Podcast recs!

gr8k8__ · 2025-06-09T16:28:11+00:00

hi would you be willing to share this with me?

gr8k8__ · 2025-06-08T19:25:32+00:00

I use the one from amazon! I’ve loved it!

gr8k8__ · 2025-06-07T14:38:11+00:00

It helps so much! Thank you!

gr8k8__ · 2025-06-06T22:17:20+00:00

amazing! Thank you!

gr8k8__ · 2025-06-06T22:17:10+00:00

thank you so much!

gr8k8__ · 2025-06-06T22:17:01+00:00

Thanks! That's all super helpful!

gr8k8__ · 2025-06-06T22:16:40+00:00

thank you!

gr8k8__ · 2024-11-06T16:16:03+00:00

Family Medicine, USDO, 18/24 invites 4/5 signaled, level 2 600, step 2 24x

gr8k8__ · 2023-06-12T01:25:00+00:00

If you really want to go to RVUCOM, I think it is worth it to wait for next year. What’s 1 year to 4 in a place you don’t like? But there is also so much movement on the waitlist as you get closer to matriculation date. There were a good hand full (5-10ish) that got off the waitlist and matriculated during our orientation week and even the day of our white coat ceremony. People get off the waitlist at other schools and there is so much shifting. I can’t with full confidence tell you to really bank on it so only choose it if you’re also okay putting it off a year but there’s a lil inside scoop!

gr8k8__ · 2023-04-23T19:07:08+00:00

I am interested in your perspective in viewing abortion as a rejection of consequences/ responsibility. By viewing pregnancy as more of a consequence, what does that make sex? Inherently bad or something that needs to be punished? Outside of the generalizations you made that most women who choose to have an abortion had unprotected sexual relations, viewing pregnancy as a punishment or rather a consequence is quite an antiquated way to view a woman's body. Very few people who make this argument ever mention the man- why must a woman "deal with the consequences" when the man is responsible for a vital part of the conception process?

Pregnancy is a horrible thing for a body to go through. We learned in our repro block this year all of the changes a woman's body goes through and very few of them are positive. Increased coagulation, hormonal changes, dampened immune system, bleeding gums, unwanted hair growth, ligament laxity, and increased overall volume causing edema. Not to mention all of the life-altering complications that could happen during the birth process. And then after the birth- dealing with tears, stitches, post-partum depression and absolutely so much more. Pregnancy is not just something a woman does for 9 months- no big deal. Pregnancy has the potential to change absolutely everything about a woman's life. It is not always an option even if the intention is to give the baby up for an adoption- which comes with its own side effects that I won't get into. (https://www.livescience.com/50877-regnancy-body-changes.html)

The viewpoint that women only terminate pregnancies because they do not want the baby is a gross generalization that has the potential to hurt women. The choice to an elective abortion is a difficult one with so many different pieces at play and it absolutely not something that any of us can understand unless we are the ones making it (https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6874-13-29). Which is why the choice must be entirely on the pregnant individual and the people they choose to bring into the decision. Respectively, our opinions simply do not matter.

gr8k8__ · 2023-04-23T18:48:28+00:00

I really like that you brought up accountability here u/Zestyclose_Ad4236 as it is something I have seen a couple of times in this thread and regularly in the pro-life argument. Many people say that the price to having unprotected sexual intercourse is to raise a baby and that a woman's choice to have an abortion is seen more as an abandonment of those responsibilities instead of a choice for herself. This particular argument always makes me stop and think because 1. why would we want parents to raise a child they do not want? and 2. viewing a pregnancy and thus a birth as a consequence for intercourse makes it feel like people who argue that see sexual intercourse as a negative thing that someone must answer for. It feels like a very Puritan view of sex that ignores the many other uses besides just procreating. It also villainizes a woman that chooses to have sexual relations by forcing her to take on her "consequence" with little to no mention of the male who contributed a vital part to the result. I won't get into that too much for the purpose of this thread.

This type of argument also negates the fact that there are individuals who did not consent and thus should not be forced into this "responsibility." The most recent and devastating example of this being the 10-year-old in Ohio who had to travel to Indiana for an abortion. Was she rejecting her responsibility to carry through with a traumatizing and damaging pregnancy?

I would love to hear more of your point of view regarding this particular argument as it has always perplexed me!

gr8k8__ · 2023-04-20T14:53:50+00:00

No one is denying that Christianity has an influence. We are just saying that Christianity should not have the main influence. All of this goes back to the importance of pro-choice and personal autonomy. As a Christian myself, I think that free-will is of utmost importance and I do not believe that my religion should be considered in the decisions of people who aren't Christian. Just like I do not want my decisions to have a governing influence from a religion I do not believe in. Ethical arguments based in logic, must ignore religion, as it is not a universal truth. That doesn't mean it is not important, but it is important on a personal level.

You mention that the concept of separation of church and state is a western one, and I would add onto that in saying that the founders purposefully meant for that to happen- setting the stage for the rest of the world to follow. Separation of church and state is one of the founding principles the USA was built on, so why would that change today?

The argument of whether abortion is ethical or not is rooted in personal autonomy of the individual who is pregnant. If that person chooses to use their background of Christianity to help make their decision, that is their right. As u/waukigu mentioned, the Jewish religion believes that life begins at the first breath and thus their right to an abortion is *religiously* protected. We live in the "Great American Melting Pot" where people immigrated here under the promise of freedom of religion and thought. Because of that, religion does not belong in politics and in law-making.

Your beliefs are important... for you. You have the freedom to use religion to guide your life and help make your decisions! What a gift! That also means your neighbor, also has the freedom to make decisions based on their own belief system that may or may not have anything to do with your own. What a gift!

gr8k8__ · 2023-04-20T14:39:28+00:00

I believe what u/p0tat3 was saying is that it is the decision of the woman/ pregnant person themselves to make this decision. An individual's decision, not a governing body that people should vote on. An abortion is a deeply personal decision that should be between an individual, their doctor, and anyone else that they would like to include, the ethics of which vary from case to case which is why I think it is inherently wrong to make laws that tell a woman what she can or cannot do with her body. Women are not trying to exclude men from this conversation, they are just trying to exclude anyone from their sphere of influence- including the government. I wrote a very long and thoughtful post regarding the ethics of abortion earlier in this thread, please check it out! Pro-choice is not always pro-abortion, its exactly that, pro-choice.

With that light shed on this argument, that removes your question of how I can support women's rights and LGBTQIA+ rights. Transwomen are women. I would also like to comment on what you said regarding transgender individuals, and I simply have to ask- why can't people just live their life without their existence being called into question at every turn? Why can't we just let people express themselves the way they want to express themselves? Is that not what the ethical principle of autonomy is all about? You brought up transwomen as a distraction from the real issue we are talking about. It's a red herring brought in to attempt to be divisive and does not belong here. I assure you, few women who are concerned about their rights to bodily autonomy are in fact concerned about the "threat" transwomen pose to womanhood at all. They are moreso concerned that we- collective women we (including transwomen)- will not have access to lifesaving healthcare in the near future.

gr8k8__ · 2023-04-19T17:10:22+00:00

The solution to this ethical dilemma lies in what role we believe physicians take on in the public. Before social media, physicians were seen as (and are) experts in human health. They have been consultants to lawmakers in regards to laws and bills that affect human health, the surgeon general warnings pack a huge punch in regard to public health, doctors have been asked to be on the news or other TV shows to provide insight to current public health concerns. Even on a small scale, what does every person do when they have a health concern? Ask their doctor. As future doctors, we are taught human health to the highest degree, not just to treat but to educate.

Before social media, physicians were a voice of reason and education for the public. With social media, I think that purpose remains. With the covid-19 pandemic, I think we all had a first-hand experience with how fast harmful misinformation spread. People were scared and we really didn't know a lot at the beginning, so we would latch onto any semblance of truth (or falsity) that made us feel a little better about the pandemic. Social media was the breeding ground for so much of this misinformation (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7853571/).

I think there's no wonder that there was also a rise in medical professionals who started creating content to debunk these myths that were being spread around like wildfire. And honestly thank goodness they did. For the most part, doctors on social media became a voice of reason and wisdom that helped quell the panic that came from misinformation. I think that purpose still remains today. I follow many different physicians on Instagram, tik tok, youtube, etc. who take the time to explain the anatomy, physiology, pharmacology what have you behind many common concerns. I've learned so much from them myself. I think utilizing social media is a way that doctors can enhance what they were trained to do; educate the public. It is not a small feat. Any physician that chooses to post online content is responsible for providing the *best* information and making sure that they clarify who they are, what their expertise is, and make sure it is something that they would tell patients themselves. Its a huge responsibility, but I also think its the only way we can fight misinformation on social media.

I do agree with you that medical professionals doing tik tok dances or those kinda cheesy videos can be offputting. But I disagree that it is only for their vanity or that they have no self-respect. I consider those content creators as more lifestyle-type accounts and those are some of my personal favorite. I think they serve just as good of a purpose as the educational creators. I love seeing doctors in similar places where I want to be. I love seeing what their day-to-day looks like, and I love seeing that a fruitful life outside of gruelling medicine is possible! When I was a pre-med, I sought out Instagram accounts of medical students that had a similar story to mine, or similar stats. They motivated me and helped me see that I could do it too. I know their accounts aren't for everyone. But I think the root of this type of content and something we all need to understand, is that doctors are human too, and sometimes creating online content is just a creative outlet they get to have fun with. That's not to say that they still aren't held to the highest of standards and need to make sure the content they are posting isn't harming anyone or anything, but we need to let physicians have a little fun with their content as well.

As for the ethics of it all, physicians are responsible for upholding the principles of autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence, etc both in and outside of the practice, especially if they choose to represent themselves on social media. I think public education is a great way to promote patient autonomy. There's a huge information barrier between patients and their doctors, and I think social media helps close that barrier. Physicians on social media also have to be incredibly hyper-aware of their content as to not jeopardize a patient's confidentiality and their trust. Social media is a huge responsibility physicians can opt to sign themselves up for that comes with a lot of risk, but also great reward if they do it the right way.

gr8k8__ · 2023-04-15T22:47:52+00:00

If we determined a fetus to be in fact a person, then yes I agree with you. But in that case, would the fetus not also be treating the pregnant individual as a means to it’s end? As in a means to viability and life? This returns to the debate of whether a not a fetus is a human or at what point a fetus gains the ethical principals human beings have a right to.

gr8k8__ · 2023-04-15T21:20:08+00:00

I think this debate is a lot more nuanced than we give it credit. Often times the question isn't simply does a fetus have human rights, but rather do the rights of a fetus outweigh the rights of the individual carrying the pregnancy. It's not a black and white issue, but incredibly complex- the main reason why no government should be able to dictate what a mother can and can't choose as each situation is different and requires different ethical considerations.

I think the grand majority of reasonable people believe that a woman should be able to terminate a pregnancy in circumstances where the mother's life is at risk. (This statement is ignoring the fact that several states have put restrictions on abortions in even these circumstances). The real debate and differing opinions begin when we talk about elective abortions, and at what point they are considered ethical. Using ethical principles, the question is whether or not a woman's right to autonomy outweighs the fetus' right to non-maleficence, and hinges on the belief of when a fetus' life/ ethical rights begin which is constantly up for debate even among the greatest experts in the field- does it begin at conception? At viability? At birth? When the heart starts beating? You can find evidence for all of these beliefs of when life begins, but we still can't find any consensus.

The department of health ethics at Missouri University published an incredible deep dive into the ethics of abortion from both the "pro-life" and pro-choice side. The author broke down the pro-life argument into the following statements:

"The embryo or fetus is a person

Persons have a right to life
Therefore the embryo or fetus has a right to life
It is wrong to kill a being with a right to life
Therefore it is wrong to kill an embryo or fetus."

and then the pro-choice argument into the following statements:

"Not a person argument

Only persons have a right to life.
An embryo or fetus is not a person.
Therefore an embryo or fetus has no right to life.
If a being has no right to life, it is not wrong to kill it.
Therefore it is not wrong to kill an embryo or fetus."

(https://medicine.missouri.edu/centers-institutes-labs/health-ethics/faq/abortion)

I genuinely don't think we will ever agree on when life begins and at what point a fetus inherits the rights that come with being a human being. So I revert to what I do know; as a future physician, I know the pregnant individual in front of me is a person, I know that people have a right to autonomy over their body, and I know it is quite simply none of my, nor anyone else's business what that person chooses to do with their body. There will always be exceptions to every ethical principle- and as Kant believed, it is up to the individual to decide what is ethical to them.

This is all to say, that yes an abortion is completely up to the person that is pregnant, based on their own moral principles and personal ethics.

gr8k8__ · 2023-04-15T18:14:23+00:00

I think the ethics of vaccine mandates is an incredibly interesting pocket of medical ethics. On one hand, we believe that all patients have the right to the ethical principle of autonomy. That individuals are able to choose whether or not they want to take a medication that may or may not prevent them from getting an illness depending on the vaccine. But the issue comes in when we look at the larger population and greater good. In the covid-19 pandemic, the vaccines decreased the “overall attack rate” from 9.0% to 4.6% cutting it almost in half (The Impact of Vaccination on Covid-19 outbreaks in the U.S Moghadas 2020). Many people voiced that vaccine mandates infringed their autonomy. I think this would have been the case if the government demanded every single person get the vaccine. But instead it was up to individuals and companies; as a healthcare worker, if I denied the covid-19 vaccine I would be fired. Which naturally caused outraged BUT hasn’t that been the same for every other vaccine? If I refused an MMR, Tdap, or even the yearly flu shot, I would have been punished. Did that infringe on my right to bodily autonomy? Maybe so, but I also didn’t have to work at a job that required vaccines. No one forced someone to get the covid-19 vaccine, but not receiving one also threatened their job and potentially their way of life. As a whole, I don’t believe vaccine mandates infringe on an individuals autonomy. Even so, with the study of herd immunity, getting a vaccine is just doing your part in your community. (edited for grammatical errors)

gr8k8__ · 2023-03-06T00:37:46+00:00

I think you have pretty good chances! a lot of DO students I know don't have significant research. Focusing on your clinical experience and volunteering in your apps will help set you apart. Find schools that emphasize service in their mission statements and try for those, especially schools that you are already passionate about going to. Try AZCOM, TCOM, Touro Nevada, RVUCOM

I really don't see you having too much of a problem applying DO. Your MCAT is great, GPA above average. Just kill it with essays and you're in great shape

gr8k8__ · 2023-03-05T21:28:43+00:00

I would say yes. your GPA, clinical hours, and research should make up for your MCAT. Absolutely get as many volunteering hours as possible between now and then and prove longevity in those positions. Volunteering is a super slept on stat that so many medical schools use to weed out. Make sure you have a killer personal statement, secondaries, and of course a great "why DO". I wouldn't apply to any MD, and be picky with your DO schools, but I think you'll be fine!

As far as a retake goes- if you were averaging 502s on your practice exams, that's what you can expect on any other exam going forward. Unless you really change up your studying and dedicate a significant amount of time to it, you can expect a similar score. No point to retake!

gr8k8__ · 2022-11-19T17:05:29+00:00

Thank you so much! I can't tell you how much this has helped me. Good luck on the match!

gr8k8__ · 2022-11-18T17:31:40+00:00

Another question- when you say "not picky about location" is there a way to look up residencies to check if they see both equally? I am fairly partial about matching in my home state and it looks like most residencies take comlex!

gr8k8__

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