The complicated positionality of a learner in medicine means that our fingerprints are always there, regardless of the role. And while it is never documented, our most profound contribution is how we accompany patients in need.

Daniel J. Olivieri reflects on his first death pronouncement and what he learned about communicating with patients and their families.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Claim your free CME credit for listening to this podcast. Visit academicmedicineblog.org/cme, listen to the episodes listed, then follow the instructions to claim your credit.

As I enter my final year of medical school reflecting on how I plan to care for patients, I will remember the importance of seeing the patient as a whole person just as my preceptor did that day. In doing so, I hope that my future relationships with patients can flourish because they are based on trust rather than transaction.

Jill Stachowski reflects on her experience praying with a patient and learning that faith and spirituality can be a meaningful part of the physician-patient relationship.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the June 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Claim your free CME credit for listening to this podcast. Visit academicmedicineblog.org/cme, listen to the episodes listed, then follow the instructions to claim your credit.

Kayla Marcotte, MS, Jose Negrete Manriquez, MD, MPP, Maya Hunt, MD, Max Spadafore, MD, and Dan Schumacher, MD, PhD, MEd, join host Toni Gallo to discuss the role of learners in building the future state of assessment; the importance of having a patient-focused, learner-centered, equity-based system of assessment; and the opportunities and challenges posed by new types of assessment data and AI tools.

Read the articles discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

Claim your free CME credit for listening to this podcast. Visit academicmedicineblog.org/cme, listen to the episodes listed, then follow the instructions to claim your credit.

We must find the moments in medical education where we all can be models of thoughtful exposure, risking vulnerability and emphasizing our shared humanity—even with our clothes on.

Gretchen A. Case and Karly Pippitt reflect on a body painting session they led to teach medical students the value of vulnerability.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the May 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Katherine Chretien, MD, Grant Wilson, MD, and Michelle York, MD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss building meaningful relationships with patients, the small but impactful ways they show their patients they care, and the important role that learners play in connecting with patients and contributing to their care.

A transcript of this episode is available at academicmedicineblog.org.

For those who do excellent work, but quietly, and sometimes under the radar, the simple phrase, confidently stated—“You are in good hands”—can make all the difference. You got this.

Shailaja J. Hayden reflects on the importance of inspiring confidence in fellow members of the care team, which then inspires confidence in patients.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the April 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Rather than sheltering me from the rigors of doctoring, the museum has deepened my relationship to medicine by restoring its inherent mystery. It reminds me that the reality of our patients will always exceed our understanding of them.

Kain Kim reflects on how teaching the humanities can help normalize uncertainty in medical training.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the March 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Through all the time I had known him, and through all the rounds and presentations, many voices were heard: my own, my senior resident, my attending, the ICU team, the consult teams, the family. But the softest voice, often overcome by dysphonia, came from the bed at the center of the room, and it needed to be amplified the most.

Richard T. Tran reflects on a patient’s request for a vanilla Ensure and learning that sometimes the greatest comforts can come from the simplest of interventions.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the February 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.