I AM A LOOKING TO GO

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…

How would you manage this acute abdominal pain?

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 24-year-old sexually active female presents with a three-day history of severe right upper quadrant pain that worsens on inhalation. She has a history of multiple sexual partners and does not use contraception. Examination reveals marked tenderness in the right upper quadrant and laparoscopy demonstrates the findings seen here….

Why is this urine bag purple?

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week An 80-year-old female with a history of diabetes and chronic constipation presents to the emergency department with a purple urine bag. She is currently bedridden and uses an indwelling catheter. On examination, she is hypotensive and confused. Blood cultures are positive for Proteus vulgaris. Image credit: @ctip.   Answer: Ciprofloxacin…

A case of “broken-heart” syndrome

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 67-year-old woman presents to the emergency room with acute chest pain and dyspnea after the death of her husband. She is hypotensive, tachycardic, and diaphoretic. A diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy is suspected.   Image credit: @bioplasmik.   Answer: Normal coronary arteries The diagnosis of takotsubo, or stress-induced cardiomyopathy,…