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Called in at the precise moment when one is just settling in to rest and recuperate, duty strikes yet again. Let’s face it, it’s not Called in at the precise moment when one is just settling in to rest and recuperate, duty strikes yet again. Let’s face it, it’s not exactly our idea of fun. Pulling an all-nighter is tough for anyone, especially someone who has already put in an entire day’s work looking after patients. 

COVID has changed the entire world, and the healthcare system has definitely not been spared. Healthcare delivery has had to adapt to the additional strain and dangers that COVID has brought, and because of it, we must adapt too to these changes. Here are some of the main changes that I have encountered in my time so far in my clinical rotations, and how I have tried to deal with these changes.

In 2019, Predatory publishing was finally defined. This comes after years of confusion about a practice that duped thousands of scholars across the world. 

“Predatory journals and publishers are entities that prioritize self-interest at the expense of scholarship and are characterized by false or misleading information, deviation from best editorial and publication practices, a lack of transparency, and/or the use of aggressive and indiscriminate solicitation practices.”

There is just simply not enough time in medical school to become proficient at absolutely everything. There is such a vast body of medical knowledge and research that we simply cannot remain up-to-date on every single little detail of every pathology or drug or novel treatment strategy, no matter how much time and effort we put into learning and memorizing absolutely every medical factoid we come across. Now pile onto that the fact that we must also become proficient in dozens of procedural skills and sensitively communicating with patients, and you can probably see it just isn’t impossible to become flawless, perfect doctors in our short time in medical school.

“Is this it?” I sat back surprised as I stared down at my phone, the screen blinking back up at me as if also caught off guard. It had only been a few months since my graduation and I was faced with my first big case – my grandmother was dying and my older cousins started to ask me if she was going to be okay. Even after countless hours of practice on the hospital floors, I never once thought I’d be “breaking the bad news” to my own family. My voice caught in my throat, my hands pausing over the keyboard as I tried to figure out what to say. 

“Pop quiz,” I read on my phone, as I blinked at its too eager face early this morning, bright and ready for the day. I was barely conscious and tapped out an answer – “Go ahead.” 

It goes without saying, the power of social media is indisputable in this day and age. We are all well aware of how it defines our lives and how relevant it is to all spheres of our education, entertainment, and practically everything else. In this virtual realm, with over 2 billion monthly active users, YouTube is one of the most powerful social media platforms out there. It has also quickly transformed into the world’s second-largest search engine, second only to its owner, Google. 

When Step 2CS was canceled due to COVID and then finally done away with altogether, it left all of us in need of ECFMG certification in a stressful tizzy. What do we do next? Thankfully, ECFMG had a game plan and the release of the six pathways left us a little more relaxed.

If the Step examinations weren’t stressful enough, once you’re finally over that hump, you come upon our next challenge – the ECFMG Pathway application, the ERAS application and Match process. Having had to navigate all these mini challenges and big milestones on my own, I wanted to leave you all some tips that helped me keep organized and get started right away!