The Muse

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 “...

02/04/2020

[EDIT: The event is now at full capacity. Interested participants should continue to follow our updates on the event page.]

The Muse and FHS Arts Collective are co-hosting a Watercolour Paint Night on March 5th from 4:30 PM-6 PM! Come join us for a fun workshop to de-stress from your midterms and pick up some new skills!

Admission to this event is free. Please note that we are only able to accommodate 20 participants at this time, registration can be done through our event page. Food and supplies will be provided for you at this event.

📷: Nicole Crimi

01/30/2020

Do you have a unique experience in healthcare that you would like to share? Are you interested in getting your work published?

The CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS is now open for the 11th issue of The Muse! Our theme for this issue is: Culture.

The Muse is a medical humanities initiative that aims to address key healthcare issues through inclusive, interdisciplinary dialogue. Submissions can range from opinion pieces to personal experiences in healthcare, in all various mediums from poetry to artwork to non-fiction writings. The deadline for this issue is February 23, 11:59PM.

Prose: 700-1000 words
Poetry: up to 1 page
Academic Work: 1000-1200 words
Visual Art: at least 1/4 page, 300dpi

Submit all pieces to the following link: http://bit.ly/TheMuseSubmission

We look forward to receiving your submissions! Please do not hesitate to ask any questions

01/26/2020

Perks of the Undead: Zombie Cinema and Public Health Awareness – The Muse McMaster

"While for many of us, zombie movies are just a Friday night source of entertainment, their themes reflect prominent societal concerns. In particular, they are reflective of the culture of fear that can arise regarding the issue of disease and its epidemiology."

Click below to read Shomaila Rashid's post on the popularity of zombies in pop culture and their utility in improving public health awareness!

Perks of the Undead: Zombie Cinema and Public Health Awareness Photo by Daniel Jenson (Unsplash) The 2013 film World War Z starts with a family stuck in traffic, witnessing in abject horror as their city is overrun by bloody, gory zombies. The plot begins similarly in other zombie movies: South Kore...

01/16/2020

Side Characters of the Health-Care System – The Muse McMaster

"Much like a canvas, the healthcare system often forgets to highlight its threads, the ones that support the bustling scenes at every facility. It’s the nurses and technicians, the receptionists and the cleaning staff that fade into the background."

Kick off the new year with an incredibly insightful read by authur, Areeba Asghar, about multidisciplinary approaches to healthcare! Click below to access Areeba's post and those from our other talented writers!

Side Characters of the Health-Care System A canvas is loved for its colours, the busy patterns and intricacies of a tragedy – a folklore building its character. A canvas is loved for the bolds, the artist’s touch, and the risque of his message. A canvas is loved for much but itself. The cotton, ...

11/26/2019

The FHS Arts Collective held their first workshop on November 7th, in collaboration with The Muse!

15 lucky students had the opportunity to work with Nicole Crimi, a first-year medical student at McMaster, in an introductory tutorial on acrylic painting.

Be sure to continue following both The Muse and the FHS Arts Collective for future opportunities to participate in workshops!

📷: Nicole Crimi

11/12/2019

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Hi Everyone!

If you are interested in the conversations existing at the intersection of medicine and the humanities (i.e. philosophy, ethics, culture, etc.), subscribe to our mailing list for a monthly update. We will also be sharing our upcoming events and our own blog posts too!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlMr5NPfm23O6vEDyXXIOZVygK383cv7oCSdyVlMoCuwvpaQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

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