That’s entertainment Medicine: The Musical headed to an off-Broadway theater A new musical chronicles the highs, lows and rigors of the first year of medical school. March 13, 2018Tuesday The DO Staff Contact The DO Staff Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email If you’ve ever jammed out to the soundtrack of “Hamilton” or “Wicked” and wondered what a musical about your life might sound like, “Medicine: The Musical” may have the answer. Written and composed by Michael Ehrenreich, MD, a practicing dermatologist in South Orange, New Jersey, the musical chronicles the highs, lows and rigors of the first year of medical school. “If there’s scut to do, you’ll do it with a grin … you’ll have lectures in the morning, then anatomy at noon, then we’ll round and round and round and round and round on patients until I’m satisfied,” the attending sings in “First Year Sucks” from “Medicine: The Musical.” Dr. Ehrenreich, cast and crew are currently preparing to perform the musical off-Broadway in New York City for two weeks in October at a to-be-determined venue. Dr. Ehrenreich hopes the musical will present medical school in a novel and accessible way to the general public, he told The DO in an email. ‘Humanizing medicine goes both ways’ “It’s not quite realistic—it is a musical after all—but I want people to get a sense of the pressure involved and how hard people work, and get the public to view doctors as people too,” he wrote. “Humanizing medicine goes both ways.” Years after he initially had the idea for the musical while a first-year, Dr. Ehrenreich wrote it over about three months in 2016. He says most viewers’ favorite song is “So You Want To Know How I Died.” “It’s the most comic element in the musical,” he says. In “So You Want To Know How I Died,” cadavers take the stage, reminding students that “You better make the most of what you have here, life can be much shorter than you know! You have a purpose!” The clips above and below are from a staged reading of the musical. More clips from the staged reading, including “OSCE” and “See One Teach One Do One,” are available on YouTube. More information about the musical is available here. In the musical's final scene, first-years celebrate advancing to the second year of their studies. More in Lifestyle Top 20 cities for physician retirees Jacksonville, Florida, Martinsville, Virginia, and Bozeman, Montana, top Medscape’s list. These cities have good recreation opportunities, a low cost of living and great health care. How burnout taught me to listen to my body Veronica Nkie, DO, MPH, reflects on exhaustion, self-awareness and the simple, sustainable habits that have helped support her well-being. Previous articleEqual pay and advancement for female physicians is webinar's focus Next articleWhy we advocate: DOs, students discuss education funding and medical volunteerism on DO Day
Top 20 cities for physician retirees Jacksonville, Florida, Martinsville, Virginia, and Bozeman, Montana, top Medscape’s list. These cities have good recreation opportunities, a low cost of living and great health care.
How burnout taught me to listen to my body Veronica Nkie, DO, MPH, reflects on exhaustion, self-awareness and the simple, sustainable habits that have helped support her well-being.