Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Medical Student Council President's Message: Teachable Moments

Originally Published: Common Sense, March/April 2008
Original Author: Michael Ybarra, AAEM/RSA Medical Student Council President

As medical students, we spend four years of our lives being the lowest people on the totem pole, constantly trying to improve our level of knowledge, impress our supervisors and jump over what seems like an endless array of hurdles. What sometimes gets lost in the mix of medical education is the power that we, as students, can have in affecting our patients’ lives. We may not know exactly the best way to treat and manage their condition, but we have the ability to intervene in their lives in other ways that are equally important.