Hey! It’s been a while since I’ve written, I’ve been doing more videos and honestly haven’t been feeling very open lately, which I won’t apologize for (and you shouldn’t either if you ever feel the same way). The past several … Continue reading Updates: New rotation, STEP3 prep…is it nap time yet?
It’s been a week and I still hesitate to introduce myself at Dr. Okoye. I quickly realized the weight held by that prefix and I am definitely not equipped to handle it at the moment. My first week of … Continue reading Oh you’re a doctor, doctor!?
The time has come for me to officially step in my role as a doctor. I’m now someone’s PCP (primary care provider). I’m now the one who’s name is attached to the patient when they’re admitted to my service … Continue reading Playtime is over!
Here are some highlights of my past week with family and my quick trip to Austin, TX for the AAMC national conference. I was also able to get another interview under my belt this week which I really enjoyed. … Continue reading Wrapping up EM & thoughts on interview season so far
The past 2 weeks I’ve been on my Emergency Medicine (EM) rotation, which is a 4th year rotation at my med school. I’m working at what I think would be considered a rural hospital, but it’s a level 2 trauma … Continue reading The best of my Emergency Medicine rotation
Hello from the other side! The biggest hurdle of my 4th year of medical school is complete! I took USMLE STEP 2 CK (clinical knowledge) this past Wednesday in Atlanta–at the same place I took STEP 1 for added nostalgia. … Continue reading My take on STEP2, visiting family, and starting a new rotation
It finally hit me that third year was ending earlier this week when I was writing a patient note and my name read Ijeoma Okoye, SMS (senior medical student) instead of JMS as it had all year. To be honest … Continue reading Third year is almost over!
Congratulations to all of the recent graduates! From High school, college, various health professional schools, etc. It’s not easy. If you’re done with school forever, I definitely envy you. This post is for college students, recent college grads who aren’t … Continue reading How to make the most of your summer(s)
I believe that as much as we are taught about path/pharm/micro and disease processes and how to work up different patient complaints, our medical education should also include discussions about unconscious bias and how it plays a role in our medical decision making. We all have biases that cause us to automatically think a certain way about a patient the second we walk through the door, and if we don’t recognize them, they can limit or alter the options we offer to our patients. We may also slip and say the wrong things to our patients (microagressions). Our biases can … Continue reading How I used my voice to make a difference at my school
My internal medicine rotation is off to a pretty good start! I’m 2 weeks in now. I’m working at our VA hospital taking care of patients with complicated past medical histories. All of the patients that our team has taken on since I’ve been here are older men–many with poor lifestyle choices that have led them to where they are now. I’m slowly learning some of the many algorithms for treating COPD, heart failure, and kidney injuries. Since I’ve started, I have definitely grown more confident in my management plans for my patients, and become more comfortable being wrong. No … Continue reading Update: Life on internal medicine
The Balancing Act 