Fortaleza
In the Field
Read about works centered around clinical experiences.
By: Stephanie Singer
Maria, a Spanish-speaking patient, was anxious after only understanding part of her medical team’s discussion. Taking just ten minutes to explain her diagnosis in her language transformed her experience—she went from overwhelmed to empowered. Language barriers in healthcare are common, but small efforts, like using interpreters and embracing cultural differences, can make a big impact. Every patient deserves to feel heard and valued.
By: Ashley Cianchini
This article explores the challenges and achievements of the first Puerto Rican women who became doctors in the early 20th century. It highlights their struggles against financial, social, and systemic obstacles, especially in a male-dominated field. The paper discusses key figures like Dr. Dolores Pérez Marchand, Dr. Palmira Gatell, and Dr. Josefina Villafañe, who not only advanced medicine but also fought for women's rights and public health. Their legacy continues to inspire future generations of Puerto Rican female physicians.
This opinion piece explores how the dermatology field has been impacted by social media. It focuses on the positive and negative aspects of social media for the specialty.
By: Camila Rudas
This short essay explores the idea of using our difficult and unique journeys to help support and heal our patients beyond what medicine can offer. I use my experience with homelessness and an anecdote to hopefully encourage others to share their own journeys more than they think they "should". Overcoming fear around sharing experiences is only helpful to future patients and could bring them closer to where they're going.
In this opinion article, I share a personal experience that shaped my understanding of compassionate care and its profound impact on patient outcomes. Drawing from my mother’s heart attack and the exceptional care she received from her cardiologist, I reflect on how empathy, active listening, and genuine concern can transform the healthcare experience. Furthermore, I address the growing challenges in today’s healthcare system, such as burnout and time constraints, which hinder compassionate care. I passionately believe that cultivating compassion should be a fundamental value in medical training and practice, benefiting both patients and providers while enhancing the overall quality of healthcare.
By: Jasmine Macias
This reflective piece explores the intersection of medicine and social justice, highlighting the human moments that reveal systemic inequities in healthcare. Through poignant patient encounters and firsthand observations, it examines the barriers to care, the resilience of both patients and providers, and the urgent need for advocacy within the medical profession. At its core, the article argues that medicine is not just about treatment - it is a commitment to justice.
This reflection explores how chronic pain is often misunderstood, under-treated, and dismissed within modern medicine. Drawing inspiration from Frida Kahlo’s legacy, the author weaves personal experience as a medical student with a call for more human-centered care. It challenges the clinical tendency to reduce patients to symptoms and advocates for listening, empathy, and systemic change in how we understand and respond to suffering.
By: Alfredo Palacios
Language Barriers: The Responsibility of the Patient or the Provider?, is an opinion piece that discusses the critical role of communication in medical practice, particularly addressing the challenges posed by language barriers between healthcare providers and patients. The author highlights the risks associated with relying on untrained "ad hoc" interpreters and the emotional burden placed on them when conveying sensitive medical information. The piece argues that as the Latino population in the U.S. continues to grow, learning Spanish is becoming a necessity for healthcare providers and emphasizes the shared responsibility of both patients and physicians in overcoming language barriers to provide adequate and component healthcare.
The Hidden Voices of Medicine: Championing Health Equity through Social Determinants highlights the importance of recognizing historically marginalized medical pioneers and their contributions to modern healthcare. I describe an initiative at the Emory University School of Medicine, where students renamed the school’s four societies after groundbreaking figures: Dr. Luella Klein, Dr. Rebecca Crumpler, Dr. Hamilton Holmes, and Dr. Helen Rodríguez Trías. I emphasize Dr. Rodríguez Trías’s remarkable career, detailing her advocacy for health equity, neonatal care, and reproductive rights, including her role in fighting against forced sterilization policies. I underscore the intersection of medicine and social justice, illustrating how systemic inequities influence healthcare outcomes. I call for future physicians to engage in activism, leadership, and culturally informed medical practices to continue advancing health equity.
I wrote this opinion piece after being frustrated with some comments that I have heard about patients and how they’ve chosen to handle their own health. While it is reasonable for us to expect patients to take control of their health, there has always been factors out of their control that we don’t always consider in the moment. I hope this piece will help others have an image of the short stick in their head as they approach patients coming from complex situations.
By: Neha Mahindrakar
The submitted material highlights my opinions on the disparity of healthcare faced by Hispanic women in the US healthcare system, which deeply resonates with me as a women who grew up in a similar backdrop in India.
My op-ed explores the critical and yet often overlooked role of mentorship in supporting underrepresented students on the path to medicine. Drawing from my personal journey as a first-generation college graduate, teen parent, and aspiring physician from an underserved community, I highlight how systemic barriers—not a lack of talent—keep many qualified students from entering the medical field. I discuss the transformative power of mentorship through my leadership in the Kaiser Permanente SURF Program and the creation of Next Gen Health Leaders, emphasizing that intentional, culturally competent mentorship is not only essential for student success but also for building a more diverse, equitable, and effective healthcare system.
This manuscript, titled “Arbona Health Hub: Advancing Accessible Science Research and Communication”, presents an overview of Arbona Health Hub (AHH), a nonprofit initiative founded in 2023 that aims to combat health misinformation and promote scientific literacy through accessible, peer-reviewed content written by students and healthcare professionals. The paper outlines the Hub’s editorial and peer-review process, shares quantitative data regarding readership and engagement, and reflects on the broader impact and future potential of student-led health communication platforms.
This essay explores the healthcare challenges faced by Latino communities in the United States, focusing on disparities in access, trust, and outcomes. It highlights the importance of a diverse and culturally competent medical workforce in addressing these challenges, emphasizing how language barriers, cultural disconnects, and historical injustices contribute to mistrust and underrepresentation in the healthcare system. The essay advocates for a healthcare system that embraces cultural diversity to improve health outcomes, promote preventive care, and build trust within Latino communities.
By: Tejas Sekhar & Jessica Toledo
This OpEd aims to explore the multidimensional barriers to medication adherence that many patients face, particularly in the context of glaucoma and dry eye disease. Through our upcoming research, we aim to examine the physical, financial, and educational challenges that impact adherence, highlighting the disconnect between clinical recommendations and patient realities. By centering patient experience, we advocate for innovative, patient-centric solutions that improve real-world accessibility and support. Our work underscores the critical need to rethink adherence strategies to ensure that every patient has the necessary resources to preserve their vision.
This OpEd is a personal reflection on the intersection between running and medicine. Both disciplines have taught me that growth often happens in the quieter, often overlooked moments even when the impact of which isn’t immediately visible. Just as I trust my training to carry me through a difficult run, I’ve learned to trust the preparation, the lessons, and the inevitable setbacks in medicine, knowing that each step is a necessary part of the journey.