Taking a pause to remember those who’ve served our country

I went to a small, Division II liberal arts school in Hillsdale, Michigan, called Hillsdale College (or simply “Hillsdale”). Here, I played football (earning multiple Varsity letters), and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. If anyone knows Hillsdale, they know of this college’s deep roots in investigating the guiding principles that shape our country, exploring our country’s history in internal and external affairs, and?paying tribute to those who serve our country. One of my former teammates, and friends still today, is steadily climbing the Navy ranks.?

I didn’t grow up in a military family. I do not know the first thing of what it is like to be a child and not see my mom or dad for months- to years-on-end because of active service obligations, nor can I say that I understand familial military traditions that may be passed down from one generation to the next. The extent of my military knowledge comes vicariously through the relationships I have with my friends and, now, future-in-laws (my fiancée's grandpa also served many years in the Navy, but he passed away about a year before I met her). ?

What I do know is that this weekend is an opportunity to pause and reflect, which can be hard for us physicians to do at times. I know things here in the United States (US) healthcare and medical education (MedEd) system aren’t perfect (very far from it, truth be told). Perhaps we need to get more creative and learn a thing or two from our neighbors to improve the access to and delivery of timely, equitable, affordable, and quality patient-centered care.?Whatever the case may be, though, no system is perfect. Amidst the many negatives or challenges to US healthcare and MedEd policy or practice we currently face, there are many positives we must remember:?

• We’ve hit new record highs in registered residency applicants (over 50,000) and successful matches (38,941 of 41,403 total possible positions filled) in 2024, so programs are increasingly filling training spots and producing independently practicing physicians to combat persistent workforce shortages ;
• Medical students and educators are increasingly leading initiatives to change the culture of medicine and modernize MedEd by (1) advancing educational techniques, (2) evolving clinical practices and care models, (3) emphasizing continuous quality improvement, and (4) enhancing interpersonal relationships through improved communication and teamwork;
• MedEd is being re-imagined and re-invented as it continues to integrate the world wide web (i.e., Internet), artificial intelligence, and metaverse applications (e.g., virtual reality) to better meet the current demands of, and address the social needs of, 21st-century healthcare;
• Increased emphasis is being placed on matters pertinent to diversity, equity, and inclusion to close critical diversity gaps in MedEd and healthcare quality, and strategies are continually being evaluated and implemented to “ensure compliance with accreditation standards, and improve health outcomes for all” per Boatright et al (2023) ;
• And, significant legislation has been passed by Congress over the past decade to focus on improving access to care for veterans in the US, though future studies are needed to better assess the longitudinal impact of these legislative decisions and what future policies may need to be implemented. ?

At the end of the day, if it were not for the multitude of sacrifices from those in our armed forces, we would not have the freedom to be physicians and practice medicine here in the US in the first place. Again, times are far from perfect, and we as an academic medical community are nowhere near keeping pace with the healthcare needs of not just US citizens, but populations worldwide. However, many physicians (across demographics) are engaging in innovative strategies and leveraging widely available platforms (like social media ) to lead change and provide actionable solutions to modern healthcare challenges.?

Many physicians will not be able to step back from their professional obligations this Memorial Day weekend as they may be on call or are covering hospital rounds (my fiancée, a resident family medicine physician, is one of them). Whether it is this weekend or another, though, let’s all find some time to step back, pause, reflect, and give thanks to those in our armed forces who made (and are making) the ultimate sacrifice so we may have the freedoms and opportunities to carry on with our personal and professional lives not just as US physicians, but US citizens. ?

For more information regarding Dr. Schukow and his “Monday MedEd Reflections” weekly newsletter, including important aims and disclaimers, please follow the link here .?