Soomin Lee. TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that can drastically reduce the risk of contracting HIV-1 through sex only if taken everyday and used with safe sex ​practices​. A major study has shown that properly using TRUVADA “can reduce the risk of HIV infection by 92% and subsequent analysis has indicated... Continue Reading →

Aniket Dhariwal. Theranos was founded by Elizabeth Holmes in 2003 and claimed that it had developed new revolutionary blood work technology, which required only one hundredth of the blood needed by standard blood tests. The heads of the company were trained in engineering, but did not possess much knowledge of chemistry and had very little... Continue Reading →

Kaylee Lamarche. The use of scientific advancements to enhance or supplement natural bodily functions has been a continuous source of ethical and political debate, especially in the realm of reproduction and infertility. Infertile parents often resort to using surrogates or undergoing fertility treatments in order to compensate for their inability to easily and naturally fulfill... Continue Reading →

Aniket Dhariwal. Autonomy, or self determination, is a concept that is held in high regard in medicine; it is supremely valued and there exists a rich history of literature that endorses the view that medical professionals must uphold autonomy. This enduring belief in this principal value is the driving force behind many medical practices and... Continue Reading →

Avery Orrall. When I first started my journey in pre-medicine, I assumed I would graduate from NYU and attend medical school to earn my title as an MD, or medical doctor. I only recently began to consider the alternative: becoming a DO, or doctor of osteopathic medicine. DOs make up only 7.3% of active physicians... Continue Reading →

Soomin Lee. With flavors such as mango, mint, and crème brulee, Juul has grown into a $15 billion company in the span of 15 months. Juul is a new type of e-cigarette that involves heating up a cartridge filled with oils to create vapor that quickly dissolves into the air. Although the minimum age to... Continue Reading →

Aparna Alankar. In feudal societies, the ultimate power of the sovereign was the power to take away life. The sovereign wielded this power to execute criminals, wage wars, and conquer surrounding territories. Over time, the nature of the sovereign’s power shifted, while the sovereign’s actions remained fundamentally unchanged. Criminals were punished and executed—but not necessarily... Continue Reading →

Aparna Alankar.  Two summers ago, I came across a post by Humans of New York recording the words of one medical resident in New York City. What he said remains with me to this day, ending with the following, “I can see the end of the tunnel. But the tunnel is very damaging.” It is... Continue Reading →

Sara Esmaili.  According to the World Health Organization, mental disorders are the single most common form of disability in young people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 5 American children ages 3 through 17—about 15 million—have a diagnosable mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder in a given year. Statistics for college... Continue Reading →

Aniket Dhariwal. The relationship between death and mental illness is undeniable, but one that earns significantly less public attention or research focus than more “visible” illnesses. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “life expectancy has increased dramatically in the U.S., from 51 years in 1910 to nearly 79 years (81 years in... Continue Reading →