The Forgotten Patient
Elise Kao MS3 encounters a struggling addiction patient in the Emergency Department who reinforces their determination to pursue psychiatry and advocate for forgotten patients.
Patient Advocacy
This category contains a collection of moments students have had with their patients that helped renew their purpose in the field.
Medical Student Contributing Writer
University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville
Elise is a fourth-year medical student at the University of South Carolina Greenville. She enjoys her many house plants and dog Lily. In her spare time, she loves to read fantasy fiction, practice hot yoga, and go on outdoor adventures.
Celeste’s Bliss
Medical student Medha Palnati describes barriers to care, and highlights the need for greater awareness and sensitivity in patient care.
Another Chronic Painer
Dr. Ervin Anies introduces a reverse poem to help delve into the multifactorial and complicated picture that is treating chronic pain. His poem reflects the struggles and triumphs a provider can encounter while dealing with chronic pain patients.
Her Story Too
Christopher Awad uses poetry to underline how a rare diagnosis inadvertently overshadowed his patient’s unique story on a neurology rotation.
One Question More
Medical student Varesh Gorabi is reminded of the importance of empathy during a seemingly routine clinic visit.
Fight for Freedom
Having been born and raised in Iran, Negin Khosravi has experienced horrors that are untold. As ongoing protests happen in Iran and as an aspiring physician leader, Negin hopes to shed some light on what is happening and advocate for people. It is time for racism, discrimination and lack of freedom to end.
Beyond the Clinic
Joseph Conti, a medical student, discusses understanding patients and their families and prioritizing what they value during care delivery.
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.
An Understanding
Medical student MacKenzie Adams reflects on her experience with a patient who received news that he was dying via an interpreter. She addresses the importance of improving care for non-English speakers.
An OR Awakening
Medical student Monique John shares her experience on observing a critical surgical procedure.
I Will Be
Medical student Denisha McCurchin shares one of her final moments in the hospital with her grandmother who had a stroke. She tells the story through the senses of sight and hearing and reflects on the care she wishes her grandmother received as well as the care she endeavors to deliver as a future doctor.
Medical Student Contributing Writer
CUNY School of Medicine
Denisha McCurchin is a Class of 2025 medical student at the CUNY School of Medicine. Outside of school, she sings, manages a YouTube channel, and enjoys community service.