Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Written On By Experience, Akesis Anonymous Author

Akesis

This poem is about a conversation I had with a friend about beginnings, and how any given experience has no intrinsic good or bad qualities, but rather holds whatever we imbibe it with.

What Is My Beginning?, Stephanie Braunthal

Akesis

I find that when we ask about beginnings, we are really asking about the present. How did a person come to be who he or she is today? As I try to answer this question about myself, I am finding it easier to express myself in diagrams (pen on scratch paper) than in words. Perhaps this is a product of being a medical student; or perhaps it is because beginnings are a complex amalgam of static forces and fluid experiences that cannot be expressed linearly through prose...Enjoy!

To Care Is To Treat, Himanshu Malhotra

Akesis

To Care is to Treat is a reflection of a few experiences from my second and third year that have inspired me to become a palliative care physician.

The Narrative Of My Childhood, Nihit N. Mehta

Akesis

I was a weak child from early on, never able to run or play as much as the other kids in my block. Each month I'd visit doctors, trying my best to recover from common colds and coughs. Luckily, all this changed as I matured and in a way I almost began living a "normal life".

However, when it came to deciding what I wanted to be as an adult, I remembered the sick kid I was and how my doctors were always there for me, helping me "find health." This made me realize that I too, could someday be …

The Descent Down The Step One Rabbit Hole, Katelyn A. Hanson

Akesis

At the start of my second year of medical school I was ecstatic to move away from the study of the normal, healthy human body and to begin to immerse myself in the complex mechanisms behind the pathophysiology of disease. I drew this illustration to connect aspects of my personality with the aspects of medicine I was most excited about exploring deeper. This image was drawn with permanent markers on the cover of a binder dedicated solely to preparing for the first part of the medical licensing exam; I looked at this drawing every day as I drove myself closer …

Laurie's Greenhouse, Elizabeth G. Mcandrew, Kelsey Albert

Akesis

Pottery by: Elizabeth McAndrew

Photography by: Kelsey Albert and Elizabeth McAndrew

Modeling: Laurie the Bird

Materials: Wheel thrown pottery - Cone 10 white clay and dipped glaze (cobalt blue and mossy green). Philodendron Heartleaf Plant. Laurie is a parrotlet, which is the second smallest species of parrot. Photo editing was done directly on the iPhone photo application.

This photo represents beginnings because it includes many elements of my life that I drew toward me in the year that I began my medical career. Living alone for the first time, I bought plants so that I wasn't the only living thing …

Beginnings, Nehal J. Shah

Akesis

The beginning of one thing signifies the end of another – for one to start, another must end. With that said, under karmic and Hindu belief, we are constantly in a cycle of beginnings, and endings, until we achieve “moksha” – true oneness with God. Furthermore, within each cycle, there are four stages of life that one hopes to go through, carrying out the ideal goals and progress of each existence. Therefore, this life ultimately is a new beginning to an old soul – a soul that has traveled and journeyed upon eons of time to find happiness, spirituality, completeness …

Beginnings: A Letter From The Editors, Akesis Editors

Akesis

The editors would like to welcome you to the inaugural issue of Akesis.

Incidence Of Breast, Colorectal And Lung Cancers And Mortality Among Women Within Midwestern States, Ruth M. Perez, Matthew Rappelt, Kathryn Kossow, Maharaj Singh

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Breast, colorectal and lung cancers have been shown to be the most common cancers as well as the leading causes of cancer death among women. Previous studies suggest that the Northeast had significantly higher rates in incidence and mortality than the Midwest, South and Western regions. However, new data indicates that the Midwest now harbors the highest mortality rates. In Wisconsin, the sixth largest state in the Midwest, cancer is the leading cause of death. Differences in incidence and mortality of breast, colorectal and lung cancers have been observed between Wisconsin, other Midwestern states and national data, warranting further …

Maternal Intuition Of Fetal Gender, Michael P. Mcfadzen, David P. Dielentheis, Ronda Kasten

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Background: Many pregnant mothers feel they have a perception or intuition as to the gender of their unborn baby. There is very little published scientific literature regarding this topic. The study’s goal is to determine accuracy of mothers’ perceptions as to gender of their unborn babies. Many scientists believe a pregnant woman could not determine her baby’s gender by intuition, with a 50% probability of correctly determining the gender. This study should be considered fun science.

Purpose: To objectively measure a pregnant mother’s perception as to the gender of her unborn baby and compare to sonographically proved gender. The study …

Reproductive Rights In Latin America: A Case Study Of Guatemala And Nicaragua, Katherine W. Bogen

Scholarly Undergraduate Research Journal at Clark (SURJ)

A lack of access to contraceptives and legal abortion for women throughout the nations of Nicaragua and Guatemala creates critical health care problems. Moreover, rural and underprivileged women in Guatemala and Nicaragua are facing greater limitations to birth control access, demonstrating a classist aspect in the global struggle for female reproductive rights. Although some efforts have been made over the past half-century to initiate a dialogue on the failure of medical care in these nations to adequately address issues of maternal mortality and reproductive rights, the women's reproductive health movements of Nicaragua and Guatemala have struggled to reach an effective …

The Intersection Of Art And Medicine: Tanya Sheehan Breaks Down The Boundaries Between Disciplines, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

Tanya Sheehan arrived at Georgetown University intending to become a medical doctor. She aced her organic chemistry lab section, eventually was turned off by the rote memorization the program emphasized, and then discovered art history and film studies. "That changed everything," she said, "but I never forgot about science and medicine."

Reproductive Genetics: Desired Genes, Gendered Ethics, And Eugenic Echoes, Marykate K. Bodnar

The Hilltop Review

Present knowledge of genetics and assisted reproduction make fertile ground for a new type of eugenics: reproductive genetics. Proponents of reproductive genetics aim to separate these techniques from the problematic and negative connotations associated with historical eugenic policies by claiming them as part of the liberal eugenic movement. In-vitro fertilization (IVF), the market for sperm and eggs, and prenatal genetic testing allow conscious decision-making regarding the potential genetic make-up of children. Decisions are made in a gendered and politicized environment, shaping understandings of genes, eggs, and sperm around stereotypes and ideal social norms. In choosing “desirable” characteristics, whatever they may …

Generational Conflicts Among Vietnamese Americans In The Health Care Decision Making Process, Georgie D. Nguyen

Journal of Health Ethics

In the U.S. there are approximately 1.3 million Vietnamese Americans. This group faced multiple problems after their immigration to the U.S. after the Fall of Saigon. While some easily acculturated within this group, others such as the older generation suffered difficulty doing so. The purpose of this article is to address concerns regarding the health care decision making process among the Vietnamese community and its importance to helping health care providers understand why there is a high mortality rate within this group.