Meet Kai Brady, a second-year MD student at Feinberg School of Medicine, and get a look at a typical day during this phase of her medical school career.
I live in an apartment in the Buena Park neighborhood, which is around five miles north of campus. I like to catch the 148 express bus to campus when I'm traveling during rush hour. This bus heads directly to Lake Shore Drive, so the commute is relatively short. I like my neighborhood because it has a slower pace than Streeterville and is well-connected to public transportation. Somewhere between 5 and 10 of my classmates live within a 10-minute walk from my place, so I still have a sense of community.
11:00 a.m.
This morning I went to HoloAnatomy, which is an interactive virtual reality activity that we use to better engage with the material before our neuroscience practical exam. Today, we were learning about the anatomical structures that make up the nervous system. During the session, one of the module leaders walked us through several pathways and quizzed us on high-yield concepts. I love playing video games, so this is a nice opportunity to study without feeling like I'm studying.
I usually enjoy lunch with a few classmates in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI). The space holds the office of the dean for diversity, inclusion and student support, associate dean Dr. John Franklin, and ODI coordinators Gracen and Anita. Anita is one of the first people I met at Feinberg, and like many other students, I think of her as my school mom. The office is a space for students to decompress or work between classes. I come here to vent, connect with faculty and meet upperclassmen who are stopping by for a snack. Today I brought pasta for lunch that I made last night. Usually, the conversation is casual, but with our anatomy practical exam so close, we spent this time clarifying some last-minute concepts.
1:00 p.m.
After lunch I went to the 16th Annual Lewis Landsberg Research Day at Feinberg, a campus-wide event to promote faculty and trainee development through the sharing of exciting research and conversation with colleagues. I had the opportunity to see what research my classmates have been working on over the past few months. I caught up with my friend Chorine to see her poster titled "Using EMR Data to Investigate How Differences in Measurement of Sex and Gender Affect Detection of Metabolic Syndrome Phenotype." She found that the lack of established clinical guidelines regarding HDL risk levels for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals can lead to incorrect or missed metabolic syndrome diagnoses.
2:00 p.m.
After Research Day, I gave a presentation during my medical decision-making class. My partner and I led a discussion on how to use systematic reviews and meta-analyses to make evidence-based recommendations for a patient scenario. This class is interactive, so each of our classmates gives a mini presentation on a learning issue we were assigned beforehand.
In the afternoon, I met up with my research team (Austin, Rachelle, mentor not pictured: Dr. Peter Lio) to discuss a poster on complementary and alternative therapies for alopecia areata that we plan on presenting later in the year.
3:00 p.m.
Later in the afternoon, I attended my Problem-Based Learning (PBL) class. PBL uses clinical cases to stimulate inquiry, critical thinking and knowledge application and integration related to biological, behavioral and social sciences. Each PBL group has six to nine students and a faculty facilitator. This week, we had a case related to our neuroscience module. At the beginning of class, we get a patient scenario and try to figure out what's happening and how to manage the situation. We also give mini presentations on learning issues that help us better understand the case. Our faculty tutor helps us along the way.