More Than Poster Boys
Dekoiya Burton reflects on how he often feels like a prop in a “diversity” scheme when academic medicine doesn’t follow through with messages of diversity and inclusion beyond pamphlets and brochures.
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Editor, Medical Student
University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
Dekoiya is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School. He plans to apply to Internal Medicine/Pediatrics residency in Fall 2020 with passion for community based initiatives surrounding health equity, racial justice, community mutual aid mechanisms, and environmental health.
Conquering the Mount Everest of Education
Future surgeon Kayla Flewelling describes, in scrupulous detail, the psyche of a medical student as they traverses the learning pipeline, all the while trying to maintain a semblance of sanity, perseverance and perspective.
Skin Deep
Future physician Yomna Amer broaches the topic of religion in the clinical environment and opines that, along with diversity, it can be used as a powerful therapeutic tool to connect with patients.
His Perception
Medical student Alicia Pugh describes a conspicuous encounter with a patient that typified the lingering undercurrent of microaggresions against professionals of color. Read more to see how she responded to this experience.
Excellence in Health Care
Health care providers face what seem to be insurmountable challenges on a daily basis; none more sobering than the inhumanities and tragedies that often occur when on the clock. Medical student Nicholas Czelatka gives his perspective on what quality health care truly means.
Healing Words
Medical student Sidney Adenya recollects a particularly momentous patient experience, which exemplified how words can be a strikingly powerful therapeutic tool of a physician. Read more to find out how this helped him reaffirm his passion for medicine through this reflective piece.
The Imposter
Imposter syndrome is a well-known phenomenon that healthcare providers can easily relate to at some point in their training. Future physician CJ Hornback dives into her struggles with this commonly-faced mental hurdle and how she ultimately overcame it.
He’s Smart and She’s Pretty
Mohana is a medical student that brings to light the uphill battle against female objectification women face in the struggle to be taken seriously in medicine.
Reproductive Planning During a State of Emergency
Medical student Ritha Mera reviews responses to reproductive health care accesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mera writes as an advocate for women of color and highlights health disparities in vulnerable populations. Through drawing comparisons to past natural disasters and tracking the current pandemic’s harmful impacts on reproductive health care, Mera makes an argument for contraception and family planning to be included in emergency protocols for future disruptions.
Being
As a storyteller, the author vowed to lead with the person’s name in an effort to uplift the subject of the story. This all changed when the author began anatomy lab during medical school.
Safe Haven
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the author fondly reflects on the start of her unlikely friendship with Mr. R. This friendship ultimately became a safe haven for the author as she navigates her identity as a Chinese-American and learns about Mr. R’s cancer diagnosis.
Moving Forward
Medical student Dawit Ayalew reflects on his own experience of life “constantly moving him forward,” how it inevitably compelled him to look backwards and ultimately how these ideas have influenced how he cares for patients.
Editor, Medical Student
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
I am a current fourth-year medical student at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, where I majored in Biology and French. I received my Masters in Physiology from Georgetown University. I am drawn to surgery as I am to writing by the creativity in thought and expression.