So-So
“I still feel the same,” she says / after three weeks of ECT. / Monday / Wednesday / Friday —
Tag: mental health
Contributing Writer
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Kathryn Norman is a fourth-year medical student at University of Massachusetts Medical School class of 2021. She received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Harvard University in 2015. Before starting medical school, she worked as a CDC Public Health Associate in Modesto, CA, where she discovered her love for both local health policy and hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Addressing Mental Health During the COVID-19 Crisis
In order to flatten the COVID-19 curve, many people have been practicing social distancing and staying at home to avoid possible exposure to carriers and infected individuals. While these measures are necessary to slow the spread of the virus and keep the number of cases at a manageable level, they have several implications for mental health.
Social Distancing Versus Social Isolation
The same four walls surround us for hours on end while we try to marry the responsibilities of medical education with those of social distancing. While these new restrictions may at first seem conducive to much desired additional study time, gym closures and social gathering restrictions only deepen the isolation already felt by so many medical students.
The Alcoholics Anonymous Perspective
Our patients deserve to have their battles acknowledged. That means believing your patients when they implore, “I am trying” and appreciating that we may encounter people at different phases of recovery.
Medical Ethics in the Time of COVID-19: A Call for Critical Reflection
At this very moment, our medical care providers are acting as the heroes we know them to be. They should be celebrated for their steadfast courage and dedication to the community’s safety and wellbeing. Our job as medical students is to support those brave practitioners in the way that most protects their safety and the safety of their patients, which very well could mean (and probably does mean) staying home.
Flourishing and the Well-Lived Life: The Differential Impact of Hedonia and Eudaimonia on Our Experiences
What does it mean to lead a meaningful or purposeful life? One common feature that appears in many cultures is the pursuit and attainment of happiness throughout life. Recent research has unearthed predominant patterns in happiness, and consequently, two major perspectives have emerged: hedonia and eudaimonia.
Grief on the Wards
“Time of death: 12:26 p.m.” Hearing those words on the first day of my Intensive Care Unit (ICU) rotation was surreal when just a few hours ago we were discussing the patient’s status during rounds.
Just Keep Pushing: Conversations with the Woman in the Mirror
You already started / your medical school journey / non-traditionally. / Just keep pushing
Jumping In
Asking someone if they want to kill themselves becomes easier every time. The appalling part is how quickly this and other taboo personal questions became a normal part of my routine.
Failing Out and Leaning In
I refreshed the page over and over again, thinking that a different number would magically appear instead, but it never did. I then picked up the phone to call my mom. I choked out the words, “I failed out of medical school.”
How to Make Third Year of Med School the Best One Yet (or at Least Survivable)
I’ve been asked by medical students in the classes below me about my third year experiences. Every student’s experience is unique, but listed below are the things I’ve discovered along the way that have helped me survive and even enjoy my third year.
Starved
She suffers from bouts of amenorrhea. / She masticates as often as the day is black.
Contributing Writer
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Lawren Wooten is a second medical student at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC class of 2022. In 2014, she graduated from Cornell University College of Human Ecology with a Bachelor of Science in human biology, health and society. In 2016, she graduated from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences with a Master of Science in integrative medicine. She enjoys playing the cello, working with children and doing crosswords in her free time. After graduating medical school, Lawren would like to pursue a career in general pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty.