Tag: mental health

Ashley Thornton (1 Posts)

Contributing Writer

Albany Medical College

Ashley is a third year medical student at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York, Class of 2026. In 2021, Ashley graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in nutritional sciences. She is passionate about nutrition and advocacy, and enjoys spa days, painting, charcuterie, and traveling in her free time. After graduating medical school, Ashley would like to pursue a career in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

The Forgotten Prescription: Addressing Nutrition Neglect Amongst Medical Students

Published by Ashley Thornton

Being a health care professional can, at times, feel ironic because our intention is to promote health and wellness, yet we often neglect our own. As medical students, we consume large amounts of information in short periods of time, which can be both stressful and mentally strenuous. We often must be awake for long hours, whether it’s for rotations, for studying or for both at once. This lifestyle can foster many unhealthy habits, but are …

The Psych Ward

Published by Natalie David

This was my patient. I sat with her, held her hand, coaxed her to share pieces of her life story from underneath the covers.

A Longing for Belonging

Published by Malak Ibrahim

As patients moved in and out of the modest office for their appointments, their duffel bags and luggage in tow containing all their personal belongings, the day unfolded in typical fashion. Yet, within the confines of this psychiatry office catering exclusively to the local unhoused population, “normal” took on a unique meaning.

sunflower field below a blue sky and rolling mountains

Heliotropism; towards the sun.

Published by Nima Trivedi

this weekend / I went to the sunflower patch / swinging arms with my mom and sister / starry eyed at the fields of bright gold yellow / nestled in the blue of the mountains around us.

Still Here: My Experience with Repeating a Year of Medical School

Published by Marthena Phan

Within the first week, the excitement I felt at my white coat ceremony quickly faded as I became overwhelmed and fell behind. Even with seemingly endless hours of studying, I was still doing poorly. I was exhausted every day and neglecting my well-being. For the first time in my life, my hard work was not paying off.

Tears For Company

Published by Aliah Fonteh

She had her head bowed over her sleeping newborn, and her perfect plaits of braids were blanketing her shoulders, cascading calmly despite the insurmountable turmoil clearly manifesting on her face.

To Give Your Heart And Soul (2021)

Published by Stacey Audrey Wildermuth

Physicians give their heart and soul to the practice of medicine. Caring for patients at their most vulnerable moments is a heavy responsibility and privilege that medical professionals must carry.

Lighting It Up: Bright Light Therapy to Improve Medical Student Wellbeing

Published by Marc Perlman

Bright Light Therapy (BLT) has efficacy in treating mild-to-moderate SAD. A meta-analysis of eight randomized controlled trials found that BLT was effective at treating symptoms of SAD with an effect size of 0.84, which are comparable to the benefits of antidepressants.

The Gap Year Dilemma: What the Medical Student Prescribed

Published by Dionne Blake

My health deteriorated as I started my second year in medical school. I suffered from intense nausea and abdominal pain, only getting four or five consistent hours of sleep per day. These health issues had started and worsened during the second year, eventually culminating in an emergency cholecystectomy.

The Weight We Carry

Published by Mackenzie Poole

“You know, not all of us can be small,” the patient, a well-appearing woman in moderate anxious distress, said as she motioned with her hands and rolled her eyes towards me. “It’s disgusting,” she added.

Maintaining Thick and Thin Skin

Published by Fatema Shipchandler

Third-year rotations forced me to reckon with my emotional capacity as a human and future physician. With each patient encounter, I had to decide whether my skin was too thick or too thin.

The Worth of the Humanities

Published by Ruchica Chandnani

Ruchica Chandnani, Class of 2024 at the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, contributes this poem as an in-Training writer and current managing editor of the publication since 2021.

Ruchica Chandnani (4 Posts)

Managing Editor and Contributing Writer

Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine

Ruchica Chandnani is a third year medical student at the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Smith, Arkansas. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor with a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience and a minor in Asian Languages and Culture. In her spare time, she likes watching cartoons and anime, writing, painting, eating, and traveling (esp. solo traveling). Presently, Ruchica is interested in pursuing Psychiatry, Neurology, and/or Anesthesiology and hopes to become an advocate for victims of trauma.