Medical Education

Survey of AMSACon 2020 Attendees Finds COVID-19 is Changing How Med Students Study

By: The Merck Manuals Editorial Staff AMSACon2020 was a little different than conferences in previous years. Given the realities of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s conference was entirely virtual – the first of its kind. Students, medical professionals, leading medical institutions found new ways to connect and learn. But COVID-19’s impact on medical students...

What can medical students do to combat racism?

One of many relevant sections of the  AMSA PPP: “[AMSA] RECOGNIZES discrimination of any form is a public health concern especially as regards its impact on access to health care, socioeconomic status, exposure to violence, and social isolation and alienation”   The death of George Floyd has sparked protests in all 50 states. Floyd is...

Building Resiliency Amongst Medical Students Facing Daunting Burnout Statistics

By: Aquila Lesko As physician burn-out has mainstreamed in medicine, it is only natural that researchers have turned their attention to analyzing the mental well-being of the youngest members of the healer sector: residents and medical students. Burnout describes a work-associated syndrome characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism and a low sense of personal accomplishment[1]. The...

AMSA’s response to USMLE scoring change recommendations

The Invitational Conference on USMLE Scoring (InCUS) recently allowed public statements from medical students in regards to the potential USMLE Step 1 score change. The USMLE Step 1 was originally a pass/fail exam. However, this changed due to increased emphasis on the test to select residency candidates. Step scores have a huge influence on match...