Holidays, Traditions and Grief

Posted December 21st, 2020

This year was pretty tough for most of us. If there is one thing I can take away right now is that we are all, collectively, grieving. Some of us have lost family and friends—to cancer, to COVID, to accidents.  Some of us have lost our jobs and financial well-being. Some of us have lost […]

Gift Giving During a Pandemic

Posted December 3rd, 2020

Finding the right gift to give a cancer patient or their loved ones can be challenging…and now let’s add a pandemic to the mix. Not only do you want to be giving the right gift, but it should also be given in a safe manner to ensure there is no spread of the COVID virus. […]

Pumpkin Season!

Posted October 27th, 2020

Halloween may look different this year but we can still decorate our homes and enjoy a favorite fall treat – pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. As you are carving your pumpkin, save the meaty flesh of your pumpkin for this yummy smoothie. It is ready in minutes and light on the calories. And don’t forget to […]

Diagnosed Alone

Posted October 6th, 2020

Six weeks ago, I was working a Sunday shift at Penn Medicine Roberts Proton Therapy Center when I happened to rub my neck. My heart sunk. I felt a hard lump. My first thoughts were “That’s not normal. How long had that been there?” I couldn’t remember the last time I had checked my neck. […]

A College Senior vs. A Global Pandemic

Posted September 30th, 2020

March 16th: The first day of spring break for Thomas Jefferson University. Little did I know… my spring break week would actually turn into a three-and-a-half-month hiatus from my Radiation Therapy program. As a senior in college nearing the end of my program, all I could think about was walking across the Pennsylvania Convention Center […]

The Future Front Line: Pre-Med During COVID-19

Posted September 8th, 2020

If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it’s that when duty calls, medical professionals answer. From makeshift testing sites to frontline emergency rooms across the country, countless doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers have demonstrated remarkable resilience and courage to save lives during this pandemic. As a pre-med student myself, I have watched this crisis play […]

Pine Trees or COVID?

Posted September 2nd, 2020

Last weekend, I stayed in a tiny cabin at a campground near the beach. I knew I would be able to socially distance myself from others, while enjoying the outdoors and the late August weather. I knew the area well, and I took precautions, cleaned my living area, brought my own hand soap and utensils, […]

Returning to Dental Care

Posted August 24th, 2020

Most dental healthcare facilities have opened for elective procedures.  The re-opening of dental practices has come after many weeks of preparations and with guidance from local and state officials yet there is still controversy over whether it is safe to return to routine dental care.  The American Dental Association’s (ADA’s) Advisory Task Force on Dental […]

COVID-19 Testing: What you need to know.

Posted August 19th, 2020

Five months into the COVID-19 pandemic and we have learned a lot. It is clear that the keys to getting control of the virus, until a vaccine is available, is a combination of personal actions (hand washing, social distancing, wearing a mask), and public health interventions like testing, contract tracing and isolating positive cases. Testing […]

How to Plan a ‘Safecation’

Posted August 17th, 2020

Summer vacation is looking a lot different due to new travel restrictions.  Traveling during a pandemic requires planning ahead, lots of advanced research, willingness to play-it-by-ear and adapting to new rules. You may be asking yourself… Is it safe to go on vacation? Where should I go? Should I drive or fly? Can I vacation […]