Ars Medica

The Illusion of Resolution

Joanne Sinai — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

These photographs are inspired by the electron microscopy images I remember from med school. They combine objects found in nature and/or handmade pieces created by other artists.

The Natural Order of Things: Nature as a Metaphor for the Body, Illness, and Renewal

Allison Crawford — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Will It Ever Be Enough?

Justin Cordova — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A US anesthesiology resident reflects on his experience while completing medical training within the psychiatric ward of a state prison system. Correctional healthcare is a vitally important part of the rehabilitative process for inmates, particularly those who suffer from mental health disorders. This narrative essay represents one physician's efforts to improve the outcomes for his patients, while also questioning the effectiveness of the limited care he was able to provide.

Death of a Prairie Boy

Judy Dercksen — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As a family physician with lived experience of complex post-traumatic stress disorder, C-PTSD, I seemed to attract a patient panel rich with similarly neurodiverse personalities. Marginalized members of communities require more time and also trauma-informed care, but it is only after I tended to my own mental health that I was truly able to appreciate the need for latitude when it comes to managing the healthcare of those who have experienced a lifetime of health inequity. "Death of a Prairie Boy" reflects how past and current trauma affects judgement and the ability to manage chronic illness.

Prognosis in Passing

Kate E. Johnson — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

"Prognosis in Passing" offers a narrative exploration of the altered sensory experience of a prolonged hospital stay. The piece examines how the distinct rhythms and cadences of medical personnel transform into a unique language within the confines of the hospital ward, shaping the patient's emotional landscape and reflecting the unspoken anxieties surrounding their prognosis. So understood, the piece illuminates the subtle semiotics of the hospital environment and offers a poignant reflection on the profound impact of illness on the human psyche.