Skip to main content
The views expressed in this content represent the perspective and opinions of the author and may or may not represent the position of Indiana University School of Medicine.
Default Author Avatar IUSM Logo
Author

Stefan Tarnawsky

MS4 MD/PhD Student. Going into Internal Medicine; interested in Heme/Onc. Bread baker, bonsai artist, aspiring astronomer.

Showing results for Stefan Tarnawsky

The home stretch: an away rotation in Toronto

The asteroid (6478) Gault emits plumes as it begins to disintegrate from prolonged exposure to sunlight. ——————- April was my last clinical rotation of medical school. I had set aside May for vacation/travel/moving to St Louis and I wanted to do something special for my last month: Radiation Oncology at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  May 10, 2019

Pre-test probability in the ED

The March 2, 2019 launch of the Crew Dragon 2 capsule paves the way for the long-awaited return of human spaceflight from US soil. —————- Consider two patients with chest pain: A) stable 24F on OCPs with a history of anxiety. B) stable 65M with lung cancer presenting 4 weeks after bilateral knee replacements. Are […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  Mar 04, 2019

A Chilly Encounter

The Curiosity rover remains in action after 2291 sols! (AKA: a Martian day.1.027 sol/day). Here it is forced to forced to take a selfie near Rock Hall, because the Martians were too busy to lend a helping tentacle. ——– I walked into the ED expecting a chilly encounter. My new patient was a young woman […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  Jan 30, 2019

The ABIM Research Pathway: Fast-Tracking Residency to Become a Physician Scientist

The Korolev Crater on Mars. This picture from the ESA Mars Express mission shows there was a 2018 White Christmas somewhere in the solar system. —————— I’m committed to a career in research. To succeed I need (above all!) two things: time and mentorship. That’s why in 2011 I enrolled in the IU MSTP, which shortened the time to obtain both […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  Dec 30, 2018

Clinical Trials: What’s Under the Hood?

Camp Fire (in red) shows active forest fires near Paradise, CA with San Francisco shrouded in smoke in the low-middle. ———— “So why would anyone want to participate in this trial?” Clinical trials are the foundation of medical knowledge; they’re how we improve outcomes for our patients. Later in my career, I plan to participate in medical […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  Nov 19, 2018

Party at the BMT

NGC 3808, Arp87. Collision of two galaxies discovered in 18th century by William Herschel that will result in their merger. We’re having a party on the Bone Marrow Transplant unit. We called it a birthday celebration, but that name doesn’t really do it justice. It’s more of a rejuvenation, if not a re-birth. Because today […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  Oct 11, 2018

Mysteries of the Dark Room

As the fervor of Residency applications heats up, I wonder: how do I stand out in the sea of applicants? Which unique features of IUSM might give me a leg up on students from other schools? Both Geriatric and Critical Care are required core clerkships at certain schools. What is unique about IUSM? Our core clerkship in Radiology is one such unique experience. Imaging, after […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  Sep 26, 2018

The Consultant’s Life: Infectious Disease Clerkship

I chose my MS4 electives based on the skills I anticipate needing during my residency and future career. Since I’m going into Internal Medicine and Heme/Onc, the list of potentially-beneficial electives is long. One, however, stands out: Infectious Disease.  My future patients will have multiple risk factors for infection. First, malignancies inherently alter the immune system, diverting its […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  Aug 29, 2018

MSTP Human of IU: Stefan Tarnawsky

The Humans of IU is a new series to get to know your fellow students. This is its first installment. Stefan Tarnawsky is an MD/PhD student in his 8th and final year in the Medical Scientist Training Program at the IU School of Medicine. My life was never going to be linear. Born in Toronto, […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  Aug 17, 2018

Goals of an MS4

“I haven’t seen a patient since my sub-I in October!” – IUSM Student. Graduation Day, 2015. As an MS1, I needed to learn anatomy and the basic science underlying medicine. As an MS2, I needed to lean clinical medicine and pharmacology. As an MS3, I needed to learn the management styles of different medical sub-specialties […]

Stefan Tarnawsky  |  Aug 07, 2018