One of the most common types of First Opinion submissions calls for adding something to the medical school curriculum. It makes sense: People want their future doctors to know more about health care costs, or a new diagnosis, or a specific patient population. But I rarely get pieces that suggest what can come out of medical school to make room for new subjects.
That tension has been at the back of my mind for a while. Now, as AI becomes ever more deeply embedded in the practice of medicine, I’ve been thinking: This is a great moment for reconsidering what medical school should look like. What topics should be added? What should be removed? What are some ways to make medical school more affordable? How should the very structure of medical school change?
So in November and December, I’ll be running a series of pieces in which medical school leaders, physicians, and students argue for particular changes — big or small — that they’d like to see in medical school.
I have several pieces already planned, but I want a few more. If you have an idea for how to change medical school and want to write about it, email me. I want ideas from everyone from patients to medical school dropouts to deans. Proposals can be wild and ambitious, but also small-bore. I’m excited to see what you all come up with!
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Now for a little shameless self-promotion: This week, I wrote my own First Opinion, about medical aid in dying, serious mental illness, and my very smart, very troubled mother. It’s not a fun piece, but I hope you’ll read it.
Recommendation of the week: I’m a sucker for a horror film about societal issues. “Pure,” from Hulu’s 2019 “Into the Dark” horror anthology, is a supernatural story set at a father-daughter religious retreat culminating in a purity ball. It’s spooky and thought-provoking.