As I brought the blade to the patient, I tried to infer the right depth, weight, and speed by matching to my pictured recollection of all the other incisions I had seen—an act, perhaps, akin to Ansel Adams's technique of photographic previsualization. Benjamin A. Freeman reflects on how studying photography can be beneficial to medical education. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the November 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; As I brought the blade to the patient, I tried to infer the right depth, weight, and speed by matching to my pictured recollection of all the other incisions I had seen—an act, perhaps, akin to Ansel Adams's technique of photographic previsualization.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; Benjamin A. Freeman reflects on how studying photography can be beneficial to medical education.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the November 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Picturing Practice as a Medical Student

My hope is that, by learning to recognize how physicians interface with injustice in systems early in their training, learners will be better prepared to navigate and, when necessary, defy these systems throughout their careers. Juliana E. Morris reflects on the importance of talking openly with students and involving them in decision-making while volunteering at a medical student-run asylum clinic. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the October 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; My hope is that, by learning to recognize how physicians interface with injustice in systems early in their training, learners will be better prepared to navigate and, when necessary, defy these systems throughout their careers.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; Juliana E. Morris reflects on the importance of talking openly with students and involving them in decision-making while volunteering at a medical student-run asylum clinic.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the October 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Reflections After Testifying at an Asylum Hearing

In the years since this experience ... I have sought to encourage trainees and students to reorient their focus from patient outcomes as a referendum on their competency and to focus instead on the process-based thinking preceding them and to try to make space for the mystery between. Benjamin W. Frush reflects on the perils of an outcome-focused culture in medicine. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the October 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; In the years since this experience ... I have sought to encourage trainees and students to reorient their focus from patient outcomes as a referendum on their competency and to focus instead on the process-based thinking preceding them and to try to make space for the mystery between.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; Benjamin W. Frush reflects on the perils of an outcome-focused culture in medicine.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the October 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Trust the Process

Discussing a new study into how medical student parents navigate their dual identities as physicians-in-training and parents are author Emily Carroll, MD, MEHP, Research in Medical Education Committee member Gary Beck Dallaghan, PhD, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Kiani Gardner, PhD. They also explore how medical schools can foster an inclusive learning environment for these learners. Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at <a href= "https://academicmedicineblog.org/transitioning-identities-the-dual-identities-of-medical-student-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">academicmedicineblog.org</a>.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Discussing a new study into how medical student parents navigate their dual identities as physicians-in-training and parents are author Emily Carroll, MD, MEHP, Research in Medical Education Committee member Gary Beck Dallaghan, PhD, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Kiani Gardner, PhD. They also explore how medical schools can foster an inclusive learning environment for these learners. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at &lt;a href= "https://academicmedicineblog.org/transitioning-identities-the-dual-identities-of-medical-student-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"&gt;academicmedicineblog.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Transitioning Identities: The Dual Identities of Medical Student Parents

I never saw Andrew after that night, but I think of him often. I hope that our interaction played a small part in getting him the care he needed. Sujal Manohar reflects on the importance of digging deeper into a patient's social history by expanding past the typical questions. The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the September 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; I never saw Andrew after that night, but I think of him often. I hope that our interaction played a small part in getting him the care he needed.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; Sujal Manohar reflects on the&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt;  importance of digging deeper into a patient's social history by expanding past the typical questions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style= "font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif;"&gt; The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the September 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The "Uninsured" Patient

Meet medical students and residents, clinicians and educators, health care thought leaders and researchers in this podcast from the journal Academic Medicine. Episodes chronicle the stories of these individuals as they experience the science and the art of medicine. Guests delve deeper into the issues shaping medical schools and teaching hospitals today. Subscribe to this podcast and listen as the conversation continues.

The journal Academic Medicine serves as an international forum to advance knowledge about the principles, policy, and practice of research, education, and patient care in academic settings.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are the guests' alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the AAMC or its members.

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