Bundle Of Hers

We should remember that we are all connected and intertwined, and so we should be uplifting each other. In this mentor moment—the first in a collection of MENTOR MOMENTS from BUNDLE OF HERS—Harjit remembers words from Oprah Winfrey and reflects on using her own voice as a tool to amplify stories of the underrepresented.

We are excited to share our mentoring moments with you! MENTOR MOMENTS is sharing moments that held life-changing and learning experiences. We believe that centering mentorship relationships around identity is vital—when we discover who we are and project our identities, we find people who we can connect with. Join us as we grow together through our reflections in this new mini-series, and stay tuned for the fourth season of BUNDLE OF HERS coming soon!

Diversity can be a sensitive subject for some, and the line separating inclusion and tokenism can be blurry. Merriam-Webster defines tokenism as, "the policy or practice of making only a symbolic effort, as to desegregate." Have you ever been tokenized?

Medicine, like the human body, is a universal science. But a difference in language can create a barrier between physician and patient. How do we navigate something so universally similar when effective communication is missing?

"Every patient should be treated the same." WRONG! Quite the opposite—we believe no two patients should receive the same care. From their health conditions to their cultural backgrounds, each patient is different. Acknowledging and understanding the differences will help you provide better care.

It's easy to go with the flow—going against the current is the difficult task. And bringing up topics of race, prejudice, biases, and discrimination can be uncomfortable. But it's okay to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, because being an ally can be uncomfortable. Allyship is "the key to unlocking the power of diversity.” In part two of a two-part discussion, Harjit and Margaux talk to Dr. Amy Cowan about what it means to be an ally.

Race and discrimination can be sensitive topics that people may find uncomfortable to speak about. But they don’t have to be. Talking about race doesn’t make you racist. Not talking about race doesn’t mean you’re not racist. Allyship is "the key to unlocking the power of diversity.” In part one of a two-part discussion, Harjit and Margaux talk to Dr. Amy Cowan about what it means to be an ally.

You wanna change the world, heal its wounds, and make it a better place … all while studying for next week’s test. But when you’re worried about numbers and scores, the reason you’re studying medicine in the first place can be hard to hold onto. Margaux and Leen talk about activism in med school and what it means to be an activist and advocate in health care.

It should be admitted that not all research are conducted equally with everyone in mind, because everyone is a lot of people. As human beings, and especially as medical experts, we should challenge the information we learn and ask whether it is real knowledge or skewed bias. We should critically think about the ideas that might have formed throughout our life due to outside influences. In this episode, Margaux, Harjit, and Bushra talk about how medical literatures can be colonized and what it looks like to decolonize the research and think through a critical lens.

Medicine is entrenched in anti-Black racism, just like every other institution. We are active participants in perpetuating harm. It's important to acknowledge the effects that racism has on our communities, whether it be discrimination for some or privilege for others. In this episode, we discuss contributions of anti-Black racism.