MedFamily: Recent Episodes
Eric Acker
Hosts Eric and Karen discuss the week’s happenings and provide insight on the life of a medical student’s journey to become a doctor will balancing life with a wife and 4 kids.
CGMs, Endocrine, and Testosterone Karen is back this week and we discuss the home life, clinical week, and Endocrinology. Lots covered in the topic and possibly some TMI regarding cycle tracking and Eric’s preoccupation with cool graphs.
Mini Update: GI Bleed and BiPAP Mini Update. Night shift is a wrap and we are now in the clinic. For this update we review GI bleed management and BiPAPs. Hopefully, making them less scary.
Mini Update: Night Shift Quick night-time update. We’re on nights and 3 weeks in. Being a “senior” now entails Step down coverage and helping the interns. We cover procedures, ICU consult, and then just a tangent on program drama, sorry. Hopefully we can keep these updates coming
Mini Update: Pericarditis and Afib New mini-update experiment, trying something new with semi-weekly updates. This week is on pericarditis and afib. If you guessed Eric’s on a cardiology rotation you would be correct. I’ll try to be more organized next time. Sorry for the mistakes.
ICU Month After 4 weeks of ICU days with 1 day off per week and some minor illnesses, we are back. We talk about the differences between a Step-down rotation and an ICU rotation and some of the unique aspects of the ICU that make it better and sometimes harder.
Care Completion vs Continuity ICU Up Next The last few weeks included Infectious disease, clinic week, care clinic, and getting a new doomsday vehicle. It’s been busy and we talked about all the past events and upcoming rotations in the ICU. Thank you for sticking with us through PGY-1, looking forward to what PGY-2 will […]
Nights, Vacation, and Van Sorry for the delay in getting back on this podcast. We completed 2 weeks of nights, did a vacation where the sleep cycle slowly reverted to normal and 2 weeks of floors. We had a minor accident and the van is gone. Lastly, we briefly go over a study on AF […]
Match Week, Busy Hearts, Mint Trial Congrats to all MS4s who matched this week. We are truly happy for you and hope you enjoy the period before residency starts… I wish I could say residency was a breeze. We also recap a busy week on cardiology service, and lastly have a conversation regarding the new […]
Clinic Culture Reversal When everyone hates one thing it is hard to not join in but you forget the personal mental space charged by doing it. Changing how we think about the things we don’t like makes us dread doing them when we have to do them anyway. We also go into a couple of […]
Customer Service and Comfort Care Back again after 2 weeks on floors. 1 week on acute and another one on stepdown. We discussed some of the things we learned. I.e. ramblings on comfort care, medical students, and cutting down on to-dos during floor weeks.
New Baby, New Study Plan We’re back from your hiatus with a brand-new baby. All are healthy and doing well. We discuss on this episode the birth, and the time off. Additionally, Eric is back at the clinic and starting a few new ideas to try to further his medical education during residency.
Pulm Consults and Fellowship App Advice Another week on pulmonology and consulting in the hospital for the service. Thoracentesis, cancers, and bronchoscopy. Additionally, Eric had a brief conversation with a 3rd year resident who matched into a Cardiology fellowship and will relay some of the advice given.
Consult Life with Pulm After weeks of floors and 1 week of clinic we are back on a consult service and life isn’t so bad. Karen is due in 1-2 weeks and we’re getting ready for the new arrival. Quick update this week, hope you all are good.
The Burnout 6 months into this residency, it feels like I’ve hit a wall. The good news is, everyone else feels this way too. We talk about what led up to this moment and what we are doing about it. Just keep swimming.
Night Shift We are on night shift rotation. This episode discusses the sleep/wake schedule and its impact on family life. Additionally, we go over the day-to-day tasks and how the night is broken up. Its a busy rotation and not without its stresses. Sorry for the missed week.
ED Rotation, Continuity Clinic, and 50 MME Max We finished our last week of ED and started continuity clinic. We discussed some lessons learned about maximum morphine mil-equivalents in opiate naive patients and got to sort of run a code.
ED Didactics and M&Ms Update for the week. Karen does all the appointments and car updates. Eric continues with his ED shifts and attends his first ever and probably last ED didactics where they held an M&M.
New Car, Night Shifts, and Bounce Backs Week 3 of Emergency Medicine and we’ve just completed 3 night shifts and will discuss the different approaches to patient care. Additionally, we talk about the process by which we replaced one of our vehicles. Again sorry for the missed week and late episode.
ED Shift and Interview Tips Started our ED 4 week rotation in Red Zone this week. We discuss the opportunities in the ED and learned experiences so far. Lastly, we talk about interviews. What to keep in mind while interviewing and things to watch for throughout the process.
Rapid Response To End The Rotation We capped of 8S with some excitement. Couldn’t have gotten through it without my team of interns who all stayed late and helped me out. Team work is great. We discuss this and other topics during this episode.
Consultant Woes and DNRs DNRs and sick patients are the norm for 8S. We discuss the conversations that need with family and the some of what DNR means. Additionally, we discuss some challenges with coordinating with consulting services.
Stepdown Revisited and M&M Thoughts Sorry for the late episode. We are back on floor rotations and back on 8S so Stepdown. We discuss GDMT and coordinating with consulting teams and MINOCA and whether Plavix is needed afterwards (its not). Lastly we discuss some takeaways from an M&M conference
Exam Efficacy and Grade 3 Recommendations Another week of infectious disease with light days heavy on studying. We talk about rectal exams, breast exams, and HOCM. There may have been some colorful commentary on the pros and cons of performing these exams and some pitfalls.
Infectious Disease Week 1 Wrapped up another week of continuity clinic and started a new rotation: infectious disease. Additionally, we went to an apple orchard and the kids had thoughts. Our youngest is in the room during this episode so excuse the extra distraction.
Sepsis Sim Lab Takeaways Continuity Clinic week with procedure training, Ultrasound, and high fidelity sim lab. We go over some pearls that Eric learned during the sim lab related to Sepsis and treating cholangitis. Additionally, we talk about the family plans for trips and exploration of our new state.
DKA, ITE and ERAS Busy week with a late recording. This week we did the ITE exam and worked on a CHF presentation. Additionally, there was some food poisoning. Still working through Admission Team and wanted to talk about ERAS and DKA.
From the Dentist and Into a Hurricane Last minute dental appointment throws the start of this week into chaos. We go over another week of admit team and things we’ve learned plus we discuss the topic on Reddit about efficiency vs writing a detailed note vs writing nothing worth reading.
Concerning WBC Count on Body Fluid or Traumatic Tap This is the second week of admit team. Learned how to look at body fluid cell counts and how to do a medical decision making documentation. Sorry that the sound quality wasn’t the best on the last episode, we are working to improve it since moving […]
Admit Team Week 1 The kids started homeschooling this week and Eric started Admit team. A new flow and different system of managing patient inflow. Some tough lessons are learned and ideas developed.
Continuity Clinic Week Sorry about last week’s episode’s posting error. This week we have Continuity Clinic in the AM and PM extra activities. Working towards Step 3 and getting home earlier than previous weeks.
Interns Who Write Everything Down and Interns Who Mess Up The Final Week of Step Down Internal Medicine Wards. What is the Triad for Cholangitis? Why do you give antibiotics to a patient with possible esophageal varices? Acute patients and lots of learning. Thanks for sticking with us.
And Remember the AM Labs Another week on Inpatient Service. Between trying to remember everything about the patients, placing all the orders, and talking to the patient’s and their family, Interns need to have some idea what they are doing and why. This episode we talk about presentation, tricks to anticipate some questions during the […]
Why Aren’t the Daily Lab Orders In? Finished Neurology and Starting Step Down Inpatient. Day one: Disaster, and I Knew Nothing. Day 2, improved from playing with crayons. We talk about the struggles of making that transition from medical student to being the patient’s doctor. How that can be intimidating and how many you shouldn’t […]
Neurology Wrap Up and Non-Textbook Cases We wrap up this week on Neurology service and talk about some of the lessons we’ve learned and how we are taking advantage of the days off. Additionally, we talk about Eric planning on when to take Step 3.
Starting Inpatient Neurology: What Would a Jury Think We’re back this week for an update. We started Residency this week with inpatient neurology. Eric and Karen go over what the rotation entails and the bits of wisdom given to us from the attendings.
Special Episode With Dylan Thomas Pt. 2: The Better Side of Medical School This is our part 2 with Dylan Thomas. We discuss all things post Step 1. If you didn’t get a chance to listen to part 1, please go back and listen. Again a huge THANK YOU to Dylan Thomas for taking the […]
Special Episode: Dylan Thomas Interview Pt. I – The Origins and Pre-Step 1 Finally a special episode is coming out. Part 1 with Dylan Thomas, Trinity Student and soon to be doctor. In part one we talk about his journey to medical school and his pre-clinical years. Part 2 will be out next week!
Post Moving and Moving to SVG Advice It has been a few weeks since our last episode so here’s us catching you up. We accomplished the move and have most of our stuff in the new house. We traveled to Atlanta for Graduation, and hosted some family for a few days. Lastly, we wanted to […]
Moving Prep and NRMP Statistics Quick update on the moving progress and plans. We discuss also some NRMP statistics from the last match, looking at trends, and some urging to start working on your personal statement now if you are considering the MATCH process for 2024.
Like Picking 4th Year Electives But With Less Prep Quick update on the week’s events and finally a little bit of medical life information! It’s not much but we submitted time off preferences and intern year elective preferences. Eric will share the advice he got from other interns and how he applied that advice in […]
Professional Loan for Residents This week we became home owners again, so lets talk about the loan and home buying process for future residents. Everything is covered in some fashion from the pre-approval to the counter offers.
Interview Questions Quick update on the week’s events and a discussion on the topic of Interview questions. Some review of what Eric found that worked well and what didn’t. Free advice, talk to your preceptors now for ideas.
Part 2 of Rank Order List: The Last 5 Quick catch up on the weeks happenings and onto part 2 of our rank order list. Each program brought something different to the table and we had a system we used to rank. It may be different than others but yours should be based on what […]
Rank Order List Part 1- The Top 5 This is part 1 of a dive into our rank order list. We discuss the top 5 programs and why we ranked them were we did, what was good and what was not so good about each. The programs are Creighton AZ, Cape Fear NC, Magnolia MS, […]
Looking Back: Sub-I Rotation in Internal Medicine A quick weekly update followed by a long pros and cons of Eric’s Sub-I rotation in NE Georgia. From great residents on his team to mountains of content learned this 4 weeks really helped provide professional growth. But what else is going on with this program and why […]
Looking Back: Kansas City Ortho Rotation We spent this week continuing to get ready to move. So instead of hearing about that, we are looking back at some rotations that we couldn’t be as candid about prior to the MATCH process. Here’s A look back at Orthopedics: What Eric wishes he could’ve don’t better on […]
Looking Back: Applying to Programs by COL Since matching we’ve started our search for a new home. That means Professional loan and looking at houses remotely. Additionally, we reflect on the process of picking programs by cost of living (COL) and why we did that and why MS4s with families may want to consider it.
MATCH Day: We Are Going To… Recap of the big MATCH Day event! We matched and are now working towards going to our new home for at least the next 3 years. We talk about what emotions we felt during the announcements, and how fast things are going now that the end is near.
We MATCHED Now to Find Out Where Monday morning we got the email from the NRMP! Next step is waiting for the announcement on Friday. In the mean time we are finishing up the ED rotation on night shifts. Doing lots of laceration repairs and seeing patients. Now that MediTech is back up and working […]
Night Shifts in the ED On Downtime Quick update during the night shifts in the ED. We talk about some challenges and opportunities from the experience and look forward to the MATCH next week.
Emergency Medicine Week 1: Day Shift Last elective rotation before match and its in the ED. This last week we did day shift and are adjusting to a different style of medicine. Eric talks about what his first impressions are and Karen discusses the need for figuring out how to cope with stresses and losses […]
Some Unobjective Stress We’re going to finally talk about a stressor that was resolved but had been plaguing us for 8 weeks. This week we’ve had a couple second looks/tours. Additionally, we discuss the need for good post interview notes, and discuss the benefits of a good ED orientation.
Program Tours and LOI 7 hour drive to visit a program, almost losing a kid in a Buc-ees, and wrapping up an internal medicine rotation. It’s been a busy 2 weeks and we have 5 more weeks till MATCH day!
Back to Internal Medicine This week we are back in the internal medicine clinics and enjoying the change of pass. We talk about the rotation, and go into etiquette for seeing patients with other medical students and residents. Lastly we talk about some upcoming second looks and the side projects Eric is trying to do.
Ranking Process Started Karen and Eric discuss the virtues and differences of community programs and academic programs. They talked more about the impressions from Eric’s preceptors and how they may further a possible fellowship opportunity. Lastly, they discuss starting the process of determining their rank order.
Rebooting Neurology and Attitude Last week Eric came off a few bad days in the rotation. After a week of reflection and adjustment, this week we’ll talk about changes that were made, what should be clarified and emphasized. Lastly, we discuss what has been interesting on the rotation.
Building the Ladder for Those Behind You and Not Burning It Week 2 into our neurology rotation and some themes seem to be appearing. Eric and Karen talk about the importance of staying professional in the 4th year, and some lessons learned the hard way about being too open to chatting with the preceptor.
Vacation, the Plague, and a Look Back at the MATCH Process Thus Far We’ve been out for a couple weeks and are here to begin the updates. Christmas was great for the kids and they even got to experience it 2x with Grandparents visiting. We all got sick and have since been gradually recovering. During […]
Codes and Attendings’ Advice On How To Be a Successful Intern Over the last week in electrophysiology we talk about a code that Eric was a part of. The takeaways from the code, lessons learned, and how peers react to the information. Lastly, the episode we go over a question that Eric commonly asks programs: […]
Second Look and English Testing This week in review Eric completed the OET and did a second look at a program. The biggest takeaway here is preparation, preparation, preparation. Do this and you’ll avoid embarrassing yourself in most cases. Don’t and you’ll be like Eric telling people he interviewed with that he doesn’t have a […]
Week Two of Electrophysiology and Thanksgiving What is the difference between the interventional cardiologist Eric followed in 3rd year vs the electrophysiologist he’s in this rotation. Also in the episode we talk about thanksgiving and an update on the Match process
Electrician Cardiology and Thanksgiving Last week we wrapped up radiology with a final and did 2 interviews. We look back on the process on how we picked programs and how opinions evolved through interviews. This week Eric started his 4th elective, cardiology and already got to perform a cardioversion on one patient.
Radiology Final Week and Interview Invite Waves Karen is back this week and discussing her experience at the hospital and now being home. This week has been complete with 2 interviews and a radiology final. Finally the hosts discuss the advise of one resident regarding waves of interviews.
New Arrival and Radiology Rotation We’ve been away a week and this is whats been going on. We had a new arrival this weekend with our daughter making her appearance. We talk about that experience and how it compared to our previous births. Then we provide an update on the MATCH interviews this year, rejections, […]
Post 2nd Away Rotation Debrief, Interviews, and Mentorship Late submission and upload, but in this episode Eric talks a little about his last rotation, advice he gave a student regarding Orthopedics. He talks a bit on the importance of mentorship and finally what rotation he is on as well as how interviews are going. Its […]
Special Episode with Gabrielle Rupard Here’s a chat with Gabrielle Rupard on her journey to and through medical school. She’s got a good story and I hope you all enjoy hearing about it as much as I had doing the interview. We touch also on Step 1 and 5th term a bit. As a side […]
Interviews are Upon Us Interviews are happening. Sorry for the delayed release but we just completed our first interview yesterday. Without violating any nondisclosure agreements we’ll talk about how it went and how the whole process is going.
Program Contacts and Interview Invites The application went live last week and we are sorting through and making sense of the contacts that have been made by the programs through ERAS. Additionally, we’ve gotten 2 interview invites and 2 extra supplemental applications.
ERAs and Last Week of Sub-Internship As my parents would say, we’re burning the candle at both ends. Sorry for this missed episode last week. But this week we talk about wrapping up the Sub-I in NE Georgia and finished/Submitted the ERAs application.
A Day Late Update on the Sub-Internship Late nights of long call and early mornings= sleep deprived and tired. This 3rd week of this audition rotation is all about mastering the efficiency, maximizing the number of patients on the service, and providing the most help to the interns.
SUB-I Week 2: Why Are You Still Here? Long nights with residents who don’t want to see a med student suffer lead to an endless string of people asking why are you there so late. The Sub-Internship has kicked into full gear and we’re trying to expand the work. Let’s hope we don’t suck.
Away Rotation in NE Georgia Karen has the week off as Eric starts a 4 week away rotation in NE Georgia. We go over the rotation format and first thoughts. Additionally, Eric talks about the work that is going into reviewing and selecting residency programs they will be applying to.
Step 2CK Scores Released Race to the Electives Sorry for the Delay episode covers the step 2 CK result and our preparation for electives. From ERAS to the supplemental score we are trying to sort out which programs to apply to.
Eve of Step 2 Score – Preparing for Electives Step 2 CK score is released after this podcast gets released. We discuss the list of activities we are doing to prepare for 4th year electives and to distract ourselves from the impending score. Fingers crossed we get good news.
Post Step 2 CK Recap We’ve taken the beast, the big hurdle before Match, Step 2 CK. Some quick feedback on how it went, what to expect, what to do differently, and overall anxiety on awaiting the final test score result. Lastly, we go over more steps we’re doing in preparation for Electives and Match. […]
The Week Before Step 2 CK Last mini update before the big test. What to focus on in the last week and getting some feedback from students who’ve taken the test. A lot going on and hopefully we are ready to go. I’d appreciate any prayers to help get through Step 2 CK on Friday.
Practice Tests and QBanks – Step 2CK Prep Quick update this week on the Step 2 CK study plan. We took 2 practice exams last week and saw good improvement and are hoping to carry that over during this week’s practice tests. We go over some feedback other fellow students have given regarding the exam […]
Surgery Shelf Mishap and Step 2CK Study Program Surgery shelf is now a thing of the past and with it Core Rotations. Eric and Karen discuss the mistake Eric made on the shelf, what helped to study for it, and how Eric distracted himself while waiting for the scores to arrive. Lastly, the host discuss […]
Starting Online Pediatrics and Shadowing Possibilities Eric and Karen are back this week to catch you up on the happenings of the last 2 weeks. The vast amounts of tasks to be completed in the near future and the looming STEP 2CK exam have pushed the hosts into adopting a new plan to get more […]
Special Episode with Matthew Ferrer and Alyssa Espinosa This week we take a break from our weekly updates and have a long overdue special episode with guests Matthew Ferrer and Alyssa Espinosa. We dive into first impressions on the island and journey through medical school till the present. We also explore their relationship and how […]
Returning to the Roots: Orthopedics Week 1 Eric capped off the last week of General surgery and then started the last 3-week rotation in Orthopedics. The hosts discuss the events of the weekend and how orthopedics compares to what Eric experienced prior to starting medical school. Additionally, the hosts talk about the ERAS token being […]
General Surgery 5th Week and Elective Updates We are wrapping up week 6 of General surgery and recapping the last weeks events. From surgeons answering questions they want to answer to silver linings on the advise given, it has been a busy week. Karen updates us on the results of her latest OB appointment and […]
Doctors Can Punch Dinosaurs Too The hosts discuss the events of an on call weekend. OR music, denied time-outs, and Octopus’ trying to escape the abdomen. Additionally, the hosts discuss the need for soon to be clinical students to plan their timeline and work on small steps that will save time and prevent you from […]
Technique Improving at Week 4 in General Surgery The hosts discuss the family’s activities this last week from the Peach Festival to cutting back on screen time for the kids. Eric relates the progress made in general surgery and updates the audience on. the status of a possible 4th year elective.
Surgery, Program Research, and Match Panel Eric provides an update on how the surgery rotation is going. Karen talks about the process of reviewing Residency programs and what criteria she’s using to evaluate them. Not all websites are created equal and the hosts cap off the episode on some information obtained from a recent Match […]
Small Bowel or Large: Surgery Week 2 The general surgery rotation is in full swing and the hosts discuss the highs and the lows of this rotation. The difference of being lost in a surgery and being lost in a internal medicine rotation are similar but have different characteristics. Additionally, the OR is a different […]
Preceptor Perception: The Blunt Surgeon General Surgery rotation in person has kicked off and Eric is with the Surgery chairperson for the next 6 weeks. He talks about the orientation and the clinic day. Additionally, he discusses the lead up to the rotation and the angst regarding the preceptor’s reputation. On the home-front Eric and […]
Spring Break and Last 2 Weeks Recap Eric and Karen are on “Spring Break” but that just means more studying. They also review the events of the last 2 weeks at home and while away at the ACP conference. Events vary from broken windows to Eric being on the SGA as a Clerkship Core Director
Special: ACP Conference Recap with Brandon West and Alex Sidhom Special episode featuring Alex Sidhom and Brandon West. The guest and host, Eric Acker, discuss their recent trip to Chicago for the ACP 2023 Internal Medicine National Conference. They go over the high points, what they learned and even review a little of the local […]
Surgery iHuman and ACP Conference Prep Eric and Karen discuss this week’s adventures which include. Sick kiddos, doing iHuman cases for Surgery rotation, and preparing for the ACP conference this weekend. Eric shares some information that he received regarding interest in Fellowships and whether to tell a residency program about it. It was a short […]
Internal Medicine Shelf Exam Do’s and Don’ts Internal Medicine Shelf is done and in the books and the scores came out today. Eric discusses the results, where improvements could be made and what worked and what didn’t work. Additionally, one away elective has approved a start date, which sets everything into motion for Eric to […]
Cardiology Shadowing and IM Shelf Prep In this week’s update we talk about the chaotic week of cardiology shadowing, and now how Eric is getting ready for the IM shelf Exam. Special thanks to last weeks guests Seth Illu, Brandon West, and Patrick Bevans. Also a special thanks for Joe Levi in presenting some research […]
Special Episode with Seth Illu All About the Match with Panel Guests Patrick Bevans and Brandon West This special episode features guest Seth Illu answer questions from a panel of guests: Patrick Bevans and Brandon West. He covers important topics that concern that Medical students attempting to match in Emergency Medicine.
Live Drills and Technical Support Eric and Karen discuss last week’s activities. From live drills with police, fire, and EMS to providing onboarding support for new rotation students, the week has been busy.
Prelude to a Busy Next Week Eric and Karen talk about the demands of this rotation and all the benefits from it. From making the effort to just trying to get the questions right, this rotation has been significantly helpful towards the IM shelf. Additionally, the host dwell on the advise given by a visiting […]
Match Day and 1st Week of IM IP/OP The hosts discuss the excitement of watching the year ahead of them learn that they match today. At the same time as Eric is making efforts Match in 1 year. Also 1st week is in the books for Internal Medicine and this rotation has growing pains.
Final Week of Hospitalist The Host discuss the last week with the hospitalist: the on call day, and the life lesions given by the hospitalist. Looking forward to the last in-person Internal medicine physician even if the road is likely to be rough.
Week 2 of Hospitalist and Trying to Plan 4th Year Karen provides updates on the home-front and Eric reviews his last week with a second hospitalist. Looking forward the hosts discuss efforts to secure an away elective and a Cardiology shadowing opportunity.
Hospitalist Rotation and Reviving Old Dreams We talk about ongoing IM rotations. A research project takes an unexpected course via reconnecting with surgeons Eric used to work for and that leads to reconsidering a specialty that was thought to be long out of reach.
Pulm to Hospitalist and Get the Big Gulp Eric finished the first 3 weeks of internal medicine capping off Pulmonology setting us up for the first time asking for a letter of recommendation. We also just started the 3 weeks of hospitalist rotations. Finally we cap off this episode about Eric’s mentality on getting the […]
Critical Care ICU Rotation This week we go into some detail on week 2 of the IM Core Rotation. The subspecialty is Pulmonology, however, this week we were on the critical care team in an ICU. We talk about various experiences from Internal Jugular line placements to withdrawal of care.
Beginning Internal Medicine: How to Fill a Cup When Only Firehoses Are Available Last week began our 12 week journey into Internal medicine where Eric is finding challenges. From clinic to the ICU internal medicine has lots to offer any is no walk in a park. We discuss this and the awkward interactions you can […]
Last 2 Weeks of OBGYN and Shelf Exam The hosts try to catch you up on the latest happenings since their last update. Eric completed 2 weeks of OBGYN rotation and the Shelf Exam. They discuss tips and suggestions on how to get more out of a rotation that isn’t shaping up to be what […]
Special Episode: Spouses Perspective with Karen Acker, Brittany Illu, and Jamie Bennett Medical school is tough regardless where you go. In this episode Karen talks to Jamie Bennett and Brittany Illu about their experiences as spouses to medical students and how they managed family life on the island and through the transition to Georgia in […]
OBGYN In-Person Week 2: Training Your Preceptor Hosts Eric and Karen return to discuss this weeks’ developments. From the OBGYN in-person rotation for a second week to speech therapy there is lots to talk about. Be on the lookout for new featured episodes in the coming weeks.
Intro to In-Person OB-GYN With Guest Joseph Levie Eric and Karen welcome guest 3rd year medical student Joseph Levie on to compare and contrast their OB-GYN rotations. We talk broadly about OBGYN and the recent Christmas holiday. Note: There was an edit request made which is why this episode was taken down briefly and re-uploaded. […]
Special Episode: All Things 4th Year with Matthew Barvo In this special episode, we sit down with 4th year student Matthew Barvo. The topics range from filling out the MPSE, ERAS, all the way to the different interview styles and ranking system. There’s a lot of information in this episode that’s super valuable for students […]
Merry Christmas A Short Update Eric and Karen would like to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. We’ll be traveling over the holiday break and may not be able to do a new update episode, but we preview a 2 new special episodes we’ve been working on and are excited to share in […]
Special Episode with Geran Maule a Native to SVG and Fellow IMG Eric sits down with fellow Trinity student Geran Maule, a Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Native and outstanding student. This interview covers the unique challenges and journey Geran has faced to become a 3rd year medical student and some extra glimpses into what […]
Know Your Timeline to Residency Eric and Karen sat down and figured out their timeline for graduation, and residency. They discuss why its important and other key points to keep in mind as you start your clinical year.
Pediatric Shelf and Starting Online OBGYN We discuss the past Thanksgiving holiday festivities. Eric talks about passing the Pediatric Shelf exam and some adjustments he’ll make going forward. We cap off the episode with a suggestion for medical students who aren’t sure what area of medicine they’d like to go into.
Wrapping Up Pediatrics and Thanksgiving Prep We discuss in this episodes the final weeks of online pediatrics and how morning pediatric rounds have been going so far. Karen discusses her Thanksgiving plans and we update on the elective rotation research.
Cold Calling and Impending Turkey Day Update on Eric’s attempts to get a shadowing opportunity during Christmas Break, and this leads to the recalibration of how to get it done. Additionally, this process reaffirms the need to research and network for 4th year’s away electives. Lastly, Eric and Karen discuss the unfolding holiday plans.
Starting Online Pediatrics and Shadowing Possibilities Eric and Karen discuss the wrapping up of the in-person pediatric rotation, an invitation to attend morning rounds, and Karen’s preparations for the Holiday. Also, in this episode Eric discusses residency work hours. Loosly citing this article from distant memory: https://www.abqjournal.com/1401413/residents-complained-before-loss-of-accreditation-unm-says.html. Finally they discuss plans to try and get […]
Being in Someone’s Shadow: Week 2 of Pediatrics Eric has completed his 2nd week of Pediatrics and has been learning how to live in someone’s shadow. On the homefront we’ve lived through our first real halloween and having the hot water heater rupture.
Pediatric Rotation Week 2- Ignorance May Be Closer to the Truth The hosts reflect on the pros and cons of Family medicine, and psych rotations vs Peds. We also spend some time discussing whether or not knowledge of what can go wrong in neonates, would’ve scared us into making different family building choices.
LPs, ADHD, and Patients Not Pathologies The Hosts discuss the transition from Psych and into Pediatrics. The strategies used for preparing for the Shelf exam pay off. Eric’s first 2 days in the NICU and clinic are eventful and impactful.
What’s So Interesting About Psych We’re tackling the last middle of the psych rotation and what makes it so interesting. Eric also goes over some things to keep in mind when doing the interview and how he is gauging how well he is doing in the rotation.
Special Rotation Discussion with Joseph Call and Patrick Bevans Special episode with host Eric Acker and guest student doctors: Joseph Call and Patrick Bevans share stories from various rotations. They give tips on how they’ve gotten through medical school so far and reflect on what they would do differently. Find out what success looks like […]
In-Person Psych Rotation Week 1 On the home-front we’ve gotten a water rower and the oldest child is starting speech therapy. Eric also discusses his first day of in-person psych.
A Year Away But Now’s Not the Time to be Complacent Complacency followed by anxiety and uncertainty when Eric is forced to think about the Looming next STEP (2) and Residency applications. We also talk about our recent trip to the lake and how having other families in medical school has been helpful
Psych Rotation, Babies, and Glasses What are some take aways from the online psych rotation? MI vs Panic disorder and a surprising Multiple sclerosis case. We also discuss a recent baby shower (not for us) and our daughter needing glasses.
Special – Guest Medical Students Seth Illu and Brandon West Discuss Rotations This Week we have 2 Medical student guests, Seth Illu and Brandon West. We discuss our rotations, best moments, what was learned from the experiences and some differences between electives and core rotations. EDIT: Updated podcast to make Seth’s audio better sorry for […]
FM Shelf Exam and Car Repairs The Family Medicine rotation has wrapped and Eric talks about his experience with the Shelf exams. Karen talks on her experience as a new mom. The family car needs some repairs which highlights the need for good budgeting.
We’re All Over the Place On This One The hosts struggled to get this off the ground due to a late night accident. However, they talk about what extra thing Eric is doing in his last week of Family Medicine Rotation, and how last week’s conversation is effecting him this week.
First Week of Real Patients, Must Have Housing, and Pill Pushing Moving to a new area with a family, make a list of the things you need in a house and budget. We discuss also the Family Medicine rotation Eric is on and whether or not doctors are just pill pushers.
My Preference is Whatever Your Preference Is What are Karen and the kids up to? In person rotations start and stall a bit, but we’ll get to hear about that, and how to be successful with preceptors.
Swamp coolers and Adjusting to a Spouse in Medical School The AC goes out during a weekend of extreme heat, Eric is preparing for his week of in person Clerkships and Karen tells us what it was like to be a Spouse to a Medical Student.
Shelf Study Plan, Homeschooling, Know When to Shut Up The Hosts talk about week 2 of online rotations, figuring out a schedule to study for Shelf Exams, Homeschooling, and share some stories about how physcians really need to know the power of their words and read the room.
Budgets, Virtual Patients, and What is the R in OLDCARTS How did we budget for the first year with all the unknowns on the island, How is the first days of clerkships going and what is Karen planning to do with Eric’s Truck. This and more are discussed on this weeks update.
STEP Score is Here and There’s More to Women’s Reproductive Health Than One Topic STEP Score has arrived, and the hosts discuss the nuances to women’s reproductive health that often gets overlooked in favor of discussing one aspect. Also, why physicians shouldn’t ignore the business side of medicine.
4th of July and Still No STEP Score The Hosts discuss the 4th of July, waiting for a STEP score, and how they helped transition their kids for each move. The Big project is finally finished and there’s frustration when google is the preferred source of information.
Right Hand Drive and Don’t Forget to Book the Return Flight The Hosts discuss this week’s events including an unexpected visit of parents and dive into common questions they had and others have had regarding moving to a Caribbean Island.
Introverts Network and Relaxation failure The hosts discuss this weeks events. Getting the podcast up and running, attending a networking event, and how one host’s idea of relaxation is doing house work. Also they discuss the importance of choosing extracurricular activities that are personally and professionally beneficial
Eric and Karen discuss this week's events: Eldest child looses their first tooth and Eric takes STEP 1. Also they discuss how they ended up at this particular medical school