This category contains reflections on student clinical experience.
Medical Student Contributing Writer
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Lekha Reddy is a member of the Class of 2022 at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She is an aspiring OB/GYN and is drawn to the humanistic aspects of medicine. She aims to further understand the human condition, seek genuine connections with her patients, and practice mindfulness and constant self-reflection in her pursuit of medicine.
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.
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.
Medical student Allen Betts explores the often underrated effect of psychosocial determinants and the integral part they play in the influencing health and well-being. Read more to find out how he has come to appreciate the soft skills a physician gleans through patient encounters rather than through books.
Katherine Panushka asks readers to reflect and acknowledge that our patients’ stories extend beyond their final moments in her poem, “The Pause.”
Medical Student Contributing Writer
University of Utah School of Medicine
I am a fourth-year medical student at the University of Utah School of Medicine. I was born in Ogden, UT. A few miles south at Westminster College in SLC, UT I studied English Literature. I entered medical school motivated by tandem interests in personal narratives and medical science. I am inspired to bear witness to the complex, often intimate stories that bring patients into my care. In addition to my expanding interests in medicine, I enjoy spending time with my cat, Alice and my dog, Ishi. I love adventuring outside, playing center midfielder on my indoor soccer team, cooking delicious pescatarian food.
