Bundle Of Hers

SisterSong—leader of the reproductive justice movement—defines reproductive justice as "the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities." But how do systems of oppression, such as racism, ableism, and sexism, make it harder for some to access reproductive care? In S5E20, Lina and Hạ talk wit...

Discovering where you come from contributes to knowing where you are heading. We are built from the generations before us—our mothers and grandmothers before them—through their sacrifices, pain, and all they have had to endure. Each mother loves and nurtures differently, and sometimes that love and nurture are affected by historical and cultural complexities. In S5E19, Hạ, Harjit, and Margaux dedi...

Raising children is a community effort, but our society can make us feel we should be able to do it successfully alone. But the instincts are not always natural, and the expectations are not always met. And the advice you receive may not be the help you need. Matrescence—the physical, mental, and emotional transition into motherhood—comes differently to different women. Returning from parental lea...

Asian Americans are often stereotyped as educated, thriving, intelligent—"model minorities" who are perceived as achieving higher degrees of socioeconomic success to accomplish the American Dream. But stereotypes of the model minority, while seemingly positive, can cause damage and harm to the demographic. The often invisibility of anti-Asian racism and hate crimes are indistinguishably connected...

Oxford English Dictionary defines masculinity as "Qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of men." Societies and cultures have long built the image of what a man should say, should feel, should be, and it is often projected in a way that is opposite of what it means to be a woman. In S5E16, Harjit and Mariam talk to medical students Sajjad Askaryar and Neil Sahasrabudhe about challengin...

You probably would not say "hip hop" and "health care" in the same sentence. But despite their surface differences, hip hop ties into health care's disparities. Hip hop is a form of resistance, voices of the unheard—it is a culture that is so often appropriated and viewed in a lesser-than lens because its origins come from a place in society that normally does not hold power. In S5E15, Harjit and...

The Black Experience should be celebrated every day, not just during Black History Month. Through traumas and adversities, there are also successes and excellence that are worth highlighting and uplifting in our everyday conversations. But to round out this year's Black History Month, on a special episode, Lina and Harjit talk to Juliette Friedland and Liese Rodger about their lived experiences as...

Student-run clinics are one of the most comprehensive examples of experiential learning in medical school education—and in combination, are meant to provide primary care services to underserved communities. But the structure of student-run clinics can create a moral dilemma between experiential learning and empowering patients for their better health. In S5E13, Hạ and Harjit talk to medical studen...

Across identities and ethnicities, sexual liberation can look different to different people. But, the expectations, objectification, and sexualization placed onto women from societal pressures to appeal to the standard norm are common. And, on top of power-dynamic struggles, the narrative around sex-positivity for women of color can be very different from some of the mainstream feminist conversati...

With its high-stress environment, medical school can be an isolating experience. The competitive nature of medicine can sometimes make it difficult to foster authentic relationships that offer support and add to your overall well-being. When you think about a true, wholesome friendship—what does it entail? In S5E11, Leen, Harjit, and Lina talk about how their views on friendships have changed as t...

Afghanistan is a region that, for years, has made headlines of war—but is often overlooked in its culture, beauty, and people. In S5E10, Mariam talks to fellow medical students Lilly Kanishka and Sajjad Askaryar about their experiences balancing their identities as Afghan-Americans in medicine, and reclaiming what it means to be Afghan in reshaping the narrative that is often perpetuated.

How does a health care system ensure the population it serves gets the care it needs? The intentions of cultural competency may begin with wanting to deliver trauma-informed care to diverse communities, but the assumed generalization of a group of people can lead to ignored identities among individual patients. In S5E9, Lina, Hạ, and Mariam talk about the flaws of cultural competency in the patien...

There is a misconception in society that we need to be self-made to be successful. But so many of us are community-made. Communities lift us to be better versions of ourselves—and for some, are the driving forces behind our achievements. In the first episode of 2022, Hạ, Leen, Lina, and Mariam talk about finding yourself through passions and dreams, and deliberate on who we would have become witho...

A lot of society tells us that some people can be angry and others cannot—and that rage is an emotion often associated with certain stereotypes. But just because someone else cannot understand your rage does not mean it is not real. Rage is our lived experiences, and the policing of people's rage can be used as a tool of oppression. In S5E7, Harjit, Hạ, Leen, and Lina talk about the definition of...

Confidence is often said to be a characteristic of a leader. "You need to work on your confidence" if you want others to take you seriously. But is there a correct way to be confident? And when does showcasing what others may perceive as confidence interfere with your authentic identity? In S5E6, Leen, Harjit, and Mariam talk about the different forms of confidence, and the toll it can create tryi...

Research should be about pushing the boundaries of knowledge—and when done well, it is built out of community and collaboration. It should not be about outshining one another. But so often in the field of medicine, the pressures to be published are attached to career gains and advancements. In S5E5, Margaux, Hạ, Harjit, and Lina talk about navigating being in a system of quantity over quality, and...

There is a skewed mindset that we need to give 100% all the time. But there is strength in admitting you are not at full capacity—even momentarily—and a break is needed. That is when community matters. Concluding the comeback of our IDENTITY SERIES—a three-parter exploring who we are as human beings—in S5E4, Lina talks to Noor Mashal about the strengths and struggles of their shared identity as Pa...

Living as a minority in America, there can be pressures to conform and fit in with the majority. Continuing our IDENTITY SERIES—a three-parter exploring who we are as human beings—in S5E3, Mariam and Harjit talk about the complexities of being first-generation/immigrants in America, and how assimilation has impacted their experiences in both their personal and professional lives.

We are excited to bring back our IDENTITY SERIES—this time, a three-parter exploring who we are as human beings. In this special episode, Hạ talks to fellow medical student Xian Mao about how their identities—some similar, some different—impact their self-expression, and how the model minority expectations have played a role throughout their lives.

BUNDLE OF HERS returns with conversations and stories of growth. Like a seed that blossoms, it takes time to grow into our true, authentic selves. The lessons we learn along the way add to our identities. In the fifth season premiere, we look back on intern year—the good and the bad, the predicted and shocking. Join us as we continue to grow and learn from our diverse experiences, and each other.

No journey is the same, even if we are on the same path. Our different experiences shape who we are and who we hope to become. In the season four finale of BUNDLE OF HERS, we look back on our first year of medical residency—expectations and realities. And as we transition from interns to second-years, we also discuss what we hope the future of our medical careers will look like, and the legacies w...

How we choose to express ourselves in our personal lives should not impact our careers and how professional—or unprofessional—others may deem us. But so often, we can be penalized or punished professionally for something personal. And this can lead to identities being hidden due to fear of being seen as "unprofessional." Concluding the three-part conversation on professionalism, in S4E19, Margaux,...

Who we are is up to us to decide. The same should also apply to the clothes we wear and how we choose to present ourselves. But there is an unspoken—sometimes, even, spoken—dress code for working professionals that can be traced back to elitism. As doctors, why does what we wear indicate the type of health care we can or can't provide? Continuing the conversation on professionalism in medicine, in...

Oxford Dictionary vaguely defines professionalism as, 'The competence or skill expected of a professional.' As working professionals, we may be asked to "be professional." But who defines the characteristics of professionalism? We are so often socialized to think about professionalism as tolerance—being tolerant to go along with someone else's definitions for how you should act, talk, write, dress...

We often shy away from talking about politics, either because we have been socialized not to bring the topic up, or perhaps due to fear of causing conflict. But the reality is that everything ties back to political power and capital, and not talking about politics creates opportunities to further keep in place the systems that may oppress us. We are all human beings in a political world—and that m...