Medical Student Contributing Writer
University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
Katelyn is a medical student with a passion for issues around access to care.
Medical student Katelyn Girtain writes about her experiences as a child of a disabled mother that contributed to the lack of proper insurance and ultimately the occurrence of preventable health issues. She also explores relevant policies and the lack of literature on the impacts of parental disability/lack of insurance on children.
Four years ago, as I clung to my seat on a bus teetering back and forth on a one lane rocky road up the Jamaican hillside, I thought I knew what it meant to be a part of the medical community. I grew up in a family of doctors and nurses and, while none pressured me into the field, I felt drawn to it.
Medical student Sara Phillips writes a personal reflection, grounded in scholarly literature, that details her exploration of racism as a mechanism for perpetuating disparities in maternal health outcomes. The piece traces discriminatory policies and actions undertaken by physicians and leaders in the field of obstetrics and gynecology to portray a historical origin for contemporary health inequities. Interacting with these grim stories and statistics, she reflects on what it means for her to seek out a career in OB/GYN to confront this prejudicial history and create a more just path forward.
Medical student Lekha Reddy discovers the “hidden tools” that physicians use beyond the scope of lab tests, drugs and consults. She marvels at the power of a new hidden tool — reassurance — during a pediatric emergency room visit.
This creative piece explores the internal dialogue that a gay patient has with himself when his provider fails to use inclusive language and offers a question that probes disclosure.
Medical student Micky Akinrodoye reflects on his experiences of being a part of the care team for a complicated patient. With the understanding that every patient has a unique story and life experiences, Micky shares his outlook on the type of physician he would like to become in the future.
Read more to find out how three seemingly straightforward words, for medical student Charna Kinard, represented a spectrum of emotions, feelings and connotations in the setting of national news regarding policing and the Black Lives Matter movement and how this has shaped her path towards physicianship.
Medical student Jake Bardell poetically epitomizes the art of medicine: navigating the nuances that lie beyond the logical and algorithmic thinking expected of doctors.
Future doctor Chidera Okafor contextualizes her struggles with depression, anxiety and apparent surreality with the world around her, while deftly shining the spotlight again on the often overlooked and unaddressed aspect of a physician’s world: self mental health.
Medical student Lindsey Nae Wright discusses the unique and life-altering experience of practicing the physical exam on her dying father. Her experience has turned the happy color yellow into something darker.
Medical student Shivani Sundaram underscores the daily struggles and reality faced by those with dementia and memory disorders through a recognizably “normal” conversation.
Medical student Navjot Singh teaches us how to surmount racism with composure, grace, and courage.
Medical Student Contributing Writer
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
My name is Navjot Singh, and I am a fourth-year medical student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. I decided to pursue a career in medicine after having a profound experience along with wonderful mentorship during a medical mission trip to an orphanage in India. Starting off as a volunteer with the escort department at RWJUH to eventually matriculating and now almost graduating medical school, it has been an amazing journey full of growth in retrospect. I plan to specialize in interventional spine and sports medicine, with a particular focus on minimally invasive spine interventions to target pain. In addition, I value selfless service as a core component of my career. During my time at RWJMS, I cofounded a health maintenance initiative that is currently in its fifth year of activity that provides the homeless population of New Brunswick, NJ with education and empowerment to take charge of their own health. I will be receiving a Distinction in Service to the Community award upon graduation for this project. I hope to exude positivity, acceptance, and genuine care to all of my future patients, colleagues, and mentors.
