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Post by Admin on Apr 18, 2017 9:47:20 GMT -4
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Post by Kyle Christianson on Apr 18, 2017 10:27:12 GMT -4
I really like the line in this first article about being in a time when one of the biggest institutions in the world can come forward about mental health issues. One of the biggest problems is the stigma placed on mental health. We have probably all thought about our own mental health from time to time and considered how nice it would be to actually talk to someone about it, but for lack of access or fear of scrutiny we have not. Ever certain jobs may look at you differently if you show you have a history of mental health issues. I think it’s commendable he came forward. The next issue to is tackle the problem of accessibility to treatment.
I’m not sure how much I have to say about the second article. I’m torn. On one hand I’m pretty open to immigration and believe that many of our best students and highly skilled workers work on the “genius visa” that allows them to stay in the US. On the other hand, I’m an IMG who is trying to match in a country seemingly overburdened by medical students. At the end of the article it asks who’s going to keep up with the patients? In reality, only 50% of FMG/IMG students match to residencies. There are plenty of people waiting to match to fill spots. Furthermore, a shortage of physicians is more about a bottle neck at the amount of residency spots than how many people we have applying. I hope they remain unaffected, and would be crushed if they wouldn’t be able to practice. I have a lot of friends that this would affect! However, I don’t think it will be as detrimental as this article paints it out to be.
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Post by Kellie Aarons on Apr 18, 2017 20:21:21 GMT -4
Article #1: Losing a parent at any age would be quite challenging. Losing a parent at the age of 12 presents with some extra challenges. Death of a family member can be a trigger for a mental health illness. I believe Prince Harry is a good example of why it is a good idea to not bottle up emotions. Talking through one's difficulties does, in fact, help many people. Finding a cathartic relief, like boxing, can be helpful as well. Mental health illnesses have become more recognized, but unfortunately, society does not view a mental health illness the way that many medical conditions are viewed. Often times, someone with a psychiatric disorder is looked down on. I applaud Prince Harry for starting a mental health charity and for fighting against the stigma. Hopefully, in the future, there will not be any stigma attached to mental health.
Article #2: It is unfortunate that so many foreign graduates may not have a visa in time to start residency at US hospitals in summer. I agree with Brian Groves, director of International Students and Scholars Office at UCSF, that it is poor timing for the suspension of premium processing. Maybe individuals should be allowed to apply for a visa one year before they need it instead of six months before. Even though several FMGs want to come to the US for residency, it may not be the best idea if they will have to wait a long time to receive a visa. If they are not okay with waiting for such a long time, it may be a good idea to consider Canada or Europe.
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Post by Katharine Patrick on Apr 19, 2017 9:31:03 GMT -4
1st Article: I can't imagine losing your mother at the age of 12 and being at the forefront of the news. Everyone reacts to death differently, and at 12 he didn't fully know what was going on. I enjoyed reading his story and how he realized he never grieved the loss of his mother because I think a lot of people shut down and wall off their emotions in many situations, including death. This article shows the power of recognizing your emotions and working through them to understand how you're feeling. Talking to a therapist is key, and that's often the hardest step. Harry has indeed shown strength and dignity as he searches inside of himself. This is not a sign of weakness.
2nd Article: The news that this article reports is just depressing. Students who have spent so much time, money, and hard work are going to be negatively affected b/c of the immigration ban. It's crazy how making a change at a higher level trickles down to affect other aspects of the government. This situation doesn't seem fair, and I hate it for these med students. I hope that a solution will be found that enables them to still get visas faster.
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Post by Marcel Modebelu on Apr 19, 2017 10:31:40 GMT -4
Being a foreign medical student and one who is grieving about the loss of my father couple months ago i can totally relate to both this articles. Article #1: Its not easy coping with the loss of a parent at any age but the worst thing is not being able to talk about it. Bottling different emotions of grief and sadness over time will have a detrimental effect on the human mind and body. A lot of people with some form of mental illness carry on with their lives without diagnosis or treatment either because of the stigma on mental illness or different personal excuses. We should know that mental illness has no specific type and can affect anybody including the "Creme De La Crème" of society and it should not be a reason to be looked down on or segregated. Article #2: Well this is just an issue that has been plaguing foreign medical students who spend a ton of their own money without loans to go through medical school,write their board exams and apply for residency but seem not to match or denied the visa.its juts a sad and depressing reality and I hope and pray all the issues surrounding visas and residency are resolved for all foreign medical students.
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Post by Marcel Modebelu on Apr 19, 2017 10:33:20 GMT -4
Being a foreign medical student and one who is grieving about the loss of my father couple months ago i can totally relate to both these articles. Article #1: Its not easy coping with the loss of a parent at any age but the worst thing is not being able to talk about it. Bottling different emotions of grief and sadness over time will have a detrimental effect on the human mind and body. A lot of people with some form of mental illness carry on with their lives without diagnosis or treatment either because of the stigma on mental illness or different personal excuses. We should know that mental illness has no specific type and can affect anybody including the "Creme De La Crème" of society and it should not be a reason to be looked down on or segregated. Article #2: Well this is just an issue that has been plaguing foreign medical students who spend a ton of their own money without loans to go through medical school,write their board exams and apply for residency but seem not to match or denied the visa.its juts a sad and depressing reality and I hope and pray all the issues surrounding visas and residency are resolved for all foreign medical students.
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Post by Marcel Modebelu on Apr 19, 2017 10:34:33 GMT -4
Being a foreign medical student and one who is grieving about the loss of my father couple months ago i can totally relate to both these articles. Article #1: Its not easy coping with the loss of a parent at any age but the worst thing is not being able to talk about it. Bottling different emotions of grief and sadness over time will have a detrimental effect on the human mind and body. A lot of people with some form of mental illness carry on with their lives without diagnosis or treatment either because of the stigma on mental illness or different personal excuses. We should know that mental illness has no specific type and can affect anybody including the "Creme De La Crème" of society and it should not be a reason to be looked down on or segregated. Article #2: Well this is just an issue that has been plaguing foreign medical students who spend a ton of their own money without loans to go through medical school,write their board exams and apply for residency but seem not to match or denied the visa.its juts a sad and depressing reality and I hope and pray all the issues surrounding visas and residency are resolved for all foreign medical students.
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Jose Berrios Mendez
Guest
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Post by Jose Berrios Mendez on Apr 19, 2017 19:09:37 GMT -4
Article #1: What Prince Harry has done and is doing for mental health awareness is indeed unprecedented. The people in power are told not to show their emotions & not to talk about their problems because it is a sign of "weakness" but Prince Harry just showed the world that is just the opposite of that. The will & courage to talk about your problems is the best sign of strength in my opinion. No one wants to feel vulnerable, exposed & at the mercy of another person's opinion, but when you let your guard down & the people that you talk to are sincere & willing to help you notice that the problems you are going through are fixable. I commend & respect Prince Harry for his courage & the work he is doing for the Mental Health Awareness "Heads Together".
Article #2: President Trump has done & executed some terrible mandates & orders in a time when USA's overall health is at its worst. Immigrant physicians, postal workers, undergraduate students, law students, farmers, construction workers, retail employees, among other professions sacrifice themselves & give all they have to this country. They come to the US to improve their own life quality as well as their families. The US prides itself on freedom, liberty & justice for all,but immigrants not included. I know that President Trump has a basis on which to prohibit citizens from certain countries to enter the USA but you can't judge everyone with the same metric. This decision doesn't do any good for anyone in the USA, it spans too many areas of education & service for the public.
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Post by Victor Soto on Apr 19, 2017 19:59:04 GMT -4
Article #1: "All of this grief" The loss of a family member or close friend is a very dificult process to deal with, especially if the person who experienced the loss does not have the support or help of the family or a professional. Sometimes, people may think that time can heal the scar that was left, but sometimes things can go worst. The help of professionals and support from the family can help the individual to avoid a more serious mental health condition just like Prince Harry experienced. Depression can be due to a lot of factors, but it is definitely a condition a patient do not want to ignore. It is such a detrimental condition in which people may attempt against other's life and even their own. It is important to seek for help when dealing with mental health so any further mental deterioration can be prevented.
Article #2: "Hospitals rush to get accelerated visas for foreign medical residents" Approximately 1 month ago, I read an interesting article talking about a massive doctor shortage to be expected by 2030. A research from the Association of American Medical Colleges estimated that a shortage between 40K and 104K is expected to be seen by 2030. This shortage poses a great risk to the patients. Now, Donald Trump's executive orders about immigration and ban, may heighten the shortage that is yet to come. I see this type of action unfair since anyone who decides to work as a physician here in the USA needs to pass the same tests that US Medical Students take. This application process needs to be fixed in order to alleviate the situation. When it comes to health, ethnicity,race and religion should be separated from work. Medical students have dedicated basically their entire life to study and train in order to become doctors and contribute to the society.
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Post by Alejandro Macias (MS3) UMHS on Apr 20, 2017 16:54:57 GMT -4
Article 1:
This is a great article, which exemplifies the social evolution of mental health stigma. It is refreshing to read about Prince Harry having the insight of his mental health issues and the openness to freely speak of them. Western culture, as broadly stated in the article, has always subscribed to venerating those who seem “most composed.” That is, an individual who does not show emotional feedback to his/her environment deserves the most praise, as such an individual must be strong inside and out. In this ever transparent society that is increasingly more about social connections by the day, learning how to recognize and cope with our mental health issues is quickly becoming a survival necessity. Mental health stigma is real, and in my opinion, has negatively contributed to the general acceptance for maintaining a “healthy” mental health habitus through the help of individuals, groups and/or professionals.
Article 2:
What a problem! The new immigration laws could not have come at a worse time. Programs must be working overtime to get this done at a timely manner. This is obviously unfortunate for both the program and the upcoming first year resident. The immigration ban has its reasons that I may or may not agree with - and by those reasons we have to oblige, at least for now. Thus, it would seem most prudent for the department of immigration to adapt to these changes and not at the expense of efficiency. The article seemed to suggest that immigration is trying to do the best they can, but has done very little to employ new professionals to help distribute the extra workload in a skilled and methodical approach. This is where I feel the balls is dropped: not at the changes in immigration law, but at the deficient adaptability of this department. Hopefully, all who were offered a job starting in July will be confidently attending their first day.
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Post by Ercan Sozen on Apr 20, 2017 17:37:24 GMT -4
Article 1 -
It is so great to see such openness from an individual such as Prince Harry. As the individual who interviewed him said, I also believe that this may be such a groundbreaking step in order to initiate change towards promotion of discussion and sharing of our feelings with others, learn to listen to others, learn to help others about our and their difficulties. We often live in societies where such sharing and openness are often perceived as weakness, it is motivating to see this kind of bravery and gesture from individuals like Prince Harry.
Article 2 -
Politics is a volatile business. As medical students, when we start walking on our path to becoming physicians we assume many risks. Completing the program, passing board exams, securing a residency spots are some of the major challenges we face. Possible changes to immigration laws within the country that we are trying to migrate to is another challenge or risk that most of us know about but tend to ignore or silently and willingly assume. I hope that the current government balance the health industry's needs, security of our country and their agenda in the best possible way to benefit our country.
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Post by James Fluss on Apr 20, 2017 17:51:28 GMT -4
Article # 1
I think anyone who loses a loved one or any family member at any age can is truly a tragedy. I have personally lost many family members, albeit extended family, to diseases or natural causes as well. It is an extremely difficult time for anyone. I think how people handle their emotions and responses is ultimately up to that person, as everyone is different and adapts to tragedy in different ways. I don't think anyone should be judged or ridiculed on how they go about healing and fighting their inner struggles. Mental health is a serious issue in this country and the associated complications particularly dealing with grief. I think Prince Harry is very strong to come out and open up his inner hardships to the world. I am certainly glad to see that he has an amazing support system and people from all over have wished him well. It's really important to have people to talk to when they are ready, and if they aren't ready then that is perfectly acceptable also! No one should be judged on how they handle grief regardless.
Article # 2
As an immigrant myself to this country, I find it really troubling that good hardworking medical students are being wronged and now going though a very difficult process of the new changes in immigration in this country. It is extremely upsetting to hear that these types of problems have now arisen because of the current administrations handling of immigration. The broader topic is how this affects other people around the world, not just medical students and medical professionals, but other people outside of the medical profession who also want to immigrate to the US in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones. As far a foreign medical residents are concerned, I hope there will be quick resolutions as they try and obtain their medical license to be able to practice here. The shortage of doctors is a serious issue and this country can always benefit from more doctors, especially given the older population is now rising in addition to more diseases becoming prevalent. It is no easy task to become a physician, so I can't even imagine how much unnecessary stress and roadblocks these doctors and future doctors have to go through now. I truly hope that these issues will resolve sooner than later.
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Post by Blair Smith on Apr 20, 2017 19:36:27 GMT -4
1 Across the world it can be easily seen that we are taught to hide any form of negative emotion. We are taught that strength lies in the suppression of our negative feelings. As if we believe that if we keep ourselves from expressing our emotions, then they don't exist. The truth is we will never feel the full experience of life until we bravely and unashamedly express our emotions. Only then can we become our true selves. The feelings that we experience are a guiding system, we reach toward what feels good and pull away from what feels bad. And until we fully express our feelings we will never reach our destinations.
2 I don't know what the result of these actions will be. Will it make our system better or worse? Will there be a greater percent of white faced doctors next year? I don't know what the result will be, but I don't believe these laws came from a good intention. The greatest strength of America has been it's ability to bring brilliant people together collaborate and do brilliant things. With these new laws we can only see a decrease in the diversity of perspectives found in this country. So tell me the intention and I'll tell you if I support it. But before you do, tell me, why would you make it harder for someone that is trying to serve you to reach you? I can think of a reason that I deem morally or ethically right.
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Post by Rodney Teichroeb on Apr 21, 2017 0:09:49 GMT -4
Article #1 I'm really glad that Prince Harry came to the realization that he had never properly grieved for his mothers loss. I have personally witnessed the rebellion and heartache that takes over someones life when they have dealt with a loved ones death and haven't been able to process it in a healthy manner. It can be absolutely devastating. Like Prince Harrys example, I have also seen the dramatic change that can occur once the person is able to talk about, and finally grieve that death. Mental health is a very serious thing and we need to do everything we can to recognize those who are struggling with issues, such as loss, in our future practices - no matter what specialty we eventually pursue.
Article #2 I definitely get anxious when I think about my future as an IMG and this article doesn't help to relieve any of that anxiety... As a Canadian, attending an international school and wanting to pursue Residency training in the US, I've always known the road ahead would be tough. Any change to the Visa program will certainly throw some additional challenges in my path but I'm still always encouraged by the fact that I've been blessed with this opportunity to pursue medicine, and that I've been able to face many obstacles and have still managed to make it this far. This particular road is very challenging, and it looks like it'll just keep getting tougher, but I truly think it makes us better practitioners. Us IMG's have never gotten coddled, and it ends up showing in the way we practice medicine.
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Post by Melvin George on Apr 21, 2017 13:21:03 GMT -4
Article #1 I found it interesting that Bryony Gordon said “… in Britain, we don’t talk about our feelings. We have bitten our lips, slapped on rictus grins, kept buggering on.” I've encountered similar sentiments in the US. Some people consider missed job opportunities, 2nd amendment rights, and various other concerns before seeing a psychiatrist or being voluntarily committed to a mental health hospital. Not sure how we will overcome these obstacles. Overly broad questions like "have you every been committed to a mental health hospital?" on various job applications may not be the best way to assess a person's current mental health or overall psychiatric well being.
Article #2 It's always nerve-wracking thinking about applying for residency as the spots are limited. I can't imagine the added frustration the present situation is causing for foreign graduates. The current administration's handling of immigration is brash, ill-willed and frankly not very American. The US is a country that attracts the greatest minds and talent from all fields. I would like for it to remain this way. I am hoping these issues are resolved and that all of these new grads will be able to practice and continue their education.
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