Jason Ryan, MD: Physician Entrepreneurship, Boards and Beyond, and How to Improve Medical Education

In this conversation, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Dr. Jason Ryan, the creator of Boards and Beyond. We discuss how he started Boards and Beyond, what aspects of medical education are in need of reform, and why he is bullish on med ed entrepreneurship. 

In this episode, we cover Dr. Ryan's background, his roots in chemical engineering, and how he decided on internal medicine and cardiology. We delve into how Dr. Ryan started Boards and Beyond, as his first entrepreneurial venture in 2014. He discusses why and how he began the medical education company, how he incorporates feedback into the product, as well as the difficulties he has encountered running the business. We touch on problems with standardized testing, how residency programs evaluate applicants, and why attendings struggle to evaluate medical students. Finally, we discuss how to reduce costs in medical school and the difficulties medical schools have in finding medical preceptors.

Who is Jason Ryan?

Dr. Jason Ryan is a general cardiologist and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut. He received his MD and MPH from University of Connecticut before completing his postdoctoral training at Harvard’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Ryan is a gifted medical educator and the creator of Boards and Beyond, a video subscription service that provides a comprehensive review of USMLE Board topics. 

References:

• Boards and Beyond
• Twitter @jasonryanmd

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What is the External Medicine Podcast?

The External Medicine Podcast explores some of the most exciting ideas in medicine. Co-hosted by Daniel Belkin, MD, and Mitch Belkin, MD.