The Plant
Every time we’d ask the physical therapists to take him on a walk to get better oriented with his surroundings and see some sunlight, Mr. G. would refuse. He was a stubborn man.
From the Wards
Medical Student Editor
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
Sohini Khan is a fourth year medical student at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. In 2014, she graduated from Caltech with a BS in biology. She will be starting residency in general surgery this summer and plans on pursuing a career in surgical oncology.
Patient Care Improves When Patients Care
I will never forget the patient who shocked my preconceived notions about health care.
The “Difficult Patient”
They asked me how that encounter had gone, and I could feel my cheeks turn bright red. I was embarrassed that I was not able to connect with my patient.
Experiencing Health Care Disparities in a County Hospital
My medical education has been a long journey to this point — a journey filled with many obstacles and detours resulting in moments of self-reflection and personal growth. One of the most important detours on my journey led to me being relocated to Riverside University Health System (RUHS) for a longitudinal care assignment.
Inside the Body, Inside the Mind: What Surgery Taught Me About Psychiatry
Perhaps the single most awkward conversation that a third-year medical student can have with an attending physician is the one that begins with the attending asking, “So, what medical specialty are you interested in going into?”
Transplant
I know that being a third-year medical student is like being a transplanted kidney. One starts the day in one body. School is composed of lecture halls and written exams. However, the world has shifted by the end of the day, and shockingly, one’s old body is not present.
I Need a Cigarette
“If I don’t get a cigarette right now, I’m going to punch someone,” he said. “Okay, I understand. One second.”
On Breathing
To keep breathing does not mean to go at it alone or to put up a brave front even when it feels as if the world is collapsing. To keep breathing is to always push towards the goal even when it’s hard and even when it doesn’t feel worth because it will be in the end.
But He Was Fine Just This Morning
Soon, we were jolted to attention by an overhead announcement, “Attention, code blue. Six south. Attention. Code blue. Six south.”
Doll’s Eyes
I always thought the goal of medicine was to cure an illness. But, the memory of this little boy continues to remind me what it is like to see the eyes of someone without a future or hope.
On Orange Blossoms and Cypress Knees
His right leg jittered beneath his orange, prison-issued jumpsuit. The manacles across his wrists rattled with the chain connecting them to the cuffs around his ankles.
One Call Day of Many to Come
A half hour passed by before I heard the first trauma announcement overhead. The pager buzzed at the same time and somewhat startled me. I grabbed the on-call phone, pager and shears and quickly walked to the emergency department (ED).
Contributing Writer
FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Athena Failla is a member of the FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Class of 2020. She received her Bachelors in Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Psychology, and Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology at the University of South Florida. Apart from writing, she enjoys research, traveling, and baking.