Contributing Writer Emeritus
University of Tennessee College of Medicine
Born in Bradford, England. Avid fan of soccer, music, movies, drinks, literature, traveling, all that good stuff.
Two events bring together more people in one place and for one purpose than at any other time in human history: wars and World Cups. Yin and yang, devastation and delight in equal measure. It’s comforting that our capacity for carnage is easily surpassed by our capacity for celebration. We are reminded of this every four years, and with the upcoming World Cup in Brazil, my thoughts naturally turn to the impact of this beautiful game on …
Eyes closed, shallow breaths. A serene, deserted beach in the south of France, in the near future. Children playing far away in a field, their laughter carried by the wind to nearby cliffs, where it glances off the soaring cliffs and echoes softly in my ears. Waves gently sweeping across the land, creating transient, unique impressions in the sand…again and again. My fingers slowly intertwine with those of another, and I am gratified by a …
I’m sitting in a class on dementia. The doctor is lecturing about the condition’s prevalence, prognosis, neuropathology, diagnostic criteria, risk factors, deterministic genes and pharmacologic treatment. On a slide entitled “Non-pharmacologic Management,” the doctor tells us that dementia often leads to wandering. Half of those who wander and are not found in 24 hours are found dead. To try to prevent patients from wandering far, some assisted living centers have installed fake bus stops. When …
Congratulations! You are the significant other of a rare and elusive species known as the Medicalstudentica americanus. Now, because we know that dating a medical student isn’t easy, here are some relationship suggestions from a medical student: Do not make us feel guilty for having to study. Ever. If we have to stay up late studying for an exam, or if we can’t go to a party with you, don’t give us a hard time. …
Normally when people ask me about my New Year’s resolution, I’ll say something sarcastic like, “I resolved to never allow clowns into my house.” This year, however, I decided to try to make as many of my own cleaning and beauty products as I could. While some of the facts about scary chemicals are debatable, I think we can all agree that this route is vastly more economical and kinder to the environment. Luckily for …
How do you find a balance in medical school? “There is no balance,” she said. This was not what I wanted to hear. We were talking about remaining competitive in medical school without giving up a social life. This administrator is an MD and has a PhD in education; she knows what she’s saying. She explained how her eight-year-old gets a few hours after work, but then she often sacrifices sleep to stay on top …
The Neurobiology of Learning With residencies becoming increasingly competitive, medical students today find themselves often juggling far more than simply staying on top of their course load. Students are getting involved in more research, mentorship, volunteering and outreach, leaving them with little time to study and master material outside of class. Furthermore, schools are placing a greater emphasis on small-group learning, podcasts and flipped classroom paradigms that put an even greater onus on students to …
It was a sunny and cloudless September day, the weather still warm enough for T-shirts and shorts. Sitting by a round table decorated with poster board and flyers, I was providing mental health awareness and education at a health fair. The site was sandwiched between the bustling highways south of downtown Chicago and the Chicago River — the outskirts of Chinatown. All around me crowded small storefronts and narrow roads, a sharp contrast to the …
I began volunteering at an interesting time in Chiapas. My medical school was gracious enough to let me participate in a year-long project in Mexico between my second and third years working and teaching for VIVA, an international volunteer group lead by Darinel Ballianas. In June of 2013, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto began introducing laws to restructure the educational and health systems of the country. If passed, they would further privatize the country’s health care …
Sometimes, I wonder why I am here. Walking this path of medicine, to be specific. It always fascinated me what drove people in life. For some, the joy of spinning creative fabrics of fictional words satisfied; for some, raising and guiding children through the thorns of life serves as the pinnacle of existence; for others, the simple necessities of life and health are solely sufficient. For medical students, I feel like this can be a …
It’s 11 p.m. on a Wednesday night, and you’re finally leaving the library, ready to head home. You aren’t staying late because you have a test or an anatomy practical coming up the next week. Leaving campus late on a weeknight is just a normal day in medical school. It’s what you do to stay away from falling too far behind. It’s what you do so you have some vague idea of what lecture is …
It was an unusually warm Saturday in October, and my alarm started buzzing. I wanted so badly to shut it off, but my conscience told me this was not an option. I had to get up so that I could go help my fellow classmates weed and plant at the community garden. This is because part of the curriculum at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University (CMSRU) includes 40 hours of community service a year. …
