The Cost of Staying Alive

In 1920, a diagnosis with diabetes was a death sentence. 100 years later, the prognosis for many Americans is only slightly more optimistic. There is a drug on the market that allows patients with Type 1 Diabetes to live relatively normal lives: insulin. However, the skyrocketing prices of the drug cause many Americans to think […]

A Thought on Rethinking Global Mental Health

This article contains themes regarding depression and other mental health complications. Reader discretion is advised.   Psychiatric patients in Ghana’s prayer camps aren’t only tied down by the constraints of their mental ramifications, they are physically shackled, tied to dark concrete cells, and forced to eat, sleep and defecate in confinement. This treatment that seems […]

The Cost of Care?

It was a sunny Sunday in Los Angeles when my great uncle, Gaylord Moss, got a phone call from my grandmother, Sabrina, in Cambridge, England. As they chatted about their day, the conversation moved to the topic of health. Part way through the conversation, they both realized that the other had a very different experience […]

Medication Abortion at Tang: the Power of Student Activism

The women of SURJ at UC Berkeley In a matter of weeks, the University of California, Berkeley, may become the first university in the country to provide medication abortion at an on-campus health center, once again putting the school at the forefront of progressive activism. A student-run campaign to bring medication abortion access through the […]

Patching Up The Problem? A Look Into California’s Healthcare Tax Plan

Have California lawmakers solved the state’s healthcare budget problems? Yes, or at least for now. Currently, under the regulations of the Affordable Care Act and through Covered California, which helps people and small businesses navigate the healthcare insurance market, Californians may buy private insurance or may qualify for receiving health insurance through the Medi-Cal program—the […]

On Palliative Care in the United States

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to shadow an oncologist, a physician who treats cancer patients. From day one, he emphasized how much suffering there was in his profession, particularly in his specialty. It was sad to watch these patients agonize through chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as treatment regimens sapped their vitality.  As […]