David Steinhardt, MS1

I used to write just to write, for no particular reason – it was just something I liked to do. I had one of those way-too-popular black Moleskine journals that are about the size of a back pocket, and I would sit on a bench of my undergraduate campus and write a poem or a paragraph or anything that came to mind. I don’t do that anymore. Instead, I learn. I learn all the time. … Read More

This article is about growing older. Today is my birthday, so this feels like an appropriate topic. With each year that passes, the tasks we are responsible for are altered. This is especially true in medical education, which is filled with a number of landmark exams, clinical experiences, a residency match, and a few graduations. Eventually (hopefully) you get to the top of the totem pole and are a real life, do-it-yourself-without-supervision attending physician, but … Read More

Last Sunday I walked down the aisle of an airplane with my backpack draped over my shoulder and Frank Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy under my arm. There was no point in packing the book, as I was simply in transition from studying at the airport gate to studying on the plane. That’s one requirement when traveling on the weekends during medical school – you have to get some productive studying in while in transit. … Read More

I completed my first career medical school exam this past Monday afternoon. When I returned home that evening, I had yet to recover from the adrenaline, and the rest of my life had collapsed into shambles. I had only small parcels of food in the refrigerator and a few clean clothes in my closet; I hadn’t spoken to either of my parents in over a week, and I felt mentally and physically exhausted. The following … Read More

For myself and I think many other incoming med students, the process of gaining acceptance into medical school was quite consuming. So much so, in fact, that once I was accepted, I focused all of my efforts on traveling (I spent parts of the summer in Southeast Asia, Mexico, Los Angeles and Napa Valley) and hanging out with friends and family.  My aspiration to live this adventurous and carefree pre-medical school lifestyle was partly due … Read More