Notes from the Middle Seat
I heaved my carry-on into the 5th overhead compartment of the week and squeezed past a catatonic passenger to take up residence in my usual middle seat. I raked my fingers through the chasm of my purse in...
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Michelle Blumenschine
Michelle Blumenschine is a medical student in the Class of 2018. She holds degrees in film & TV production and journalism & mass communication from New York University and completed her pre-med post-bac certificate at Columbia University. Before moving to Phoenix from New York City, Michelle worked as a documentary film producer. She enjoys making to-do lists, drinking craft beer, and collecting National Geographic magazines. She is pursuing a career in obstetrics and gynecology.
A Letter to the Class of 2021
I was walking out of a grocery store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in November of 2013 when I received the phone call: I’d been admitted to medical school. I cried, called my mom, and celebrated...
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Doctoring While Female
Let’s all share a collective sigh of relief: we’ve reached Election Day. No matter which party you support, you’re likely feeling either exhausted, disgusted, or both. The campaigns, which have been plagued by scandals, conspiracy theories, name-calling, racism,...
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Losing (and Regaining) My Grip on Reality: An Anxious Medical Student Takes Step 1
I’m writing this article from 30,000 feet above Albuquerque, en route to the East Coast, where I will spend the next several days re-entering the world as a healthy and well-adjusted human. I have spent the last month...
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R E S P E C T: All I’m Askin’ Is for a Little Respect…for Primary Care Physicians
Growing up, I never planned to become a physician. As a relatively healthy child, I assumed all doctors were functionally the same as the one I visited for a yearly checkup or for the occasional cough. However, in...
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One Month Rural
A visit to the doctor often results in a prescription sent off to your pharmacy—conceivably for antibiotics, analgesics or antidepressants. If you’re feeling quite sick, you drive directly from the office to the local Walgreens, and within 30...
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