The Muse

12/02/2020

Doctors without Degrees

When a man collapsed outside of the Toronto Union Station fifteen years ago, three cab drivers performed life-saving procedures while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. The drivers, it turned out, were new immigrants who had trained as physicians in their home country. In the midst of a nation-wide physician shortage, many immigrant medical professionals find themselves unable to join the workforce. Why might this be? What can be done to improve this situation? Click below to read Arul’s Blog piece on the immigrant physician dilemma: https://www.themusemcmaster.ca/post/doctors-without-degrees

Outside of the Toronto Union Station, a man walks hand in hand with his wife, enjoying her company and the bustling metropolitan city. Suddenly, he loses all control of his body, folding over and collapsing on the ground beside his panicking wife. She huddles over his body, trying to wake him, but t...

11/30/2020

The Aftermath of the Quarantine Paradox: Gender-Based Domestic Violence

From the South Asian Tsunami in 2004 to the Haiti Earthquake in 2007, from Ebola to COVID-19, we have seen disasters and pandemics couple with surges in gender-based domestic violence. Staying at home represents refuge for some, but challenges for others. Click below to read Katrina’s comments on this phenomenon in recognition of the National Domestic-Violence Awareness Month: https://www.themusemcmaster.ca/post/the-aftermath-of-the-quarantine-paradox-gender-based-domestic-violence

To learn more about barriers to care during the pandemic, make sure to check out our event this Friday, December 4th at 3PM EST: https://fb.me/e/685134TEg

A record-breaking number of COVID-19 cases have been reported within the last few days in Canada (Government, 2020). The upward trend is being characterized as the second wave of the pandemic, bringing all of us back to the all-too-familiar social distancing impact of quarantine. These social distan...

11/29/2020

Interested in learning more about the local responses to the pandemic and networking with Hamilton healthcare workers? Join Dr. Angela Carol and Jude Nnamchi from the Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre on Friday, December 4th at 3 PM EST to learn about the impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare access within Hamilton's urban centres.

Learn about social inequalities and the influence of social and physical environments on health, and how the Centre has worked with many of Hamilton's most marginalized populations. There will be a keynote event, followed by case studies, and a Q&A period.

RSVP now at bit.ly/MUSEBarriersRSVP

11/17/2020

Telemedicine in the age of COVID-19

As COVID continues to restrict access to essential services, telemedicine has enabled the delivery and reception of healthcare from the comfort of our homes. Has this transformed healthcare for the better? What are some limitations of this change? Check out Shomaila Rashid's take on the history of telemedicine and future implications of its technology:

Think of a world where you can complete your doctor’s appointment from anywhere, be it from the comfort of your own bed, or in your garden while sipping a cool lemonade, or from your favourite couch in the house. With the increasing popularity of telemedicine over the last few years, this is not j...

10/26/2020

Call for submissions! This year, we will be accepting submissions for our blog posts and monthly newsletter. Submissions can take on various mediums including poetry, photography, or traditional blog posts.

With November being Women Abuse Prevention Month, our blogs will be focused on domestic violence in order to raise awareness.

We highly recommend submitting a proposal form prior to submitting any pieces to prevent any topic overlap.

Please submit your proposal to: bit.ly/TheMuseBlogsProposal. The deadline to submit is October 30th.

Please submit your submission to: bit.ly/TheMuseBlogsSubmit. The deadline to submit is November 16th.

09/24/2020

Statement from The Muse Regarding the New MSU Policies

The Muse is aware of the new club policies released by the McMaster Students Union.

We recognize that there exist lots of uncertainties regarding the futures of many clubs, and we understand that the new policies may serve as a barrier for many students wanting to join clubs, including The Muse, this year.

We will always ensure that the best interests of all students are heard, and that our club remains an accessible environment for anyone to participate in.

For students who recently applied to our club, we will provide updates regarding our application process as they become available.

09/23/2020

Do you have a unique experience in healthcare that you would like to share? Are you interested in having your work published? Send a submission to our magazine today!

Submissions can range from opinion pieces to personal experiences in healthcare, in all various mediums from poetry to artwork to non-fiction writings.

The Muse is a medical humanities initiative based in McMaster University. We aim to provide an interdisciplinary platform for sharing stories of sickness and healing, and to promote empathy in the healthcare environment.

Please submit your work to bit.ly/TheMuseSubmission. The deadline to submit is October 18th.

09/15/2020

FINAL WEEK TO APPLY

Do you have an interest in the interactions between medicine and the humanities? Do you have an interest in magazine design, writing, or planning events? Apply for The Muse and join our team of amazing students!

The Muse is a medical humanities initiative at McMaster University that provides an interdisciplinary platform for sharing stories of sickness and healing, and to promote empathy in the healthcare environment.

We are currently recruiting members for these teams: Editorial, Blog, Graphics, Layout, Media, and Finance.

Apply now at bit.ly/MUSEapp2020. Applications close on September 20th.

09/07/2020

Do you have an interest in the interactions between medicine and the humanities? Do you have an interest in magazine design, writing, or planning events? Apply for The Muse and join our team of amazing students!

The Muse is a medical humanities initiative at McMaster University that provides an interdisciplinary platform for sharing stories of sickness and healing, and to promote empathy in the healthcare environment.

We are currently recruiting members for these teams: Editorial, Blog, Graphics, Layout, Media, and Finance.

Apply now at bit.ly/MUSEapp2020. Applications close on September 20th.

05/04/2020

Our Supplemental Issue is now available.

Read it now at bit.ly/MUSEcovid

05/04/2020

The Muse's Supplemental Magazine is now available. This special issue focuses on the personal experiences of individuals around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read about the lives changed, the horrors observed, the selves discovered. Observe the artwork and projects that were created to better understand the pandemic. Understand the perspectives from McMaster students, or a retired US Foreign Service officer, or the 2018 Young European of the Year.

Read it now at: bit.ly/MUSEcovid

04/08/2020

The Undervalued Role of Communication in Battling Anxiety – The Muse McMaster

"Facing increasing rates of anxiety among students, many educational institutions elect to send out guides enumerating tips for managing anxiety and relieving stress. These recommendations, however, are far from the magical panacea they appear be."

Click below to read our writer, Esther Su's comments on conventional tips for anxiety management and how communication may be the key to effective coping strategies.

04/07/2020

Written in the Stars: A Spotlight on Astrology in Medieval Medicine

"One can see it in the way common medical terms originated, for example the word 'lunacy', describing madness, was named so because the disease was thought to be caused due to the influence of 'Luna' or the moon".

Click below to read Shomila Rashid's exploration of the historical use of astrology in medicine!

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash Human beings have always looked up at the night sky in fascination, wonder and in search for answers pertaining to the very core of our being. In the medieval world, those looking at the sky for answers included medical practitioners; astrology being a mandatory subj...

03/24/2020

Do you have an experience you would like to share during the COVID-19 pandemic? Would you like to have your work published in our magazine and on our blog? Submit your work now!

Submissions can range from your personal experiences during the pandemic, poetry, photography, and much more. It can also be any story you would like to share to readers about any unique experience in healthcare.

The Muse is a medical humanities initiative based in McMaster University. We aim to provide an interdisciplinary platform for sharing stories of sickness and healing, and to promote empathy in the healthcare environment.

Please submit your work to bit.ly/TheMuseSubmission. The deadline to submit is April 5th.

03/23/2020

on the twelfth stroke: the breaking of a spell – The Muse McMaster

"it was 11.49. i know because i had watched the clocks turn themselves
around tonight, brass and silver metal clanking
on familiar walls, caving in: four sides,
no escape."

Click to read our writer, Areeba Asghar's lyrical piece inspired by the complex relationship between a patient and her medical diagnosis.

03/23/2020

The Stigma of Electroconvulsive Therapy

"Indeed, many elements of popular culture unwittingly perpetuate the stereotype that ECT is some sort of punitive torture tool, with the “electric chair” and horror movies (Dr. Goldbloom brings forth the 1931 film Frankenstein, in which a monster is “brought to life with electric current”) being our most readily available associations with ECT."

Click to read our writer, Esther Su's critical and reflective exploration of electroconvulsive therapy and public perception!

“It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York.” This famous first line, penned by Sylvia Plath for The Bell Jar, is believed by many eminent scholars to foreshadow the electroconvulsive therapy later experienced by t...

03/04/2020

Religious Exposition, Exploitation and Epidemics – The Muse McMaster

"What is surprising to see is how this link established between epidemics and divine powers is used by religious institutions and individuals to exploit people’s beliefs for their own benefit. For instance, it is not uncommon to see religious celebrities exploiting public health crises to promote their remedies or beliefs for curing diseases."

Click below to read our writer Shomaila Rashid's article exploring exploitation in epidemics, such as the coronavirus.

Religious Exposition, Exploitation and Epidemics Photo by Adli Wahid on Unsplash The source of the coronavirus originating in Wuhan, China remains a mystery to most of the world, but to some, religion offers the clear cut answer to the puzzle: some divine being is angry and punishing people for it.....

02/27/2020

The Unparalleled Role of Compassion in Medicine – The Muse McMaster

"If increased physician burnout is the cost of empathy without compassion, then why are barriers to practicing medical compassion not highlighted and discussed through medical education and in research literature?"

Click to read our writer, Areeba Asghar's exploration of empathy and compassion in the world of medicine!

02/25/2020

Do you have a passion for research in child health? Are you interested in showcasing your work to students, faculty, researchers, healthcare practitioners, and community members who are passionate about exploring children's health?

The 2020 McMaster Child Health Conference is currently recruiting poster presenters for their 5th annual one-day conference! This year, the theme of the conference is "Navigating Systems: A Dialogue on the Social Determinants of Child and Adolescent Health". The conference will be hosted on Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM at McMaster University. If you wish to apply as a poster presenter for the conference, please submit your abstract using the application form below. Abstracts should focus on child health but do not need to align with the conference theme, necessarily.

https://forms.gle/Rw1GdMKfQyi87E8j9

During the conference, poster presenters will have two opportunities to be chosen as a winner. One winner will have the opportunity to have their abstract, picture, and poster published in the next issue of The Muse magazine and on the McMaster Child Health Conference website! The other winner will be invited to share their research on an episode of the SciSection podcast and will have the opportunity to have their abstract, picture, and poster published on the McMaster Child Health Conference website!

https://www.mcmasterchildhealth.ca/

Poster abstract submission deadline: Monday, February 24 at 11:59 PM

Poster PDF submission deadline: Monday, March 2 at 11:59 PM

If you have any questions, please contact the McMaster Child Health Conference at [email protected]

02/22/2020

REMINDER: there is only one day left for submissions, submissions will close February 23rd at 11:59 PM EST.

Do you have a unique experience in healthcare that you would like to share? Are you interested in having your work published? Submit your story to our magazine today!

Submissions can range from opinion pieces to personal experiences in healthcare, in all various mediums from poetry to artwork to non-fiction writings. Our theme for this issue is "Culture".

The Muse is a medical humanities initiative based in McMaster University. We aim to provide an interdisciplinary platform for sharing stories of sickness and healing, and to promote empathy in the healthcare environment.

Please submit your work to bit.ly/TheMuseSubmission.

02/20/2020

The tenth issue of our magazine is now available. Read it here: https://issuu.com/themuse_magazine/docs/oncopy_2020_v4

02/20/2020

The Muse Issue 10

Welcome to the tenth issue of The Muse: Perspective!
Check it out here: https://issuu.com/themuse_magazine/docs/oncopy_2020_v4?fbclid=IwAR0ktZhyv0yNLMfRaQRukCrKxUP1w2ER5_pQJM92Qg3XRjhJlm711PTLouE

And be sure to keep and eye out for our print issue coming soon!
In this issue, you can find…
- A poem by Sanya Grover on the "Mind's Pathway"
- An examination of "Letter to a Young Doctor" by Cassiana Giardini
- A thought provoking piece from Carmen Tu, a PhD student at McMaster University
_ A poem on the emotional pains experienced before and after "The Diagnosis" by Saesha Kukreja
+ More pieces on “Perspective” and how it shapes healthcare and the humanities!

Cover Art by Amy Zhu

Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Easily share your publications and get them in front of Issuu’s millions of monthly readers. Title: The Muse Issue 10, Author: The Muse, Name: The Muse Issue 10, Length: ...

02/20/2020

Weren't able to grab a ticket for our Watercolour Paint Night? Now's your chance, we're giving away tickets for you and a friend! Giveaway ends on February 27th.

Enter our giveaway now through these steps:
1) Follow our Instagram account (instagram.com/themusemcmaster)
2) Like our most recent post
3) Tag the friend you'd like to go to Watercolour Paint Night with!

Multiple entries permitted. A comment will be chosen at random on our post, and a unique code will be sent to the winners to redeem their tickets if both winners are following our Instagram account and have liked the post.

02/13/2020

Do you have a unique experience in healthcare that you would like to share? Are you interested in having your work published? Submit your story to our magazine today!

Submissions can range from opinion pieces to personal experiences in healthcare, in all various mediums from poetry to artwork to non-fiction writings. Our theme for this issue is "Culture".

The Muse is a medical humanities initiative based in McMaster University. We aim to provide an interdisciplinary platform for sharing stories of sickness and healing, and to promote empathy in the healthcare environment.

Please submit your work to bit.ly/TheMuseSubmission. The deadline to submit is February 23rd.

02/10/2020

This is an UPDATE to our Watercolour Paint Night with FHS Arts Collective.

Our ticketing system is now available at bit.ly/MUSEwatercolour. All participants that reserved a spot on our Facebook event have been sent a code to unlock your tickets. If you were unable to reserve a spot, please register for a Waitlist Ticket now.

Reserved tickets that go unclaimed will be given to participants holding Waitlist Tickets on a first-come-first-serve basis.

02/05/2020

The Romantic Disease – The Muse McMaster

"The romanticization of tuberculosis during the 19th century brazenly reveals itself in that era’s literature—certainly, Anne Shirley’s description of her dying friend demonstrates the disease’s potential for tragic beauty."

Click below to read Esther Su's riveting article about tuberculosis, "the romantic disease".

The Romantic Disease Read enough novels from the 19th century’s Romantic Era and you will inescapably come across the Romantic Disease. Of course, like its namesake, the Romantic Disease could easily be mistaken to mean our contemporary definition of romance, but as Clark Lawlor writes, it was “...