Curing the Curriculum

Students’ Take on Medical Education

Curing the Curriculum – Students’ Take on Medical Education We are international medical students in the Netherlands, engaging in conversations about what medical education is - and what it could be. We ask: What should medical education look like? And what did the curriculum forget to teach us explicitly? Join us on a journey towards more care, more humanity, and a curriculum worth shaping together.

Episodes

  1. JAN 25

    MedGPT: Can a chatbot teach medicine? – Kai Yu Ma #CTC09

    In this episode we start the conversation about a topic that you cant ignore anymore. Everyone is talking about and to AI. We were curious how this is affecting the world of medical education. Is it a huge problem that we outsource thinking? Can AI even “think”? Can AI replace teachers? How do we stay up to date with this rapid development? Kai Yu Ma, assistant professor, teacher and researcher at the UMCG, joined us to talk about those questions and many more. We discuss the background of large language models, implementations in the curriculum as well as risks, chances and hypothetical possibilities. The conversation gives some answers but probably even more new questions about what will come in the near future. Probably stuff to talk about again some time with different perspectives, so please feel free to let us know your thoughts and feelings on this topic. To contact us, get in touch via email: hi[At]curemeded.com & follow us on Instagram @curingthecurriculum

    48 min

  2. 12/16/2025

    Why we need leaders who actually care — Joshua Hartzell #CTC8

    Leadership isn't about titles or positions — it's about what you actually do. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Joshua Hartzell, retired Army Colonel and infectious disease physician, about why taking care of your team is the foundation of taking care of patients. From thanking your resident at the end of the day to stopping negative talk about other specialties, Josh shares practical wisdom from many years in military medicine. We discuss why silence is also feedback, how to give tough feedback when it matters, and why self-care alone won't fix a broken system. His book, A Prescription for Caring in Healthcare Leadership, is now available — and despite the title, it's not just for people in formal leadership roles. Students, residents, nurses, anyone navigating a team can find something useful inside. Oh — and why baking chocolate chip cookies might make you a better leader. To contact us, get in touch via email: hi[At]curemeded.com & follow us on Instagram @curingthecurriculum

    57 min

  3. 11/11/2025

    Who Am I as a Doctor? Professional Identity Formation with SCOPE #CTC7

    What actually makes you a doctor? Is it the white coat, the stethoscope, or something deeper? In this episode, we sit down with Margreet Smit and Miranda Trippenzee from SCOPE - the UMCG's expertise centre for personal development - to explore professional identity formation in medical education. We dive into the difference between socialization (fitting in) and subjectification (becoming yourself), and why both matter when you're navigating medical school. Along the way, we discuss why medicine feels a bit like dating, why students are people first and how reflection can help you become the kind of doctor you want to be - without burning out in the process. From stress and performance pressure to curious, healthy professionals: this conversation is about making space for who you are while becoming who you're meant to be. Check out SCOPE’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@scope-centerofexpertiseper1541/videos To contact us, get in touch via email: hi[At]curemeded.com & follow us on Instagram @curingthecurriculum

    50 min

  4. 10/14/2025

    The living mosaic - Role models in MedEd: Isabella Spaans #CTC6

    What is a role model and why does this matter in medical education? How do students choose their role models? How can I be a good role model? Together with Dr. Isabella Spaans, we explored these and more questions about a topic which is often mentioned but rarely discussed in depth. From her research which specifically focuses on role models in medical education, and especially the students' perspective, Isabella shares a lot of insights and many catchy comparisons like dating as well as cherries and other foods. To contact us, get in touch via email: hi[At]curemeded.com & follow us on Instagram @curingthecurriculum

    43 min

  5. 09/17/2025

    The Art of Saying No: Professional Resistance with Tasha Wyatt #CTC5

    How do you speak up when you think the surgeon is making a mistake? What does it mean to resist just to exist in medicine? Why should one steak up against social harm or injustice? In this conversation with Dr. Tasha Wyatt, we explore the idea of professional resistance - how learners can push back against hierarchy, hidden curriculum, and systemic injustice to protect their identity and integrity. Drawing on Wyatt’s influential work, including ‘Those Darn Kids’ and ‘I Have to Resist Simply to Exist’, we discuss how resistance can be both a burden and yet a powerful form of agency. From resistor identity formation to the risks of speaking up, this episode asks what it really means to be “professional” in environments where silence is often safer, yet detrimental. To contact us, get in touch via email: hi[At]curemeded.com & follow us on Instagram @curingthecurriculum

    1h 2m

  6. 07/15/2025

    The Hidden Curriculum - unspoken lessons of med school: Fred Hafferty #CTC4

    What is the hidden curriculum of medicine and why don’t we talk about it? Join us and hidden curriculum veteran Professor Fred Hafferty in exploring the informal norms and invisible forces shaping medical training. We talk about students as sheep vs. cats, the possible rise of altruistic zombies, and why the question “Will this be on the exam?” reflects more than it seems. Fred shares bold ideas for a utopian future curriculum - one that values meaning over metrics and co-creation over compliance. It’s a deeper, longer listen that just might change how you see medical education.

    2h 45m

  7. 06/11/2025

    Curing reflective zombies in med school: Anne de la Croix #CTC3

    Are you familiar with reflective zombies? They follow every reflection step. They write the reports. They check the boxes. But nothing real happens. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Anne de la Croix, Assistant Professor at Amsterdam UMC and humanities expert, about how reflection in medical education has lost its soul. We unpack the concept of skillification - the reduction of rich, complex human qualities like reflection and empathy into simplistic, assessable behaviours. And we ask what true reflection could look like if we dared to leave space for discomfort, uncertainty when at an impasse (aporia), and real honest learning. Join us for this powerful plea for letting humans show themselves. For real. And maybe, just maybe… avoiding the next zombie apocalypse.

    33 min

  8. 05/13/2025

    From McDreamy to Burnout: Dan Shapiro #CTC2

    Burnout isn't just about an individual being tired - it's about systems that forget you're human. In this episode of Curing the Curriculum, we talk with Dr. Dan Shapiro: clinical psychologist, burnout researcher, and former consultant for Grey’s Anatomy. From missed meals to midnight lectures, we unpack how medical training sometimes breaks the very people it aims to build. Dan shares what leadership and listening should look like and how the Dutch healthcare system might just be getting things right. Oh - and why pizza nights aren’t enough. Get in touch via email: hi[At]curemeded.com & follow us on Insta @curingthecurriculum

    53 min

  9. 04/22/2025

    Let’s talk about medical education #CTC1

    We discuss our background and why we started 'Curing the Curriculum'. As international medical students in the Netherlands, we hope to engage in conversations about what medical education is - and what it could be. Please join us on a journey towards more care, more humanity, and a curriculum worth shaping together. Get in touch via email: hi[At]curemeded.com & follow us on Insta @curingthecurriculum

    23 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

Curing the Curriculum – Students’ Take on Medical Education We are international medical students in the Netherlands, engaging in conversations about what medical education is - and what it could be. We ask: What should medical education look like? And what did the curriculum forget to teach us explicitly? Join us on a journey towards more care, more humanity, and a curriculum worth shaping together.

Information

  • Creator
    Students’ Take on Medical Education
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Curing the Curriculum