What’s it like to take a year off from a grueling medical school residency program and trade your scalpel for a reporter’s notebook?
If nothing else, it’s a shift in perspective.
Last May, Kristina Krohn, an Internal Medicine and Pediatrics resident at the University of Minnesota Medical School, hung up her white coat to explore the ever-changing world of global health news coverage and communication. Kristina was selected to be a Stanford-NBC News Fellow in Media and Global Health.
The program, which began in 2011, provides a year-long experience for one young physician with an interest in media. The selected fellow completes rotation that includes stints at a World Health Organization regional office and NBC News in New York. Additionally, the fellowship allows time for training through Stanford’s journalism program.
Not too shabby if you’re interested in being the next Sunjay Gupta!
So as Kristina’s fellowship winds down (next year’s fellow has already been announced), we chatted about her experience — the highlights (one-on-one time with NBC News Chief Medical Editor Nancy Snyderman!), and what she’s learned so far. We also discussed her interest in media and how her time in the newsroom might affect her approach in the emergency room when she returns to her residency program.
Show notes
- Kristina’s blog documenting her fellowship experience (here’s her first post)
- Kristina on Twitter
Prefer text? Check out the Q&A from this interview.
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