Aparna Alankar. Former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli appears in the news once again, now suspected of using a contraband cellphone to run Turing Pharmaceuticals from prison. Currently sentenced to seven years in prison, Shkreli gained worldwide notoriety in 2015 for raising the cost of Daparim by about 5000%, from $13.50 to $750. Daraprim is... Continue Reading →

Oishi Goswami. The $400 billion medical device industry has had a revolutionary impact on the quality of life of millions worldwide. In the United States, however, the system controlling the usage of medical devices is dysfunctional, letting faulty patents abound. Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering bring to light the broken system trusted... Continue Reading →

Soomin Lee. The outdated term “gender identity disorder” was recently replaced in the DSM-5 by “gender dysphoria.” The criteria for diagnosis was also revised. The necessity of a psychiatric diagnosis remains controversial, although some transgender advocates believe the inclusion of gender dysphoria in the DSM is necessary to procure health insurance covering medically necessary treatment... Continue Reading →

Aparna Alankar. Cultural competency is defined as the ability of systems to provide care to patients with diverse values, beliefs, and behaviors. A culturally competent healthcare system therefore tailors its practices to meet the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of its patients and clientele. Cultural competency has an obvious ethical backing, but it has several... Continue Reading →

Avery Orrall. Although proven ineffective, abstinence-based sex education is still being funded by the Trump administration, specifically in teen pregnancy programs. So why are we still funding it? Abstinence-based sex education consists of high-school and middle-school programs that enforce the practice of refraining from sex and fail to teach the basic anatomical components of reproductive systems.... Continue Reading →

Avery Orrall. Hedda Martin, a patient of Spectrum Health in Michigan, applied to be a candidate for a heart transplant. She then received a letter from her healthcare provider denying her candidacy due to the need for a “more secure financial plan.” The hospital suggested that she should independently raise $10,000 for “immunosuppressive medication coverage” and... Continue Reading →

Sara Esmaili. In 1996, America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a landmark study that said a gun in the home does not make everyone safer. Since the outcomes of this study contradicted the National Rifle Association’s major talking points, they successfully banned the CDC from conducting any more public health studies in regards... Continue Reading →

Aparna Alankar. Despite all his promises to LGBTQ people on the campaign trail, Trump continues to build his anti-LGBTQ record. From endeavoring to reinstate a ban on transgender people in the military to refusing to acknowledge Pride Month, Trump and his administration’s actions regarding LGBTQ people are best characterized using the words of James Esseks, director of the... Continue Reading →

Sara Esmaili. From the moment physicians decide to dedicate their careers to saving lives, whether that be at a young age or in college, their lives drastically change. In order to become a physician, resumes need to be crammed with a never-ending list of requirements: clinical and non-clinical volunteering, research, a high GPA and MCAT... Continue Reading →

Aparna Alankar. Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh was recently sworn in to the Supreme Court. In the coming weeks, it is worth taking the time to reevaluate the institutions we are each a part of and how they address sexual misconduct—especially those institutions which we had once thought sacrosanct. For premeds, medicine is a good place... Continue Reading →