Tag: gun violence

Another GSW

“Another GSW” by Odeya Kagan is a short personal narrative detailing a young doctor’s encounter with a patient who had extensive injuries from a single bullet wound, and how the experience made her consider the ramifications of gun violence in America. As Kagan looks forward to her medical career, she prioritizes never becoming numb despite the frequency and normalization of gun shot wounds (GSWs). This story could prompt discussion of gun violence as a public health issue and the ways in which gun violence is ingrained into American culture. It could also be used to address the topics of physician burnout or the mental taxation of working in trauma and emergency departments. Hospital residents in particular may be able to relate to the sentiments of the author.

He was not the first dead man I X-rayed

The author had this to say about the poem: “I have X-rayed thousands of people over thirty years, but this one still come backs to me. It’s the story I tell when people ask me for ‘hospital stories,’ so it’s no surprise that I eventually wrote the story in a poem. I can still so vividly see him and me alone in that cold room.” " Content warning : Gun violence, some graphic descriptions of bodily harm This is a short poem written from the perspective of the author as a X-ray technologist. It describes one particular experience he had caring for a man with a gunshot wound who dies during the treatment and the poem. Provides an opportunity to talk about death and the impact experiencing death may have on healthcare providers. The brevity and personal quality of this piece leaves room for students to interpret and discuss their own thoughts and reactions. There is a complex story in a brief poem, with lots to unpack, accessible to all audiences.

Syllabus Spanish Health Narratives

This 3000-level course is of particular interest to Spanish majors and minors with health professions interests, although readings and assignments are aimed at any Spanish student with intermediate level proficiency. Creative writing majors from English, students interested in editing and publishing, International Studies and Global Health Studies majors, Communication Studies majors with general interests in health, all have succeeded. Readings are from Latinx and Latin American authors; some in English, many in Spanish. Assignments are four creative writing projects, one that becomes a digital video.