A pre-med club for everyone, I Want to Be a Doctor gives listeners an invitation into the often privileged and impenetrable world of becoming a physician. Join host Dr. Robin Dickinson MD as she answers questions from medical hopefuls or curious bystanders. About half of our listeners are families with kids who are interested in a medical career and most of our questions come from pre-med or medical students. Why? Because it's never to early to start asking questions and thinking about a medical career! So whether you are in medical school trying to choose a specialty or in elementary school dreaming of your career, there are episodes for you!
Now is the time to submit your questions! Email
[email protected] and please include your first name and grade/class level if you want to be acknowledged.
****Every episode is sponsored by Dr. Robin's School, the pre-med curriculum for kids! Visit docrobinschool.com to learn more****
18- How to Choose a Medical Specialty?
March 11, 2023 • 8 MIN
Today's question is from a 3rd year medical who asks: Help! Everyone on my rotations keeps asking me what I'm going into and I DON'T KNOW! How do I choose a specialty?!
Well I wish I could give you a simple answer. Take this test, sort yourself into the correct Hogwarts house, hold this thing in your hand and it will turn the color of...
But no, I'm going to start by saying there's no wrong answer but there's no right answer. Kind of like
17-Embryology?!?!
March 4, 2023 • 3 MIN
Today's question is from a first year medical student who asks "I'm so confused with embryology. What do I do?"
As someone who is still confused with embryology, let me tell you, you are not alone. I don't know any practicing physicians who are really clear on embryology unless they did research in the field before medical school. It's a really confusing subject.
It helps to
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor
16-Manage Time
February 25, 2023 • 7 MIN
Today's question is from a college freshman who asks: How do you remember to do all the things on your calendar? I'm constantly forgetting to do something.
Yeah, me too. Which is why I don't rely on my memory at all. Ever.
I know a lot of people who try to remember to do things and that's totally fine if it works for you. For me, my brain is so overloaded with everything else that I just can't. And if you can't either, that's okay.
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor
15- Passing Out
February 18, 2023 • 4 MIN
Today's question is from a first year medical student who asks "Did you ever pass out during a procedure?"
Why yes, I did! And I'm here to tell you that you can have a tendency to pass out, overcome it, and no one will remember long term that it was you.
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor
14-What Training for Whom?
February 11, 2023 • 11 MIN
Today's question is from an 8th grader who asks what is the difference between a doctor, a nurse practitioner, a nurse, and a physician’s assistant?
You are not the only person who wonders that! It can be very confusing understanding all the different roles in caring for a patient.
The two main differences are the training and what the person is able to do.
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor
12- How to Deal with Overwhelming Thoughts?
January 7, 2023 • 5 MIN
Today's question is from a college sophomore who asks, “How can I deal with all the thoughts that keep popping into my head? There’s so much I’m trying to figure out right now and I just want a brain break!”
I’m so glad you’re realizing you need this now instead of waiting until you’re further along in training or your career and totally burned out. There are many ways of dealing with all the thoughts but I’ll tell you some of the things that I do. These are what I recommend to my kids, who are in 4th and 7th grade, and to the medical students I teach. They are what I use every week to keep myself sane and happy.
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor
10-Where to Do Rotation?
December 31, 2022 • 6 MIN
Today's question is from a second year medical student who is going to be starting clinical rotations in a few months and asks where should I do my surgery rotation?
Life is so full of the question of where! ... So I'll answer this both more generally for people who are choosing a college, medical school, or residency as well as your specific question.
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor
9- Homesick at the Hospital?
December 24, 2022 • 6 MIN
Today's question is from someone who is just starting medical school in a few months who asks “Did you get homesick when you had to keep staying at the hospital all night?”
You know, that’s something I worried about too. And yes, I did get homesick. But it also wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor
7-How to Study?
December 10, 2022 • 7 MIN
Today's question is from a student who didn’t give their grade and who asks: What is the best way to study?
Well, what is learning? Learning is literally building connections in your brain and strengthening those connections and being able to access those connections when you need the information. Athletes refer to this as muscle memory. But it’s not really in your muscles, it’s in your brain.
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor
6-Ever Fail a Test?
December 3, 2022 • 7 MIN
Today's question is from a 7th grader who asks: Did you ever fail a test?''
Yes I did! When I was in medical school,
[I do talk about cadavers and cadaver lab in this episode so if that's not a topic you want to hear discussed, skip from 1:51 to 3:45. The word pops up one more time but it's not discussed.]
https://podcasts.bcast.fm/i-want-to-be-a-doctor
2-How to Build an Application
November 4, 2022 • 4 MIN
Today's question is from a student in 11th grade who asks, “I know I want to be a doctor. What can I do to start making myself look good for my medical school applications.”
You're certainly planning ahead! And most of today's advice will be good for anyone from a student in elementary school to someone in college because it will work for a variety of applications, not just medical school.