Opinions

Nathan Juergens (4 Posts)

Contributing Writer

University of Minnesota Medical School

My name is Nate and I am in the Class of 2017 at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. Writing is an excellent release from the hustle and rigor of medical education. It is also an activity where I get to make the decisions, which is somewhat unfamiliar at my stage of training.

A Case for Longitudinal Clerkships: Part 1 of 2

Published by Nathan Juergens

Medical education has remained largely unchanged since 1889, when a young William Osler was recruited to be the chair of medicine at the newly formed Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore. Borrowing principles he learned at universities in Europe, he established the Hopkins’ residency model, originally named because doctors-in-training lived in the hospitals where they apprenticed. He also recognized the importance of bringing students to the patient’s bedside during their early training, understanding that basic scientific principles are better retained when applied to real-world illness.

Physician-Affiliated Political Action Committees & Gun Violence

Published by Hannah Decker

Last Sunday, Orlando was home to the most fatal mass shooting in American history. The gunman, Omar Mateen, opened fire early Sunday morning at Pulse nightclub, killing 49 people and wounding 53 more. This sickening tragedy marks the 133rd mass shooting in 2016 so far, meaning this year has born witness to nearly as many mass shootings as days. Health professional organizations have echoed the cries of our president, our media, and our citizens that we must do better — that we …

Learning to be an Advocate, One Day at a Time

Published by Jocelyn Wu

Among my professor’s stories from Lima, the chicken dinner story haunts me most. It features two students from his time as a middle school teacher in one of Lima’s most dangerous outskirt neighborhoods. A young teacher working at a Fe y Alegria school in North Lima, my professor, Kyle, had promised to take them anywhere they desired for dinner in exchange for exam success. The students requested chicken, standard Peruvian celebratory fare.

The Challenges in Uncovering and Addressing Health Disparities Among Asian-Americans

Published by Neepam Shah

Though they make up 5.6 percent of the US population, discussions about Asian-American health appear to be few and far between. According to the Asian-American Health Initiative, a variety of medical and public health scourges disproportionately affect the Asian-American community. Some of these disparities entail disease incidence, while others describe a paucity of certain preventive health measures being delivered to this group.

A New Era for New-Age Medicine

Published by Poorna Sreekumar

Coming from an Indian-American background, yoga and Ayurveda were a part of my life even before yoga pants and juice cleanses became popular. As a child, my parents had all kinds of alternative remedies for common childhood afflictions. Instead of taking Tums for an upset stomach, I drank a concoction of ginger, cumin and lemon to relieve my discomfort. And I still do.

Are Women Really Bad Negotiators? Social Darwinism and the Gender Wage Gap in Medicine

Published by Katharine Lawrence, MD

In 2015, the Institute for Women’s Policy Research published an alarming statistic: on average, women made only 79 cents for every dollar earned by men. Even more alarming was the fact that when the study controlled for qualification or stratified by job title, the gender wage gap persisted. Unfortunately, medicine is not immune to the gender wage gap phenomenon. According to data from the US Census Bureau, women make up one-third of US physicians, but on average make only 69 cents for every dollar earned by their male colleagues. This results in over $56,000 in potential wages lost for women in medicine each year.

Perspective Gained: A Call for End-of-Life Care Training in Medical School

Published by Andrew Schneider

In today’s America, it is well documented that each year, more of our GDP is being devoted to healthcare spending, and a disproportionate amount of that healthcare spending is towards end-of-life care. According to a 2013 report from The Medicare NewsGroup, Medicare spending reached about $554 billion in 2011. This was 21 percent of the total spent on health care in the US that year. About 28 percent of that $554 billion — $170 billion — was spent on patients’ last six months of life.

The 17: What Happens When Abortion is Criminalized Without Exception?

Published by Eden Almasude

In El Salvador, 17 women imprisoned after experiencing miscarriages or stillbirths began a campaign against reproductive injustice. “The 17” were sentenced for up to 40 years in prison for miscarriages or complications during delivery, after being convicted of attempted or aggravated homicide. This was the outcome of a total ban on abortion: young, often unmarried, women of lower socioeconomic status are suspected of inducing illegal abortion when experiencing emergent obstetric complications. Stigma and misogyny play into the result, in which a woman’s health during pregnancy is viewed with distrust.

Gun Violence in the United States: A Missed Opportunity for Physician Leadership

Published by Hannah Decker

Gun violence is a public health crisis. On your average day in America, 297 people are victims of gun violence. They are shot in murders, assaults, suicide attempts and completions and police interventions. 89 of these victims died — seven of which were children. In the first 90 days of 2016, there have been 57 mass shootings. Your average American is now equally as likely to die via firearms as in a car crash.

Shifting Perceptions: Lessons Learned from a Student-Run Clinic

Published by Shilpa Darivemula

Each time we came in for our Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) Medical Clinic, we never knew what to expect. IMANA clinic is a community-based project led by the Albany Medical College Family Medicine Office that connects medical students to the local Muslim population through screening and education clinics at Masjid As-Salaam. This masjid is the central prayer space and community support for many of Albany’s Muslims. The unique quality of this service-learning program is its emphasis on cultural competency and understanding the role of spirituality in medical care.

The High Cost of USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills

Published by Delaney Osborn

One of the major expenses that future doctors face is the cost of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). This test is given in three parts, spread out across a student’s training, in total costing over $3,000. The most expensive item by far is the Step 2 Clinical Skills test, whose registration fee comes in at a whopping $1,275.

Delaney Osborn (4 Posts)

Writer-in-Training

The Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth

I am a first year medical student at Dartmouth and currently loving the rural New England lifestyle that I signed up for. I graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2013 where I majored in neuroscience and minored in philosophy. I also have a Masters in philosophy of medicine from King's College London. My interests include bioethics, end of life care, and neuroscience. When I am not hitting the books I can be found running, sailing, re-reading Harry Potter, singing to Taylor Swift, or snapping pictures.