Writing and Humanities Program

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

Tips and Tricks for Crushing it in Clerkships

Thursday, January 15, 2026

What to expect for med students moving from classroom to exam room

The beginning of clerkships mark a medical student’s progress from theoretical learning to practical application of what they’ve been taught. This past week, our M2s received a 4-day long orientation to clerkships (we call it “transitions week”), and M2s Samantha Gardner and Alexis Baker were joined by M3s Fallon Jung and Zach Case to talk about this important milestone. What are clerkships like? How will students know what to actually do? Who will they be working with? What are residents and attendings looking for when they evaluate a clerkship student? How should they react when a patient says something out-of-pocket?

There’s so much to be learned in clerkships…including that they really are prepared to enter the real world, even if they don’t yet feel it!

Episode credits:

Producer: Fallon Jung
Co-hosts: Zach Case, Samantha Gardner, Alexis Backer

The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions.

We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

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.

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat

They Way Most Docs are Paid Doesn’t Lead to Healthier Patients (Recess Rehash)

Thursday, January 8, 2026

[ICYMI, here’s a rerun of a show released earlier this year. We’ll be back with new shows starting next week!]

How the system pays doctors can change healthcare outcomes—sometimes in scary ways.

The way docs are paid can make patients sicker…or can lead to healthier ones. The payment schemes most docs work under incentivize them to fix patients, while others motivate them to prevent illness—and geriatrician Dr. Jonathan “Nathan” Flacker is here to explain why. This episode rips the curtain off RVUs, fee-for-service traps, and the real reason your doc is rushing through your visit (hint: it’s not personal, it’s math).

We dig into ChenMed’s wild idea: what if clinics got paid to keep you out of the hospital? Turns out, when money flows toward health instead of procedures, everyone wins. Except maybe the $400M proton beam facility (for the record, we love proton beams, but you might not need them if you can avoid cancer altogether).

Is concierge-style medicine only for the wealthy? What happens when you build “rich person care” for low-income seniors? And how many patients can a doc see well before it all breaks? If you’re dreaming of a career where you actually help people instead of just clicking boxes—this one’s a wake-up call.

Also: Love calls, RVU debt, and why pajama time should be illegal.

Episode credits:

Producer: Jeff Goddard
Co-hosts: Riley Behan-Bush, Zach Grissom, Alex Nigg
Guest: Dr. Jonathan “Nathan” Flacker, ChenMed

We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you. Music provided by Argofox. License: bit.ly/CCAttribution
DOCTOR VOX – Heatstroke: youtu.be/j1n1zlxzyRE
Catmosphere – Candy-Coloured Sky: youtu.be/AZjYZ8Kjgs8
Hexalyte – Wandering Hours: youtu.be/FOAo2zsYnvA

Demand to Be Called ‘Doctor,’ or Let It Slide (AITA)? (Recess Rehash)

Friday, January 2, 2026

[It’s winter break, and everything has come to a halt here, including podcasting. We’ll be back soon, promise!]

Reddit’s “Am I the Asshole?” makes us question everything

Reddit’s “AITA?” brings out the best and worst in people—and this week, we’re analyzing some choice cases through the lens of med school. M1s Srishti Mathur, Sahana Sarin, Maria Schapfel, and Mahaasrei Ghosh debate whether people in these scenarios are truly in the wrong or just victims of someone having a very bad day.

We break down the pressure on pre-meds and med students to do research, the value of publications, and the “gunner” mentality. Is bench research a necessary evil, or are pre-meds wasting their time? When is it appropriate to insist on being called ‘Doctor?’ Is it okay to go nuclear to take someone down a notch when they need it? Is a degree in design and marketing as important as an MD? It’s a chaotic mix of ethics, egos, and existential crises—so strap in.

We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast! Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshortcoat
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theshortcoat