THRILLED is the understatement of the year!
So happy-proud-ecstatic to be representing
@unmc
for 5 more years in the Department of Radiation Oncology!!!
#1
TOP CHOICE! ☢️👏🏼⭐️🎉🥰
#MatchRadOnc
Here I am, once again, asking all cancer centers to consider art and meditation in their architectural design - because WHAT A START to my day to walk through the Chihuly Sanctuary
THRILLED is the understatement of the year!
So happy-proud-ecstatic to be representing
@unmc
for 5 more years in the Department of Radiation Oncology!!!
#1
TOP CHOICE! ☢️👏🏼⭐️🎉🥰
#MatchRadOnc
Hello
#MedTwitter
&
#Match2024
I’m Laura Flores. I’m a current MD-PhD in Nebraska, and a hopeful future
#RadOnc
☢️
My passions include:
🦴 Bones (my PhD = exercise for osteoporosis prevention)
👩🏽⚕️ Health disparities research
🌯 Bean & cheese burritos
Excited to meet you all
For the past 2 years, my med school friends and I have been hard at work on a financial literacy curriculum. This year, we collected data on how little financial ed medical students get & submitted an abstract on the topic. In 2 weeks, we get a chance to meet the
@WCInvestor
!
Had a major science breakthrough at the gym —> running back to lab to look at my data again. The MD/PhD route was DEFINITELY the correct choice. 👩🏻⚕️👩🏻🔬
On Indigenous Peoples' Day, we celebrate Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Indigenous woman to earn a medical degree.
Visit the gallery in Wigton Hall to learn more about her legacy
Read more about this incredible woman here:
I got to spend some time on inpatient internal medicine last week & my PhD research came in handy for a real life patient! What an unbelievable feeling.
The
#MDPhD
track is long, but I think this is what it feels like to be a physician-scientist 🥳💪🏽
OUT NOW in
@JAMANetworkOpen
🙌🏾
💉We investigated a decade of U.S. based registered vaccine clinical trials.
❓ Are racial/ethnic minority & female & older adults underrepresented among trial participants?
📊 230 trials, 219,555 participants
Survived surgery, passed the shelf after 4 years away from medical school to complete my PhD 🎉- now headed to rural Nebraska for my family medicine clerkship!
Off Twitter for a few weeks to marry my best friend!
We were married outdoors at the Omaha Zoo, our favorite place to spend time (note the elephants 🐘)
I am cherishing our time together before he starts residency and I wrap up my PhD and head back to medical school 🥰
I had zero publications until my third year of my MD-PhD program 🤷🏻♀️
I spent my undergrad focused on philosophy, which ultimately prepared me very well to succeed where I am now.
Undergrads, do what you like, and weave it into a story about where you want to go next.
If any undergrad out there doesn't have a publication, don't be discouraged fro applying to graduate school! It is not a reflection of your ability as a scientist! This trend in review comments needs to stop. n/n
What do you do when all of your classmates are taking their residency headshot and you still have 4 years left of training? Take a new headshot at the MDPhD retreat! Thanks
@MarandaThomps
for your phenomenal photo taking skills
#DoubleDocs
Best part of in-person interviews (besides trading Omaha -14* blizzard for Houston 70* sunshine)?
Meeting amazing co-applicants who will undoubtedly lead the field one day 🥹☢️
T-Minus 1 week until the return to medical school!
Any advice for the PhD —> MD transition? 👩🏻🔬👩🏻⚕️
I am a bit anxious about 1) making new friends 2) letting go of research responsibilities 3) how to fit everything in my white coat pockets???
@A_P_S_A
@jacepeabody
#DoubleDocs
It was wonderful to be part of the
#BeEthical
movement at
#SheLeadsHealthcare
this weekend! I am thrilled to have a mentoring community in Omaha that works to cultivate equality and leadership in themselves and in students like myself! 👩🏽💻👩🏽🔬 Boston was a blast with you all! ❤️
Got my vaccine today.
An unfortunate reminder that Hispanic Americans were 2.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19 in 2020.
We need to protect our vulnerable communities + empower them with resources to protect themselves 💉👩🏽🔬💪🏽👩🏾⚕️
#IAmUNMC
Ready to speak at
@JulieSilverMD
's new course all about fast-tracking academic publishing and promotion! 📚
Today I will be talking about science communication & data visualization! 📊📈
This is my 4th Women's Leadership Course, and 1st as a presenter 🔥
See throwback below
It finally happened. What I thought was an ERAS Halloween legend.
Interview invite at 8:56am, all slots filled when I logged in at 9:02am. Incredible speed!
Spooooookyyyy 👻👻👻👻👻👻
Got a poor (not fundable) score on my grant 🤷🏽♀️
Shared the news with the
#SheLeads
group tonight 👩🏽🔬👩🏼💼
Responses from mentors & peers ranged from “you are earning your research stripes” to “I will send you my funded app”
Thanks to my support system!
@JulieSilverMD
@jacepeabody
Being in Boston for
#SheLeadsHealthcare2019
is the highlight of my year. I love learning from inspiring women in medicine from across the 🌎 Globe! Key takeaway:Elevating women in research is crucial to the betterment of science
#NeedHerScience
Honored to be the recipient of a 2021 ASBMR Young Investigator Award! Thanks
@ASBMR
!
Stoked to present pilot data on risedronate for lean mass preservation in October! 🦴💪🏽
Our manuscript, "Assessment of the Inclusion of Racial/Ethnic Minority, Female, and Older Individuals in Vaccine Clinical Trials" was recently noted as a "Highly Cited Paper" on Web of Science 🏆
A 🧵 on the findings as we continue to move forward in vaccine clinical trials
My mentee has written one of the most beautiful personal statements I have ever read, weaving her culture together with her life experiences, to create a passionate yet humble argument for her desire to pursue medicine
I am a proud mentor & blown away by today's applicants 🥰🥲
I want
@ASBMR
to know how meaningful this scholarship is. This award:
1. Helped me attend
#ASBMR19
2. Demonstrated our societies’ commitment to diversity & inclusion
3. Reminded me I am supported in doing research I love!
#MDPhD
#Bone
#BariatricSurgery
Something I didn’t consider when I was applying to MDPhD programs?
The presence of an ice rink on campus.
Sure, P/F curriculum is nice, and availability of mentors is super important- but hear me out, free ice skating and hot chocolate during finals week ☕️⛸️❄️
@unmc
You *could* do an MD-PhD just to get med school paid for if ur OK w
🔹 7-10 yrs on a grad student stipend
🔹going thru the trials of a PhD for yrs
🔹postponing attending salary
🔹taking add'l courses
🔹have ur peers as ur attendings
But why, if it's not ur passion?🤷🏽♀️
#DoubleDocs
MD-PhD Scholar, Laura Flores, has been accepted into the Yale Ciencia Academy for Career Development! This is a very competitive program that only accepts 40 graduate students per year and provides mentoring for career advancement, leadership skills, etc. Congratulations, Laura!
Calling PDs!
@MarandaThomps
& myself are putting together a talk for MDPhD students on ERAS & applying for residency
MDPhD students miss out on critical advising for residency applications because people sometimes ~don't know what to do with us~
We would like your input!
Top 10 Tips for Women Leaders from
@JulieSilverMD
this morning!
Excellent to see familiar names in the chat & to see
@TiffanyLovePhD
moderating this opening session.
1) Realize the world was not built for women- see an example below, even the TOOLS we use are not made for us
Took a phone call with a young woman who wants to pursue an MD-PhD, yesterday. She thought I was doing her a favor by answering her questions, but actually she was doing me a favor by allowing me to listen. Her excitement and passion for this program was so energizing for me
Our MD-PhD graduation dinner didn't quite capture the 8 years of joy (and a sprinkle of suffering here and there) but it did come close!
@UNMCCOM
@UNMC_mdphd
Gearing up to present our work on Prehabilitation in Radiation Therapy at
#ASTRO2023
💪🏾🍏💊
Buckle up for a thread (
@NicholasZaorsky
style, with a nod to his work in this area too!)
Our work is a scoping review describing
#Prehab
in RT, with the one and only
@JulieSilverMD
#WallsDoTalk
I am so grateful to have my voice heard and validated. I was nervous to share, but the support I have received is unreal 👩🏽🔬👩🏽⚕️
#IamUNMC
UNMC medical student Laura Flores is a finalist in the Walls Do Talk Challenge, empowering medical students to share their vision for the optimal anti-bias educational experience. Vote for her profound entry here:
This year, I want my priorities to shift back to humanities, so I registered for an English class: "Writing About Sickness and Health." Attached is the reading list. In an 8 year program like
#MDPhD
, it's important to nurture our passions & reassess our direction every so often.
Such a nice feature from the
@UNMC_AA
@UNMC_GSA
&
@unmc_success
🥲
I don't know about "A Rising Star" - I prefer to think of myself as a rookie on an all-star team! ⭐️🌟
Application signed, sealed, delivered ✍🏼 ✉️ 📦
(And paid for, which is the biggest accomplishment)
Looking forward to meeting my future
#radonc
colleagues this fall 🥲⭐️
Hello
#MedTwitter
&
#Match2024
I’m Laura Flores. I’m a current MD-PhD in Nebraska, and a hopeful future
#RadOnc
☢️
My passions include:
🦴 Bones (my PhD = exercise for osteoporosis prevention)
👩🏽⚕️ Health disparities research
🌯 Bean & cheese burritos
Excited to meet you all
BIG updates about grad school this week:
🎉
@unmc
fellowships were announced,
@MarandaThomps
& myself were both awarded one!
🦴 I was selected for an
@ASBMR
Young Investigator Diversity Award for the national meeting!
👏🏽 I registered for a NEW science communication class!
An excellent find at the San Diego art market during
#ASBMR2021
(Unintentional) Osteoporosis earrings!
Only a bone researcher would see these and think of pathology- but I do love them!
Update, our abstract was accepted! 🙌🏽 We can’t wait to share how effective our 4-part, financial education seminars have been at our home institution!
@WCInvestor
let us know if you are looking for more student op-eds! We have a lot of opinions on
#finance
in grad education!
For the past 2 years, my med school friends and I have been hard at work on a financial literacy curriculum. This year, we collected data on how little financial ed medical students get & submitted an abstract on the topic. In 2 weeks, we get a chance to meet the
@WCInvestor
!
For current M3
#RadOnc
hopefuls, now is a good time to start thinking about aways!
Below is a list of great PAID (💰) aways for URM applicants:
Kicking it off with the scholarship that helped me afford an away (Thanks
@UMichMedSchool
!)
@Inside_TheMatch
What an HONOR to be given the opportunity to present Grand Rounds today. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of interaction after the talk. It was a beautiful experience to present to a group who values
#MinoritiesInMedicine
and I gained so much from the audience <3
Laura Flores begins her grand rounds discussion on “The Color of Medicine.” Flores will discuss the challenges specific to under-represented populations in medical school.
@DrHowardLiu
@unmc
No
#SheLeadsHealthcare
annual conference in person this year but I am excited to be participating virtually!
#HerTimeIsNow
I am thrilled to be mentored by
@JulieSilverMD
who focuses on data-driven strategic initiatives to promote & support diversity in the healthcare workforce
Hi NIH, I, a female from an underrepresented ethnic group in medicine and research, resubmitted my F30 today.
Time to 💫 enhance diversity and inclusion!
Got my intern schedule and (with a sufficient amount of current optimism) I think it might be the best schedule I’ve ever seen.
T-minus 10 days to graduation!
Okay I am doing it.
I am going to work on my dissertation discussion instead of cleaning, cooking, checking emails, twitter scrolling, online shopping, and other tasks that are blatant ways to avoid writing.
Wish me luck. Thank you for your time.
Submitted an NIH F30 with the help of an AMAZING team! It was a HUGE undertaking and I learned so much in the process. Can’t wait to celebrate together in the future! Thank you for your support
@DrHowardLiu
@DrJustinMott
@doleynik3
@kp_meyer
and especially
@Laura_Bilek
🎉🎉
PGY-0 = this weird limbo time where M4s panic about the urge to prepare and the urge to relax and then end up doing neither and feeling worse than before 🤷🏽♀️
🧠Interviewing for residency has helped me reflect on + articulate my goals
❤️It has forced me to be thoughtful about what I want in training and how to ask for it
🙌🏾The best part is the programs that show their support & enthusiasm in return
#RadOnc
really is the best field
What is your mission statement? Crashed a faculty event to hear from a role model in gender and racial equity
@arghavan_salles
So glad to be here to learn and grow 🌱
Big post on the eve of
#WomenInMedicine
month and the kickoff of the
#GiveHerAReasonToStay
campaign -
‼️ I had some serious struggles in grad school
🩺 Each struggle presented an opportunity to step away from medicine
♥️ Without my support system, I might have
I know everyone is excited for match day (me too) but let me tell you all even better news-
I signed up to judge an upcoming science fair and it’s at THE ZOO!
Just a sampling of skills my PhD taught me that med school did not:
1) How to *appropriately* get informed consent
2) How to read a research paper
3) How to interpret data
4) Barriers to clinical trial access
5) Science communication
6) How to be a human
Things NOT to say to an MD/PhD student: “well your PhD doesn’t really matter because you’ll just go practice medicine anyway”
My PhD does indeed matter just as much as anybody else’s with or without med school thank you very much 🦇🦠💊🩺🧬🧫👩🏽🔬👩🏻⚕️
#doubledocs
First but definitely not my LASTro!
(get it? LASTro? ASTRO?)
Had an amazing time at
#ASTRO23
, met so many fabulous people, connected with medical students from all over the country, presented a poster, & ate so many fish tacos. Excellent all around!
@ASTRO_org
@ARRO_org
Headshots -> Last residency interviews 🎉
Stay tuned for a list of highlights from residency interviews (from meeting other applicants to fangirling over famous radonc editorial writers!)
#Match2024
A good time to serve as a example:
I had ZERO publications when I applied for my MD-PhD program.
I had ZERO publications until my third year of my MD-PhD program.
Publications are a dumb gatekeeper. Thanks.
I just did a livestream answering questions about PhD applications and am really concerned about the number of people who think that having published papers is an absolute prerequisite for admission to a PhD program.
I had such an incredible experience at the ECTS PhD training course in Bologna, Italy 🇮🇹 I learned so much about:
👩🏽🔬 Basic bone biology
👩🏻⚕️ Clinical trial methods
👥 Rare disease models
🇮🇹 And Italian and European culture! Thank you
@ASBMR
for the scholarship!
@AcademyEcts
If you would have told college Laura she would be pursuing an MD-PhD dual degree and wandering around Harvard before spending a few days with major players in women’s equality in healthcare, she would have never believed it
@JulieSilverMD
&
@LaurieBaedke
definitely made an impact
PEOPLE. I got my F30 summary statement today (Thanks to
@MarandaThomps
for preparing me for what this might feel like) The comments were appropriate & kind & I believe will help me really strengthen the re-submission. In a sea of suggestions, this kind comment stuck out to me 😊
It’s time to highlight some ladies in radiation
#WeWhoCurie
☢️
Our next M4 is
@JKMatsui
In addition to her work studying CNS and peds (check her TWO posters at
#ASTRO23
👇🏽) she has an organic chemistry PhD 🔥 and about a half a million publications
Got my very own
@JulieSilverMD
mug in the mail for the holidays 🥰🥰
Grateful today and every day for the mentorship and teamwork you have provided me. This is such important and impactful work and I am glad we are doing it together! 💪🏽
The best part of my week was receiving a
#HeForShe
mug from
@JulieSilverMD
!
It was an honor to partner on a paper on how
#WomenInMedicine
are documenting the gender pay gap
In 2021, we must close the pay and promotion gap for women and BIPOC faculty!
My med classmates are interviewing for residency now. The saddest things I’ve heard (repeatedly) are “they didn’t know who I was” and “I don’t think they read my application”
Years of accomplishments boiled down to an app no one read
@jbcarmody
&
@Maya_Michigan
please fix this
@ilanarosman
@DrGrant276
@Maya_Michigan
And I would spend a lot more time reading an application if there was real interest in my program. A LOT more time. Imagine if we could avoid reading 550 applications from EVERYBODY in the country, and just focus on 100 for whom we are a good fit (geographically, size, etc)
My contribution to query rejection erasure poetry brought to you by
#Match2024
Remember, not every place is the right fit, and that’s okay!! It’s also healthy to laugh with your friends and turn your rejections into nice compliments 😂
My contribution to the brave new genre of query rejection erasure poetry. I got this rejection (along with about 100 others) in 2021 and now my book is coming out in 2024... never give up, friends! ✨
7 years ago, today, I presented my first ever poster at the
@UNMC_mdphd
SURP poster day --> Fast forward to today, a full PhD immersed in my pediatrics rotation just living the dream. Wild!
Big takeaways for PhD students:
💃🏽Pursue hobbies unrelated to your field or work
🗣Talk about something other than your research
✍🏼Every week take some "me time"
💡Try therapy
Perfect timing for our second
#YCA
chat on
#wellness
tomorrow
@CienciaPR
@moefeliu
@amy_nusbaum
Wow! Being referenced personally in JAMA as an “artist” might be the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me! Not only is this article an incredible highlight of the work
@JulieSilverMD
does constantly to strive for diversity, but this is also a super cool moment to experience!
Love love love the "Two pies" exercise.
I am trying to learn how to allocate time earlier in my career, so I can have better balance when things get a lot more challenging later.
Things I haven't put in my pie, but really want to: creative writing, bioethics, return to spin!
On our way to
#ASBMR2021
Glad to be
#FullyVaxxed
and
#Masked
with other bone experts in San Diego 🌴
Check out our E-Poster and come see me for a full run down of our project!
Risedronate for lean mass preservation following sleeve gastrectomy 💪🏽👩🏾⚕️
A big congratulations to Laura Flores (G2 scholar) and Brandon Lew (G3 scholar) for being recognized as Graduate Students of Distinction at today's Annual Graduate Faculty Meeting. Andrew Cannon (G4 scholar) and 13 other talented graduate students currently hold this honor.
Re: Diversity and inclusion on the interview trail
“So show me your residents. Show me your program leadership and division chiefs and department chairs and deans. If all I see is a bunch of old white dudes, your commitment to diversity is either newfound or insincere.”
Time for a new feature - the inaugural Sheriff of Sodium Mailbag.
Real questions from real readers, covering interview caps, how to evaluate a program virtually, and Step 1 pass/fail potpourri.
What a week for scholarship!!
Received my copy of “Workforce and Diversity in Psychiatry” edited by the one and only
@DrHowardLiu
It never gets old seeing my name next to my mentors
@JulieSilverMD
@SAStrongMD
Should “professionalism” include DEI? A resounding YES from us ✅
College of Medicine briefs
Not to overshadow the eclipse (see what I did there?) but I’m very proud to finally put my philosophy degree to use!
(see, it was a good idea mom and dad)