Dear in-Training family,
We are very excited to commence the 2023-2024 academic year with you all! As the years go on, medicine and medical education, inevitably, continue to evolve. This past year, in particular, we’ve faced the distinctive challenges that come with experiencing and observing our world in a pre-pandemic light once again. Likewise, the omnipresent and ever-shifting sociopolitical landscape continues to impact how medicine as a whole is perceived of, taught, learned and delivered. As medical students, we are situated uniquely where we can reflect on past experiences and share new ideas for the purpose of improving medical education overall.
Our collective publication team of writers, editors, columnists, managers and emeriti at in-Training looks forward to continuing to amplify your perspective through writing and the arts. As the face and culture of medical education changes, we are striving to make sure your voice — our collective voices — are heard and ever-present, by maintaining a pulse on the medical student experience and serving as a forum for support, reflection, discussion and critical thought.
The breadth of our readership and writership has continued to expand across the globe; we are humbled and privileged to say our journal has maintained over 300,000 visits per year. Notably, this year, in-Training published our first visual dance piece! Going into this new year, we are prepared to embrace and showcase the uncharted multi-media talents of our contributors.
In alignment with our goal to authentically convey and amplify the medical student narrative voice, the in-Training editorial team is especially excited to announce that we are accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Writers-in-Training (WiT) Internship Program! WiT is a yearlong internship program for budding medical student writers who are as passionate about narrative medicine and medical humanities as we are at in-Training.
Unlike the standard process of submitting pieces for publishing to the journal, through the WiT program, interns will have the opportunity to collaborate with a team of mentors and student writers, work together in developing multiple pieces, strengthen their skills and sculpt their authorial voice. The finalized pieces will eventually be published in in-Training over the course of the year, allowing writers to discern their stepwise growth over time. The editorial team and WiT program directors have been working hard to craft a curriculum and programming that we all believe can be fulfilling for each of our interns’ unique and shared writing goals.
We are proud to say that this will be our eighth iteration of the Writers-in-Training program. We are proud of the incredible writers and program directors that in-Training has had the honor to work with in the past. And we are especially proud of all the incredible stories and perspectives we have been able to share through WiT. If you are interested, please consider applying. We will be accepting applications until Friday, August 4, 2023. More information about WiT and past interns and program directors can be found on our website.
In addition to writing interns, we are also accepting applications for new columnists. in-Training’s columns are recurring features where contributors can share their unique thoughts, opinions, analysis or commentary on a topic of their choice, within the realm of narrative medicine or the medical student experience. Our past and present columns have spanned the gamut of perspective, style and thought. But, ultimately, each has found a way to inspire conversation and connection across our readership. If you are interested in applying to be a columnist, please reach out to the editorial team for further instruction.
We love to engage with our writers as well as the broader student community. Please connect with us on social media, subscribe to our newsletter or send us an email. Additionally, with the growth of our journal, we are looking to expand our social media team; so if you have any interest in working alongside us as a social media manager to further expand our outreach, please let us know!
We would like to set aside space to thank our dedicated team of medical student editors. They are this journal’s foundation — the shoulders on which in-Training is able to firmly stand. Their work has been and continues to be paramount in supporting student contributors reach their maximum potential.
Finally, we would like to introduce our 2023-2024 in-Training Executive Team:
Writers-in-Training (WiT) Program Directors
Tanushree Laud
Tanushree is a medical student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, NJ, Class of 2024. In 2017, she graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Science in global public health & chemistry. She has also received her Master of Biomedical Science from Rutgers University. She enjoys baking, kickboxing and reading memoirs in her free time. After graduating medical school, Tanushree would like to pursue a career in internal medicine.
Chad Childers
Chad Childers is a medical student at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana, Class of 2024. He received his Master of Bioethics from Harvard Medical School and his Bachelor of Arts in medical humanities from Indiana University, in Indianapolis. He enjoys running, reading and napping in his free time. After medical school, Chad plans to pursue a career in hospice.
Social Media Manager
Ifeoluwa Tugbobo
Ifeoluwa is a medical student pursuing her BS/MD at the CUNY School of Medicine as a proud student of the Sophie Davis Biomedical Program, Class of 2025. In her free time, she enjoys creating her own artwork that features many of her friends.
Managing Editors
Grishma Reddy
Grishma Reddy is a MD/MPH student at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, IL, Class of 2025. In 2019, she graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in neuroscience with minors in anthropology and global health. In her free time, she enjoys photography, pottery and trying to keep her many houseplants alive. After spending two years as a student editor, she is excited to continue her involvement with in-Training as co-managing editor. Currently, Grishma is interested in pursuing a career in surgery.
Alison White
Alison is a medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Class of 2024. In 2019, she graduated from Georgetown University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in biology. In her free time, she enjoys reading, baking and golfing. After graduating medical school, Alison would like to pursue a career in geriatric medicine. She has been an editor at in-Training for one year and is excited to continue to work with writers and editors as a managing editor.
Editors-in-Chief
Jennifer Geller
Jennifer is a medical student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, New Jersey, Class of 2024. In 2020, she graduated from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biology. When not studying medicine, she enjoys skiing, exploring food through travel and cooking and spending time with friends and family. Additional academic interests include medical education, narrative medicine and bioethics. Upon graduation, Jennifer hopes to pursue general surgery residency.
Eshiemomoh Osilama
Eshiemomoh Osilama is a medical student at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine in Scranton, PA, Class of 2024. He graduated from Columbia University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in biology. He enjoys reading and writing poetry, baking, theater, singing, museums, traveling, beaches and oceans, photography and being an extraordinary guncle.
Yours-in-training,
Jennifer Geller and Eshiemomoh Osilama
Editor-in-Chief and Former Writers-in-Training Intern
Geisinger College of Health Sciences
Eshiemomoh Osilama is a medical student at Geisinger College of Health Sciences in Scranton, PA, Class of 2024. He graduated from Columbia University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in biology. He enjoys reading and writing poetry, baking, theater, singing, museums, traveling, beaches and oceans, photography, and being an extraordinary guncle. Momoh is pursuing a career in psychiatry.
Contributing Writer and Editor in Chief Emeritus
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Jennifer is a fourth-year medical student at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, New Jersey class of 2024. In 2020, she graduated from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biology. When not studying medicine, she enjoys skiing, baking, and spending time with friends and family. Additional academic interests include medical education, narrative medicine, and bioethics. Upon graduation, Jennifer hopes to pursue general surgery residency.