Meet the Medical Educators Behind MedStudy—Cathy Hatchell, MD Part Two
In part one of our interview with Dr. Hatchell, we talked about her work as senior editor of MedStudy’s new 18th Edition Internal Medicine Core. Today we share her insights on our new content, tips on using the Core, and what it’s like to work both as a medical educator and a practicing physician.
MS: The 18th Edition has new content in psychiatry, geriatric medicine, and women’s and men’s health. What was the rationale behind adding it?
CH: The new content is helping us be more comprehensive. It may not necessarily be a new subject area—often that content was within other sections. For example, female cancer may have been covered in the Oncology section. But now we’ve teased some of that out to a separate section. It makes it easier to remember and understand—which is kind of a reorganization and an update. We’ve always covered depression, bipolar [disorder], etc., but not in the detail that it probably deserves. A lot of the psychiatry was added, not just for the boards, but because it is a huge part of our patient practice. And geriatric medicine is a super-important part of practice in the clinical setting and for hospitalists. The population is getting older, and Medicare is recognizing internal medicine’s efforts on senior wellness. So, we’re trying to not only prepare docs for the examination but to give them the information they need to do their jobs.
MS: What would you say you’re most proud of in the new release?
CH: I loved writing the section on Zika. I just thought it was so interesting—really diving into that topic and trying to figure out what the state of things is right now. It’s such an emerging topic. It was so [often] in the news a year or so ago and becoming an expert—at least for that time—was really interesting.
I also liked working with the new writers. They’re coming in and wanting to do a good job. My focus was helping them to write differently from a lecture or a report paper or that kind of thing. I talked with them directly and gave them feedback, and they were very open to that.
MS: If you were talking to someone who had never heard of MedStudy, how would you describe the 18th Edition Core?
CH: I would say it is a comprehensive overview of internal medicine that is current, succinct, and easily understandable—a great study tool, as well as an ongoing educational tool that will help them in clinical practice.
MS: What advice would you give doctors on how to use the Core?
CH: I recommend going through it, looking at the Preview | Review questions, and reading a section, then going back later and using [the questions] as a review. What we’ve asked the writers and editors to do is to make sure those questions hit the highlights. So, if you can understand and remember the Preview | Review questions, as well as the areas that are highlighted, then you’ll have a good idea of what’s important for the board examination. I think our questions and Core Scripts® Flashcards are also so incredibly useful when preparing for the test—looking at the material, then doing some questions in that subject, for example, is a great way to help you prepare for the boards.
MS: Is there anything that you’d like to tell customers about the 18th Edition or MedStudy in general?
CH: I think it’s a great program. We have a great set of people who work on it and spend a lot of time to make sure it is accurate, easy-to-use, and will meet your needs, whether it is just continuing medical education or preparing for the boards.
MS: Do you have a favorite section in Core?
CH: I like Infectious Disease just because I think it’s interesting. I also liked looking at the new material and trying to figure out, “Is this applicable to my everyday practice?” I do a lot of women’s health and a lot of psychiatry [in practice], so that, too, is what I like—looking at and learning something new. Finding that material in the Core is good for me.
MS: You’re in practice and you work with MedStudy. How would you describe the fulfillment you find in practice compared to working on the Core?
CH: I have been in private practice here in Colorado Springs for 20 years. And I love it. I love the relationships with the patients, knowing them and their families, the problem-solving, trying to keep people healthy, and I feel like I really help people. I just moved from an office where I’ve been for 20 years, we joined UC Health as a medical group, and I’m working out of a new office in Monument, Colorado. That was difficult—hard to leave people you recognize, those relationships you sort of take for granted—because you need to establish [relationships] with new patients. But practice has changed a lot in 20 years. We don’t go to the hospital, we don’t go to the nursing home anymore. It’s really outpatient medicine. But it is awesome.
I love working with MedStudy because it helps keep me current. I think that’s probably the best aspect. I find it interesting to look at things that I wouldn’t necessarily see in my practice, but I should still know about—where things are changing. I also like to think about helping physicians like me pass their boards, do their certification exams. Whether it’s Core or Q&As or Core Scripts® Flashcards, I always try to ask, “Is this applicable to internal medicine?” I love this job—it’s great! It’s flexible, it’s always something new, and that I really like. It pushes me to know about things or do things that I have to teach myself. It’s challenging.
We’re grateful for the insights and expertise of knowledgeable contributors like Dr. Hatchell. Their efforts help us provide physicians with the most current information, while making it easier to understand and digest. Thanks for all you do!
