Shows
Becoming MDRewriting the Timeline: Pursuing Medicine After 20+ Years in Military Service with Mark BufordWhat does it look like to start medical school after an entire lifetime of discipline, leadership, and service?In this episode of Becoming MD I am joined by Mark Buford, a first-year medical student at Ross University School of Medicine, whose path to medicine began long after most. After serving more than two decades in the military, Mark made the bold decision to trade one demanding career for another — stepping from structured service into the uncertainty of medical training.Key points of this episode:How military discipline translates to medical school success.Ho...
2026-02-131h 10Becoming MDYou Were Never Meant to Be Just a Resume with Dr. Katie MetzlerMost medical students (yes, myself included) are stressed about the wrong things.In this episode of Becoming MD, a first-year family medicine resident Katie Metzler reflects on medical school with the perspective most students don’t have yet — what carried weight, what didn’t, and how confidence, boundaries, and authenticity mattered more than any single score. We talk candidly about preclinical burnout, the pressure to perform, and why becoming protective of your life outside medicine isn’t optional if you want longevity.Three takeaways that stayed with me:-Be intentio...
2026-02-0654 minBecoming MDBecoming a Competent Medical Student Without Being Perfect: A Different Conversation About Step 1You can do everything “right” in medical school and still feel like you’re failing - let's talk about it.In this episode, I talk with a female emergency medicine resident Daniella Dennis about the parts of training that don’t fit into study schedules or score reports — the fear of starting school again after time away, the pressure to always have the answer, and the realization that longer hours didn’t always translate to better learning.One of the best moments in this episode comes from talking honestly about navigating a major academic set...
2026-01-3059 minBecoming MDTo the Medical Student Wondering How to Stand Out and Become Their Best SelfImposter syndrome is loudest in the early years of training — when expectations are high, feedback feels personal, and reassurance is scarce. In this episode, we unpack the quiet truths of medical training: why so many students study in silence, why the need for approval never really goes away, and how isolating yourself can slowly convince you that you’re insignificant — even when you’re not. Dr. Paul Tran shares hard-earned perspective from every phase of the journey, from student to resident to attending and medical educator, including the moment he had to...
2026-01-2353 minBecoming MDDay in the Life of a Caribbean Medical Student: Surviving the First TermIn this episode of Becoming MD, we reflect on what life is really like as a first-semester medical student in the Caribbean. From the shock of the workload and pace to the reality behind the “beach school” stereotype, this conversation reveals what that transition actually feels like.We talk about why confidence in yourself is the most important preparation you can bring into medical school, how the sacrifices our loved ones made to get us here become fuel on the hardest days, and why mnemonics are some of the closest things medical school has to cheat codes.
2026-01-1659 minBecoming MDDifferent Systems, Same Doubts: Imposter Syndrome, Preclinical Survival, and Becoming MDMedical training may look different across the world, but the doubts feel the same.In this episode of Becoming MD, I sit down with an international medical student Rebecca Wanderer finishing up her clinical years who reflects on surviving the first two years of medical school. We talk openly about imposter syndrome, feeling “not good enough,” and the self-doubt that follows many premeds and medical students through preclinical training.In this episode, you'll hear:How to build study habits that carry you through exams when motivation and confidence are lowHow to c...
2026-01-0947 minBecoming MDFaith in the Fire: Becoming a Doctor When Life Falls ApartIn this episode of Becoming MD, we sit down with female physician Larissa Assam, MD, MPH whose path to medicine was anything but linear. Through seasons of loss, doubt, and stepping away from her dreams, she found strength in her faith and courage in the fire. Her journey reminds us that becoming a doctor isn’t always clean or predictable—sometimes it’s the comeback that defines you.Now a compassionate family physician, she shares how faith grounded her, how perseverance rebuilt her path, and how life’s hardest moments shaped the doctor she is today. T...
2025-12-1253 minBecoming MDMed School to Residency: Insights a PM&R Resident Wishes You KnewIn this episode, I sit down with a PM&R resident and content creator Clay Moss who doesn’t just “get real” about medical school—he opens the door to the parts of this journey most people never talk about. From navigating personal setbacks to carrying the mental weight of Step 1, he shares the kind of honest, unfiltered insight every med student deserves but rarely gets.Together, we dive into what actually builds resilience, how to recognize and dismantle imposter syndrome, and why choosing PM&R became a turning point in rediscovering purpose in medicine. This con...
2025-12-0536 minBecoming MDM2 Life: The Parts Nobody Talks AboutWelcome to Episode 1 of Becoming MD. We’re starting this journey with a conversation every med student, premed, and future clinician needs to hear.In this episode, I sit down with a friend and colleague — an M2 who brings real honesty to what medical school actually feels like behind the scenes. No highlight reels. No sugarcoating. Just raw, vulnerable truth about the self-doubt, pressure, and daily grind that shape you into the physician you’re becoming.We unpack what a real day-in-the-life of an M2 looks like, h...
2025-11-2851 minBecoming MDIntroducing Becoming MDWhat started as an idea to make medicine more human became a platform for stories worth hearing. In this short trailer, host Caitlin Calland introduces Becoming MD — a podcast built on honest stories, real conversations, and the truth about the road to becoming a doctor. It’s more than just another med school podcast — it’s a space to connect with those who’ve already walked the path ahead.Have questions you’d like answered on the show or someone you’d love to hear from? Email me at becomingmd.cc@aol.com - your input helps sh...
2025-11-0100 min