Family Medicine

Melissa Palma, MD, MPH Melissa Palma, MD, MPH (5 Posts)

Resident Physician Contributing Writer

 Melissa Palma is an Iowa-raised daughter of Filipino immigrants and aesculapian advocate. She trained in family medicine at safety-net community health centers and is a board-certified Preventive Medicine and Public Health physician in Chicago, IL. Her writing reflects on the privileges and responsibilities we have as physicians to advance health equity for our patients and our communities. When not in clinic, you can find her reading non-fiction while nursing a taro boba tea.




Our Acts of Freedom: A Physician-Advocate’s Perspective

Published by Melissa Palma, MD, MPH

On the morning of January 6, I awoke ecstatic to the news of Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff’s predicted wins in the Georgia run-off elections. To be frank, I have become hesitant to hope while inured by the near-daily attacks on civil rights by the Trump administration via executive orders and federal policies. Over the past four years, I witnessed with pride — but also fear — as community activists tirelessly organized to combat racist policies.

The Sweet and Sour of Intern Year

Published by Saba Malik, MD, MPH

Of all the fulfilling and purposeful vocations to pursue, we’ve ended up trying to find our footing in the vast and ever-changing maze of medicine. Propelled by some combination of privilege, perseverance, and circumstance, we became doctors — many of us with the noble drive to heal and support other humans through the physical and spiritual struggles of life.

Two Oceans: Rape Culture in Medicine

Published by Morgan Shier, MD

The sky angry. The waters murky. The fear that at any moment a sudden undertow may drag you deeper into violent waters. A creature brushes your leg, friend or foe unknown. You become paralyzed by fear, anxiety and hypervigilance. You hear someone shouting to you from somewhere far into the distance, “Get out of the water!” But you cannot see the shore. Women live in a world of fear.

Reproductive Rights of Incarcerated Women

Published by Saba Malik, MD, MPH

The recent confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court raises concern about the future of reproductive health, particularly access to abortion and affordable contraception. Although his impact on reproductive rights is to be determined, those who will be disproportionately impacted by further compromise of reproductive rights will always be the most vulnerable women among us. This includes the uninsured, poor, and incarcerated.

How Physicians Can Fight Mass Incarceration: Focusing On The Youth

Published by Saba Malik, MD, MPH

A quiet, frail, emaciated gentleman in his 60s who was dying of cancer. What made him different was that he was shackled to the bed, one arm and one leg bound to the bed of a barren room, lit only by the pale blue light from the window that cast the silhouette of bars on the floor. This was the prison unit.

Amanda Pannu, MD Amanda Pannu, MD (1 Posts)

Resident Physician Contributing Writer

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry

Dr. Amanda Pannu is a PGY-4 Chief Resident at the University of Rochester Family Medicine Residency Program. For the past 2 years, she has served as the Resident Representative on the ACGME Review Committee of Family Medicine. She is passionate about education and resident wellbeing. She will be joining The Ohio State University as a core faculty member this summer.