2024 Edition
"I am thankful for my struggle because, without it, I wouldn't have stumbled across my strength."
Alex Elle
The Editor's Take - Reflection
Welcome AMWA to the last Newsletter of the year! This is a bittersweet moment for me as this is my last Newsletter as Editor-in-Chief. For the past two years as Editor, I truly enjoyed working with the Newsletter Committee to bring to you articles that delved into healthcare, social and economic disparities, women's health, and how we can do more to help make the healthcare space more diverse and inclusive. Writing has always been something I love to do throughout my life. It started as a way to create my own stories, like that of the books I read. It was when I joined the AMWA Newsletter Committee during my sophomore year that I realized I could combine writing and medicine. In the last three years, I learned that writing heals, writing inspires, and writing teaches. Being a part of AMWA and the Newsletter Committee has definitely shaped my college experience. I got the chance to add to a space where other writers can explore their voices and help it become a platform for all of your voices as well.
I hope the Newsletter continues to be a space for discussions and new understandings. In the final edition of the Newsletter for this semester, all your writers have written a reflection piece on the past year. We also have two guest speaker interviews with PA Veda Womack and PA Kenya Samuels. Please do reach out to the new Editor-in-Chief for ideas and articles you would like to submit.
Thank you for reading!
- Tanya Baiju
Reflection
By: Alyssa Chiev
This semester has been hectic for me and, as I can imagine, for many other juniors and seniors. We are all waiting to hear back from schools, gathering last-minute application materials, and taking exams that will determine our future. As stressful as this semester was, I look forward to writing monthly articles.
The newsletter committee has written many excellent articles this year. It is challenging to choose my favorite. But if I were to choose one of my articles, it would be "Unsafe Ratios." For "Unsafe Ratios," I contacted a friend from high school who was in nursing school and asked, "What is the current problem nurses are facing?" Then, she explained what unsafe ratios were. I looked deeper into it and felt it is not an issue discussed enough, so I chose to write about it for the November Newsletter.
Another article that I enjoyed was "Telemedicine" by Riya Ramani. Before the article, I had only seen examinations, consultations, and treatments done physically in a hospital setting. I witnessed telemedicine only when I started my medical assistant job in February. As the article states, there are clear advantages and disadvantages. Still, it is convenient for patients who are 30-40 minutes away.
I found it a privilege to learn more about the healthcare field from other committee members and to inform our members monthly. I thank everyone on the newsletter committee and our editor-in-chief, Tanya. Good luck, everyone; thank you for supporting the newsletter committee, and see you all next year!
Guest Speaker Interview: Veda Womack MB, PA-C
By: Riya Ramani and Gauri Guruprasad
Veda Womack MB, PA-C, is currently a full-time Assistant Professor at UNTHSC PA Studies, but her career has been an expedition. She has worked in many specialties, including general surgery, renal transplant, urology, emergency medicine, and critical care. Still, most of her time has been dedicated to lymphatic surgery and complex reconstruction. We had the pleasure of hearing her speak at the recent AMWA GBM, and her story was nothing less than inspirational, vitalizing, and uncensored. Her discussion about surgical techniques in the OR, the importance of teamwork, and words of advice for those of you pursuing patient-care occupations was a necessary view into the life of someone who made it past the countless hurdles we must go through to live our dreams. We were also able to interview her and get more of her input, which is recounted below.
Question: What are some of the most pressing issues or challenges facing the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery today, and how do you believe they can be addressed?
Answer: I think some of the pressing challenges facing the field of plastic surgery is that insurance coverage for reconstructive surgery continues to be more challenging than it needs to be. Innovative reconstructive procedures are constantly evolving, but insurers need to catch up in their understanding of the complexities, which makes getting approval challenging.
Question: As someone who has practiced in different regions of the US, how have you observed differences in healthcare delivery and medical practices impacting your clinical approach and teaching methods?
Answer: Yes, understanding of physician assistants' scope of practice varies from state to state. This is why it is important to be involved in your local state organizations for your profession to ensure you are practicing to your fullest capability.
Question: Can you share how the role of a PA in your specialties has evolved, and what impact do you think PAs have on patient outcomes in complex surgical cases?
Answer: As the profession continues to grow, we must continue to educate the community on our profession and our roles in healthcare. PAs can impact complex surgical cases by improving efficiency. In my talk, I gave an example of closing donor sites while the surgeon performed microsurgery in the reconstructive sites. This collaboration reduces the amount of anesthesia time for the patient, thus improving patient recovery and outcomes overall.
Question: How has interprofessional collaboration shaped your practice, and what strategies do you find most effective for working with diverse healthcare teams in high-stakes environments?
Answer: Interprofessional collaboration is essential in healthcare. It's team-focused, which improves patient outcomes by emphasizing patient-centered care. Communication is extremely important and the most effective strategy for working with diverse healthcare teams in high-stakes environments. It improves patient safety and is essential for providing top-notch care. Unclear, poor, or disrespectful communication can change team dynamics for the worse, thus leading to errors and adverse patient outcomes.
Question: In such demanding fields, how do you maintain your motivation and resilience, and what strategies would you recommend to others for managing stress and preventing burnout?
Answer: Strategies for managing stress and avoiding burnout include taking time for yourself and knowing your limits. Reflect on what's important to you and try to find time for those things in your life.
Question: Lastly, considering the rapid evolution of healthcare technologies and methodologies, how should aspiring healthcare professionals prepare for the future of medicine?
Answer: Aspiring healthcare professionals should prepare for the future of medicine by being open to change and flexible. Healthcare is constantly evolving, and you cannot have a mindset stuck in the past. Being rigid won't allow you the opportunity to grow and expand.
PA Womack's chronicle and analysis of her medical journey solidified the idea that everyone's academic journey can be tumultuous and uncertain at times but always end up working out eventually. We admire her resilience and strength in recounting her life and struggles for us. Her narration filled us with inspiration and motivation to keep going, push through the fluctuations, and get through this journey.
AMWA Newsletter Reflection 2023-2024
By: Sahaana Anand
It is hard to believe that a whole year has passed since I became a part of the newsletter committee for AMWA! I remember going to the first AMWA GBM as a freshman and finding it so cool that they had a whole committee for writing. Though I am a STEM student who learns various scientific topics all the time, writing informatively and creatively is something I have loved for a long time. Getting to be a part of a group that combines my two loves of medicine/healthcare and writing is truly something that I am so grateful for. This year, I have gotten to write individual articles on topics that I am truly passionate about- such as preventative medicine, epigenetics, and mental health. I have also gotten the chance to work with my lovely committee members on articles such as "The Biolistic Delivery of Vaccines" and highlighting significant female physicians such as Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi. Throughout these articles and writing, I grew my knowledge, fondness, and curiosity for all of these topics. I would like to thank everyone who has accompanied me this past year to make the stressful college years more bearable, as well as everyone I have met, thanks to AMWA and the newsletter committee. This group of people has provided me with a creative outlet and a way to explore various interests of mine. I hope that by writing and publishing these monthly articles, others have also been able to gain more knowledge, motivation, and inspiration!
I look forward to keep sharing these works for the rest of the semester and next year!
Dear AMWA UTD,
By: Gauri Guruprasad
Dear AMWA UTD,
Our academic years are coming to a close. Spring semester always seems to fly by, doesn’t it? Some of you are just starting your health journey, others of you are gearing up for exams, and some of you are graduating! Congratulations to those of you who are completing your undergraduate journey - your hard work has paid off.
This is also the end of my first year as a writer for the AMWA newsletter, which has been exhilarating! I entered this journey knowing that I would be able to enhance my writing skills, delve into current events regarding healthcare, and collaborate with my fellow writers on hot topics such as influential women in medicine and relating current events to medicine.
In March, I had the opportunity to write about the short and long-term effects of the crisis in Gaza. It was heart-wrenching and laborious but completely necessary to be able to understand the lives of the people we see struggling. It was my favorite article to write because of the sheer hard work, dedication, and empathy it took to research, write, and edit since it is such a sensitive topic. An article I would like to highlight that was written by some of my peers would have to be “Biolistic Delivery of Vaccines” by Sahaana and Alyssa. It was very well-researched and fascinating, and it taught me a piece of crucial information about things we encounter in our daily lives. Give it a read to learn more about needles and vaccines if you haven’t already!
I have had a wonderful year amidst the ebbs and flows, and the newsletter has continued to be a safe space for me to tune into my creativity and put out work to be enjoyed by all of you! Thank you for taking the time to read the fruits of our labor, and I wish you the best of luck.
Until next time,
Gauri
Guest Speaker Interview: PA Kenya Samuels
By: Sahaana Anand and Alyssa Chiev
Last month, we had the wonderful opportunity to interview PA Kenya Samuels! At the March AMWA GBM, Ms. Samuels was one of the two Physician Assistants who visited as guest speakers. After interviewing them, we were able to get more details in words for future AMWA members to read through and get a better understanding of the PA world! Now, let’s go into what Ms. Samuels had to say.
When asked about her background, Ms. Samuels said that she was a non-traditional student who went to LSU as a kinesiology major for her undergraduate education. She originally intended to pursue physical therapy, then pre-med, and finally decided on PA after she learned about the field. She picked that field due to the faster years of education, which would allow her to make an impact in people’s lives faster. She used to work in banking for four years but got passed up for promotion, which is when she decided to try again and apply to PA school.
Why PA school over other fields in healthcare?
PAs have a lot of flexibility since they can decide on a specialty one day and then switch to something else if they no longer enjoy it. All of this would be possible without having to go back to school. The main reason, however, was so that she could get out and start making an impact quickly. Being a PA also gives you more autonomy and decision-making authority.
What made you choose to be a PA in pediatrics?
PA Samuels chose to be a PA in pediatrics because she thought she wanted to work with kids but never wanted to have kids herself. Coming from a big family of six, she did not want to have the responsibility of her own. She also explains that working with kids is more honest from a healthcare perspective because kids do not tend to lie about their pain or hide anything, which allows the provider to be a better help. She also gave us an anecdote where, during her ninth rotation in the emergency room, a little girl came in lethargic and was not able to move whatsoever. She realized her passion and interest in children to help them grow and develop with proper care. It allowed her to realize how parents would feel if they had no control over what was happening to their child, but they wanted to do whatever they could.
How do you spend your time on a day-to-day basis?
While Ms. Samuels was practicing, she worked at the ICU, starting at 6:30 in the morning. She would get reports from those who worked overnight, pull up all the labs and scans on the computer, and put any urgent orders in. Then, she would go and do thorough exams on all her patients and ensure the nurses placed everything on time. There would be team discussions on the status of her patients, and for the rest of the day, she would just go through the daily checklist. This would start with caring for children needing immediate attention, updating medications, and so on.
On the other hand, Ms. Samuels also teaches. On her teaching days, she is more flexible. Her days start at around 10:00 in the morning with administrative meetings. Then, she reviews lectures to start teaching. After lunch break, it is more laid-back, and she teaches anywhere between three and four lectures in a day. Teaching is more flexible, but either type of day gives her a sense of structure and purpose.
The best tip, especially for women who want to pursue the sciences or just any healthcare field in general?
PA Samuels told us that the best advice is to find a mentor and avoid getting caught up in imposter syndrome. Take a step back and look at how far you have come to remind yourself that you can keep working hard!
What are some things to be aware of when applying to PA school? How to best prepare?
Remember that you need to find your “why” and that everyone is different! Everyone is dedicated and driven, but what is it about you that makes you stand out? PA Samuels says to always put yourself out there and find connections with others so that you can also understand yourself.
AMWA Newsletter Reflection 2023-2024
By: Riya Ramani
Joining the AMWA journalism team has been a profoundly enriching experience for me. As someone who has always had a passion for writing, being a part of this team has allowed me to develop my skills further and explore new avenues of storytelling. I vividly remember joining AMWA during my sophomore year and immediately feeling welcomed into a supportive and nurturing environment. The camaraderie among team members fostered an atmosphere of creativity and collaboration, which fueled my enthusiasm for journalism even more. Throughout my time with AMWA, I have had the opportunity to work on various articles. Still, some of my favorites have been the ones that pushed the boundaries of traditional healthcare journalism. One standout piece was the Barbenheimer article, which delved into a unique topic from anything AMWA had ever done. It challenged me to think outside the box and approach storytelling creatively and innovatively.
Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed working on the Guest Interview articles, where I had the privilege of speaking with medical professionals and gaining insights into various aspects of the healthcare system. These interviews provided valuable perspectives and allowed me to hone my interviewing skills and expand my network within the medical community. Overall, my experience with the AMWA journalism team has been incredibly rewarding, affirming my love for writing and equipping me with the skills and confidence to pursue my passion further. I can’t wait to write more articles next year!
End-of-Year Reflection
By: Zoe Du
Hi AMWA UTD! Thank you so much for another amazing year of the AMWA Newsletter. It’s difficult to believe that I am already wrapping up my third year with Newsletter. When I first joined, I was just starting my first year at UTD, and now I am about to enter my last. Over the past three years, I have progressed past several milestones: surviving organic chemistry, getting involved in research, taking the MCAT (never again), and so much more, all while getting to know some of the best people I have ever met.
As I have matured, personally and academically, I hope it has also translated to my writing for the AMWA newsletter. This year, I felt challenged to explore new topics I had not written about before, such as the health disparities experienced by indigenous communities. I have also revisited old topics from a new perspective, like in my March article on burnout. As I reflect on the year, I want to highlight this article in particular. All of us are pre-health because we want to provide care to others and help improve their health. In the process, we too often forget to take care of ourselves. This year, I have personally been guilty several times of overextending myself and sacrificing sleep without a second thought. As I sign off for the year, I want to leave with the following message: good luck to everyone on exams, and please remember to enjoy the summer and your college experience.
Best wishes,
Zoe