Off the Shelf

Off the Shelf is our section for creative works by medical students.

Samuel Rouleau, MD (5 Posts)

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus (2020-2021) and Former Managing Editor (2019-2020)

Emergency Medicine Resident, UC Davis Medical Center

Sam is an emergency medicine resident at UC Davis Medical Center. He attended the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, graduating in 2021. In 2017, he graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry. He enjoys reading, writing, yoga, skiing and rock climbing in his free time. Note: The opinions expressed by Sam on in-Training are his own. They do not reflect the opinion of the U.S. Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

Emma

Published by Samuel Rouleau, MD

We stand beneath tin roofs / with raindrops on our lips / regret behind our eyes.

Gluteus Maximus

Published by Sabila Siddiqui

Deeper than its captivating shape / lies a greater purpose.

Rise

Published by Sarah Bassiouni

So, one way or another / I keep craning my neck / Looking up.

The Weight of a Smile

Published by Nisitha Sengottuvel

I’ve thought about this for quite a while: / How much I owe to just a smile.

My Mask

Published by Amy Schattel

We all earn our way here / Paid in hours of studying / and minutes of fun lost.

Impostor or Two Sides of the Same Coin?

Published by Charles Surette

“Eager and enthusiastic” / As I drag myself from bed. / “Positive energy” / Do you have an injury to your head?

A Crab in the Swell

Published by Chelsea Cosner

I float in an ocean of sterile cerulean. / In this deep of drapery and gowns, / One could swim out and never see the shore.

Conjunction

Published by Jennifer Li

I am waiting for my coffee when / a middle-aged Turkish man / asks if I am a medical student

Loving Her Dearly

Published by Andrew Park

When the love of my life started medical school, I knew she would need all of my support to get through it. I knew this because she told me.

Just a Few Minutes Before 6 A.M. Rounds

Published by Amira Athanasios

5:37 a.m. in hospital scrubs / Just a few minutes with each patient.

Penumbra

Published by Maggie Hulbert

And now here she was, in the family lounge at a hospital waiting to speak to her father’s neurologist. Her dad, Ricky, had collapsed at work — or so she had been told. This was the most she had heard of her father’s life since she moved out of the house.

They Say, I Say

Published by Bradley Maller

They say you’re at the top of the class / I say I’m barely able to pass

Bradley Maller (1 Posts)

Contributing Writer

University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine

My name is Bradley Maller and I am a member of the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine Class of 2020. I am from Largo, Florida and have a B.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Florida. When I'm not stressing about medical school, I enjoying playing and watching hockey (Go Lightning!).