Medicus

Latest Episodes:

Ep26 | Patient Perspective: Surviving Pediatric Cancer Sep 16, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, we sat down with fellow Medicus team member Dave Lee to discuss his experience with pediatric cancer (specifically ALL). Dave shares his perspective as a former patient and now as a physician in training. We get into some pretty interesting discussions (I especially enjoyed his thoughts on the role that labels play in our identification process). Additionally, we are excited to start bringing in the new M1 members of the team. On this episode, we are joined by Shawn Choe! We are excited to have him as well as all of our new members.

Ep25 | Hypnosis, Acupuncture, and Integrative Medicine Aug 31, 2019

Show notes

On this episode we take a look into complementary and alternative medicine. Does hypnosis actually work? Can a certain herbal medicine make me live longer? These are some of the questions we ask Dr. Kit Lee, a Family Medicine physician at Loyola University Medical Center. While medical education programs spend little class time addressing non-traditional therapies, the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative health reports that about 38% of adults and 12% of children currently use some type of complementary and alternative (CAM) therapy. To shed some light onto CAM therapies like chiropractic/osteopathic manipulation, acupuncture, aromatherapy, biofeedback therapy, biofield therapy, herbal medicine, hypnosis, meditation, naturopathy, and yoga, we brought in a champion of CAM therapy, Dr. Lee. Dr. Lee completed her undergraduate and medical education at Northwestern University, and completed her residency at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, IL. She is board certified in medical acupuncture and is a certified yoga instructor. Additionally, she has professional training in mind, body spirit medicine and training in medical hypnosis. If you have wanted to hear some of the research, science, and anecdotal testaments behind complementary and alternative medicine, be sure to give this one a listen!Episode produced by Alekwww.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep24 | Dr. Kamran Mirza - "#twitterhomework, #103%, #pathology, and more" Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

If you've ever watched any crime show, you're probably familiar with the stereotype of the pathologist - alone in the recesses of the hospital, dissecting the deceased. Thanks largely to this stereotype (we are looking at you CSI), this has lead to the misconception that pathology is boring and lonely. But in the real world, this could not be further from the truth. We sat down with Dr. Kamran Mirza, a clinical pathologist, to discuss why this medical specialty can be just as rewarding and challenging as other specialties, and why medical students should consider it. In our discussion, we get into a host of other topics such as the future of medical education, how to develop a meaningful and engaging career, how technology can enhance learning and foster collaboration and much more. If you’ve never considered pathology as a career, you will definitely want to listen to this episode.

About Dr. Kamaran Mirza

Dr. Mirza, MD, PhD is completed medical school at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan and his graduate training at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His residency was in combined anatomic and clinical pathology, followed by fellowships in hematopathology, thoracic pathology, and medical education at the University of Chicago. He is currently a hematopathologist, assistant professor of pathology, associate director for the pathology residency, medical director of molecular pathology, and director of the medical student pathology clerkship at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine-Chicago.

Follow Dr. Mirza at

@KMirza on Twitter

@ kam5.2 on instagram

Or you can check out some of his published articles here

"My Classroom is empty: Is that a problem?"

"#Twitter Homework"

"Meeting Kristoff"

Ep23 | MS4 Perspective: Pediatrics Aug 18, 2019

Show notes

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) specialty episode, we investigate the field of Pediatrics. Our specialty series with 4th year medical students consists of three parts. Part I consists of a discussion about the field. Here, we will learn about the reasons why our guests have decided to pursue a career in this specialty, likes/dislikes about the field, and common stereotypes surrounding the field. Part II explores what it takes to match into the field. Our discussions in this section include ways in which medical students can become a competitive applicant for this specialty, tips for rotations in this specialty, advice on structuring your curriculum, and ways to evaluate which residency programs to apply to. Part III is the general advice section. Here, our 4th year students will reveal the secrets to success for each year of medical school, as well as advice for pre-med students, gap year students, excelling on board exams, and more.

Our guests in this episode, Tara Funk and Hannah Friedman, completed their medical education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Tara is a graduate from Baylor University, and completed a dual degree in business and pre-medicine. To prepare for her application for medical school, she did research and scribed in an emergency department after graduating. Tara has always had interests in medicine, and originally had thoughts of becoming a veterinarian before realizing that medical school was her true calling. Tara also “couples matched” with her partner, who is currently in an emergency medicine residency. A native of Colorado, Hannah completed her undergraduate degree at Wellesley College with a degree in psychology. She would then spend two years at Yale University as a research fellow before applying to medical school. Hannah says she has always wanted to be a pediatrician, and is excited to pursue her dream career. Today, both Tara and Hannah are in their first year of Pediatrics residency at the University of Michigan and the University of Colorado Boulder respectively.

For advice, tips, and a glimpse into the lives of medical students pursuing a career in Pediatrics, follow along!

Episode produced by: Alek

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep22 | MS4 Perspective: Ophthalmology Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

Nolan Adams is a 4th year student at the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine who will be entering Loyola's ophthalmology residency after a transitional year program at Presence Resurrection Hospital. He is originally from Rockford, IL and entered medical school after a gap year working as a Certified Nursing Assistant following his graduation from Northwestern University. He found ophthalmology early in his first year at Loyola and enjoys helping other students discern if ophthalmology is a good fit for them, as well as helping them through the application process.

Episode produced by: Nate

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonatet

Ep21 | Community Health - How Free Clinics Provide for Low-Income Individuals Aug 02, 2019

Show notes

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard a lot of debate about the skyrocketing cost of healthcare in the United States. With the expansion of Medicaid and other reforms that were a part of the Affordable Care Act, many people gained access to government-subsidized health insurance,. But that doesn’t mean that going to the doctor is any cheaper.

In the complex web of insurance, citizenship status, and income instability many patients fall through the cracks. For those people, Community Health and many other free clinics around the country are providing healthcare completely free of charge, no insurance required.

How can they afford to see all these patients for free? Where do the patients get medications, labs, or even surgery? Vicki Chester and Ava Zeligson from Community Health answer all those questions and more on today’s episode.

You can find out more information about the clinic at communityhealth.org

Episode produced by: Nate, Rasa

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep20 | MS4 Perspective: Neurology Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

In this 4th year medical student (MS4) specialty episode, we investigate the field of Neurology. Our specialty series with 4th year medical students consists of three parts. Part I consists of a discussion about the field. Here, we will learn about the reasons why our guests have decided to a pursue a career in this specialty, likes/dislikes about the field, and common stereotypes surrounding the field. Part II explores what it takes to match into the field. Our discussions in this section include ways in which medical students can become a competitive applicant for this specialty, tips for rotations in this specialty, advice on structuring your curriculum, and ways to evaluate which residency programs to apply to. Part III is the general advice section. Here, our 4th year students will reveal the secrets to success for each year of medical school, as well as advice for pre-med students, gap year students, excelling on board exams, and more.

Our guests in this episode, Jennifer Novak and Harjot Hansra, completed their medical education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Jennifer graduated from the University of California Irvine with a degree in economics and psychology. Although she had a passion for neuroscience, Jennifer studied for the LSAT before realizing that medicine was her true calling. She then completed a post-baccalaureate pre-med program at San Francisco State, and applied to medical school the year after. Harjot’s interest in medicine began at a young age—some of her earliest memories consist of going to the library with her parents and flipping through pictures in cartoon anatomy books. Her interest persisted throughout high school and college, and she eventually graduated with a degree in neuroscience from the University of Southern California. Today, both Jennifer and Harjot are in their first year of Neurology residency at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona respectively.

For advice, tips, and a glimpse into the lives of medical students pursuing a career in Neurology, follow along!

Episode produced by: Alek Druck

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep19 | The Anatomy of Dr. Dauzvardis Jul 20, 2019

Show notes

Anybody who has taken an Anatomy course can tell you about their eccentric Anatomy professor. It seems that a unique personality is a prerequisite to teaching this course that has been a vital part of the medical school curriculum for so long. On this episode of Medicus, Neal and our guest host, Hye-Jin Yun, welcome Dr. Dauzvardis, anatomy professor at the Stritch School of Medicine. Together they discuss Dr. D’s journey to becoming an anatomy professor and the experiences that shaped him into becoming an educator for student doctors. We also dive into how the instruction of anatomy has changed throughout the years, Dr. D’s peculiar interests, and much more. Tune in because this was a fun one!

Michael Dauzvardis, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. He holds a doctorate in anatomy and has been recognized by the Stritch students with numerous teaching awards.

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep18 | Summing Up the USMLE Step 1 Jul 12, 2019

Show notes

We're back! Alek, Neal, Josh, Nate, and Mara have all made it to the other side of the Step 1 exam. We took a few weeks off for studying and recovering but we are happy to be back, and this time with some new Medicus team members! Meet Rasa and Dave, fellow med students here to help us create new Medicus content to bring to you each week.

On this episode we recap our experiences with the USMLE Step 1.

Interesting follow-up to our discussion: https://www.usmle.org/pdfs/incus/InCUS_summary_report.pdf?fbclid=IwAR274hc3u3Rz5u9U8RN5JasYwDPP9wMU-nwkT5l60U4IiJ5Ne7S4t3QmD7U

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate

Ep17 | Why Would a Physician Get an MBA? Apr 19, 2019

Show notes

With 500 medical students getting an MD/MBA combined degree every year, along with many attending physicians enrolling in executive MBA programs, it is increasingly common to see practicing physicians taking a role in healthcare administration. Today we invited Nelly Gonzalez who pioneered her own dual degree program here at Loyola to talk about her experience and the importance of having people with clinical experience in administrative roles.

Nelly Gonzalez-Lepage is currently a 4th year MD/MBA student at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. She graduated from University of California Berkeley with a double major in Molecular Cell Biology and Cognitive Science. She has over 8 years of work experience in health policy, management, research and public health. She is a 2016 Schweitzer Fellow and 2019 MOLA Scholar (Medical Organization for Latino Advancement). She will be applying to residency this fall 2019.

Also, you might recognize that we are joined by a new host and producer for this episode. Dave is a dual degree student at Stritch, working on his MD as well as a master's in public health with a focus on policy and management. Before starting school, he has worked as a scribe in an emergency department and rheumatology clinic, and briefly worked in healthcare tech.

Links for the topics we discussed:

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/09/the-rise-of-the-mdmba-degree/380683/

https://www.whitecoatinvestor.com/is-an-mba-worth-it-for-an-md/

https://hbr.org/2014/09/should-you-get-an-mba

https://hbr.org/2016/12/why-the-best-hospitals-are-managed-by-doctors

http://www.amandagoodall.com/SS&MarticletJuly2011.pdf

https://khn.org/news/death-by-a-thousand-clicks/

Episode produced by: Nate Burstedt

www.medicuspodcast.com | medicuspodcast@gmail.com | Donate: http://bit.ly/MedicusDonate