By: Frances Gill Last year in 2017, as the Tulane University AMSA chapter Advocacy Chair, I flew to Washington, D.C., for the AMSA National Convention’s Advocacy Day to lobby Louisiana’s representatives—Senators Cassidy and Kennedy, especially—in favor of preserving the Affordable Care Act. Lobbying? The Hill? Arguing with an authority figure? All this was brand new…

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 67-year-old woman presents to the emergency room with acute chest pain and dyspnea after the death of her husband. She is hypotensive, tachycardic, and diaphoretic. A diagnosis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy is suspected.   Image credit: @bioplasmik.   Answer: Normal coronary arteries The diagnosis of takotsubo, or stress-induced cardiomyopathy,…

Leader Spotlight: Doan Nguyen Today’s spotlight is AMSA member and leader Doan Nguyen! Doan is a third-year medical student at Ross University School of Medicine Chapter, pursuing a focus in Critical Care. Why did you join AMSA? Medical school is tough and demanding, especially for those who attend foreign medical schools. I had to find…

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week An 8-year-old boy is brought to the pediatrician by his mother over concerns of a new-onset rash. He is otherwise healthy, though his mother mentions that he was unwell two weeks prior to the rash appearing. On examination, numerous small salmon-pink scaly papules are seen on his trunk and…

Figure 1 Quiz of the Week A 56-year-old man presents with a three-month history of erectile dysfunction and bilateral buttock pain on exertion, but not at rest. His past medical history is significant for type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Examination reveals bilaterally diminished femoral pulses.   Image credit: @surgeon2015.   Answer: Leriche syndrome (aortoiliac occlusive…

By: Tanisha Rivera I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. I’ve experienced firsthand the devastating effects Hurricane Maria has had on my local community and the Caribbean as a whole. In life, there will inevitably be highs and lows that point out our fragile stability. Sadly, this catastrophic event was a startling reminder of…