Contributing Writer
The Ohio State College of Medicine
Sandra is a third-year medical student at The Ohio State College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio class of 2026. In 2020, she graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. She enjoys various forms of exercises like cycling, boxing, rowing and strength training, playing drums, writing and reading in her free time. After graduating medical school, Sandra would like to pursue internal medicine.
I was having one of those days in medical school where the weight of everything felt crushing — the pressure to be perfect, the constant comparisons to my peers, and the nagging doubt of whether I truly belonged here. In need of a break, I turned to The Bear on Hulu, hoping to escape, even if just for a while. Although, like any medical student, I felt initial guilt in indulging in this free time.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of puncturing the thin shrink film around a new canvas. Getting ready to paint is a routine — the rumbling of the kettle as I thumb through my collection of teas, picking the perfect album to play on repeat for the evening. Putting on the highlighter yellow shirt from high school plastered with smudges of blacks, greens, and whites from years of previous paintings.
Writers-in-Training Intern and Contributing Writer
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Nima is a medical student at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Bradenton, Florida, Class of 2024. In 2019, she graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and biology, with minors in creative writing and medicine and society. Nima enjoys gardening, cooking, and painting in her free time. After graduating medical school, Nima would like to pursue a career in family medicine with a focus on community health and lifestyle medicine.
