Writer-in-Training
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
My name is Frank, and I am a student at University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. As a new medical education intern, I aim to write about potential opportunities for improving our medical education system. In particular, I am interested in exploring ways to incorporate lifestyle medicine into our medical curriculum in order to maximize the achievement of health maintenance and primary prevention of chronic diseases. My future goal is to go into internal medicine with a key focus on preventive medicine and public health.
Thank you in advance for reading my work! I welcome any potential comments and criticisms.
The epidemics of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia roll through the US and across much of the world, eerily reminiscent to the sweeping cholera outbreaks of Snow’s era. Even in the majority of low- and middle-income countries, these chronic illnesses have already displaced infectious diseases to become the leading causes of death and disability. Yet, the majority of these are potentially preventable.
Speak with authority / Let the words / Last vestiges of dead languages / Rife with history / Flow smooth as butter from your tongue
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 …
I don’t look both ways when I cross the street / Sometimes I forget I’m alive / I take a step onto the road
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.
Whenever I hear the word “burnout,” I’m reminded of the ugly, oh-so-dark side of being a medical student, the side that hides in the shadows, away from the prestige and privilege that comes with the noble profession. Maybe it seems like I’m exaggerating; I mean, it’s just me jumping to conclusions when I associate the feelings of being overworked with the days where I can’t seem to find the bright side of anything, right?
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.
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.
“This is a place where the dead are pleased to help the living.”
These words always greet me upon entering our anatomy lab. A similar saying in Latin is inscribed at the Palazzo del Bo at the University of Padua, home of the world’s oldest anatomical theater.
In class they ask me / What is love? / To prompt a philosophical discussion.
I do not want to do this to you / My heart wrenches / For the pain we inflict
I climbed into bed on October 11 excited: for the first time in years, I could pinpoint what I was feeling — I was happy. Pure, simple happiness, something that had eluded me for years in the throes of depression and anxiety as a teenager, was a feeling I could recognize again. Wow, I thought, maybe this will be my year.
Writer-in-Training, Columnist and in-Training Staff Member
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Aishwarya is a second year medical student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. She relishes any opportunity to talk policy, social determinants of health, mental health parity and inclusion topics. Outside of school, Aishwarya enjoys yoga, green tea with lemon and copious amounts of dark chocolate.
Doctor of Policy
Doctor of Policy is a column dedicated to exploring and challenging contemporary health policy issues, especially in the fields of behavioral health, health care access, and inclusion, all from the eyes of a public health girl in a basic sciences world
