Tag: covid-19

Sumayya Mohammed (1 Posts)

Contributing Writer

California University of Science and Medicine

Sumayya is a third year medical student at California University of Science and Medicine in Colton CA, Class of 2022. In 2017, she graduated from New Jersey Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Arts in biology. She then went on to UCSF to get a Masters in Global Health. She enjoys listening to podcasts, exploring coffee shops, and trying different art mediums in her free time. In the future Sumayya would like to pursue a career in neurology.




Essential Workers & Escapism

Published by Sumayya Mohammed

For better or worse, I have always partaken in escapism in one form or another. “Escapism,” defined as the practice of avoiding a difficult reality by immersing oneself in distraction or entertainment, is a concept that rose in popularity in the 1930s as a natural reaction to the Great Depression of the previous decade. Although I did not know it at the time, I have been practicing escapism since 2000 BC (before COVID). As the eldest daughter of immigrants who were new to the continent and busy building a life from scratch, I would get lost in stories from a very young age. I had little in the way of friends and even less of an interest in being popular, so naturally I was drawn to books to fill that emotional void; novels were the way to my heart — fantasy and fiction, oh my!

How Social Distancing Is Affecting the Elderly

Published by Philine Endres

For many of the elderly and their families, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a scary and trying time. A major concern has been the physical health and safety of this vulnerable population. In addition to community infection control measures like social distancing and avoidance of public gatherings to slow the initial spread of the outbreak, public health officials have also endeavored to protect high-risk populations by recommending electronic visits with loved ones, whether they are at private homes, nursing homes, or in the hospital.

Doctor/Patient Patel

Published by Dolly Patel

My medical school career was complicated by more than just complex cardiac physiology or biochemical pathways. Little did I know that at the end of my second year I would go from knocking on a patient’s door during a clinical session, to sitting in an exam room myself.

Catching Threads at the End of Preclinical

Published by Amal Cheema

I hope my classmates, communities, and I all dance far more often with health than sickness. I pray that soon the last hospital bed holds the last patient with COVID. I hope justice and truth prevail. I hope we hold onto what we carry: the love of friends and family, a resilience tried and true, bravery unbridled and faith that we will persevere among the challenges life affords. I hope that after long days of caring for others, we care for ourselves and call a friend, a loved one, a therapist — and remember how far we’ve come. We have been patients, and we will be patients, even as we care for patients.

In Sickness and Health: Concern for Presenteeism in Medical Trainees

Published by Trisha Kaundinya

Presenteeism does not simply exist for seasoned providers; it seeps down the medical training pipeline and perhaps poses the greatest threat to trainees at the start of their careers. The fear of missing out as the “beginner on the team” can be paralyzing when there is so much important knowledge beyond us. Such pressure persists longitudinally, too, as trainees at every level fear that taking time off will appear as a lack of dedication to clinical education or will result in lower performance evaluations.

The COVID Narrative

Published by Parker Davis

Our illness narrative, the COVID narrative, is about so much more than regaining health (though I acknowledge that for those afflicted by the disease, overcoming the debilitating circumstances may be more than can even be hoped for). Returning to Frank’s ideas, our narrative is about rediscovering the voice that was stolen by forces beyond our control.

Virtual Doctors-in-Training: A Medical Student’s Perspective on Returning Back to “Normal”

Published by Kelsey Beck

We have seen our classmates’ faces, memorized each other’s hometowns and politely chuckled at every “fun fact” introduction despite having heard it countless times. Some of us have admitted to writing down random facts about others as we hear them, hoping to review them later and somehow kindle more profound relationships than the pandemic naturally allows. We virtually contact each other later with a random sentiment trying to relate to someone’s favorite sports team or vacation place.

Telesurgery: A New Era in Global Medicine?

Published by Yichi Zhang

Imagine inserting your broken arm into a metallic, sleeve-like device, then sparks fly, machines clang and voila! You have gotten yourself a nice, fixed arm in a shiny new cast. It is more and more common to see scenes like this on display in recent sci-fi productions. These flashy Hollywood gadgets may seem far-fetched, but surgeons have been conducting robotic-assisted procedures for over thirty years.

Michael Moentmann Michael Moentmann (1 Posts)

Contributing Writer

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Michael is a third year medical student at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan class of 2022. In 2018, he graduated from Calvin College with a BS in biochemistry and a BA in public health. Michael enjoys camping, cooking, and medium-length road trips.