While there are many important aspects of becoming an excellent physician, acquiring an extensive fund of medical knowledge is at the very core of becoming a competent physician. For that reason, the CEO “Demonstrate a broad working knowledge of the fundamental science, principles, and processes basic to the practice of medicine and apply this knowledge in a judicious and consistent manner to prevent common health problems and achieve effective and safe patient care,” is one that I have taken very seriously during medical school. Medicine is truly a profession of lifelong learning, and that is why I felt it was so important to understand the basic science foundations of medicine as best as I possibly could prior to embarking on my clinical rotations.
Reflecting on my time in the pre-clinical curriculum, I am convinced that my attitude towards learning was a key driver leading to my academic success. Just prior to the beginning of Step 1 studying, I remember thinking that there were two ways of thinking about what the next eight weeks would entail. One option was to think of it as the hardest test of my life and something that I would just have to get through. However, the better option was to view that time as an opportunity to synthesize everything I had learned over the previous eighteen months and greatly improve my understanding of medicine prior to starting clinical rotations. During that eight-week study period I also developed a greater appreciation for how beneficial an emphasis on personal wellness could be towards my learning. Having the independence to plan all aspects of my day allowed me to eat healthier an exercise more than I had at any other point during medical school. The benefits on both my physical and mental endurance helped me to achieve some of the highest USMLE step scores in the country.
277; 281
Although proud of my preclinical achievements, I knew that there would be a big difference between answering multiple-choice clinical vignettes and real world clinical medicine. In dealing with real patients, there are so many comorbidities, contraindications, and patient preferences that we have to consider which contribute to making medicine all the more challenging. To deal with these challenges, I learned to use technology to help answer clinical questions and to review the most recent literature regarding the conditions that my patients were faced with. For example, having UpToDate on my phone improved my ability to quickly review a vast array of clinical topics, but it also proved valuable in having references with links to the primary literature that helped improve my fund of medical knowledge. Utilizing pharmaceutical applications helped me to improve my knowledge of dosing regimens and side effects of various medications. Another application I found particularly helpful in improving my clinical skills was MedCalc. Being able to quickly calculate risk scores like CHADS-VASc and FeNa helped me learn to develop assessments and plans. Throughout my third year I was able to continually improve my medical knowledge and skills by utilizing the aforementioned resources and constantly reading about my patient’s conditions and other topics that I encountered on rotations. This growth in medical knowledge is reflected by the evaluation from my attending physician while on the oncology service during my third year.
“Excellent student who performed above expectations in all areas (at the level of the sub-I). Biggest strengths: (1) Intellectual curiosity – it was clear that he researched his patients’ medical conditions, treatment options, diagnostic work-up. He was not afraid to bring up his findings during rounds which did impact patient management. I thoroughly enjoyed discussing Oncology treatment plans with him, and his questions were better than the intern and resident questions. (2) Concise and clear patient presentations – able to identify pertinent positives in the H&P and critical information that would influence medical decision making.”
My hard work and dedication to acquiring medical knowledge and skills during medical school culminated in receiving the Academic Merit Scholar award for performing amongst the top few members of the class in cumulative performance, as well as being selected to the junior class for Alpha Omega Alpha.
I am looking forward to the ongoing process of improving my medical knowledge and skills during my internal residency training. In addition to utilizing the aforementioned resources, I plan to read more primary literature and landmark articles that have had the greatest impact on clinical decision making, as well as current clinical practice guidelines. I feel confident that I have developed the skills in medical school necessary to be a successful lifelong learner in the field of medicine.