Silent Strength: Unveiling the Hidden Depths of Grief and Understanding
“Your time starts now. You may begin your examination.” These were the words said moments before a life-altering moment during my high school years.
Tag: medical ethics
Contributing Writer
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Karthik is a fourth year medical student at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami, Florida class of 2024. In 2021, he graduated from University of Miami with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Immunology. He enjoys weightlifting, sports, traveling, and trying new foods in his free time. After graduating medical school, Karthik would like to pursue a career in Anesthesiology.
End of Life Care with a Fairy Tale Twist
As the hands of the large clock on the wall turn to 8 a.m, a wandering medical student strolls through the intricate hallways of the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Her eyesight shifted to various places in the unit as she struggled to find the so-called “fishbowl,” an office space where residents station themselves to work.
Because I Said So
On the fifteenth day that Marietta had not eaten, the psychiatry team knew they could no longer take care of her. With each day, her body grew weaker, her blood pressure softened, and her heart beat faster to keep her alive. By the time the medicine team was consulted, her heart was laboring at 130 beats per minute.
When Advocating Becomes Difficult: Health Care Professionals and War
The purpose of this piece is not to assign blame, nor is it to debate the inciting event for the current state of the people in Gaza. Instead, I hope to inspire you, the reader, to set aside any political differences and to lean into your role as both a human and patient advocate. I urge you to speak up in support of our colleagues overseas, who are treating and operating under the threat of death; for history will not judge our silence kindly.
Pressure of Residency Applications Results in an Unethical Approach to Research by Medical Students
The stress of juggling multiple projects, some of which held little interest, seemed to overshadow their summer which should have been devoted to personal and professional development. In addition, I began to question if some of them would attempt to take shortcuts in their research.
Less Likely to Get a Kidney if You’re a Minority—Even if You’re a Kid!
During my three weeks working in the pediatric dialysis unit and the post-kidney transplant unit, I noticed a troublesome trend. The whiter and younger pediatric patients were resting comfortably in the post-transplant unit with their new surgically placed kidney being meticulously taken care of. The darker and older pediatric patients spent countless, mindless hours attached to a dialysis machine with little hope for a new kidney after years of being on the waitlist.
My Most Important Lesson from Medical School
Upon reflection, my actions and feelings in caring for this patient reveal how truly afraid I was to be wrong; not necessarily about the diagnosis, but rather about whether the patient would be okay. Maybe coming in daily and opening her chart for good news was just me hoping that my initial impression was still right instead of coming to terms with the fact I was very wrong.
Meditations on Mortality
One of the most powerful paradoxes of medical education is that we learn how to heal the living by dissecting the dead. Our cadavers house the beauty and intricacies of human creation, the distinctiveness yet commonality of each human body and the finality of decline.
Wait—Patients Are Going To Read My Notes?
When I first started learning how to write SOAP notes, I was under the impression they would serve as objective documents to detail the medical history and current health problems experienced by patients It seemed these notes were to be created by — and for — clinicians. I now realize this perception could not be more wrong.
Condescending Humor in Medicine and Medical Education
Humor can be a double-edged sword; when used inappropriately in the workplace, it can taint interactions between health care providers and detract from professionalism.
Forgive Me
In my white coat, / I ask for forgiveness. / Forgive me, / to the weary homeless man
On the Intersection of Journalistic Ethics and Bioethics
In medicine, very little is black and white. Now, as a medical student who has begun to experience ethical dilemmas in the realm of patient care, I’ve discovered that the ethics of journalists and physicians are more similar than I expected.
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.
