By Dr. Ram Prakash Thirugnanasambandam
“Is it true that my entire immune system will be gone?” the patient asked.
“Yes, it is true,” the attending said. “But we will be there throughout the process with you and make sure we fight off every possible infection we find.”
I was on an adult bone marrow (stem cell) transplant elective at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), and yet again, I was witnessing the sort of conversation most of the MSK patients had with the team every single day.
By Dr. Vernicia Hernandez
I am an internal medicine resident at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital (UM/JMH) in Florida. The director of my program, Dr. Stefanie Brown, is committed to recruiting the most diverse class of residents, which is reflected in our residency cohort. There is strength in diversity, and it can be leveraged through a culture of mutual understanding and respect. To help promote this culture in my program, I decided to launch a project called the ‘“Pop-Up Cultural Marketplace.” The Pop-Up Cultural Marketplace project aims to foster a better understanding of the other societies, values, and cultures represented by the community at my host institution.
By Dr. Ramadan Algamal
It was a fateful summer in 2013 when my dear friend showed me a CT brain study, revealing his father’s ongoing battle with intracranial hemorrhage. Something about the lesion troubled me. I proposed a further assessment through an MRI with contrast. Woefully, the results unveiled the presence of a hemorrhagic glioblastoma multiforme (GBM): a perilous brain tumor. Several months later, as the leaves fell gracefully from the trees, his father’s journey on this Earth came to an end.
By Dr. Saurabh Jindal
Hard work can teach many incredible skills, such as patience, perseverance, and, most importantly, falling in love with your work. I have been deeply fascinated by human anatomy for as long as I can remember. As a child, I would spend hours flipping through the pages of my parents’ anatomy textbooks. This curiosity, combined with a desire to care for the sick, ultimately led me to pursue a career in medicine.
By Dr. Sushania Pryce
From as early as I can remember, my family physician inspired me to help others. His ability to care for everyone in the community, from old to young, left me in awe. It became my life goal to follow in his footsteps. Before entering medical school, I knew I wanted to become a family physician. After all, growing up in Oracabessa, Jamaica, a very rural community, that was the only type of doctor I knew. Fast forward to now, years later, I have traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to complete my residency training to become a family physician.
