Prospective Doctor (from MedSchoolCoach‪)‬ Erkeda DeRouen, MD

While everyone’s journey into medicine is unique, it may not be unconventional. But those are the ones that bring an incredibly fresh perspective on carving one’s own path.
Dr. Kate Arnold, an OBGYN Hospitalist, Laborist, and co-founder of FemInnovation is one of those unconventional paths. Having started as a psychology major with no science background, she ventured into medicine a bit later than her peers, navigated through a post-baccalaureate pre-med program, and engaged with Alzheimer's patients before pursuing medical school at Georgetown. Her multifaceted career, including stints in academia, federally qualified health centers, and now in femtech, along with her personal life of adopting three children during her fourth year of medical school, provides a wealth of inspiration and guidance for both traditional and non-traditional medical students. 
In this episode, Dr. Arnold not only speaks with Dr. Erkeda DeRouen about her journey into medicine but also the intersection between health tech and FemTech and the role of technology in medicine.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Career Flexibility: Medicine's beauty lies in its adaptability to life's changes. Learn how Dr. Arnold transitioned from a psychology major to an OBGYN, embraced family life by adopting three kids during med school, and transitioned into Femtech.
The Impact of Femtech: Dr. Arnold illuminates the crucial need for physicians' involvement in Femtech to ensure accuracy and prevent the exacerbation of health disparities.
Parenthood & Medicine: A candid discussion on adopting and raising children during medical training, offering honest insights into the challenges and triumphs of dual roles as a parent and doctor.
 
[00:00] Introduction to The Prospective Doctor [00:53] Introduction to Dr. Kate Arnold [01:58] Dr. Arnold’s role as a laborist [04:21] The Intersection of Dr. Arnold’s Work and Family Life [12:40] Fem Tech and Health Tech [16:52] Risks in Health Tech [19:59] Healthcare Mindset vs. Tech Mindset [23:24] What Dr. Arnold Wishes She Knew Before She Started Medicine [26:00] Parting Words  
Resources:
You can find Dr. Arnold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katecarnoldmdmba/ 
Learn more about FemInnovation: https://www.linkedin.com/company/feminnovation/ 
 
To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 
You can also reach us through our social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach 
Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/ 
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MedSchoolCoach

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen is joined by Dr. Jia Ng. She is a board-certified nephrologist and epidemiologist and today, she talks about the world of research for medical students. Dr. Jia describes the opportunities and procedures  she encountered from doing research, as well as the conditions they need to be in for them to thrive in the field.
[00:28] Introduction of Dr. Jia Ng [01:35] Transitioning and Opportunities in Research [03:18] Recommendation for Research Pursual [06:41] Importance of Research in Residency [11:51] Dr. Jia: Why the US over Australia? [15:47] How to Get Involved in Research Research
Dr. Jia mentions that Research is more complex than students and experts should perceive. According to her, research is a field that not only takes on the basic know-hows of medicine, but also the data driving the knowledge that caters to how medicine works along the evolution of society. Research allows the industry to adapt new knowledge for medical practitioners to not only develop new medicines, but also the overall medical healthcare system application. These applications include the in and out flow of patient care from medications to consultations and prescriptions. For students who are interested to take up research, it’s important to note that they will be tasked on training with groups and mentors, working on large amounts of data that can be published in order to help a certain medical field in terms of innovative solutions to customer-friendly applications.
Paving Your Own Path
Medical students will have the opportunity to pave their own path in the field of research. The field may seem simple, but the avenue students take to be where they want to be may be more complex than they think. The key to having control over the path you want in the field of research is working around the knowledge that you are familiar with. Familiarity comes in the form of how well you know the healthcare system within a certain area and region or the connections you have with that set location as well. While it’s important not to look at it as a race, getting where you need to be in the industry takes time, and that is inevitable.
You can connect more with Dr. Ng through her website and YouTube channel.
 
To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor or https://somedocs.com/.
You can also reach us through our social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/somedocspublic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somedocs/

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Sarah Nasir, an osteopathic physician specializing in family medicine and sub-specializing in addiction medicine. In this episode, they talk about how medical students can cope with and navigate academic struggles in a far-from-perfect medical education system. 
[00:00] Introduction [04:01] Coping With Academic Struggles [11:15] Navigating Your Journey in Medicine [17:56] Academic Bullying [21:14] What Dr. Nasir Would Change About the Medical Education System [33:13] Parting Words How Can Medical Students Cope With Academic Struggles?
The medical process is so arduous that no matter who enters it does not come out unscathed. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, allow yourself some grace and give yourself some love. If you are overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Remind yourself of your greatness and progress when things get difficult, because every doctor has been through the same struggle. 
You can find Dr. Nasir on Facebook and Instagram.
 
To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 
You can also reach us through our social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach
Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Mike Tang, an adult and child psychiatrist, addiction medicine doctor, paediatrician, and Vice President of Integrated Care at Cityblock Health. In this episode, they talk about how you can get additional certifications with addiction medicine and the importance of technology in the improvement of health across all social factors.
[00:00] Introduction [07:51] Additional Certifications [09:55] Addiction Medicine [12:03] Tech to Decrease Disparities and Social Determinants of Health [15:23] What Dr. Tang Wishes He Knew As He Entered Medicine [19:47] What Dr. Tang Would Change About the Healthcare System [22:56] Parting Words Additional Certifications in Addiction Medicine
Addiction and substance use disorders are a huge driver of disparities. Plenty of risk factors that drive poverty, inequality, racism, and decreased access to care can also increase the risk for substance use. By creating more just and better systems as well as addressing addiction, substance use, and recovery, we have an opportunity to improve care in our society. Addiction is present across all specialties and certifications through the American Board of Preventative Medicine and being able to layer that additional knowledge and latest science is very helpful.
Utilizing Tech to Decrease Disparities
At the end of the day, tech in medicine is still all about the relationship between the provider, the provider team, and the patients. Predictive analytics and AI help determine who will be needing care to help predict and provide preventative care before someone ends up in the emergency room or the inpatient room unnecessarily.
You can reach out to Dr. Tang through his e-mail and LinkedIn.
 
To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 
You can also reach us through our social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach
Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. April Renee Ruffin. In this episode, they talk about everything you need to know about mentorship and finding the right mentor at the early stages of your medical career.
[00:00] Introduction [03:54] The Importance of Mentorship [09:30] How Do You Find a Mentor? [13:33] How Many Mentors Should You Get? [18:47] Dr. Ruffin’s Advice For Those Starting Out in Medicine [20:39] Parting Words The Importance of Mentorship
There’s existing literature that suggests how students excel academically and have higher graduation rates when they have a mentor no matter what grade they’re in. Mentors even help with promotions, sponsorships, and other career development. But beyond that, mentors also help you grow as a person. It helps you learn new skills, identify gaps in your own skill sets, and develop new ones. Mentees eventually become mentors and are able to keep that cycle going, mastering a certain level of expertise and being able to share that knowledge to someone else.
For graduate and medical students looking to find a mentor, first start with the community that you have around you. For undergrads on the other hand, you can look to certain professors that you may have a good relationship with, and even organizations. Look their bios up online and don’t be afraid to say hello and set an appointment. If you don’t have any organizations you can reach out to, you can take advantage of different clubs and organizations that have partnerships or affiliations with the school who can offer support and assistance. Harnessing the power of social media and finding your interest groups are also a plus.
You can find Dr. Ruffin on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 
 
You can also reach us through our social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach
Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor

Dr. Erkeda DeRouen talks to Dr. Thomas Campanella, a healthcare executive-in-residence at Baldwin Wallace, healthcare consultant, and former healthcare attorney. They talk everything about rural health: the challenges, initiatives, and technology involved to help improve it. 
[00:00] Introduction [03:00] Challenges Facing Rural Health [07:06] Initiatives for Rural Health [11:37] The Healthcare System, Legislature, and Technology [15:52] What Dr. Campanella Would Change About the Healthcare System [18:01] Parting Thoughts   Challenges in Rural Health
Looking at the major cities from a population standpoint, most of America is in rural areas. In Ohio where Dr. Campanella is from, 80/88 counties are in rural areas. Health care in those areas is neglected compared to the major cities. There are challenges in major cities, however, there is a need to redirect resources to the rural areas as well. The aging population is over 65% in rural America.
You can find Dr. Campanella on LinkedIn and send him an e-mail. 
 
To learn more about how MedSchoolCoach can help you along your medical school journey, visit us at Prospective Doctor. 
You can also reach us through our social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MedSchoolCoach
Dr. Erkeda’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctordgram/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ProspectiveDoctor