What I Learned in Medical School

What I Learned in Medical School

A group of vivid, first-person stories of medical students who don't "fit the mold" and have had challenges completing conventional medical training.

Like many an exclusive club, the medical profession subjects its prospective members to rigorous indoctrination: medical students are overloaded with work, deprived of sleep and normal human contact, drilled and tested and scheduled down to the last minute. Difficult as the regimen may be, for those who don't fit the traditional mold-white, male, middle-to-upper class, and heterosexual-medical school can be that much more harrowing. This riveting book tells the tales of a new generation of medical students-students whose varied backgrounds are far from traditional. Their stories will forever alter the way we see tomorrow's doctors.
In these pages, a black teenage mother overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds, an observant Muslim dons the hijab during training, an alcoholic hides her addiction. We hear the stories of an Asian refugee, a Mexican immigrant, a closeted Christian, an oversized woman-these once unlikely students are among those who describe their medical school experiences with uncommon candor, giving a close-up look at the inflexible curriculum, the pervasive competitive culture, and the daunting obstacles that come with being "different" in medical school. Their tales of courage are by turns poignant, amusing, eye-opening-and altogether unforgettable.

"This vibrant collection celebrates the diversity of medical trainees' experiences and brings to the forefront voices too often marginalized in medicine. Testament to the changing face of the profession, this volume reminds both healers and patients that medicine's strengths arise from the rich variety of its practitioners."
-Sayantani DasGupta, MD, MPH, author of Her Own Medicine: A Woman's Journey from Student to Doctor
"The book has tremendous educational value and could be used as a catalyst for change."
-Maureen S. O'Leary, MBA, RN, Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association

"In these beautifully written and deeply honest essays, medical students share a commitment to humanity that heals the wounds of isolation and reveals the power of diversity in the service of life. What I Learned in Medical School is a special book. Read it. It will make you proud to know your doctor."
-Rachel Naomi Remen, author of Kitchen Table Wisdom and Clinical Professor, UCSF School of Medicine
"An intriguing collection of strong and varied voices from the next generation of doctors.The narratives in this book challenge our assumptions about medical education and what makes a good physician, while reminding us, by their power, variety, and sincerity, of the many different roads that can be followed into medicine.The reader comes away with an appreciation for the richness and complexity that broadening the traditional pro.le of medicine and doctors brings to the profession and its practices."
-Perri Klass,MD, author of A Not Entirely Benign Procedure: Four Years as a Medical Student

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Kevin M. Takakuwa is resident physician at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the medical school at the University of California, Davis. Nick Rubashkin is a medical student at Stanford University. Karen E. Herzig earned a Ph.D. in health psychology from the University of California, San Francisco, where she currently works as a researcher.

Inhaltsangabe

Foreword, by Joycelyn Elders Acknowledgments Introduction
PART ONE: LIFE AND FAMILY HISTORIES 1. Being Refugee Eddy V. Nguyen 2. Melanie's Story Melanie M. Watkins 3. Pavement Nick Rubashkin 4. Whispers from the Third Generation Paul M. Lantos 5. Borderlands Marcia Casas 6. Poison in My Coffee Heather Goff
PART TWO: SHIFTING IDENTITIES 7. Necessary Accessories Nusheen Ameenuddin 8. Medical School Metamorphosis Tresa Muir McNeal 9. Why Am I in Medical School? Karen C. Kim 10. My Secret Life "Linda Palafox" 11. Five Points Off for Going to Medical School Rachel Umi Lee 12. Parasympathizing Kevin{ths}M. Takakuwa 13. Sometimes, All You Can Do Is Laugh Lainie Holman 14. A Prayer from a Closeted Christian Anita Ramsetty 15. Seeing with New Eyes: How Ayurveda Transformed My Life Akilesh Palanisamy
PART THREE: CONFRONTED 16. Hoka Hey Robert "Lame Bull" McDonald 17. My Names David Marcus 18. A Case Presentation Tista Ghosh 19. Urology Blues Ugo A. Ezenkwele 20. Like Everyone Else Katherine M. Erdwinn 21. Daring to Be a Doctor Simone C. Eastman-Uwan 22. A Graduation Speech Thao Nguyen
Afterword Further Reading Contributors