this year’s RIME series. Check back next month for the next episode.

Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org. 

Theresa Papich, MD, Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, and Timothy Gilbert, MD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss fostering an accessible and inclusive learning environment for medical students with disabilities and left-handed medical students during surgical training. They explore partnering with students, reducing bias and raising awareness about disability and inclusion, and addressing the hidden curriculum to create an inclusive learning environment where students feel welcome and can best learn throughout their medical education. 

Read the articles discussed and access additional resources and the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org. 

The complicated positionality of a learner in medicine means that our fingerprints are always there, regardless of the role. And while it is never documented, our most profound contribution is how we accompany patients in need.

Daniel J. Olivieri reflects on his first death pronouncement and what he learned about communicating with patients and their families.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Claim your free CME credit for listening to this...

As I enter my final year of medical school reflecting on how I plan to care for patients, I will remember the importance of seeing the patient as a whole person just as my preceptor did that day. In doing so, I hope that my future relationships with patients can flourish because they are based on trust rather than transaction.

Jill Stachowski reflects on her experience praying with a patient and learning that faith and spirituality can be a meaningful part of the physician-patient relationship.

The essay read in this episode was published in the...

Kayla Marcotte, MS, Jose Negrete Manriquez, MD, MPP, Maya Hunt, MD, Max Spadafore, MD, and Dan Schumacher, MD, PhD, MEd, join host Toni Gallo to discuss the role of learners in building the future state of assessment; the importance of having a patient-focused, learner-centered, equity-based system of assessment; and the opportunities and challenges posed by new types of assessment data and AI tools.

Read the articles discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org. 

Claim your free CME credit for listening to this podcast. Visit academicmedicineblog.org/cme, listen to the episodes listed, then fo...

We must find the moments in medical education where we all can be models of thoughtful exposure, risking vulnerability and emphasizing our shared humanity—even with our clothes on.

Gretchen A. Case and Karly Pippitt reflect on a body painting session they led to teach medical students the value of vulnerability. 

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Katherine Chretien, MD, Grant Wilson, MD, and Michelle York, MD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss building meaningful relationships with patients, the small but impactful ways they show their patients they care, and the important role that learners play in connecting with patients and contributing to their care. 

A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

For those who do excellent work, but quietly, and sometimes under the radar, the simple phrase, confidently stated—“You are in good hands”—can make all the difference. You got this.

Shailaja J. Hayden reflects on the importance of inspiring confidence in fellow members of the care team, which then inspires confidence in patients.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Rather than sheltering me from the rigors of doctoring, the museum has deepened my relationship to medicine by restoring its inherent mystery. It reminds me that the reality of our patients will always exceed our understanding of them.

Kain Kim reflects on how teaching the humanities can help normalize uncertainty in medical training.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Through all the time I had known him, and through all the rounds and presentations, many voices were heard: my own, my senior resident, my attending, the ICU team, the consult teams, the family. But the softest voice, often overcome by dysphonia, came from the bed at the center of the room, and it needed to be amplified the most.

Richard T. Tran reflects on a patient’s request for a vanilla Ensure and learning that sometimes the greatest comforts can come from the simplest of interventions.

The essay read in this episode was published in...

Pilar Ortega, MD, MGM, Débora Silva, MD, MEd, and Bright Zhou, MD, MS, join host Toni Gallo to discuss strategies to address language-related health disparities and enhance language-appropriate training and assessment in medical education. They explore one specific language concordant education framework, Culturally Reflective Medicine, which recognizes and supports the lived experiences and expertise of multi-lingual learners and clinicians from minoritized communities. 

A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

I started this letter with a question, but I pray not for an answer. I cannot accept one. Instead, please give me the strength to replace the wet mask soaked in my tears. Give me the power to continue the Sisyphean task of treating your ill and moving on to the next patient, especially on days like today.

Norman R. Greenberg writes a letter to God asking why patients must suffer and how those who treat them can continue on amidst their grief.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and...

As medical students, we know of death. We study anatomy through cadaver lab, we memorize mortality rates of diseases, and we hear stories from our professors about their late patients. But most of us do not know death yet.

Carlin E. Zaprowski reflects on the difficulty of losing patients and encourages supervisors to discuss this difficulty with trainees.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

I wonder what would change if students were taught that personal leadership was not about hiding their brokenness, but recognizing their wholeness. If we were not asked to sacrifice ourselves to serve our patients. What would be possible then? How would medicine be different?

Leighton Schreyer reflects on being a queer medical student and how things might change for the better in the future.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

What if I had not been at an academic institution, with a learner and a supervising teacher? Whose steadying hand would have been on my leg? I needed that hand.

Katherine C. Chretien reflects on undergoing a procedure that taught her that together, teachers and learners bring value to patient care encounters.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the December 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

When we really love it, we lend a little bit of ourselves, a little bit of our souls to the work that we do—to the art of nursing. If it is not us today, then it may be us tomorrow, and I hope that someone will be there to tell me what my view is like outside my window, too.

Doctor of nursing practice student Courtney Polimeni reflects on how the practice of nursing, including helping patients learn to cope with the tenuous nature of the human condition, is an art.

This essay placed fi...

Psychiatry was going to require all of me... To see the human body as more than machine. Yes, the heart is a pump, and our neurons entangle one another in electrical circuits. Medicine, however, transcends the physiological being.

Third-year medical student Riley Plett reflects on a transformative encounter with an Indigenous patient and learning that medicine requires much more than scientific aptitude.

This essay placed second in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Christy Boscardin, PhD, Brian Gin, MD, PhD, Marc Triola, MD, and Academic Medicine assistant editor Gustavo Patino, MD, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss the ways that artificial intelligence (AI) tools can help ease the workload burden on faculty and staff, with a focus on assessment and admissions. They explore the opportunities that AI tools afford as well as ethical, data privacy, bias, and other issues to consider with their use. They conclude by looking to the future and where medical education might go from here. 

A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

As Mr. D. stood up and attempted a few steps, tears of joy went down his cheeks. He was now free from the claws that were making his life miserable. This was much more important to him than talking about labs, medications, or dietary changes.

Medical student Federico Erhart reflects on a patient encounter where he learned that providing empathetic and compassionate care for patients sometimes manifests in unexpected ways.

This essay placed first in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read...

In our suffering, sadness, and silence, we shared a language of humanity and we exchanged compassion ... It is this vulnerability, this deep and genuine connection that allows us to communicate across cultures and to feel the exchange of humanity.

Master of Science in Nursing student Leah Rothchild reflects on a global health trip to Uganda, where she learned that caring about patients is vital in caring for patients.

This essay placed second in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay...

As I traverse the many years of medical training ahead of me, I will undoubtedly remember my week in anesthesiology, and commit to passing on my knowledge to future students with the same patience and trust that was afforded to me by Dr. S.

Sumedha Attanti reflects on the preceptor who gave her an unexpectedly hands-on role in a surgery during the anesthesiology elective in her first year of medical school.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the November 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the...

I tell my students that we are constellations of our peers, mentors, and patients. What we learn from each other in preclinical education—spanning not just facts and answers, but also how we treat each other—will shape the future of medicine.

Brian R. Smith reflects on creating a learning culture that is safe and empowering for students instead of humiliating.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the November 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Meghan O’Brien, MD, MBE, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee members Tasha Wyatt, PhD, and Javeed Sukhera, MD, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss new research into faculty perspectives on responding to microaggressions targeting medical students in the clinical learning environment. They explore several tensions that affected how faculty responded to the microaggressions in the study scenarios as well as some of the strategies the faculty used to respond effectively. 

This is the final episode in this year’s 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for t...

Carrie Chen, MD, PhD, Terry Kind, MD, MPH, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee members Cha-Chi Fung, PhD, and Daniele Ölveczky, MD, MS, join host Toni Gallo to discuss new research into faculty and student perceptions of unauthorized collaborations. They discuss several tensions in the preclinical learning environment that likely affect how faculty and students see unauthorized collaborations and the implications of those tensions for curriculum design and assessment. 

This episode is the second in this year’s 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field. Chec...

Tammy Shaw, MD, MMed, and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee member Arianne Teherani, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss new research into learner perspectives on the learner handover process. They discuss the role of trust in this process, the potential for bias, the purpose of handovers vs. how they're perceived by learners, and recommendations for making handovers safer and more effective.

This episode is the first in this year’s 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field. Check back next week for the next ep...

I am not sure whether she attended my graduation, but her words were with me then and have remained with me throughout my decade-long career. Each time I have wanted to quit nursing, I hear her voice and recall her words of encouragement.

Perioperative nurse and Master of Science in nursing student Nicole Diddi reflects on a deeply human exchange shared with a patient’s wife that reminded her to put humanity at the heart of her nursing practice.

This essay placed third in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was pu...

We come into medicine wanting to heal our patients, believing that we are here solely to help them. But I could not heal my patient. Instead, my patient healed me.

Fourth-year medical student Emily Otiso reflects on a patient who reminded her that connection is the soul of her work.

This essay placed third in the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the October 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

This episode is a companion to the August 2023 Ensuring Fairness in Medical Education Assessment supplement, which was sponsored by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. The supplement focuses on creating an optimal, equitable system of learner assessment.

In this episode, Holly Humphrey, MD, president of the Macy Foundation, discusses the origins of the supplement and the recommendations shared by the authors for fostering equity in assessment. Then the authors of each of the included papers share a summary of their work, including their key findings and takeaways to guide thinking on promoting fairness in assessment. Finally, Dowin Boatright...

On a Thursday afternoon in clinic, in a situation made for learning, not grading, my learner taught me the essence of effective formative feedback. And for that lesson, I am forever grateful.

Belinda Fu reflects on a student who taught her that helpful feedback must have formative simplicity.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the September 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

The next day, I knocked on the door of Room 412 armed with a bottle of baby blue nail polish. Not an elixir, but an oath—to face the unknown together, to sit with the uncomfortable silence, and to meet her in the middle, wherever that may be.

Meher Kalkat reflects on accepting the messiness of life and the not having all the answers.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the August 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

There will be a day when you are overlooked. You are not chosen. You will have worked hard, put in the time, been the next in line, and been ready, eager, and energetic to give it a whirl and still you are told no.

Molly Uhlenhake gives her daughters advice on moving forward and continuing on despite life’s disappointments.  

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Sam Clarke, MD, MAS, and Jon Ilgen, MD, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss the importance of teaching adaptive expertise to prepare learners for the types of complex cases they will encounter in clinical practice. This conversation also covers what adaptive expertise is, how simulation can be used to foster this skill in learners, and the complementary relationship between performance-oriented cases and adaptive cases in health professions education.

A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

Shifting eyes, quivering lips, and fidgeting fingers can tell a million stories, but only if we open our eyes to those who are silently asking for help.

Alexandra Cohen reflects on how making assumptions can harm the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

This family taught me that it is exactly these patients—who are rightfully frustrated and afraid—who will push us and our institutions to improve. Instead of resisting that critique, we should support our patients in expressing it.

Rebecca F.P. Long reflects on accepting that providers will not always meet patients’ expectations, despite their best efforts, and what to do when it occurs.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the June 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Academic Medicine's editors–Colin West, MD, PhD, Yoon Soo Park, PhD, Jonathan Amiel, MD​, and Gustavo Patino, MD, PhD–join host Toni Gallo to share practical guidance for designing and reporting quantitative research. They share tips for success and flaws to avoid around designing your study, using descriptive and inferential statistics, and analyzing and presenting your data. While the advice in this episode comes from the editors of Academic Medicine, much of it also applies to designing and reporting quantitative research for other journals and publications. 

A transcript of this episode and additional resources are available at academi...

Small gestures, such as sparking a conversation when a student volunteers a personal detail, cultivate a welcoming and inclusive environment. Performing these gestures publicly changes the status quo of how others behave and treat those around them, slowly etching away at cultures and institutions that exclude others.

An anonymous resident reflects on the sometimes unwelcoming environments she experienced as a new mother who was completing surgical sub internships.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at...

Academic Medicine's editors--Bridget O'Brien, PhD, Jonathan Amiel, MD​, Megan Brown, MBBS(H), PhD, and Laura Hirshfield, PhD--join host Toni Gallo to share practical guidance for designing and reporting qualitative research. They make recommendations for getting started, choosing a methodology, and effectively using published guidelines. Then they dispel common myths around writing up and publishing qualitative research. While the advice in this episode comes from the editors of Academic Medicine, much of it also applies to designing and reporting qualitative research for other journals and publications. 

A transcript of this episode and links to the resources mentioned are avai...

It is my hope that continuing to play with some dirt on my uniform will model to others that they can pick themselves up after they are knocked down and get ready for the next play.

Benjamin Vipler reflects on getting his confidence back and turning negative experiences into positive lessons.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

The next time that I am unwell, I will take a real sick day—and I hope my colleagues, students, and resident physicians see it.

Kathryn Rampon reflects on the detrimental effects of physicians’ reluctance to take time off when ill.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

As medical professionals, our patients are putting their trust in us at their most vulnerable moments. It is our responsibility to handle that trust with respect, understand what they need from us both medically and socially, and advocate for those needs. Medicine starts at the bedside with learning about the patient and from the patient.

Caroline F. Zhao reflects on the importance of taking the time to recognize the humanism of patients and seeing them for more than just their conditions.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments...

Author Michael Gisondi, MD, provides an overview of this recently published qualitative study in which he and his coauthors examined key stakeholders’ opinions about several proposed reforms to the residency application process. Based on their findings, Gisondi and his coauthors identified important factors to guide future reforms. This article was published in the February 2023 issue of Academic Medicine and can be read at academicmedicine.org.

Since 2020, learning to treat patients with COVID-19 reminds me that we remain humble learners of medicine. All our resources have been stretched—rooms, staff, equipment, compassion—and yet our patients are plentiful and continue to provide us with ample learning opportunities.

Cara E. Harasaki recalls two patients, seen years apart, who taught her that physicians never stop learning.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

As medical professionals, it is tempting to cultivate a razor-sharp focus on symptoms and diagnoses. Robby helped me realize our former approach was like a racehorse with blinders: fast, but risking missing something important.

Brian R. Smith recalls an encounter with a special patient that made him think about restructuring visits to better identify patients’ crucial personal life events.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Faith is relevant to the clinical interaction when it gives patients and clinicians a shared ground upon which to stand in the midst of chaos, and my experience … showed me that spirituality can effect healing when all else fails.

Troy B. Amen reflects on how sharing a faith with patients can sometimes provide comfort and support when they need it most.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

When we form enriched relationships, we allow ourselves to feel grief for the patients we lose, and likewise, joy for the patients who leave healthier than when they arrived.

Zarin I. Rahman reflects on forming connections with patients over commonalities such as faith, language, or favorite sandwiches, and appreciating knowing them for even a short time.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Guests Courtney Newman and Jaclyn Albin, MD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss culinary medicine and its role in teaching nutrition, nutrition counseling, and hands-on cooking skills to medical students. The conversation also covers how culinary medicine programs build connections and community and improve the well-being of students, faculty, and patients.

A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org. 

Read the article discussed in this episode: Newman C, Yan J, Messiah S, Albin J. Culinary medicine as innovative nutrition education for medical students: A scoping review. Acad Med. 2023;98:274-286.

Every now and then, a patient will bring me new insights and knowledge, such as lessons on rare diseases that I would not have learned if I had not seen them in person. These rare patients … instilled in me the ability to be hyper-observant and detail oriented.

Nadia Falah reflects on a patient with a rare genetic condition and how learning to become a physician entails far more than simply passing an exam.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Re...

Medical students … need to build out reality-based curricula that equip future physicians to provide trauma-informed, harm-reductionist care. Patients need to be addressed in their context. Perhaps to do so, we need to take off our white coats and get our boots a little muddy.

Rebecca Bromley-Dulfano reflects on street medicine and learning to care for patients who may be without basic resources outside the clinic setting.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2023 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

On this remarkable day, however, it was clear. This woman knew who I was, months later and from only the sound of my voice, proving to me for the first time how our small actions can have a large impact.

Umer Farooq, a resident physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at Loyola Medicine/MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, Illinois, reflects on the unexpected, yet gratifying relationships formed between physicians and patients’ family members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2023 is...

As faculty, we are called to instruct and mentor students. And yet ... B, my colleagues, and friends of color have taught me lessons of far greater importance.

Sara B. Police, assistant professor and director of nutritional sciences education in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington, Kentucky, reflects on her meaningful journey from awareness to education to involvement in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the January 2023 issue of Academic Medicine...

My experience that night in the ICU was the wake-up call I needed. It was a reminder to shift my priorities back to the patient. It was a reminder that my job was more than check boxes and administrative tasks.

Nicholas R. Lenze, a resident in otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, reflects on the delicate balance between being an efficient resident and a doctor.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the December 2022 issue of Academic Medicine...

She is a strong woman. The strongest woman I’ve probably ever met. Her strength is in her joyful spirit and the kindness she exudes to everyone she meets…. She is my mother, and she has been quite the model of unconditional love, service, kindness, and sacrifice.

Nurse practitioner Danielle Blackwell reflects on the person who inspired her to become a nurse.

This essay placed third in the 2022 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the October 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

When I think back on my career thus far, I do not remember the shifts that I left early or the days when everything went perfectly. But when Willie Nelson comes on over the radio, I can close my eyes and picture the vibrant colors of a woman’s last sunset.

Graduate nursing student Jessica Pierce reflects on what brings meaning to her job—discovering the person inside each patient and letting them see her compassion in return.

This essay placed first in the 2022 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in t...

The editors of Academic Medicine share their advice for authors submitting their scholarship for publication and describe what they look for when they’re reviewing submissions. Also included are resources to help authors write successfully and publish their work. This episode is meant for new authors and authors new to medical education and, while the advice comes from the editors of Academic Medicine, much of it also applies to other types of medical education scholarship, to scholarly publishing in other disciplines, and to submissions to other journals and publications.

A transcript of this episode and links to th...

What I do know is in the desert of the Middle East I learned that the right decision isn’t always the easiest or most appealing. Our patients don’t need our judgment; they need our help.

Medical student Mason Blacker reflects on treating patients while stationed in Iraq and what is truly right and important in life.

This essay placed first in the 2022 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

There is growth in speaking up for myself and others in my position, but I do not want to have to sacrifice inner serenity as the price of advocacy.

Rewan Abdelwahab, a third-year medical student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, reflects on the difficulties faced by trainees and staff from underrepresented in medicine groups when resources promoting inclusivity, like religious coverings in the OR, are not provided.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the December 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read...

This one, brief moment opened me up to the greatest sense of appreciation; regardless of the treatment arm, role, or results, it is the journey we embark on together, side by side with our participants, teams, and peers, that will contribute to our greater collective knowledge, advances in care, and a better future.

Vanita R. Aroda, director of diabetes clinical research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, reflects on how acting as a clinical trial investigator has changed her approach to life.

The es...

Guest Heeyoung Han, PhD, joins hosts Toni Gallo and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee members Javeed Sukhera, MD, PhD, and Andres Fernandez, MD, MEd, to discuss new research into the different methodologies used in health professions education research and how rigorous, or not, the descriptions of these methodologies are in published studies. Also covered is advice for researchers who want to more creatively and rigorously conduct and write up their work.  

A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

Read the article discussed in this episode:

Medical practitioners of all specialties may lack Cassandra’s divinely inspired prophetic powers, but our training, research, and deep consideration for our patients’ wellbeing inform our prognostication. We hope that in this way, we are able to serve as guideposts along their ultimate paths.

Judy Ch’ang, medical director of the Neurointensive Care Unit and assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Unit at the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Nara Michaelson, a fourth-year neurology resident at Weill Cornell Medicine, reflect on how difficult it is for...

Maybe this letter is more a letter to myself, a reminder … that mentorship is the key to training good, competent, humane surgeons. That this extra effort is what will create change, sustainability, and at the end of the pathway, is what will be remembered. That this is the type of person and surgeon I want to be.

Adam Goldstein, director of the Trauma Surgery Unit at The Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, Israel, writes a letter to Dr. William Schwab thanking him for his outstanding example of mentorship.

The essay read in this episode was pu...

The medical record from the day before includes a note from the chaplain who wrote that you smiled. I resolve to end more notes this way. The patient smiled.

Medical student Molly Fessler reflects on the profound experience of caring for a patient during their final days.

This essay placed second in the 2022 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Guests Luca Petrey and Laura Weingartner, PhD, MS, join hosts Toni Gallo and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee members Arianne Teherani, PhD, and Daniele Olveczky, MD, to discuss a new scoping review of the literature on the inclusion of standardized patient characters and actors with diverse gender identities in simulation cases.

A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

Read the articles discussed in this episode: 

It is more likely emotional overload rather than apathy or insensitivity that prompts these contradictory expressions of emotion. An involuntary attempt to achieve a type of emotional homeostasis.

Sadaf Qureshi, a hematologist/oncologist at Summit Health in Florham Park, New Jersey, reflects on “appropriate” responses to misfortune.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the October 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

So often, we get caught up in studying and updating the medical chart. When we get to know our patients as human beings, however, we realize that providing care goes beyond triple-checking medication dosages. A human being is the product of every person, every success, and every misfortune he or she has encountered.

Theodora Lananh Swenson, a fourth-year resident physician in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, reflects on the importance of understanding the social context in which each patient lives.

The essay read in this...

I was glad that I was too tired to speak at the close of the day, because by listening, I learned a lesson in humility. Madam A’s family was more knowledgeable about her than we were, treating her as a person who had hopes just like the rest of us, despite being bedbound.

Norshima Nashi, a consultant in the Division of Advanced Internal Medicine in the Department of Medicine at the National University Health System in Singapore, reflects on the importance of preserving hope for patients, no matter how serious the situation is.

The es...

Guests Addie McClintock, MD, and Joshua Jauregui, MD, join hosts Toni Gallo and Research in Medical Education (RIME) Committee members Andrea Leep, MD, and Paolo Martin, PhD, MS CHPR, MEd, to discuss clinical teachers’ behaviors and how they support or harm students’ sense of psychological safety in the clinical learning environment.

This is the first episode in a 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field.

Read the article discussed in this episode: 

McClintock AH, Fainstad TL, Jauregui J. Clinician teacher as leader: Creat...

As I progress through my training, I see more clearly how I benefited from my intern year; my comfort with ventilator settings and ability to navigate goals-of-care discussions are a direct result of my pandemic cases. However, when I am asked how my residency has been, I am haunted by the memories of those who can no longer answer.

Michelle I. Suh, a second-year resident in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, reflects on how her intern year was shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The essay read in...

Remembering my own medical experiences is an insistent reminder that disease is not mundane, no matter how desensitized we may grow to it.

Tom Fouché, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois, reflects on his dual identities of provider and patient and how not keeping them separated makes him a better physician.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the August 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Guests Katherine Hoops, MD, MPH, Andra Blomkalns, MD, MBA, and Allison Augustus-Wallace, PhD, MS, MNS, join host Toni Gallo to talk about firearm safety and injury prevention education. They discuss the role of physicians in engaging patients and communities in firearm injury risk reduction, the current state of firearm injury prevention education, and where the academic medicine community needs to go from here. 

Read the articles discussed in this episode: 

When faculty members open themselves up to the idea that the work we do in seemingly different realms can actually enhance our practice, we arguably do our greatest service to the development of others’ gardens.

Sarah-Ann Keyes, assistant professor in the School of Health Professions at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, reflects on how difficult it can be for faculty members in academic medicine to balance clinical, educational, and scholarly work.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the August 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Re...

After this patient encounter, I came to realize that my greatest strength, my finest therapeutic tool, was me—all of me.

Omar Sahak, a first-year fellow in the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California reflects on how sometimes the best way to help a patient is to be vulnerable with them.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at...

Next time a patient thanks me, I will not let self-conscious worries diminish their words. True thankfulness reflects deep humanistic connection and is unburdened by the hierarchies of medicine.

Paulina M. Devlin, a first-year obstetrics and gynecology resident at the University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City, Utah, reflects on the expression of gratitude between patients and providers.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Guests Chirag Bhat, MD, and Warren Cheung, MD, MMEd, join hosts Toni Gallo and associate editor Teresa Chan, MD, MHPE, to discuss their research into nurses’ perspectives about giving feedback on residents’ clinical performance. They share their findings regarding the unique perspective nurses can offer, the barriers nurses face in providing feedback, and some possible ways to overcome these barriers.

Read the article discussed in this episode: Bhat C, LaDonna K, Dewhirst S, et al. Unobserved observers: Nurses’ perspectives about sharing feedback on the performance of resident physicians. Acad Med. 2022;97:271-277.

A transcript of this episod...

Despite the emotional challenges that my anatomy course presented, I feel reaffirmed in my desire to pursue medicine and now understand the beautiful complexity of the human body in a way I never could have before.

Keldon K. Lin, a second-year medical student at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona, reflects on the common humanity that all patients, both living and dead, share with one another.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the June 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay...

As tears seeped from the corners of her eyes and stained her cheeks, I felt powerless. I reached for her hand, wishing I could offer my bare human hand instead of an impersonal blue latex glove. Holding her hand was the only thing I could do in the moment; I hoped it made her feel less alone.

Natalie C. Spach, a fourth-year medical student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, reflects on the importance of physicians demonstrating compassion and empathy towards patients when they are at...

The resident came into my room with one question and he got it answered. The rest was not his problem. But it was my problem.

Arthur Garson Jr, clinical professor of health systems and population health sciences in the College of Medicine at the University of Houston in Houston, Texas, reflects on the importance of two-way communication between patients and physicians.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2022 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Our patients should not be our blind spots. Even with the most thorough routines, I may not catch important clues—be it some subtle discomfort or altered affect—without keen observation, clues that may drastically change a patient’s story and care.

Alan Z. Yang, a second-year medical student at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, discusses the importance of observing and truly seeing a patient during a visit rather than focusing solely on standard interview questions and physical exam.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the...

Guests Lala Forrest and Joe Geraghty join host Toni Gallo to discuss the journal’s Trainee Letters to the Editor feature. They highlight selected letters submitted in response to last year’s call for submissions about the role of trainees as agents of change and discuss how institutions can empower trainees to be leaders and how trainees can get started leading change efforts. Lala and Joe also introduce this year’s call about transformative moments in a trainee’s professional journey and describe what the editors are looking for in successful submissions.

Available at academicmedicineblog.org are a transc...