Mili Dave (6 Posts)Contributing Writer
UNC School of Medicine
Mili is a third-year medical student at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, NC class of 2026. In 2022, she graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in biology and chemistry. She enjoys reading thriller novels, exploring local coffee shops, and biking in her free time. After graduating medical school, Mili would like to pursue critical care medicine and engage in narrative medicine/medical humanities education.
Pulses of Connection
Pulses of Connection is an attempt at delving into mind-body connections in medicine. This column will strive to emphasize how mobilizing the deep connections between our mind and physical bodies can enhance our sense of oneness, health, and well-being. Through narrative and exposition, I will explore how practicing physicians, medical students in training, and premedical students can integrate mindfulness in their lifestyles, as well as how such approaches can be crafted to bring healing to our patients.
In disease and in health, our bodies tell stories. But more often than not, these stories are left unheard and unseen. A meaningful method for illuminating untold stories is through traditional/classical dance forms. Dance especially is a space for knowledge and roles to be authentically represented. For marginalized communities in particular, traditional dance has for centuries been a medium for creative expression and healing despite how circumstances and society have complicated their access to care.
In a time when we began medical school online during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of our preclinical medical education was lecture-based. This meant my experiences at the free health clinics affiliated with our institution were more valuable than ever in introducing me to patient care.
In the modern era, image is everything. Our evaluations from both preceptors and peers can drastically change our life trajectory and this is far more true in the realm of medicine.
As a Muslim living in a city with a hot and humid climate, I can attest that when it’s time to break my fast, water is the only thing on my mind. Drinking water seems to immediately quench my thirst. But does this mean that the water is absorbed from my stomach into the bloodstream at the exact moment of consumption?
As a medical student, finding a research mentor can be a challenging task. However, with careful planning and communication, building a productive and mutually beneficial mentor-mentee relationship is possible.
The recent article “Language Matters: Reflecting on Bias in an Anatomy Textbook” looks at the premise that “the sanctity of medical ‘truth’ and ‘evidence’ should preclude any bias.” We agree with this sentiment and acknowledge that historically there has been a lack of diversity and sexual equitability in the presentation of anatomy in textbooks and atlases. In this article the textbook referenced by the writer was printed in early 2014. While we acknowledge that there have been deficiencies in our textbooks in the past, a lot of content has been updated in newer editions.
In September 2020, I started to volunteer as a health educator in sexual and reproductive health and rights with mobile clinics of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society, reaching marginalized communities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). I worked in the villages of two cities in the West Bank — Jenin and Qalqilya.
Unlike other specialties, radiology is often an elective rotation that focuses on diagnostics and image interpretation. Such tasks are mainly done by the specialty’s residents with little care for medical students to be involved with.
Discussing women’s sexuality is uncomfortable. Sociocultural messages that portray the ideal woman as passive, soft and naïve belie our often-espoused values and institutional policies that support women’s rights, health and equality.
When I first started learning how to write SOAP notes, I was under the impression they would serve as objective documents to detail the medical history and current health problems experienced by patients It seemed these notes were to be created by — and for — clinicians. I now realize this perception could not be more wrong.
Bright Light Therapy (BLT) has efficacy in treating mild-to-moderate SAD. A meta-analysis of eight randomized controlled trials found that BLT was effective at treating symptoms of SAD with an effect size of 0.84, which are comparable to the benefits of antidepressants.
Last year, I walked into a big hospital room towards the tiny NICU bed with a tiny baby in his space helmet. The moment he came out of that helmet, which was pumping in 100% oxygen, he would start deteriorating.
Rachael Jackson (1 Posts)Contributing Writer
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Rachael Jackson is a fourth-year student in the MD/MPH program at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Bachelor of Arts degree in Global Public Health from the University of Virginia in May 2019. As a member of the Schaefer-Solle research team at the Firefighter Cancer Institute of UM, Rachael has conducted research investigating female firefighters’ increased risk of cervical cancer. At this time, she is interested in pursuing residency in the field of obstetrics and gynecology and is a passionate advocate for women's health. She aims to investigate and ameliorate disparities in the field with a public health systems frame of mind.
