Donning and Doffing
As you search your closet / For your scrub cap, / Stethoscope, / And pants,
Off the Shelf
Off the Shelf is our section for creative works by medical students.
Contributing Writer
Emory University School of Medicine
Olivia is a medical student at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, Class of 2026. In 2017, she graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in public health, then went on to complete a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. She enjoys making tea, hiking, and playing with her dog in her free time. After graduating medical school, Olivia would like to pursue a career that centers health justice. She'll figure out the specialty, eventually.
Jumping: From Between Two Worlds
I am moving, yet I am going nowhere. I am going nowhere, yet I have come a long way. I do not count how many go by, but each spin demands that I keep moving. With every rotation, I take another step, another leap, one jump on this Earth. These cycles fly by, so much so that I can almost hear them as they whoosh over my head in an instant, making seconds go slow.
Betrayal of Selflessness
A bag full of dreams was all my mind possessed, / To leave my mark on the turbulent sands of time and be respected,
Three Months Since
Finally, it’s been three months since // He and I were strangers with bad blood, / breathless in bed, / discussing the acts of giving and / receiving as indulgences, / mulling over our motivations and / the contraindications for / charity.
Fragrance
I start the day like most of us do: stimulating the needy vessels we call bodies with caffeine. As I open up my coffee jar to dispense ground Turkish coffee beans, I am met with a hint of loving bitterness. It carries a comforting brown sugar warmth that often stirs a sense of weakness given my inherent dependency on this substance but also commands secure boldness through notes of molasses and dark chocolate.
Heliotropism; towards the sun.
this weekend / I went to the sunflower patch / swinging arms with my mom and sister / starry eyed at the fields of bright gold yellow / nestled in the blue of the mountains around us.
Care by the Clock
In clinics bustling, time’s in demand, / We blend precision with a caring hand, / Not just cases or names on the roll call, / But, Patients’ stories, our familial call.
Spill
Sunshine, in the mornings, / spills. It / slips and slithers as it / tills.
Scenes of a Medical Student
Endless alarms, coffee to-go, Adidas tennis shoes toe to toe. / Password guesses, ID scans, room by room — endless lands.
G6P1142
Choice confounds a control / Whose jurisdiction knows no bounds
Passed Tense
I wasn’t expecting the morning report. / I wasn’t expecting to see images, / The death, the blood, the open eyes, / the open hands grasping at someone / long gone. Bullets buried deep.
BMI: Brief Metabolic Investigations
Bone Marrow Insufficiency / Bullies, Meds, Insomnia / Blatant Media Influence
Contributing Writer
Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Maia Young is a third year medical student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, who is spellbound by the intimacy, mechanisms, and excitement within the field of anesthesiology. She envisions a career translating her medical skills to settings across resource spectra and national borders. In the meantime, she listens closely, shares generously, communicates creatively, and loves deeply.