Still Waiting for Someone to Pinch Me

Still Waiting for Someone to Pinch Me

The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage for beginning medical students that creates a psychological contract for professionalism and empathy in the practice of medicine. Slavena Salve Nissan, MD Candidate 2020, reflects on the ceremony’s impact on her first step towards becoming a doctor.  (more…)

Commuting Like a Pro—From Brooklyn to East Harlem (And Back Again)

Commuting Like a Pro—From Brooklyn to East Harlem (And Back Again)

When I tell people that I commute back and forth between East Harlem and where I live in Brooklyn, they’re always surprised as to why I chose not to dorm on campus at Aron Hall. My response is that commuting is what I’m used to. I spent four years commuting to Hunter College and loved being in the city during the day and coming home to my family at night. Of course, commuting can be tough too. (more…)

REVAMP: A Novel Approach to Well-being in Medical School

REVAMP: A Novel Approach to Well-being in Medical School

My path to medical school has been guided by one, overwhelming, and unrelenting desire: improve health and well-being in our world. About a year ago, this quest lead me to spend a year at the University of Pennsylvania after graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences in the Master’s of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program, studying the science of human flourishing. While transitioning to medical school, I researched and explored the vast opportunities for positive psychology to make medicine a more positive, thriving, efficient, and effective practice.

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