Homeschool
Lisa Roskes describes the many lessons learned from my close relationship with her grandmother. Despite choosing a career in pediatrics, these pearls guide her interactions with patients and their families.
Tag: medical education
Medical Student Contributing Writer
University of Maryland
Lani Roskes is a third year categorical pediatrics resident at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. She grew up in the Baltimore area and attending the University of Maryland for medical school as well. In her free time, she enjoys sports, board games, arts and crafts and spending time with her family and friends.
Mirrored Resilience: Reflection from a Hospital Bed
The poem describes the profound impact of an encounter between Catherin Potin, the narrator, recovering from a motor vehicle accident, and a young patient with a similar experience. Throughout our interaction, the patient’s strength and resilience illuminate a path towards healing, showing the narrator the power of shared vulnerability in overcoming trauma. This encounter serves as a reminder of the reciprocal nature of healing in medicine and the personal growth that can arise from patient interactions.
Old Pennies and Jelly Skin
This piece is inspired by a patient encounter with a middle-aged woman who was recently diagnosed with a severe and malignant cancer. I saw her in the primary care setting, and she was undergoing chemotherapy at that time. She had a unique demeanor about her and she shared with me how she waited all her life to do the things she really wanted to do and now she was unable to do a lot of those things. She told me her and her friend now share a joke whenever they are debating doing something fun/risky/random in which they say, “What are you waiting for, chemo?”
How to Declare Someone Dead: A Brief Reflection
Shannon Fang, medical student, comments on the necessity of processing emotionally stressful encounters in medicine.
The Blessing, The Grocery Store
Medical student Sabrina Lazar discovers a local MENA-owned grocery store that offers not only essential ingredients but also a sense of community.
Misery: A Small Collection of Patients’ Stories
Dr. Marissa Mayfield uses a trio of poems to teleport readers into the reality of medical crises and highlight the need for empathy in healthcare.
Her Story Too
Christopher Awad uses poetry to underline how a rare diagnosis inadvertently overshadowed his patient’s unique story on a neurology rotation.
Transitions
Dr. Ervin Anies reflects on the highs and lows of the transitional intern year with a series of poignant cinquains.
Triple Crown
Medha Palnati describes an encounter she had with a patient who she met at the Backstretch Clinic, a clinic that serves the undocumented workers that care for the horses at the racetrack, as he was having a myocardial infarction. This encounter highlights the conversation Medha had with this patient while waiting for the ambulance to transport him to the hospital, and the solace that they found in each other in that moment.
One Question More
Medical student Varesh Gorabi is reminded of the importance of empathy during a seemingly routine clinic visit.
An Unanticipated Learning Issue
Emma Stenz’s first time witnessing a patient’s death helped her realize the role of a physician in maintaining emotional composure and acting with nonmaleficence towards the patient, both in life and in death.
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.
Resident Physician Contributing Writer
Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center
Negin is an emergency medicine resident physician currently training at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center. In 2017, she graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Science in biology. She then graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a Master of Science in biotechnology. Negin completed her Doctor of Medicine degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University in 2023. She enjoys playing with her dog and two cats, traveling, playing music, and reading in her free time. After finishing her residency, Negin would like to pursue a fellowship. Her interests are currently prehospital, wilderness, and global health medicine.