Session 7 with Dr. Scott Klein
Dr. Scott Klein grew up in Illinois. After earning a double major in biology and psychology at the University of Illinois, he pursued medical studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Following his academic journey, Dr. Klein undertook residency and training at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, honing his skills and knowledge in patient care. Now, as a Clinical Assistant Professor affiliated with Stanford, he teaches and mentors Stanford medical students. Dr. Klein is a primary care and urgent care physician at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Beyond the clinic, his passions include music, travel, and walks in nature. At home, he shares his space with two dogs, a cat, and a flock of twelve chickens.
Exploring different fields in medicine
Biotechnology
Has students from Stanford who don’t want to be physicians, but rather work in AI in medicine and other fields
Sports medicine
Rehab - nonsurgical sports medicine
Rehab - nonsurgical sports medicine
Educational Journey
Took AP Biology and Chemistry in high school
Was bio & psych major in college and researched neurobiology of behavior on rabbits
Went to the University of Chicago for medical school, and the hardest part was choosing which field to go into
Advice for students
In high school
Be well-rounded, rather than try to take many AP courses
Do things that you enjoy, so that you can stand out
Volunteer at hospitals
In College
apply to a broad range of classes and try to get into a research lab
Applying to medical schools
Apply to medical schools that send their alumni to fields you want to go into
If you can’t get in
Go through osteopathic medicine
Go to med school in a different country
Do research things that interest you, and apply to medicine after
Information about Residency
You have to get a match for the specific residency for the type of medicine that you want to practice after medical school
Internal medicine 3 yrs, geriatrics - internal medicine + 1 years, surgical fields tend to be 5+ years
Surgery is very competitive, but it is very demanding
The fastest residencies are internal medicine and pediatrics
Career as a physician
Was a hospitalist - Not a very balanced life because there is little time off
Primary care has more work-life balance
Teaches clinical medicine to Stanford med students
There is a transition from the time when medical students are just starting and they don’t know how to approach teaching students to the time when students are basically doctors and can approach appointments independently
Ambulatory care rotation - work in different clinics including endocrinology and internal medicine
Doesn’t do procedures anymore, but liked doing joint injections
Interesting case seen while mentoring medical students
Giant cell arteritis - a type of Vasculitis - an autoimmune disease
If not diagnosed in time it can cause permanent blindness
A patient came in with a headache and loss of vision
Treated with steroids, and ultimately retained vision
