Topical: The Dermatology Podcast

No, we don't mean a competitive personality, but rather how competitive you are as an applicant.  In this episode, we guide you through an an internal "audit" in order to prepare for application and match season.  

Does networking feel awkward to you?  Us too.  Nonetheless, we bravely branch out of our comfort zone to answer a listener's question about how to network effectively and connect with others in our field.  

This is hardly a spoiler: you will spend a lot of money on residency applications and interviews.  We share some tips on how to be strategic about the process so you can maximize savings and minimize headaches.  

Can trainees actively engage in medical education? How can students and residents start developing the skills of being teachers and mentors?  We bring back a special guest to discuss medical education (our favorite topic) and how you can engage in mentorship at any phase in your training!

Physician burnout has been the topic du jour, and rightly so. In this episode, we bring on a special guest to discuss 1) what is burnout, 2) how we can do our part to combat this crisis, and 3) why residents and medical students should be a major part of the burnout conversation.  Spoiler: It's because trainees are medicine's future and greatest resource.  

Bonus episode: We bring on a special guest to answer questions from a Canadian listener about preparing for dermatology residency in Canada.  (Take away: send us your comments and get featured!)

Charming. Witty. Thought-Provoking.  Are those the trappings of a good personal statement?  Or are they just traps?  In this episode, we delve into what makes this importance piece of writing both "personal" and a "statement."  

What is a personal narrative?  Do we all have one?  Is this important to the application process?  We get introspective about this concept and discuss why you should too.

Does personality impact how a medical student's performance is perceived?  How can teachers create opportunities for students of all personalities to excel?  What role does feedback play? Did just reading about these topics make you breakout in hives?  In this episode, we apply some bonus thoughts to these burning questions.

We invite our first guests on the show!  We pick the brains of two first-year Harvard dermatology residents about the transition to residency, how to prepare (or can one really prepare?), their biggest takeaways and what they wished they did differently.  Spoiler alert: they were way more well-adjusted than Kris and Arash.

Is there a work equivalent of finding yourself two-years deep in someone's instagram account?  What about embarrassing videos on Facebook from ten years ago?  The answer is not to delete all your accounts and crawl back to 2004.  In this episode, we talk about the "digital audit" and how to get your online-self to #liveitsbestlife.      iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/topical-the-dermatology-podcast/id1375358222 Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Inazvk2deehamsbfuyq26iijgxa Stitcher: http://stitcher.com/s?fid=183355&refid=stpr Twitter: @topicalpod Instagram: @topicalpod Email: topicalpod@gmail.com

How should you prepare for your dermatology rotation?  Should you be a team-player?  Should you read?  Should you be yourself?  (Spoiler alert: the answer is yes)   iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/topical-the-dermatology-podcast/id1375358222 Stitcher: http://stitcher.com/s?fid=183355&refid=stpr Twitter: @topicalpod Instagram: @topicalpod Email: topicalpod@gmail.com

Bonus episode: We are finally on-air, and you can find us wherever you get your podcast.  Send us your thoughts and be featured on a future episode!   iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/topical-the-dermatology-podcast/id1375358222 Stitcher: http://stitcher.com/s?fid=183355&refid=stpr Twitter: @topicalpod Instagram: @topicalpod Email: topicalpod@gmail.com

Should you do research?  What should you research?  When should you research?  How should you research?  We answer these questions and talk more about what you can do if you take a research "year-off." Follow us on: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/topical-the-dermatology-podcast/id1375358222 Stitcher: http://stitcher.com/s?fid=183355&refid=stpr Twitter: @topicalpod Instagram: @topicalpod Email: topicalpod@gmail.com

Match Day just passed, which means it's time for another class of medical students to think about residency applications.  In this episode, we talk about letters of recommendation, Step 2, and dermatology rotations.   iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/topical-the-dermatology-podcast/id1375358222 Stitcher: http://stitcher.com/s?fid=183355&refid=stpr Twitter: @topicalpod Instagram: @topicalpod Email: topicalpod@gmail.com

If dermatology is on your mind early in medical school, how should you prepare?  Kris and Arash share advice gained from personal experience on how to set yourself up for success during the first three years of medical school.   iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/topical-the-dermatology-podcast/id1375358222 Stitcher: http://stitcher.com/s?fid=183355&refid=stpr Twitter: @topicalpod Instagram: @topicalpod Email: topicalpod@gmail.com

What do dermatologists do in their natural habits? Kris and Arash get up close and personal about why they became dermatologists, and why you should consider it too.   iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/topical-the-dermatology-podcast/id1375358222 Stitcher: http://stitcher.com/s?fid=183355&refid=stpr Twitter: @topicalpod Instagram: @topicalpod Email: topicalpod@gmail.com