Why Pimping Works: The Neurophysiology of Emotional Memories

A time-honored medical ritual that combines emotion and cognition into a seamless consolidation of lucid memories is a feared teaching method in medical education. The resulting neurophysiology is explained from a neurosurgeon's perspective - equal parts guilt and dread as a prescription for an improved and sustained trainee fund of knowledge. Much of the available literature published with regard to pimping explores its pedagogy and use in medical practice. This review aims to explore the neurobehavioral and biological aspects of pimping in why it remains a popular teaching model. We describe the neuromodulatory process of integrating emotions and memory as observed during pimping. Additionally, we explore the neuronal pathways and circuits involved in memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. Finally, we explored the effects of this methodology as it is currently used in the United States medical education system.