Racism and Discrimination

This category contains reflections on forms of discrimination, related to racism and sexism, students have faced on their healthcare journeys.

Sara Phillips (1 Posts)

Medical Student Contributor

University of Washington School of Medicine

Sara is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

A Journey to Obstetrics & Gynecology Through Structural Racism in Maternal Outcomes

Published by Sara Phillips

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

Published by Kenneth Wise, MD

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.

You Good?

Published by Charna Kinard

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.

Hustle and Heart

Published by Navjot Singh

Medical student Navjot Singh teaches us how to surmount racism with composure, grace, and courage.

What Is In a Name?

Published by Nkiruka Aniagolu

Medical student Nkiruka Aniagolu explores how understanding someone’s name or title can foster deeper trust with patients and those around us, as our names are ‘pieces of our personal mosaics’ that give glimpses to who we are.

One Day

Published by Alicia Pugh

Alicia Pugh writes a poem that reflects on how our backgrounds impact the way we view our patients.

Headlights

Published by Joaquin Zetina

Medical student Joaquin Zetina details a poignant example, illustrating the often overlooked and nuanced barriers and adversities faced by immigrant students that can shape their perspectives of themselves as well as society.

His Perception

Published by Alicia Pugh

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.

He’s Smart and She’s Pretty

Published by Mohana Biswas

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.

Humanizing Blackness

Published by Vidya Lala

Medical student Vidya Lala vividly describes her interpretation of the often cited terms black body and black lives. Read more to find out what these terms mean to her.

Letter from the Editors-in-Chief: Black Lives Matter

Published by Fredy Huertero

The year 2020 has already redefined the social landscape through a pandemic and massive progressive social movements. Mosaic in Medicine’s mission and purpose rings as true as when it was started, bolstered by a renewed vigor.

Fredy Huertero (2 Posts)

Founder and Editor-in-Chief Emeritus

Albany Medical College

A current Internal Medicine/Pediatrics resident at Stony Brook University Hospital. I was born and raised in Southern California. Being a 1st generation Mexican-American and a 1st generation medical student has provided me the opportunity to be thrusted into the culture of medicine but also left me feeling like an outsider. I believe Mosaic in Medicine has the potential to expand and strengthen medical culture and education by illuminating the stories, adversities and passions that encompass experiences that stretch far beyond race or creed. I want Mosaic in Medicine to be a platform in which we can relate to, inspire, and educate one another by showing that no one is truly an outsider in the medical community; we are all just pieces of different shapes and colors that add to the same whole.

Mosaic in Medicine

the online peer-reviewed publication for underrepresented voices in medicine