Grandmother
I did not know I was feeling sadness until I found it hard to swallow. There is no reason for it, I thought. At 94, she is still sharp, most of the time.
Opinions
Contributing Writer
University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
I am currently a fourth year medical student in the SELECT Program at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. With a background in Spanish Literature and Public Health, I am interested in the intersection of medicine and the humanities. I have a particular interest in the understanding of disease through the lens of psychosocial issues, the correctional healthcare system, and underserved populations. I am passionate about observing and writing about medical culture, and how we, as patients and providers, experience it.
You Matter
In October 2015, someone I love very much lost someone truly special to them. I had just started medical school and this news really jerked things into perspective. Life is not a passive force; it is something we are meant to live.
Words and Games at the Centers for Disease Control
To culminate a year rife with political turmoil, one final wildfire swept the nation at the close of 2017. After initial reports from inside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggesting that it had received instruction to forbid the usage of seven words in its budget formulations, media outlets and the general public took en masse to declare a state of Orwellian emergency.
Diagnosing and Treating Fake News
Perhaps the most damaging legacy of Donald Trump’s presidency so far has been the fake news phenomenon. When Trump at one of his first press conference as president-elect pointed at a CNN journalist and said, “You are fake news,” he was doing a lot more than complaining about a media highly critical of him.
Essentials for a Successful Medical Student Summer Research Experience
Physicians are expected to understand and apply research in order to provide their patients with the best available care. To meet this growing demand, there has been an increase in the number of physician-scientists in biomedical research.
Is There a Place for Qualitative Research in Medicine?
Conducting research in vulnerable populations and historically marginalized groups can be a delicate process, and because of this, safeguards intended to protect these exact groups can ultimately hinder the research process.
Fight or Flight? When The Universe Says “No”
Imagine this: You’re trying to secure that bank loan to start your dream business and everything is working out just right, until the very last minute when you learn of a hard requirement that disqualifies you from securing your loan.
The Nameless Disease
Like our casual life, medicine seems to be affected by social media, quick information exchange and so-called “influencers.” Gluten intolerance, chronic Lyme disease and fibromyalgia are common diseases that can be researched on the internet.
Burning Up: The Health Behind Climate Change
In an era where climate change has been variously described as ‘the great moral challenge of our generation’ to ‘absolute crap,’ it seems pertinent as future health professionals to have a look at the evidence and ask ourselves how this issue might come to affect the health of our prospective patients.
On Happiness in Medical School
I was once asked if medical school is an unhappy place. It is a good question, the kind that it takes someone outside of medicine to ask.
Graham-Cassidy Will Uphold American Sick Care
As another ACA repeal looms in the near future — after ACHA and BCRA — the Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson (Graham-Cassidy) legislation makes me think back to a patient I took care of a few months ago.
Adding Value: The Case for Economics as a Medical Pre-Requisite
With health care spending becoming an increasingly important topic, medical schools will have to find a way to integrate the fundamentals behind high value care earlier in the curriculum. Students should be familiar core economic principles and how they apply to health care before they are treating patients.
Contributing Writer
Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Third year medical student at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Big fan of health advocacy, urban pediatric health, and the Philadelphia Phillies.