General Topics

Welcome, MS2s—Gray Matter, 38th Edition!

Gray Matter is Baylor College of Medicine’s student-built clinical handbook—first conceived by Mark Edelman and David Savage in 1986 and refined since then. Think of it as your quick, practical companion on the wards: what to do, how to say it, and where to click.

What this is (and isn’t)

  • Purpose: a concise, high-yield guide to pre-rounding, presentations, note-writing, EMR tips, clerkship expectations, and “how to shine” pearls gathered from students and faculty.
  • Not a replacement: keep using your CODs, didactics, UWorld, Anki, and clerkship materials—Gray Matter is a supplement, not a substitute.

How to use it

  • Jump via the hyperlinked Table of Contents to the rotation you’re on, or click on the relevant page on the mobile app.
  • Start each section with the “Tips for Success” and checklists; reference the imaging and orders pages when you’re stuck.
  • Look for callouts for time-savers and red flags for common pitfalls.
  • See something off? Use the feedback to help us patch it for next year.

Shout-out to last year’s writers (35th edition)

Huge thanks to the MS4 team whose work we built on: Luay Boulahouache, Nikita Gidh, Taegen Senawong, Hasham Dhakwala, Ashira Santos, Arman Yazdian, Piya Malhan, Tobi Soares, Vijay Nitturi, Jacqueline Ma, and Ramtin Kohandel with additional guidance from Sarah Kim and Samuel Shenoi. Your edition set the bar—this update stands on your shoulders.

Faculty oversight & partners

We’re grateful for ongoing oversight from Drs. Zaven Sargsyan, Lauren Rash, Anita Kusnoor, and Atul Maheshwari, and for input from clerkship leadership: Neurology—Drs. Bellows & Anandan; Psychiatry—Drs. Han & Williams; Ob/Gyn—Drs. Harris & Hall; Family Medicine—Dr. Sarkar; Pediatrics—Drs. Misra, McClure, Barak, Rueda & Clegg, and Dr. Bianca Gray; Internal Medicine—Drs. Rash, Sargsyan, & Caruso, with Drs. Lydia Glick & Trevor Jamison; Surgery—Dr. Rojas-Khalil and Dr. Nour Eddeen Bitar.

Special thanks to Dr. Anita Kusnoor for oversight of this project, and Deans Poythress and Morrow (Student Affairs) for their support.

37th-edition editorial team

This document has mainly been written by the following MS3s: Soham Datar, Ryan Chang, Adam Davis, Aydee Hinojosa, Isaac Miller, John Sholeen, Todd Snow, and Garrett Wortham.

Strive to learn fully on each rotation; the knowledge and skills gained in one will inform the next. Above all, treat your patients as your own. This is the part of medicine we have long anticipated. Enjoy it—and we hope Gray Matter helps you build new synapses.