It’s a Privilege, Not a Burden

Image Credit: Flickr

Author: Jacob Stelter, MS4
Loyola University Chicago
Stritch School of Medicine
Originally Published: Common Sense November/December 2014

After years of battling things like prematurely adopted EMRs, government bureaucrats, clueless hospital administrators, greedy insurance companies, malignant tort lawyers, CMG profiteers, and "emergency" patients who don't need to see any doctor at all — much less an emergency physician — it is easy to become jaded and lose sight of our real value. That's why I chose to publish this editorial from a medical student. I hope it reminds you of the true worth of what you do, and how important you are. Stay strong! — Andy Walker, MD FAAEM, Editor Common Sense

I recently read an article in the Chicago Tribune entitled, “Expert’s New Career Prescription: Forget About Becoming a Doctor.”[1] In it author Dawn Turner Trice interviews the executive director of the Chicago Area Health and Medical Careers Program, Regnal Jones, who advises students not to pursue a career as a physician. He cites the cost of tuition, the many years of training, the long hours, and more medical graduates than residency spots — among other things — as reasons not to become a physician. I respect his opinion and have no doubt that some of his points are legitimate, especially regarding the cost of tuition and the fact that there are insufficient residency spots for graduating medical students. However, I respectfully disagree with much of what he says. At the end of her article Trice says, “You've heard Jones' position. Now tell me what you think.” Well, I did just that — sending her an email rebutting most of Jones' arguments. Now I want to explain to you why Jones is largely wrong, and present some of the positive aspects of being a physician.

Finding a Mentor

Author: Nick Pettit, Ph.D. OMS II
Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine

“Don’t go into that field of medicine, I know fifty burned out doc’s in that field.” While on one of my first clinical experiences I found it discouraging when I expressed an
interest in emergency medicine (EM) and the attending I was working with immediately
rejected my idea of going into this field with a negative opinion. Unfortunately, such
negative connotations frequently arise when mentioning EM, especially with non-EM
faculty.[1] As such, due to the brevity of medical school, it is imperative as medical
students to not only find a good mentor but to find one as early on as possible.

“Too good to be true? It just might be.” — Notes and Pitfalls from the Job Trail

Originally Published: Common Sense, Jan/Feb 2013

Original Author: Leana S. Wen, MD MSc, AAEM/RSA President

‘Tis the season to find a job. At least it is for me and my senior resident colleagues across the country.

The first thing we learn is that this job search process is unlike any other we’ve gone through before. It’s certainly different from the rest of our medical training. Getting into medical school was no walk in the park, but it was a structured process, often with ample guidance from professors. The Match may have its own share of problems, but the process was uniform. Now, looking for an attending job, there are so many options and so many uncertainties. Whether it’s community or academia, there is no clear path to getting that ideal job.