#myVUSM
Med School: Am I Ready?
Oct. 16, 2017—“You are never ready, you just run out of time.” This statement, out of every advice I was given in the weeks prior to starting school, has stayed with me the most. It is true, at least for me. I am as ready as I will ever be, but it is difficult to measure that...
First Year Wellness Retreat
Oct. 9, 2017—On Friday, September 29, the first year med school class embarked on a full-day retreat to Deer Run camp in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee. The theme of the day was Wellness and the students were ready to embrace a day away from the classroom, so spirits were high! In the morning, Dean Fleming, Dr. Yakes, and...
Favorite Faculty: Buddy Creech, M.D., MPH
Oct. 2, 2017—Buddy Creech, M.D., MPH Pediatric Infectious Diseases How did you go about picking your specialty? Any advice? Going into medical school, I already had a good sense that I wanted to be a pediatrician. I had worked as a camp counselor and with middle school kids for several years. A combination of things led me...
The Med School Traverse
Sep. 25, 2017—Having grown up in New Hampshire, I’ve spent my life playing in the mountains—from bushwhacking on hot summer days to backpacking in the dead of winter. Every adventure has been uniquely memorable, but earlier this summer I completed a hike that was especially meaningful to me. The Presidential Traverse is one of the toughest day...
POCUS
Sep. 11, 2017—Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) or bedside ultrasound is a rapidly expanding technique by which physicians in diverse medical specialties are improving outcomes and expedience of care while reducing radiation exposure and cost. Ultrasound is a skill-set that can be used by any physician to broaden his/her bedside diagnostic acuity and procedural skills. Whether evaluating acute injury,...
Favorite Faculty: Corey Slovis, M.D.
Sep. 4, 2017—Corey Slovis, M.D. Emergency Medicine In what ways do you work with medical students on campus? Which way is your favorite? I get to teach emergency medicine to second, third, and fourth year students in our various medical school courses. I love the opportunity to try to teach an organized, and usually "5 step, 5 reason, 5...
North to South: Tips for Any Transplant (& Entertainment for any Southerner)
Aug. 28, 2017—I am a Boston girl through and through: I was raised in a Metrowest suburb, attended Tufts for undergrad, and spent the last year living in and working in Cambridge. More tellingly, I’m a die-hard Celtics fan, am fiercely loyal to Dunkin Donuts, and believe turn signals are somewhat optional. And while I was thrilled...
Meet and Greet (MAG)
Aug. 21, 2017—On July 19, 2017, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine welcomed its newest members: the VUSM Class of 2021! After a morning of introductions and welcomes, the real fun began with MAG (Meet And Greet) and the College Reveal! Here at Vandy, students are sorted into four colleges named after former Deans: The Gabbe Lions, the Batson Phoenix,...
Medical Outdoor Orientation
Aug. 14, 2017—MOO, Medical Outdoor Orientation, is the annual student-led culmination of VMS orientation. The goal of MOO is not necessarily to focus on the academic aspects of transitioning to medical school, but to allow for students to get to know one another in a more social and comfortable setting. After a day of pontooning, hiking, or...
A Week in the Life of a VMS1
Aug. 7, 2017—Being a medical student at Vanderbilt is one of my favorite things, and I hope I can convince you how wonderful it is! Not only is Nashville incredible, but the people and culture of Vandy are unlike anything I’ve ever experienced at a highly academic institution. One of the things I wondered in the weeks...
Human Blueprint and Architecture (HBA)
Jul. 31, 2017—Welcome to the beginning of medical school! It is a year chock full of more curriculum acronyms than you’d ever be able to keep up with, the first of these being HBA—Human Blueprint and Architecture. This is the intro to Vandy, your chance to get familiar with the class schedule and rigorous requirements, to meet...
Current VUSM Students Reflect on the White Coat
Jul. 28, 2017—I have been thinking about what it would feel like to wear a white coat for a long time – almost 11 years. Now that the day is fast approaching, I almost can’t believe it! The closer we are to wearing this white coat, the more I realize the gravity and responsibility we will soon...
Daughter Continues Father’s Tradition of Supporting the White Coat
Jul. 26, 2017—Mrs. Helen Harwood is the daughter of Dr. Charles Rankin Zirkle, VUSM Class of 1941. Dr. Zirkle was a highly regarded surgeon in the Knoxville area, who supported the White Coat program from 2002 through 2011. He passed away in 2012 and Helen continues to be a sponsor in his memory each year. We reached out to Helen to share a few...
VUSM Alumni Reminisce About Their White Coat Ceremonies
Jul. 24, 2017—The white coat ceremony is a particularly important memory for me even though my parents were unable to attend. It was difficult for my mother to travel at the time and my father died suddenly, two years prior from an MI. When I was in college, he bought me a medical-themed necktie for my birthday....
Getting Back into School Mode
Jul. 17, 2017—They said it would not be easy giving up my "settled life." When you have an established career and all the creature comforts that you are supposedly destined for after toiling many years in academia and the workplace, going back to square one and doing it all over again sounds painful and as some people put...