YPN's Guide to DOing Med School

The Perfect Match: Choosing a Specialty

In the final episode of Season 2, Student Doctor Rachana Tadakamalla, OMS-III at KCU-Joplin, offers thoughtful insight into making one of the biggest choices of your life - what speciality you choose to practice. Spoiler: You're not just choosing a job, you're choosing an identity and a community. Resources mentioned in this episode: * AAMC's Careers in Medicine [https://careersinmedicine.aamc.org] * Student Doctor Network's Medical Specialty Selector Quiz [https://www.studentdoctor.net/schools-database/selector] Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II **This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

Paper Trail to Success: Building Your Resume

What's the difference between a CV and a resume? What experiences are CV-worthy? Should we still be listing experiences from our time as an undergrad? This episode, hosted by Student Doctor Raven Lirio, OMS-II at ATSU-KCOM, covers all things curriculum vitae (CV). To help students prepare their CV for things like applying to residency, Student Doctor Lirio interviews the Director of Student Success at ATSU-KCOM, Ted Frushour. ...and congratulations to our Season 2 Giveaway winner - Katelyn Young, OMS-III at KCU-Joplin! Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II **This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

Adjusting to OMT: What is Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine?

OMM is like a martial art form, it’s a healing martial art; you need to practice it…you’ve got to be doing this every day. And, as with martial arts, there are masters for each style of practice. In this episode, Student Doctor Colon “Vinny” Cook, OMS-III at ATSU-KCOM, interviews OMM master Dr. Alex King, DO. Dr. King is the Associate Professor and Residency Program Director of osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. They discuss his route to osteopathy, including a background in sculpture, and his use of creativity in medicine.   Student Doctor Cook completed academic fellowship in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine, or OMM, during medical school. OMM is sometimes also called Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, or OMT. (For a definition of OMM/OMT for the layperson, skip ahead briefly and listen to 22:20 - 24:30.) You can find Dr. King on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/doctor.alex.king [http://instagram.com/doctor.alex.king] TikTok: tiktok.com/@doctor.alex.king [tiktok.com/@doctor.alex.king] YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Doctoralexking  [http://www.youtube.com/@Doctoralexking] For more on OMM/OMT, check out this presentation: https://www.atsu.edu/ncoppe/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Intro-to-OMM-2024-1-Introduction-to-OPP.pdf [https://www.atsu.edu/ncoppe/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Intro-to-OMM-2024-1-Introduction-to-OPP.pdf ] If you’re a Missouri medical student, don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a $100 Fabletics gift card to upgrade your scrubs!  To enter: 1. Leave a comment on this episode and let us know which episode has been your favorite so far. 2. Follow us on the platform you left your comment: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. Giveaway ends March 31, 2026. Winner announced in April episode. Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II **This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

Level Up: Passing Your Board Exams

Board exams, also known as the tests that haunt medical students’ nightmares. They’ll cause you less stress if you know what you’re going into. Student Doctor Phil Sheridan, OMS-III at KCU Joplin, discusses information about the boards and best practices to succeed on them. In this episode, you’ll learn about the difference between USMLE Step vs COMLEX Level exams, which resources you can use to study, and general advice on how to approach them. Phil also talks about the importance of trying your best to succeed on your first attempt and what’s at stake for these exams.  If you’re a Missouri medical student, don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a $100 Fabletics gift card to upgrade your scrubs!  To enter: 1. Leave a comment on this episode or the upcoming March episode, let us know which episode has been your favorite so far  2. Follow us on the platform you left your comment: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube Giveaway ends March 31, 2026. Winner announced in April episode. Need more guidance on finding resources to study? Check out our episode - There’s TOO MANY Resources: What Med Students Found Most Helpful [https://open.spotify.com/episode/7yv1vZeELcuqBT1Y3qwSRa?si=RkSc5YDPTI2yuBIAAjV-7w] MAOPS Wetzel Scholar Application: https://maops.org/scholarshipfunding/ [https://maops.org/scholarshipfunding/] MAOPS Post-Graduate Scholarship Application: https://maops.org/ypn-scholarships/ [https://maops.org/ypn-scholarships/] Physician Advocacy Day Information & Registration: https://maops.org/advocacyday/ [https://maops.org/advocacyday/] Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II **This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**

What Did I Sign Up For?: Burnout in Med School

"At some point, studying stopped feeling productive - and started feeling like a punishment." What happens when burnout hits motivated, capable medical students? How can we remind ourselves of why we choose this incredibly stressful, endurance-demanding path? In this episode, Student Doctor Christopher Hagerman, OMS-IV, and his wife Chastyti, discuss what burnout looked like for them and what they used to build resilience. Chastyti discusses what burnout looks like in education, as a professional educator, and offers insight into reframing stress. Sources: * Frajerman et al., 2022 — Burnout in medical students before residency https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35775726/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35775726/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * WHO/PMC — Burnout definition https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7604257/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7604257/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Systematic review of mindfulness-based interventions in medical students https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34995839/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34995839/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Shanafelt et al. — Meaning in work and burnout https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19773573/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19773573/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Harvard Health. How much sleep do you actually need? https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-sleep-do-you-actually-need-202310302986 [https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-sleep-do-you-actually-need-202310302986?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Harvard Health. Sleep hygiene: Simple practices for better rest https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/sleep-hygiene-simple-practices-for-better-rest [https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/sleep-hygiene-simple-practices-for-better-rest?utm_source=chatgpt.com] * Harvard Health. Short on slumber https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/short-on-slumber [https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/short-on-slumber?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Next steps... * Medical Student Well-Being Index https://www.mywellbeingindex.org/ [https://www.mywellbeingindex.org/] * AMA Steps Forward — Physician Wellness https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health [https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/physician-health] Producers: Tam Nguyen, OMS-III & Sammy DeLuca, OMS-IV Audio Engineer: Ben Iba, OMS-II Communications Director: Angelina Hein, OMS-II Outreach Coordinator: Trinh Nguyen, OMS-II **This podcast and our parent organization, MAOPS, did not receive any financial gain or otherwise benefit from the resources mentioned. The opinions are that of the medical students alone and not of their parent institutions.**