Ask an Expert … About Free Speech

The AAMC made significant strides in innovation through its collaboration with Thalamus, as well as enhancements to the MyERAS® application, expansion of the Fee Assistance Program, and introduction of new tools like the Dean’s Office WorkStation Analytics for Schools. Additional positive developments include streamlined program management, and reduced application costs. Further advancements include full integration of Thalamus Core for interview scheduling, holistic review scoring, enhanced data analytics capabilities, and improved user experiences. The AAMC reaffirms its commitment to supporting the medical education journey and remains responsive to community feedback while preparing for the 2024-25 application season with continued collaboration and innovation. 

Join us this week on “Beyond the White Coat” to talk about a group that is often forgotten about when we talk about diversity: people with disabilities. Guests Allison Kessler, MD, and Lisa Meeks, PhD, along with host AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, discuss why the number of disabled doctors continues to lag behind other underrepresented groups and what individuals and schools can do to help be more inclusive of those with disabilities. Stream wherever you get your podcasts.

As director of community relations and strategy at the AAMC, Penny Schnarrs does more than just support the AAMC Virtual Community. She is leading the charge to create positive and impactful change for AAMC constituents by providing a space for collaboration and community building. Tune in to this episode of “Ask an Expert” to learn more from Schnarrs about her work and why the AAMC Virtual Community is the place for people who want to collaborate across medical education.

Note: This episode contains a discussion about suicide and suicidality. Doctors have some of the best access to mental health resources, yet they have nearly double the risk of suicide when compared to non-health care workers. On this week’s episode of “Beyond the White Coat,” host AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, talks to Justin Bullock, MD, MPH, and Yunyu Xiao, PhD, about the stigmas that surround mental health in the medical profession and how those stigmas trickle down into patient care. Tune in to hear more about why it’s important for health care workers to take care of their own health and some ways that individuals and medical schools and teaching hospitals can create more supportive, inclusive environments.

On this week’s episode of “Ask an Expert,” Michael Dill, director of Workforce Studies at the AAMC, answers questions about physician burnout, its effect on patient care, and the potential impact on future physicians in creating a more sustainable health care workforce.

On the latest episode of “Beyond the White Coat,” join AAMC president and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, along with Susan Huang, MD, CEO of Providence Health Network, and LaTonya Trotter, PhD, MPH, associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, for a candid conversation addressing unprecedented levels of staff burnout, the staggering impact of rising prescription drug costs, and the nationwide crisis of staff shortages. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts.

On this week’s episode of “Ask an Expert,” Boyle joins us to share his story of when he fell in love with writing, his evolution from newspaper to nonprofit reporting, and the ongoing challenges of free speech on medical school campuses.

Free speech might be a hot topic right now, but this isn’t the first time it’s been in the news. For almost 2,500 years, free speech has been hotly debated among politicians, scholars, and average citizens across continents and cultures. What can we learn from millennia of debates? This week on “Beyond the White Coat,” we’re joined by Jacob Mchangama — CEO of the Future of Free Speech Project and featured speaker at Learn Serve Lead 2023: The AAMC Annual Meeting — to discuss not only what we can learn from the history of free speech, but also its future in the United States. Join host AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, as he and Mchangama discuss misinformation, hate speech, and more during this episode of “Beyond the White Coat.” Stream wherever you get your podcasts.

On this special edition of “Beyond the White Coat” constitutional law expert Ted Shaw and AAMC Chief Legal Officer Frank Trinity, JD, talk about the Supreme Court’s recent ban on race-conscious admissions. Shaw is a civil rights attorney and director of the University of North Carolina Center for Civil Rights, one of two institutions at the center of the court’s decision. Previously at the University of Michigan, Shaw helped initiate a review of the university’s admissions policy that was later upheld by the Supreme Court. In this candid conversation, the two legal experts discuss anti-DEI legislation, the use of standardized tests in college admissions, and why it’s important to have hope in times of adversity.

Amy Addams is the director of student affairs alignment and holistic review at the AAMC. In this role, she helps medical schools use holistic review to examine and revise admission processes to create a more equitable path to medicine. She also leads the AAMC’s work in improving equity and access for medical students and patients with disabilities. On this episode of “Ask an Expert,” Addams answers questions about the current role holistic review plays in the admissions process, the future of holistic review following the recent Supreme Court decision to ban race-conscious admissions, and the AAMC’s work in increasing diversity in medical school.