Calmly Collected
My relaxed reveal / faked a fool / while tanking time / with failing fuel.
Off the Shelf
Off the Shelf is our section for creative works by medical students.
Medical Student Editor and Contributing Writer
East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine
Holly Ingram is a fourth-year medical student at the East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine in Greenville, North Carolina. In 2016, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology with minors in chemistry and anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her free time, Holly enjoys playing soccer and visiting waterfalls. After medical school, Holly would like to pursue a career in pediatrics.
Overload
If I don’t text back / Please don’t think it’s you / It’s the abundance of info / That I must go through
The Imposter
Comparison is the enemy / The future seems bleak / Look left, look right
Blood Draw
Unsheathe a hollow spear and spill from ephemeral streams of blue. / Hold it against me only for a moment to let my skin seize against the cold steel.
To Hope, Intrepid
On a search for / assurance, / I was sat across / the Intrepid
The Flame of Life
There is something about lighting a match. / Such power and awe, / Something that might catch a stronghold
The Cost
There is a darkness that lingers above. / Alive and breathing, / Short shallow breaths.
I Miss You, Too
There are fewer flowers in the hospital rooms now. / The ones sent to room 22 / have been taken out.
You Should Know
You say that I must be hot / and reach over to take my coat off. / No, I’ll keep it on.
Half-mast
you’re making things worse / rubbing wounds with the salt / from their own sweat
Patient Advocate
“Abuse is of use.” / That is what we tell ourselves. / That it makes us stronger.
feeling unmatched
These are the subjects / you taught me, but as I sit in this / despair, they don’t comfort me. / I need you to teach me more.
Contributing Writer
St. George's University School of Medicine
Nneoma Eneh is a medical graduate from St. George's University School of Medicine in Grenada, West Indies class of 2020. In 2015, she graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences. With an interest in health promotion and disease prevention, Nneoma also received a Master of Public Health degree in 2020 from St. George's University. She enjoys reading, playing basketball, and eating chocolate in her free time. In the future, Nneoma would like to pursue a career in internal medicine.