Winter 2021

It's easy to see the more stereotypical sides of medicine. Complicated surgeries, fascinating laboratory research, and allure of top medical schools can often take the stage. This is why I've found this interest in some of the lesser discussed topics in medicine - more specifically the story and questions brought about by the story of Henrietta Lacks. What alarms me is the tendency for professionals, oftentimes researchers, to prioritize discovery while sacrificing the health of their patients. In this case, Henrietta Lacks had her cancerous cells taken without her knowledge to be used in research, still used today and known as HeLa cells. However, she did not receive proper care and ultimately died as a result. This along with the future experiences of her family demonstrate a real problem in medicine that I hope to keep in mind as I continue in my medical journey.