The Medical Student Behind the Mask
Rachel Lawson describes her challenging experiences during her first year of medical school at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and how her experience was profoundly impacted by a vaccination clinic.
Mental Health and Wellness
This category contains reflections on how students maintain their mental health in school and deal with the stress of burnout.
Editor, Medical Student
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
I'm Rachel Lawson, a third year medical student at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. I earned my BS from GVSU in Psychology and English. During my undergraduate career, I worked as a writing consultant and loved the opportunity to connect with students over their writing. I enjoy creative writing, painting, and spending time with my new puppy, Georgia, in my free time.
One Act Can Impact a Lifetime
Medical student Ta’Nae Harrod reflects on working with a young patient regarding her dietary and mental wellness needs.
The Ward as Medicine
The Ward as Medicine is about how one’s fellow patients on the psychiatry ward can act as mirrors, teachers and inspirations to a patient. Specifically, it is about a mom who, hospitalized for suicidality stemming from her guilt and anger over how she has mothered her children, gets reconnected with the identity of motherhood while interacting with others on the unit.
Changes
Medical student Saud Rehman has written a collection of poems focusing on the lockdown of March 2020 with artwork to give a visual representation of how he felt. Often times the manifestations of moods unrelated to coursework go overlooked, especially in medicine, and Saud hopes that these provide a representation of the humanity behind students going through difficult times.
SIRS
Dr. Evin Anies utilizes haiku about systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) to reflect on his journey as a newly-minted physician.
Mentorship as a Tool for Identity Formation
Zain Khawaja, a medical student, discusses his experience as a mentee and provides insight on creating social support networks via mentorship
Pursuing Medicine as a Chinese-American in the Time of COVID-19
Henry Zou, an Asian American fourth-year medical student, reflects on the COVID-19 pandemic and finds courage and hope.
Who Am I?
Medical student Micaela Torres reflects on her progress in healing past traumas and improving her mental health.
The Blues of Code Blue
“Code blue!” They teach it as an algorithm and a protocol. But what you are not taught are the emotions attached to a code. I had just finished a cholecystectomy case on my surgery rotation and was walking by the medical intensive care unit when I heard “rapid response team, coronary care unit (CCU).” Since the CCU was not far and I am interested in emergency and critical care medicine, I decided to go to …
Continuity of Care
Medical student Madeleine reflects on challenges in medical adherence stemming from gaps in education about the disease as well as a lack of social and psychological support.
Chief Complaint: 27-Year-Old Female MS-2 Reports Feeling “Hollow”
Medical student Olivia Dhaliwal reflects on the weight of medical school and her feelings of “hollow”
Dark Sea
Medical student Lindsey Wright explores the stark contrast of love and grief after the loss of her father to cancer and finds solace in poetry and painting.
Medical Student Contributing Writer, Columnist
University of Utah School of Medicine
Lindsey Nae Wright is a member of the University of Utah School of Medicine class of 2022 and is interested in pursuing a career in Surgery. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Utah in Medical Anthropology and minored in Pediatric Research. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, and practicing yoga. She loves to sample fancy cheese and drink coffee. For her, writing is an important outlet that allows for creativity, making important connections, and processing life-changing moments.