Medical Trivia to Impress Your Internal Medicine Residency Cohorts

By: Theanna Lynn

When you’re in an internal medical residency program, you’re keeping a lot of balls in the air. Learning new skills, meeting new people, and practicing medicine to prepare for your future professional goals. It’s important to remember to have fun and take a break every once in a while. Here's some medical trivia on something everyone in the medical field is familiar with: the white coat.

The history of the white coat began in the nineteenth century as physicians tried to differentiate themselves from mystics and quacks. This was easy to do with something long associated with scientists: the lab coat. Since then it has become a commonplace garb for doctors of every specialty.

Although it has only been around since 2006, the white coat ceremony has become a very popular rite marking a medical student’s transition from studying preclinical to clinical health sciences. The timing of the white coat ceremony can differ depending on the school, but it often signifies a level of knowledge and ability to start working with patients.

A longer tradition than the white coat ceremony, the length of the coat has long been symbolic. While this rule is not absolute, and does not apply to all health professionals, the tradition is that the shorter the coat, the less training an individual has received. For instance, medical students wear the shortest coats. They are not yet physicians and cannot practice medicine without supervision. Interns, who have more experience than medical students, have slightly longer coats.

Residency follows the intern year, and residents typically wear longer coats than interns. Once the internship has been completed, individuals pass an exam to be able to practice independently. Some physicians will then opt to pursue additional training through a residency program. The time commitment of a residency depends on the specialty selected. The Georgetown internal medicine residency program, for example, would typically last for three years. Attendings have more training than residents and wear a full-length coat.

While the white coat length can be indicative of training, it does not hold true for all physicians. The length ultimately comes down to a physician’s preference, if they choose to wear one at all. Regardless of the choice, the white coat has a long history in medicine and continues to change in tradition and use.

What Is a Cardiology Fellowship?

Written By: Rachael Kaine

Though if you’ve made it to the point where you’re researching places to go for this opportunity and you’re knowledgeable on the subject, many people still don’t realize how many different options are available for cardiology fellowship programs. Not only are there differently structured programs at many different places across the world, but there are multiple different specialty tracks that can be taken, each providing different opportunities, areas of focus and facilities to work in.

Cardiology Fellowship Basics

Becoming a cardiologist requires a great deal of schooling and hands on experience. A fellowship is a combination of research work and clinical experience, which typically takes three years but can rise up to as many as 6, depending on your chosen specialty focus. The fellowships are completed in hospitals and medical centers, and require that students have completed an internal medicine residency before even being considered for a cardiovascular fellowship Washington DC. This ensures that there is adequate experience before even stepping foot into this type of program, and that students and participants are ready. As progress is made, the training and material becomes more advanced and challenging, mirroring real life experiences and situations that you’ll encounter on your own after graduation.

What to Expect from a Cardiology Fellowship

A Georgetown cardiology fellowship is hardly different than others - fiercely competitive, highly structured and designed to be completed in state of the art facilities, this program sets you up for success. In order to get the most out of a fellowship program like this, you’ll need to go into it ready for success, and willing to work hard. The way that a cardiology fellowship like this is designed is to give you every chance to succeed from one on one interactions and instruction by staff and educators to technologically advanced labs and equipment. Every aspect of things has been carefully planned, is highly active and well established; the only thing missing is you and your abilities.

From general cardiology practice to adult congenital heart disease training, you’ll have many different choices and options throughout your time in the fellowship, each depending on where you’d like to go with your medical career. There have been many exceptional cardiologists to come from this program, leaving their mark on the medical field as well as all of the patients that they have treated throughout the years - why not add your name to the roster by completing a fellowship such as this?

The Amazing Heart and a Cardiology Fellowship

Written By: Julia Travers

As you may know, the heart is truly an amazing organ. As the leader and powerhouse of the entire cardiovascular system, its importance to the body’s health and overall well-being is definitely hard to overstate. Read on to learn more about the impressive capabilities of the heart and the highly skilled doctors that care for it: cardiologists.

The Heart, Cardiologists, and a Cardiology Fellowship

Did you know that on average, the adult heart beats around 100,000 times every single day? That means that every second of your life is accompanied by at least one heartbeat. The heart beats 60-100 times each minute. The blood that the heart pumps out has a variety of important functions, including transporting oxygen throughout the body and working as a vital part of the body’s immune system. The heart works hard to pump the body’s blood along about 60,000 miles of blood vessels. The amazing heart, which usually only weighs about 11 ounces, creates enough energy each day to drive a truck about 20 miles! The four valves of the heart open and close as they pump blood, and when they close, that makes the familiar thumping heart beat sound.

Men’s and Women’s hearts are different in some aspects. WebMD shares that “when it comes to matters of the heart, men and women definitely aren’t created equal. For instance, a man’s heart weighs about 10 ounces, while a woman’s heart weighs approximately 8 ounces.” Also, men and women often experience different signs of a heart attack. Heart attacks or cases of angina are very serious health issues which require the treatment of trained and specialized medical professionals like cardiologists.

To keep your heart healthy and well, be sure to eat heart-healthy foods and keep up your cardiovascular exercise routine. If you are a medical student who loves to learn about the heart, you may want to specialize in the branch of medicine called cardiology. In order to become a cardiologist, as a medical student you will have to enroll in and complete a challenging and rewarding cardiovascular fellowship, such as the Georgetown cardiology fellowship.

What Will a Family Medicine Residency Accomplish?

Written By: Rachael Kaine

Understanding a Family Medicine Residency

Unlike doctors and surgeons who specialize in specific diseases or conditions, a family medicine practitioner will be trained to recognize, diagnose and treat the different basic health situations that can impact the lives of all family members from children to the elderly. Choosing a residency in this field will not prepare you to be a brain surgeon, but it will enable you to deliver comprehensive, quality care when people need it most. This makes the field seem basic, but it is in fact quite complex - a family medicine residency program will prepare participants for different medical situations that every individual may face throughout their lives.

Though there is a standard educational plan, a Franklin family medicine residency allows for focus on specialty areas like women’s health, pediatrics and public health through the course selection of relevant electives. These differences allow people to explore the areas of family medicine that truly interest them, and give them a chance to branch out if they choose. During the time spent in the residency, participants will learn a variety of real life skills that will make them valuable assets to any facility after graduation.

What Happens After Completing a Family Medicine Residency?

After completion, many participants find it easy to obtain jobs in the field, especially if they have chosen a specialty focus with their electives. After a family medicine residency has been completed, hospital employees are able to diagnose, treat, provide preventative care, manage conditions, and even work with specialists to help patients truly do what is best for themselves. A family medicine practitioner is the one tasked with caring for people as they age and find new health issues to concern themselves with; they are seen through the years and on a routine basis. Essentially, this type of practitioner is the “face” of their respective facility, and the one that patients will come to associate their visits with.

Though it takes time and effort to complete a family medicine residency program, the time spent doing so will be worthwhile to many more people than the students themselves. People need medical care for things like general aches and pains, chronic conditions and for things like physicals, health screenings and immunizations; it is not just for emergencies or severe conditions, and a family medicine practitioner is just the right person to provide it, no matter what the case may be. Long after leaving the program, people will find that they continue to learn each day, increasing their knowledge and skills to better provide care for those who depend on and trust in them.

Family Physicians and a Family Medicine Residency

Written By: Julia Travers

The practice of family medicine centers on providing comprehensive, lasting medical care for a diverse group of patients. Family physicians serve patients of all ages and often care for a patient throughout her or his entire life. A family physician has to be trained to deal with all manner of injury and illness to any of the body systems, which requires extensive medical training. The foundation 

of training for a family physician is the family medicine residency program. 

Physicians Are Trained Through a Family Medicine Residency

All physicians have to undergo rigorous training to become family medicine practitioners. Primary care providers like family physicians play an important role in upholding and protecting the health of a society. They have to be able to combine their knowledge and skills in many areas of medicine to practice effectively; this can include drawing on their knowledge and training in the biological, clinical and behavioral sciences.

The biological, clinical and behavioral sciences will all be components of an intensive and rewarding Franklin family medicine residency. Medical students participating in such a residency will get hands-on training in order to build their knowledge of and familiarity with the skills and processes which comprise family medicine. The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine describes the road to becoming a family physician in this way: “[f]amily physicians in the United States must hold either a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO). The training process begins with college, followed by medical school (typically a four-year program), and continues with a residency.”

If you want to become a versatile, skilled doctor that serves entire families throughout their lifespan and is invaluable to their community, you may want to pursue a residency in family medicine and become a family physician. As an American medical student you can attend one of the excellent medical schools in the US. As you approach the end of your residency, you can then apply for your license and sit for the board examination by the American Board of Family Medicine. While the process does take years to complete, it is rewarding knowing how hard you have worked to help others. 

A Healthy Heart and a Cardiology Fellowship

Written By: Julia Travers

Your overall health depends highly on the state of your heart and entire cardiovascular system. Cardiologists who have completed a specialized fellowship can provide care for patients whose hearts are not functioning optimally. Read on to learn about several ways you can care for your heart.

A Cardiology Fellowship and Your Healthy Heart

Below are several lifestyle choices you can make to keep your heart healthy:

• Exercise: It is important to get at least 15 -30 minutes of exercise every day if possible. If you are not in the habit of exercising already, start with short sessions and gradually build up the amount of time you are moving. Exercise is excellent for your cardiovascular system’s well being. The American Heart Association recommends “[at] least 40 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (brisk walking, jogging, cycling, etc.) at least 3 to 4 days per week.”
• Get a Yearly Check-up: Your doctor is trained to evaluate your health and knows the right questions to ask you as well as the symptoms to look for for in order to prevent and identify possible heart problems. In order for she or he to do this, you have to show up for a check-up.
• Eat Healthy: Raw veggies and fruits are the very best options for a healthy diet. Be sure to stock up on these items when you go shopping so that you will have them available at home when you get hungry.
• Maintain a Healthy Weight: If you exercise and are careful with your healthy diet, you will likely be able to maintain a healthy weight, which takes excess stress off of your heart muscle and cardiovascular system.

Even though we may do our best to maintain our heart health, it is possible that at some point in our lives, we may need to see a cardiologist. A cardiologist is a doctor who has completed specialized training in the form of a cardiovascular fellowship. If you are currently a medical student seeking a specialty or are thinking of becoming a medical student, you may yourself be interested in pursuing a fellowship in cardiology and becoming a cardiologist.

Emergency Medicine Residency Prepares Doctors for Car Accident Victims

Written By: Casey Smith

While emergency doctors treat patients with a wide variety of medical issues, one of the most common causes for a visit to the emergency room is a car accident. Car accidents may result in injuries that range anywhere from mild to severe, but either way, doctors trained through an emergency medicine residency are ready to treat car accident victims.

Car Accident Statistics

• There are an average of 6 million car accidents in the U.S. each year.
• On average, more than 90 people die in car accidents each day in the U.S.
• Approximately 1.3 million deaths worldwide are caused by car accidents each year.
• Roughly 1 out of 7 drivers do not wear a seat belt.
• Roughly 1 out of 3 drivers text while operating a vehicle.
• Traffic accidents are considered to be the 9th leading cause of death worldwide.

Common Causes of Car Accidents

• Distracted driving
  
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Speeding
• Running red lights or stop signs
• Inexperienced drivers
• Changing lanes carelessly
• Wrong-way driving
• Tired or sleep-deprived drivers
• Tailgating
• Inclement weather
• Animal crossings

Common Car Accident Injuries

There are many different injuries that can occur in the midst of a car accident. Patients who are lucky experience minimal, if any, injury. Others, on the other hand, may experience life-threatening injuries, or even death. Many common injuries due to car accidents include:

• Soft tissue injuries typically affect ligaments, tendons and muscles, which can become stretched during a car accident. This is often referred to as "whiplash."
• Cuts and scrapes are usually the result of being hit by loose, projected objects in the car. They may also occur from hitting or rubbing up against parts of the car itself, such as the airbag or doors.
• Head injuries can range anywhere from minor to severe, but can be very dangerous, depending on the severity. Car accidents can cause muscle strain in the neck or back, or may result in a driver or passenger hitting his or her head against something in the car. When more serious head injury occurs, fluid, tissue and/or the skull may be damaged. Less serious head injury may include general soreness or concussion.
• Chest injuries may be mild, resulting in minor bruises or contusions. However, more serious chest injuries may result in broken ribs or internal damage.
• Arm and leg injuries can occur when a driver or passenger's arms or legs are thrown against or weighted down by parts of the car or other present objects. This can cause minor bruising or scrapes, or even sprained or broken bones.

If you are ever in a car accident in which any signs of injury are present, you will likely take a trip to the emergency room. The doctors waiting to treat you have gained plenty of experience through an EM residency and practice as official doctors. Therefore, you should feel assured that you are under the care of trained and compassionate professionals.