Clinical

How to gain research and clinical experience for med school

GPA and MCAT score. These are the two primary things on everyone’s mind when they start thinking about putting together their medical school applications. And why not? After all, one’s MCAT score and GPA serve as quantifiable metrics that are useful in comparing applicants, and everyone knows that med schools weigh them heavily when ranking...

Do you recognize these ring-shaped lesions?

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 69-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and irritable bowel syndrome presents with multiple ring-shaped lesions on both hands. The lesions are non-pruritic and developed over the past four days. When she visits for follow-up two weeks later, the lesions remain present.    Original image posted by @osler1982....

Why did these lesions appear?

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 58-year-old woman presents two days after a cardiac catheterization with malaise, fatigue, and new violaceous livedoid lesions on her feet. She is also found to have mild acute renal dysfunction.   Image credit: @hfehmi.   Answer: Cholesterol embolization syndrome When small particles of atheroma embolize during a vascular...

A prescription for pain

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 70-year-old male with a history of hypertension presents with a fever and severe pain in both his hands. Examination reveals swollen, erythematous, and tender nodules on the joints of his fingers. Arthrocentesis demonstrates negatively birefringent urate crystals in the synovial fluid.    Image credit: @drugpiter, @twcc.   Answer: Precocious...