Bundle Of Hers

From the food we consume to the clothes we wear, to the patients we treat—everything is interconnected. And that, unfortunately, means everything is tied to capitalistic gains where, more often than not, voices—human beings— are being oppressed. It is often not close to home, and so we do not talk about it, but there are more people oppressed than the ones oppressing. In S4E15, Margaux, Harjit, an...

Is the person who picked your fruits and vegetables okay? Do they have proper PPE? Does the worker who made the clothes you are wearing have access to the appropriate health care? Are they paid fairly? As consumers, we are often protected from having to think or worry about these questions. But the labor movement is interconnected to the practice of medicine, and as healthcare providers, we should...

White feminism is harmful and creates division—striving for equality in an oppressive system is impossible. We should dismantle the gender binary and remove the idea that one has to be better than the other; open our minds to the notion that there is space for everyone... because we are powerful together. In S4E13, we discuss working towards overcoming white feminism to create an inclusive system...

Feminism is complex. Oxford dictionary defines feminism as, "The advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes." But the trouble with this idea of feminism is, first and foremost, having to buy into a gender binary in which other oppressions, such as racism, are excluded. In their book review of White Women's Rights: The Racial Origins of Feminism in the United States , Alok...

The assumed mindset is patients should be able to trust doctors because doctors presumably have more education. But placing doctors on an invisible pedestal can have negative connotations. The motion of elitism inhibits solidarity and creates barriers—barriers between each other, and our patients. Patients should not only be able to trust their doctors, but understanding and comfortably conversing...

The white coat is a symbol of elitism in medicine. There is a certain way doctors talk, and there is a certain way doctors dress. History has long placed doctors into the elite class—a group of individuals who may be of higher intellect, wealth, power, and/or special skills and experiences, and in return may have higher influence in society. But medical elitism can build barriers among those in th...

Perception is how one interprets reality. Awareness is knowledge of a situation. A medical student's perception of a situation may differ from a resident's. Our mindsets are constantly shifting, the way we view and think about things is constantly changing—our changing perspectives mean we're growing. Concluding the conversation on changing perceptions, in S4E9, Leen, Margaux, and Harjit reflect o...

John Hopkins defines evidence-based medicine (EBM) as "the ideal that health care professionals should make 'conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence.'" As medical students, EBM was probably just a section on an exam or test. But as residents, knowing when to use EBM when treating patients is not always so clear-cut. Continuing the conversation on changing perceptions, i...

The way we viewed the world as medical students is—with little argument—different than how we view the world as medical residents. As our roles shift, we start to see systems and patients differently with new responsibilities and adjustments we may have once been sheltered from. In S4E7, Leen, Margaux, and Harjit talk about their changed perceptions as they evolve from medical students to medical...

As a medical community, we have—whether unknowingly or not—assisted in normalizing fatphobia by simply instructing patients to "lose weight" without having the complicated conversation of "why?" To understand how fatphobia and weight bias have become internalized in ourselves, it is important to think back and reflect on our experiences. Concluding the conversation on the flaws of BMI—in S4E6, Mar...

As health care providers, we were probably taught at one point or another during our education that health is the absence of illness. And that a person's weight is a standard measurement of health. But the origin of BMI—body mass index— was never intended to link a person's weight with how healthy, or unhealthy, they are. In S4E5, pediatric nurse Isis joins Margaux and Harjit to discuss weight bia...

Medicine is rooted in systems, but that does not mean change is not possible. When you imagine a new and better world, it is important to understand why the current one is not working. Before anything, radicalization begins when you challenge yourself. Concluding the conversation on radicalism—in S4E4, Harjit, Bushra, and Margaux share moments of radical impact in health care and discuss how to mo...

According to Paulo Freire , "The radical, committed to human liberation, does not become the prisoner of a 'circle of certainty' within which reality is also imprisoned." Radical thinkers tend to think outside the circle and should challenge the question, "What radicalized me?" Continuing from the previous episode—in S4E3, Harjit, Bushra, and Margaux further their conversation on being radical thi...

Every person's worldview is based on their personal experiences. We should understand how we view the world now, and how we want to view it in the future. According to Paulo Freire , "The radical, committed to human liberation, does not become the prisoner of a 'circle of certainty' within which reality is also imprisoned." In S4E2, Harjit, Bushra, and Margaux discuss what it means—to them—to be r...

BUNDLE OF HERS returns with more conversations and stories. Now, more than ever, it is important to listen to untold and underrepresented voices. In the first episode of season four, we talk about our hopes and goals for the future, and what it means to be fearless as we move forward.

2020 has been a ride and as we get ready to welcome 2021, we would like to wish everyone a warm and cozy winter holiday as the year wraps. However you celebrate, keep safe. Thank you for joining our conversations during season three—BUNDLE OF HERS will be back with a new season and all-new episodes in the new year!

Bundle Of Hers is still on hiatus, but in the meantime, we wanted to introduce you to a new podcast from the same network that produces our show. It's called Clinical . Their current story, Unit on the Brink: Voices from the COVID Frontline , shares the narratives of medical frontline workers that are facing the COVID-19 pandemic head-on. Learn more about the podcast, and hear a six-minute sample...

Sometimes, you just need people to tell you the truth, even if the truth is not something you might want to hear. A good mentor not only points out your strengths but also helps you correct weaknesses as well. In this mentor moment, Bushra remembers a hard, but important, piece of advice from her first year of undergraduate.

It is a strange dynamic when everyone around you gives you praises and compliments, but you are full of negative self-doubt. Words can have the ability to bring you down, but it can also just as easily prop you up. In this mentor moment, Leen shares one of the most important lessons she learned in med school.

The subjective education taught in medical school can cause medical professionals to presume patients will inherently give their trust, thus allowing us to move freely in their space and examine them without questioning. In this mentor moment, Margaux recalls an informal, but important, lesson learned while performing patient care.

The way someone looks can impact our views of them—but it should not. Someone's words and actions are the things that should matter. In this mentor moment, Harjit remembers a brief but impactful moment that helped her reflect on her own way of viewing the world.

The encouragement you receive from a young age can have the ability to propel you towards future greatness and success. In this mentor moment, Bushra reminisces on a moment from her childhood that boosted her self confidence and pride and set her on the path of becoming a doctor.

No matter how passionate you are, doubt from others can do wonders in bringing you down. In this mentor moment, Leen thinks back to a moment she observed as a med student in the emergency room and reflects on how watching someone else's passion reignited hers.

Starting something new can come with a learning curve and imposter syndrome is very real. In this mentor moment, Margaux thinks back to words from a team leader and reflects on how simple words and acts of encouragement can make an immense difference for someone struggling to find their place.

We should remember that we are all connected and intertwined, and so we should be uplifting each other. In this mentor moment—the first in a collection of MENTOR MOMENTS from BUNDLE OF HERS—Harjit remembers words from Oprah Winfrey and reflects on using her own voice as a tool to amplify stories of the underrepresented.