desperatemedstudent

[desperatemedstudent]

For years, this has frustrated Ellen Buchanan Weiss, whose toddler son is mixed race. She’s tried searching for photographs online to reference conditions such as chicken pox and hives, but tells me that “even adding the qualifier ‘chicken pox on black child’ yields mostly Caucasian examples.” Recently, she decided to do something to help other parents facing similar barriers, and began collecting photos on her own. Her project Brown Skin Matters is an Instagram account filled with reference images of dermatological conditions on non-white skin. You can see what ant bites can look like on a child who is Hispanic and black. Or how the viral illness Fifths disease can manifest in a child who is black and white.

From the photos, it’s clear that conditions look different on different skin tones. On a post featuring a black child with chicken pox, one person commented: “Thank you! My mom (white) always said she wasn’t sure if we’d actually had chicken pox because they didn’t look how she expected. But the pediatrician said we did.”

While Weiss is not a medical professional, she is working with physicians to review the viewer-submitted photos. She emphasizes that the information on Brown Skin Matters is for educational and reference purposes only, and not a diagnosis. “I’m just a regular person who dearly loves her son and wants equitable representation and resources available to him and other people who look like him,” Weiss says.

[desperatemedstudent]

if you see someone being interrupted in a conversation, acknowledge them, don’t let them be pushed to the side. if you see someone lagging behind, walk beside them. if someone is being ignored, take the step to include them. always remind people of their worth. it hurts when it feels like you’re being forgotten. that small gesture can mean a lot.

[desperatemedstudent]

drained of blood, the heart is white

[desperatemedstudent]

[desperatemedstudent]

(04.03.2019) || I’ve waited my whole life to be a research student and here I am 💕 dreams come true

[desperatemedstudent]

3/8 days of productivity, I'm not very motivated today. I had stuff to do this morning so now (evening) my mindset is "I'll never finish what I need to study today" which is very not good. At all. But I'm still trying to at least do something

[desperatemedstudent]

Day 2/8 days of productivity. As you can see I'm in love with the earth bush 💚🌎🌳 so far I only studied a bit over an hour but now I'm studying with my girlfriend and I hope it helps with my motivation.

[desperatemedstudent]

Some things it is A-OK to say to your doctor:

No

Wait

Stop 

(These are full sentences! You do not need to say any more) 

I am not comfortable. 

I am not comfortable, I would like… 

you to wait a moment.

another person in the room. 

everyone else out of the room. 

a doctor/nurse of my same gender to preform this test/procedure. 

the person who came with me to this appointment in the room. 

you to explain everything before you begin. 

you to tell me what you are doing as you go. 

to do this another day. 

I want to get a second opinion before we proceed.

I don’t understand, please repeat that. 

I don’t understand, please explain more simply. 

Please say that slower/spell that, I want to do some research myself.

I would like to talk to [someone in my life, ie my parents to SO] before making this decision. 

No, I do not need to talk to [anyone] before making this decision, I am confidant on my own and am ready to proceed. 

What are the side effects of this medication/procedure? What are the potential complications? 

Why are you recommending/prescribing this specific thing? 

What other treatment options are there? Why are you choosing this?

Would your treatment plan be different if I were a man/woman older/younger had kids, etc? Why are you choosing this one then?

IS there anything I should know about this treatment you have not yet told me?  

I understand you say not to, but If I choose to do X, against medical advice, what risks am I running? (ie taking recreational drugs while on medication)

How much will this cost? 

Are there any less expensive options/tests we can run first? 

Is there a generic of this medication you can prescribe instead?

I think you are not understanding me, I said…

You are not listening to me, please let me finish describing my symptoms. 

You are not understanding how much pain I am in, let me clarify… 

I do not think it is anxiety/depression/my weight/etc, what else could it potentially be? 

I think by assuming it is anxiety/depression/my weight/etc you are ignoring some symptoms. Please listen again and let’s discuss what else it could be. 

Please write in my chart that you are not testing for X and why not. 

I am in enough pain/this is detrimental enough to my life that non-treatment is not an option. If you can not treat this/figure out what is wrong, to whom can you refer me?

Please write (or help me write) a summary of what we did today so I don’t forget 

What are our next steps? 

If [what you are recommending] is ineffective, what would my next steps be? What other doctor should I talk to? 

What is the best way to contact you if I have additional questions or issues? 

Remember, a doctor is a person YOU pay because they know a lot about bodies in general, to help you figure out whats best for YOUR body. It is still your body, not theirs! They know about medicine but you are the expert in your body. Don’t let them act like they own you. Don’t leave if you’ve still got questions, don’t stay if you’re uncomfortable, and feel free to insist on ANY information you want. 

[desperatemedstudent]

1/8 days of productivity. I have an exam next week and I hope this minichallenge will help me to stay focused on my goal. Today I'm making schemes from my notes and the professor's PowerPoint presentation 📚💻

[desperatemedstudent]

i literally never force myself to do anything thats probably my biggest problem abjzsdgdhdj

[desperatemedstudent]

A lovely day in the Sharr mountains. ⛰️🌷📝

I am starting my data science course soon, and since I haven’t taken stats in a while, I’ve started reviewing a bit of statistics. My current choice for review is Khan Academy! 📚 I’m a huge fan of their Mastery Challenges to keep myself sharp on various math skills and I’m also loving their new Courses feature!

What are you currently studying? 🧠

Instagram: quantumheels

[desperatemedstudent]

Advice for people in their 20s from someone who’s just entered their 30s....

1. Don’t waste time being fearful: go for that job that you’re certain you’re not gonna get. What’s the worse that can happen? You are rejected, but you gain interview experience. Self-doubt is really a waste of time.

2. Live in the present. Yes, it is important to plan for the future, but it is easy to put off living until it is too late. Make sure that you have no regrets about what you should have done. Do one exciting thing per year.

3. Know your worth. This applies to both work and relationships; never sell yourself short. No job or romance is more important than your self respect. Also, charge for any unique skills/services that you can offer. 

4. Don’t be afraid to leave bad situations. I left a stable but draining teaching job in order to protect my mental health. Even though this was a big risk, it was the best decision I ever made. NOTHING is more important than your mental health. 

5. Most 20 somethings feel that they are underachieving. This is normal - especially in today’s financial climate. Don’t feel bad if you are still living at home and cannot afford to rent/buy. I’m 30 and still living at home, saving to buy.

6. People will disappoint you, but most of the time, it’s not about you. Everybody has their own demons and traumas that make them behave in certain ways. If somebody disrespects you, assert your boundaries and keep it moving. Also, examine if there was anything you could have done to avoid the situation. But DO NOT let it eat away at you.

7. In love, nobody owes you anything. Even if they made a promise, they are their own person…Everybody has the right to change their mind and to leave a situation which is not beneficial for them. This is hurtful and hard to accept, but it is the truth.

8. Learn to enjoy your own company. Your 20s can be a lonely time as your social sphere narrows, due to employment, finances and exhaustion. Use this time to find out more about yourself and do the things that you enjoy. There is something liberating about eating at a restaurant alone. 

9. Be kind, don’t gossip or overshare. I am still working on this one. It is really difficult to be kind and positive in a world full of annoying people. However, your attitude will influence how you are being perceived. If you are unkind, people will laugh at your jokes but they will never trust you. They will never trust you not to treat them as you treat other people. Remove yourself from toxic people, and only share negativity (sadness/anger/depression) with a therapist and one other person that you trust. If you overshare negative feelings, you may be stereotyped as being full of drama. Furthermore, people will want you to stay in a negative place because it’s entertaining and makes them feel better about their own lives. Just don’t do it.

10. You cannot win every battle. Within conflict, it is tempting to try to force others to agree with your perspective. However, most people are set in their ways, and find it difficult to change their views and behaviours. This is especially important when dealing with toxic family members. You may never get the apology and empathy that you seek, so it is important to accept that every battle cannot be won, and gain validation internally, rather than externally.

[desperatemedstudent]

“Are you a Mr. or a Ms.?”

“Dr.”

“But are you a man or a woman?”

“I’m a scientist.”

[desperatemedstudent]

DON’T TRY TO CHEAT WITH ANTIBIOTICS

I’m seeing a disturbing amount of posts here claiming that people are not finishing their antibiotics (or not carrying on with their doctor’s intructions) in an attempt to “save” their antibiotics for later use.

DO NOT DO THIS.

If your doctor says to take your medicine for 2 weeks, take it for 2 weeks. 

Not finishing a course of antibiotics properly means the bacteria are not all dead. They may come back and you’ll have to do a full course again.

Furthermore, not finishing a course contributes to the rise of resistant bacteria, because you haven’t killed all of the bacteria that were making you ill and they can now mutate to become resistant to antibiotics. Your illness could come back, but this time, it won’t be treatable with the same antibiotics.

[desperatemedstudent]

Dr James Barry, the first doctor to perform a successful C section wherein both mother and child survived, was a huge champion of handwashing at a time when most doctors didn’t wash their hands. For this reason, many of the chilldbirths he delivered resulted in healthier babies and mothers. He was also a gay trans man, who specifically wrote that upon his death he wished for his body to be taken in its nightshirt, wrapped in his sheets as a shroud, and placed into the coffin so that nobody would see his body. His wishes were not respected, and as a result he was outed at his death.

[desperatemedstudent]

Dear everyone who is currently working on a Thing, whatever that Thing may be,

Good luck with the Thing. You can do the Thing. You will do the Thing. You just have to do the Thing.

Best wishes,

Someone who is also doing a Thing

[desperatemedstudent]

Mods are asleep post forbidden tits