This block’s last integrated problem solving (IPS) case study dealt with a seven year old boy who presents to a child psychiatrist with behavioral problems, trouble in school, antisocial tendencies, etc. Last week, my group’s analysis of the case file narrowed down our differential to ADHD, but an interesting point was brought up by the […]

Neurological exams never fail to amaze me with how simple they are to perform given how much information they provide to localize a lesion – take the swinging-flashlight exam for example.

There’s a new physician blog on the corner, and this one happens to be by the pediatric surgeon who not only taught me embryology but also about maintaining a routine (and sanity) throughout medical school.

I’ve been reading some health blogs dealing with the possibility of mandating devices like the iPad, iPhone, etc. for medical students. Apparently, many are under the impression that increasing the tuition by $1000 is justified if it enables students to carry around their digital textbooks, contacts, calendar, lecture notes, and “the Internet” in a portable […]

Estimates say that with Obamacare now in place, the United States will have a shortage of roughly 35,000 primary care physicians over the next decade. Currently, only 30-35% of all physicians are in primary care. Why? Like with most things in this country, you’ve gotta follow the money. Primary care physicians, on average, get paid […]

Most medical schools require preclinical students take a course where they work in groups to complete a differential diagnosis of a patient case. A facilitator (researcher, physician, etc.) moderates the group’s activity by providing relevant feedback but should have a minimal role in conducting the session. Baylor Med calls this integrated problem solving (IPS), but […]

Most of my friends outside of medical school have either already had Spring Break or are just beginning it. As for me, I have a month left of block 5 before embarking on a short vacation. This block, we’ve been studying the nervous system, infectious diseases, behavioral science, and medical ethics. Each of the courses […]

You’re building an OSx86 (“Hackintosh”) machine. You’ve got everything working great, but just can’t manage to add a powerful XFX 4890 graphics card to your rig. You’ve tried all the options at the InsanelyMac Forums, but still get garbled text upon a normal boot-up.

I distinctly remember the first week of school when the course directors had a “did you know one of your classmates _______” session. Did you know one of your classmates invented _______, or worked for ______, or volunteered as a ______? I watched so many people go up in front of the class and receive […]