Medicine is more than science—it’s a human experience shaped by storytelling, reflection, and creativity. The Writing and Humanities Program at the Carver College of Medicine embraces this idea by exploring the artistic and humanistic dimensions of medical education and practice. Through a critical, transdisciplinary approach, we highlight how the humanities and arts deepen our understanding of medicine, patient care, and professional identity.
Our program offers:
- Elective courses and arts activities that allow medical students to engage with writing, literature, philosophy, history, visual arts, music, and performing arts. These experiences illuminate the role of creativity in medical education and practice.
- The Humanities Distinction Track, which encourages, supports, and recognizes students who pursue scholarship in creative writing, social sciences, public policy, and other humanities-related fields.
- One-on-one writing consultations to help students refine their work, whether it’s for scholarship applications, residency personal statements, CVs, research papers, abstracts, patient notes, presentations, correspondence, recommendations, or even creative writing projects.
By bridging medicine and the humanities, we empower future physicians to find their voice, craft compelling narratives, and cultivate a deeper connection to the art of healing. Whether you’re preparing for residency, writing for publication, or exploring your own creative expression, we’re here to help.
Camille Socarras, MA, Director
1-319-335-1682
David T. Etler, Support Staff
1-319-335-8058
The Short Coat Podcast: Exploring What Med Students are Becoming
The Writing and Humanities Program is proud to support The Short Coat Podcast, a show featuring the students of the Carver College of Medicine. For more, visit The Short Coat Podcast site.
Remember–you can send questions or feedback to theshortcoats@gmail.com! We love it!
Episodes from the Margins of Medicine
What Residency Program Directors Actually Want
Listener Baffled J. Whoseadaddy (not his real name) asked us why his med school kids complain that the residency application process is confusing and “a black hole.” This week, hosts Dave Etler, Chase Larsson, Zach Grissom, and Madeline Ungs unpack why no one can seem to agree on what residency programs want… and what they actually do.
Spoiler: it’s not a first-author publication, committee position, or flawless grades.
They’re joined by recent Carver College of Medicine grad Dr. Teneme Konne, now a full-fledged family medicine attending (and “professional yapper”), who spills the truth on how programs really evaluate applicants. From what happens behind closed doors during interview debriefs to how introverts can still stand out, we break it all down.
If you’re sick of performative CV-building, tired of mixed signals (literally), and unsure how to be “authentic” without sounding like a TED Talk… this one’s for you.
Episode credits:- Producer: Dave Etler
- Co-hosts: Chase Larsson, Zach Grissom, Madeline Ungs
- Guest: Teneme Konne, MD, CCOM ’22
We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.
The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening!
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