July 16th, 2020
Well, Did You Learn Anything?
Allison Latimore, MD
When I told my friends that I was going to be the Chief of Education for my residency program, they were stunned. How can you be a chief resident as a second-year resident? Isn’t that going to be a lot of work? How can you juggle it all? These were all valid questions that I […]
June 3rd, 2020
Will the Real Doctor Please Stand Up?
Allison Latimore, MD
I stood in the hospital elevator yawning and rubbing my eyes, waiting to get off on my floor. A woman looked over at me and said, “Congratulations.” I began to look over my body. Did I look pregnant in these scrubs? Did I have on my real engagement ring instead of my silicone ring? After […]
April 24th, 2020
Pass or Fail — USMLE Step 1
Allison Latimore, MD
We All Take Tests In January 2020, it was announced by the US Medical Licensing Examination that USMLE Step 1 scoring would change from a 3-digit score to pass or fail. I’m sure some budding and current medical students are jumping for joy. Some residents and attendings probably are brooding jealously, thinking of all the stress, […]
January 31st, 2020
Sorry, We’re Transitioning
Allison Latimore, MD
“We are transitioning.” In July of my intern year, this was the sentence that the CEO of our community hospital used to tell the staff that the hospital was closing its inpatient services. The emotions that traversed my mind were quite vast, to say the least. Anger was undeniably at the top of the list, […]
December 3rd, 2019
To HBCU or not to HBCU? That Is the Question.
Allison Latimore, MD
Finding my home There were a sea of students sitting in the auditorium, and parents were all directed to the balconies. The sound of trumpets began to blare, and the bodies of the marching band swayed rhythmically. Five minutes after soaking in the music, the ambiance, and the liveliness of Howard University, my sister and […]