Through the course of medical education, students learn to call for “consults” from various medical specialties. Yet, consults can come in many forms — from social work, nutrition, law, ethics and policy. There is also much to be learned from premedical and post-bacc students, who may be walking into medicine with a fresh set of eyes. “Consults” invites experienced non-clinicians and undergraduates to contribute pieces relevant to the medical student community.
Pre-Medical Guest Writer
Stanford University
Teresia is a junior at Stanford University. In 2020, she will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in French and Bachelor of Science in biology with concentrations in biochemistry and biophysics. Because she is a child of two immigrants from Shanghai, she is grateful for her parents who have supported her in achieving her goals. She would also like to thank her other family members, friends, professors, and mentors. In her free time, Teresia enjoys playing the violin, hanging out with friends and family, and biochemical research. After she graduates, Teresia desires to attend medical school and then pursue a career in pediatrics.
I had always thought of medical professionals as society’s heroes who could do no wrong, but with my own personal experiences in the back of my mind, I discovered the reality was far more complex.
The year was 2011. I was thirteen years old, and school had just let out. I walked back home, exactly four blocks away from school, left-right-left-right, lub-dub, lub-dub.
Medical school is an exciting time in an aspiring physician’s life, but a somber reality is looming.
Even though providers often must jump for one room to the next, it is important that they take the time to learn about each patient’s individual needs.
Nutritional education, as an appendage to conventional medical education, has the power to close the gap by equipping physicians with more well-rounded knowledge to help patients manage the more unmanageable conditions.
Health policy can feel like 2018’s hottest topic and many students are looking for a way to learn more. I encourage students to think beyond the policy they see in Washington, D.C. to the laws governing their communities.
Universities have been profiting off students due to the capitalistic and flawed nature of our health care system. Regional hospital networks prevent students from utilizing their insurance elsewhere. With nowhere else to turn, they are forced to pay high premiums for the university plan.
When Dr. T shook my hand goodbye for the day’s observation, I shook her hand back and said to myself, “Yes, this is what I want to do.”
Ever since that day in the grocery store, I have volunteered at least once a month for other senior citizens. I get to know their stories and try to share the understanding that I have gained with the world.
Fifteen percent of Americans still smoke. Seventy percent of Americans are obese or overweight. Many Americans engage in risky health behaviors that negatively affect their overall wellness.
As the American health care system continues to seemingly spend more and get ranked lower than other developed countries, many progressives have suggested a shift to single-payer health care as a solution.
It’s ironic that the medical field is arguably the most humane profession, yet we put our residents and physicians-in-training through such pain and suffering.
Autumn has been my favorite season since moving to Oregon four years ago from the dry, unchanging desert landscape of Las Vegas, Nevada. The freeway towards my class dips into a valley surrounded by broad-leafed trees with ferns growing near the base of their trunks.
Pre-Medical Guest Writer
Oregon Health & Sciences University - Research Assistant at the Translational Research of Adolescent Change Lab
Nicky Tettamanti grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and graduated from the University of Oregon with a BS in General Science focused on chemistry and psychology. Her research interests include evidence-based psychosocial interventions for mental health disorders, substance use, community-based participatory research, neuroimaging, and LGBTQ health.
