An OR Awakening
Medical student Monique John shares her experience on observing a critical surgical procedure.
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
Albany Medical College
Monique John is a 2nd year medical student at Albany Medical College. She uses her influence to share her journey to medicine and aims to eradicate the bias that deter minorities from the field. Currently, Monique is interested in Surgery and enjoys social media content creation during her free time.
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.
Feeling
Max Hawkins, a second-year resident, reflects on his medical education journey, the process of consent and the importance of trusting that “gut feeling.”
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.
This Shouldn’t Be Happening
Medical student Rebekah Russell reflects on her experience with the healthcare system during a miscarriage.
The Unwanted Visitor
Medical student Kayla Schmittau reflects on her experience with a patient with substance use disorder and the importance of patient advocacy.
Volcanoes and Illegal Immigration: One Guatemalan’s Perilous Journey
Medical student Leonard Wang presents his views on patient advocacy by exploring the role of patient stories, in particular an anecdote from a recent trip to Guatemala during his winter break.
Mrs. D’s Breathing
Medical student Micky Akinrodoye reflects on the importance of advocating for patients by taking into consideration of a myriad of factors influencing their care.
Prayer in Practice
Medical student Jackson Dean challenges readers to think critically about the variety of forms that prayers come in and the roles they pray at work and in our every day lives.
Mountaintop Medicine
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.
A Journey to Obstetrics & Gynecology Through Structural Racism in Maternal Outcomes
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.
The Ring On My Hand
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.
Resident Contributing Writer, Columnist
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
Kenneth is beginning his residency at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and recently graduated from the Uniformed Services University. While in medical school he was the architect and original author of a longitudinal, peer-led curriculum aimed to foster conversations about bias, racism, sexism, lgbt discrimination, and inclusion in medicine. His interests include health equity, promoting diversity and inclusion, and health professions education.
