The Short Coat: An Inside Look at Getting Into and Getting Through Medical School

Three exams that might drive you crazy. If you’re a pre-med, you may have heard about Step exams. But what are they? When the hell are you supposed to start studying? Should you be doing Anki cards in the womb? And are your scores actually going to determine your entire future? This episode is basically your reality check from people who’ve either survived these medical licensing exams or are currently drowning in practice questions right now. M4 Zay Edgren and M3 Radha Velamuri help M1 Isa Perez-Sandi and M2 Zach Grissom understand the whole chaotic timeline—from Step 1 going pass fail (RIP to the days when that score mattered) to Step 2 being the new make-or-break moment for your residency application. And let’s not forget Step 3 which comes later and is–some will say–just another expensive box to check during residency. You’ll hear honest takes on when people actually start medical board exam preparation, how medical school rotations can change everything about studying for these beasts, what those clinical vignette questions are really testing, and why practicing on actual patients beats memorizing the whatever cycle. Whether you’re an pre-med just learning what “shelf exam” means, deep in medical student board preparation hell, or a parent of one of those—we’ve got the insider info, the real timeline, and exactly zero sugarcoating. Plus: hot takes on curly hair management, why being ten years old means you’re already behind, and a very specific discussion about dumpster diving that makes sense in context. But probably not. Episode credits: Producer: Zay Edgren Co-hosts: Isa Sandi-Perez, Zach Grissom, Radha Velamuri, Zay Edgren The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you. AI disclosure: Voices of host, co-hosts, and guests are human. Some other voices–such as listener questions or questions/comments from the internet–may be AI generated.

Building community through experiences Tradition is a big part of medical school–med students willingly tie themselves to comedy shows, charity 5Ks, and yearly ceremonies when they’re already drowning in anatomy and mechanisms of health and disease. This episode pulls back the curtain on the weird, wonderful, and occasionally dark traditions that make medical school way more than just textbooks and exams. M2s Riley Dean and Megan Perry, M3 Fallon Jung, and M1 Isa Perez-Sandi, along with special guest Nit Anantharaman from Pitt Med reveal the traditions that bind students and their schools. Med school comedy shows like CCOM’s Frolics and Pitt’s Scope and Scalpel sketch nights to medical student philanthropy events that involve bench-pressing competitions and 5Ks. Then there are the ceremonies that honor body donors, match day medical school chaos complete with secret envelopes and mystery themes, and how medical student community building happens through shared misery and ridiculous inside jokes. This is real talk about how these medical education rituals create the bonds that get you through the hard experiences, why medical humanities writing contests and art shows matter more than you’d think, and honest insights into med student life. Plus, the hosts take a pop quiz about worldwide med school traditions (French cave blindfolding, anyone?) that’ll make you appreciate your own school’s quirks. Whether you’re navigating pre-med student life or already deep in the weeds of medical training, you’ll walk away understanding why these seemingly random traditions aren’t just fun—they’re survival mechanisms that transform classmates into lifelong colleagues. Episode credits: Producer: Isa Perez-Sandi Co-hosts: Isa Perez-Sandi, Megan Perry, Riley Dean, Fallon Jung Guest: Nit Anantharaman The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you. AI disclosure: Voices of host, co-hosts, and guests are human. Some other voices–such as listener questions or questions/comments from the internet–may be AI generated.

Prioritize Fun! What should you do with the time between getting accepted to medical school and orientation week? Fallon Jung, Anna Royer, Jonah Albrecht, and Charis Edwards tell their stories about finding out they got in (including one bathroom cry session and a Colorado NICU celebration), what they actually did to prepare, and why you absolutely shouldn’t pre-study. If you’re headed to medical school next year, this episode is basically your older sibling giving you the honest advice nobody else will—like why floor time in windowless study rooms is underrated, how to fill your cup before classes start, and the surprising truth about how much fun you can still have during M1 year. You’ll hear why these students think the admissions committee already believes you can do this, practical tips on setting up your study space without buying every resource known to humankind, and honest talk about mental health, sleep, and remembering why you wanted to be a doctor in the first place. The crew plus show photographer David Lee also debuts a med school edition of “That Escalated Quickly,” a party game that somehow involves electrocuting your brain’s pleasure centers, peppermint ice cream debates, and the very specific hell of planning to study instead of actually studying. Whether you’re pre-med, pre-PA, or just curious what actually happens before med school starts, hang out with your SCP friends who genuinely want you to succeed—and who aren’t afraid to laugh at themselves along the way. Episode credits: Producer: Anna Royer Co-hosts: Charis Edwards, Jonah Albrecht, Fallon Jung, David Lee The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

How medical schools help students figure out what kind of doctor they’ll be. Looking at medical school and wondering what you’ll actually *do* with all that training? Like, you know you’ll doctor…but in what way? What will that look like for you? Luckily, most schools have something like the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine’s distinction tracks—formal project-based programs that let med school students dig deeper into teaching, research, humanities, global health, service, or healthcare leadership while they’re grinding through anatomy and clinicals. Dave visits with M2s Tyler Pollock, Maria Schapfel, Srishti Mathur, and M1 Anna Royer for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about what these tracks actually look like from the inside. You’ll hear about Maria’s six weeks in Gabon for global health, Anna’s quilting project for humanities (yes, really), Tyler’s surgery database for teaching, and why Srishti thinks everyone should do the service track. They get into the messy reality of balancing these co-curricular activities with courses, clerkships, and shelf exams; debate whether research culture in medical school is actually helping anyone; and what things get in the way of the other things. If you’re trying to figure out how to become the kind of doctor you actually want to be—not just survive med school—this conversation will show you what’s possible beyond the curriculum. Episode credits: Producer: Tyler Pollock Co-hosts: Srishti Mathur, Maria Schapfel, Anna Royer The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

When medical school forces couples apart, students face tough realities Medical students dish on the messy, tender, and surprisingly philosophical reality of long-distance relationships during med school, from navigating five-hour drives and FaceTime rituals to deciding whether love can survive diverging lives on opposite sides of the world. Dave is joined by co-host M1s Cory Karasek and first-timers Elizabeth Meyer, Margaret Huang, and Jonah Albrecht — each bringing a completely different version of the long-distance story. Liz is making it work with her boyfriend Riley, who logs most of the miles so she can keep studying. Jonah is bracing for the moment his girlfriend Victoria leaves for PA school hours away, still figuring out the logistics while trying not to be, as he admits, aggressively Type B about the whole thing. Cory brings the perspective nobody wants but everyone needs — the relationship that didn’t make it through the distance — somehow managing to be funny, honest, and more or less at peace about it. And Margaret? Well, she opens with “I catfished you guys” and proceeds to deliver an unexpectedly beautiful take on love, friendship, and a 15-year long-distance best friendship that started on Skype in fifth grade. If you’re wondering whether your relationship can survive medical training, this episode won’t give you a formula — but it’ll give you something better. You’ll walk away with real talk on how to have the big conversations before distance hits, when “figuring it out as you go” works best, and how intentionally folding your partner into your new world can be the thing that keeps you from drifting into strangers. It’s warm, it wanders, it goes places you don’t expect — and somewhere between the insider trading jokes and the onesie party bus tangent, there’s genuinely useful stuff in here for anyone trying to love someone from far away while also surviving med school. Episode credits: Producer: Dave Etler Co-hosts: Cory Karasek, Elizabeth Meyer, Margaret Huang, Jonah Albrect The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

The Heart Wants What It Wants. In this Valentine’s Day episode, four medical students sit down to play the ultimate compatibility game—answering questions their partners answered about them ahead of time. From whether they’re optimists or realists about med school (some hedging here), to what their dens would look like as animals (things got weird), these spouses and significant others prove they actually know their medical students pretty well. Mostly. There’s a Punsesee…Puncsa…Punxsutawney Phil appearance, some passionate love for hobby farms, and one unfortunate name mix-up to kick off the whole episode. Whether you’re a pre-med wondering how people maintain relationships during the madness of medical school, or you just want to hear some genuinely funny banter about med school couples, M1 Anna Royer and M2s Samantha Gardner, Sarah Upton, and Alexis Baker (and spouses Nathan, Nick, Kyle, and Caleb–er, Cade) are here for you. You’ll hear how these medical students actually talk to their partners about school (spoiler: sometimes too much about bones), what they’d do with more time in their day, and why you should never ask a them to draw your portrait. It’s proof that love can absolutely survive medical education. Episode credits: Producer: Dave Etler Co-hosts: Samantha Gardner, Sarah Upton, Anna Royer, Alexis Baker The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

Slather some beef tallow on it. On this episode, M3 Fallon Jung, M1s Isa Perez-Sandi and Cory Karasek, and M2 Maria Schapfel let loose on the internet’s wildest health content. We react to AI-generated videos claiming cortisol is why Dave smells bad, Colonel Sanders warning you about non-biodegradable supermarket fruit, and those unhinged animations where a screaming spine demands you fix your posture. Some of it’s nonsense, some of it’s accurate, and all of it leads to tangents about fake vomit made from chunky soup, whether the ER triage nurse should tell non-emergent patients “good news, you’re not dying,” and the eternal question every clinical student faces: “So what specialty are you going into?” We talk about imposter syndrome, being “pluripotent,” the secret ER life hack nobody tells you about, and why Jeff Goldblum’s face should be used in all AI-generated health content. It’s an hour of medical students trying to make sense of what social media is feeding their future patients—and themselves. Episode credits: Producer: Dave Etler Co-hosts: Fallon Jung, Alexis Baker, Cory Karasek, Maria Schapfel The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

Don’t give up the outside activities that’ll make you a better doc As Dave has observed many times, medicine will take everything you have, if you allow it to. What this means is that you have to carve out time for your own interests, whether you’re a physician or a medical student. These are the things that not only keep you sane–an outlet for all the intensity that the study and practice of medicine has to offer–but they can even make you better at surgery or how positively your patients view you. M1s Ben Cooper, Reese Rosenmeyer, Arielle Weber, and Reed Adajaar talk about their hobbies, what they get out of them as hard-working medical students, where they prioritize them in their lives, and why it’s sometimes even easier to enjoy them in med school than it was as undergrads. Dave offers some findings on how having outside interests makes doctors great. And the crew answers a question from Nicole, a mother of three little ones and military wife who, at the ripe old age of 35, is contemplating how she can pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a doctor. If you have a question we can discuss on the show, send it in at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus! Episode credits: Producer: Anna Royer Co-hosts: Ben Cooper, Reed Adajaar, Reese Rosenmeyer, Arielle Weber The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

[Content warning: Dave did his best to remove sniffles.] Spicy chicken nuggets, bad decisions, and what happens when medical students test their heat tolerance on mic What happens when medical students, extremely spicy chicken nuggets, and microphones collide? Regret. M1s Reed Adajaar, Trever Maiers, Ben Cooper, and Matt Taylor assigned themselves a Hot Ones–style challenge featuring progressively hotter sauces on chicken nuggets. Confidence is high at the start. That does not last. As the Scoville units climb, so do the sweating, the panic, and the chaos at the table. Milk appears. Milk fails. Conversation continues anyway—exploring their goals for a new semester, their knowledge of anatomy, and how their past experiences are serving them as they go through med school. Things start off mostly coherent, move towards entertaining attempts at coherence, and finally devolving into incoherence as the magnitude of their error in suggesting this episode becomes truly apparent. This episode is light on medicine, heavy on heat, and fully committed to the bit. If you’ve ever said “How bad could it be?”—this episode has an answer. Episode credits: The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoathttps://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

What to expect for med students moving from classroom to exam room The beginning of clerkships mark a medical student’s progress from theoretical learning to practical application of what they’ve been taught. This past week, our M2s received a 4-day long orientation to clerkships (we call it “transitions week”), and M2s Samantha Gardner and Alexis Baker were joined by M3s Fallon Jung and Zach Case to talk about this important milestone. What are clerkships like? How will students know what to actually do? Who will they be working with? What are residents and attendings looking for when they evaluate a clerkship student? How should they react when a patient says something out-of-pocket? There’s so much to be learned in clerkships…including that they really are prepared to enter the real world, even if they don’t yet feel it! Episode credits: The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoathttps://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

An alternative to postbac programs? Postbac programs are okay, but what if there was another path to medical school? M2s Sarah Upton, Alec Marticoff, and Kevin Gubner host the program directors of the Carver College of Medicine’s Masters of Clinical Anatomy Program. Interestingly, each co-host decided to get a MCA to make up for some shortcomings in their med school applications, whether it was soft a GPA or a lack of applicable hard science education. To do that, they could have done any number of things–like an expensive post-baccalaureate program that offers no degree–but instead they chose to seek an MCA degree to pave their way to medical school. Co-directors Marc Pizzimenti and Emma Handler visited with The Short Coat to discuss the program, what it’s like for students, and the additional skills that they got, including instruction in teaching…something they wouldn’t have gotten in a postbac program. In the end, the MCA program not only taught them anatomy–something they’d definitely need as physicians someday–but also helped them fix their undergrad shortcomings, readied them for the rigors of studying medicine, and built their teaching skills–all with an incredible student-faculty ratio they wouldn’t have gotten in many other degree programs. Plus they get to tack on some sweet letters after their names! Episode credits: Marc Pizzimenti, PhD, MA, BEdEmma Handler, PhD The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoathttps://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

These M1s say it wasn’t easy…but it was FUN? You know medical school is hard, but what does that mean? That idea has no emotional connection to anything until you are IN IT, and these M1s definitely were. Jonah Albrecht, Trever Maiers, Alex Johnson, and Chris Ceplecha review the M1 semester and how they survived it. You’ll hear about what habits they had to drop, and which of their experiments in learning were a waste of time. Who did they lean on? What made it possible? What did they trip over, and how did right themselves? Their stories should give hope to future students that while medical school is tough in ways that are unpredictable, by working together–whether teaching each other, admitting when they needed help, and taking advantage of the resources available to them–it’s not only possible, but “fun!” Episode credits: The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoathttps://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

[Content warning: this episode contains frank discussions of death and dying that some listeners may want to skip.] Doctors need to actually ask patients what a good death looks like to them Medical students learn so much anatomy and pathophysiology, the social determinants of health, and the practice of medicine. Meanwhile managing death—one of two things every single patient experiences—gets squeezed into a few short lectures. It can sometimes feel like hospice and palliative care are afterthoughts. Of course, med students train to be healers, to fix what is broken. But a conversation about the end of life, and the patients’ goals for that most solemn event, is so important that it’d be nice if physicians and physician assistants could do that without sweating through their scrubs. That 89-year-old patient joking about being “ready to kick the bucket” needs a provider who can stop and talk when they’re asked what dying actually looks like. The family demanding “everything be done” deserves someone who stops to explain what “everything” really means. And the chef who refuses the feeding tube isn’t being stubborn—he’s making the most rational decision about quality of life you’ll hear all week. PA2 Chloe Kepros, M2s Sarah Nichols and Nick Lembezeder, and M1 Jonah Albrecht discuss the economics driving end-of-life care costs, explore why palliative care should start at diagnosis instead of six months before death, and examine how their medical training creates providers who can make speedy life-and-death decisions for their patients, but don’t have time to process watching them die. Episode credits: The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!) The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening! We do more things on… https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoathttps://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

Co-hosts M2 Daniel Haws, M3 Fallon Jung, and M2 Cara Arrasmith talk about why they had to try an extra time or two--what they did wrong and how they fixed it--with CCOM admissions expert Rachel Shulista. Stop wasting thousands of dollars on medical school applications that go nowhere. This episode breaks down the reasons admissions committees reject candidates and shows you how to build the clinical experience and academic profile that gets you accepted!

We’re talking about rural medicine, where the needs are huge, the systems are broken, and sometimes, you just have to trust the process. Did you know that rural Americans have only 13.1 docs per 10,000 people compared to 31.2 in urban areas? Yeah, the need is real. But why are these students signing up for the challenge? And what the heck does a $50 billion Senate program have to say about processed cheese slices?

Our co-hosts--M2s Zach Grissom, Megan Perry, Sarah Upton, and Chase Larsson--lead specialty interest groups, student government, advocacy organizations, and their learning communities; all of their roles compete for their time. Then someone asks if they want to start a new thing, and somehow they say yes. even if they say no. It's a mystery how that happens. Plus, listener Evan's question about parenting in med school, and news from the margins of medicine!

Turns out medical students are regular humans who happen to need to memorize the Krebs cycle We’ve all got that mental image of medical students – the type-A perfectionists grinding through textbooks even on the porcelain throne, right? Well, our first-year medical students at Iowa are about to blow up every assumption you’ve ever had. Turns out the people memorizing a zillion anatomical structures aren’t exactly who you’d expect. M1s Chase McInville, Lillian Schmidt, Jonah Albrecht, and Abbie Townsend reveal why your pre-med study plans are probably useless, how a hockey ref’s confidence translates to patient care, and why some medical students refuse to study on Saturdays. We explore the real traits that matter (spoiler: it’s not being a genius), bust the myth about cutthroat competition, and discover why medical school might actually be more collaborative than your average undergrad group project. Plus, we settle the burning question every pre-med wants answered: can you actually prepare for medical school, or should you just go backpacking in Europe instead? These Short Coats share what non-medical experiences shaped them most, from building houses with Habitat for Humanity to working political campaigns to reffing hockey games to farming vegetables with zero agricultural background. This isn’t your typical “day in the life” medical school content. We’re talking about the messy reality of learning to learn again, the unexpected diversity of personalities in short white coats, and why the smartest thing these students do might be admitting they don’t know everything. The episode ends with the Short Coats working together to hash out the vibes of med student life. Hint: there should really only be five nerves. Episode credits: The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions. We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS! We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com. We need to know more about you!

What med students wish their families actually understood about medical school. Your family means well… but when you start med school, suddenly every ache, rash, and conspiracy theory in the house is your domain! In this episode, the Short Coat crew gets real about what it’s like to be seen as a doctor when you’re really drowning in flashcards. M2s Srishti Mathur and Nick Abouassally, and M1s Anna Royer, and Drew Bolisay trade stories about how their families misread med school life — from assuming they’re “on the wards” in year one to asking them to diagnose random symptoms at family gatherings. They unpack what kind of support actually helps (spoiler: food) and what doesn’t (“It’s just a season of life, honey”). You’ll hear heartfelt moments about parental pride, intergenerational tension, and cultural expectations — plus a final improv game that proves even fake medicine is hard work. If you’ve ever tried to explain Step 1 to your grandma, this one’s for you.

If you're thinking of starting over and going to med school, you might wonder what your previous jobs have done to prepare you for it. Good news: your old jobs and activities might matter more than your GPA ever will. And we hear from a listener who wants to know if we were super studious in high school. We try to let him down gently.

Medical school student loans are changing. Learn how the $200K federal loan cap, eliminated PLUS loans, and new RAP repayment plan affect future doctors.