a bite of you, a bite of me

Vinamratha Rao, MD-PhD Third Year

I lay beside you

and dream of

our becoming

at the close.

 

Will our skin slip off

into a heap

of tangled velvet ribbons

on this plush earth,

where sleepy worms burrow?

 

The Blue Hour

Anonymous

There’s a moment in the morning,

where the nocturnal sky begins to meet the new day,

a reunion of the dark night and the burning crimson sky. 

 

yet even before the celebration of the sun rising,

blue hues beginning to fill the streets,

a subtle and gentle awakening

 

The Slide

Liam Lynch, MD Class of 2026

“I woke up after a nap one day with quite a bit of inspiration, so immediately I went to write this short story.”

“Welcome to Summer Camp,” the sign read. The excitement was palpable; the lot of us were all clamored together in that first courtyard. No one here had been to camp before, despite everyone being different ages. From the younger middle-schoolers, to the older of us high-schoolers, everyone was witness to the halcyon summer about to unfold. I knew going in that it was a goal of the summer camp to grow the older campers into leaders so that they’d come back the next year as counselors, and quite frankly, I was all-too-naïve and looking forward to the recognition and responsibility that would soon come with it. As we waited for the counselors to join us, I took in the moment.

Luster

Maddy Mash, MD Class of 2025

Stress, anxiety, heavy feelings, whatever you want to call it, come with a potency that overwhelms our mind, influencing every decision and the way we perceive the world. 

I have noticed I tend to look back on challenging stretches of life and think, that wasn’t so bad. Time gives us a lens with the blurring stress filter removed, giving a romanticized picture of the seemingly lackluster moments you overlooked. When this appreciation comes, all those moments are far gone, wasted on a overextended and burnt out mind probably because something wasn’t working out exactly the way we wanted it to at the time. 

My Interventional Radiology Shadowing Experience

Samira Shorey, MD Class of 2026

“Honestly, it’s just a fun little blog post! I like keeping track of my experiences, perspective on medicine and specialties on my blog. I wanted to share it with others.”

This Monday, I jumped out of bed with unbridled excitement. I turned on some funky music and started getting ready to shadow an interventional radiologist.

Why was I so excited? Well, I had it in my mind that IR was the perfect specialty for me. It’s radiology + hands on procedures – two things I loved. You could not go wrong with that, I thought.

Teratoma

Vinamrathra Rao, MD-PhD Third Year

Every night I stood still and stared into the mirror,
until my reflection seemed to move on its own.
This body of mine,
does not feel like home to me.

There was a woman who slept here,
tucked into silken membranes
as she sighed into the stale, unbroken air
of my peritoneum.

Community: then, now, and there

Emily Casteen, MD Class of 2026

As a Narrative Editor of Med Intima, I have the privilege of sharing the experiences and stories of members of the KUMC community. I’m so grateful for my classmates in Group 23 who sat down with me to reflect on their own journeys finding community during M1 year. Their vulnerability and courage are an inspiration to me! Above all, this piece seeks to remind us that we are not alone. 

A Little Death

Lindsey Glass, M.A. Speech Pathology, Class of 2024

I remember it clearly; the realization of what death was. Every living being dies. That meant the most important person in my life, my mom. I was around the age of four and realized my mom would die someday. The absolute disbelief and devastation. I threw myself on the kitchen floor, completely inconsolable. My mom comforted me. I do not remember what lead me to this realization, perhaps our pet hamster had recently passed. But my mom? She would die someday. This could not be. I refused to accept this fact. Eventually, after much of her kind and soothing words, she comforted me, and I moved on. This was part of life and I had to accept it. Now at the age of 32, honestly, I do not think I really accepted it, especially my mom dying someday.

The Imposter monster on Mother’s Day

Harmony Saunders, MD/PhD Student, Class of 2026

The girl in my bag 
You are so ugly. Try to hide your face. If you peek out of that bag, everyone will know. 
You’re different
Keep a secret. Safe inside this skin. Don’t let anyone know that ugly girl within. Smile as you belong, full of confidence, but hide that ugly girl, the one behind the fence. 

The ugly girl you are, that fought your way to be
Pretend it was all handed to you, like the many you see. 
Oh ugly girl inside, don’t share the suffering felt 
Don’t share the pains of never loved, don’t share the tears you wept 
Ugly girl just stay, 
Inside the dark brown bag
That way no one will know that inside, you are just sad

“Saving Hope” – Oil on stretched canvas

Viktoria Sterkhova, School of Public Health Professions

I took up painting again during the pandemic, a hobby I loved in high school. It has been a profound outlet for my creativity, and it gives me a moment to relax and be present. My favorite part of painting is the process- playing around with the colors, blending the paints, and troubleshooting my next moves.

The concept of light is a common theme throughout my paintings. This time, I was inspired by Pinterest mason jars full of fairy lights. It is such a simple and comforting concept. To me, it evokes feelings of hope and wonder, like the giddy feeling you get when looking at Christmas lights or watching fireflies twinkle in June.