Medmic

Kathy Ray retired in 2024 from 30 years as a PA in the fields of dermatology, cardiology and internal medicine in the Albany, New York area. Patients’ stories often inspired poetry, but it was relegated to sticky notes. Now, words get their due.

The poem is by Mufakir Bhanain, which is a pen name for Drs. Pamela Butler and Fatima Shad (see bio below). Dr. Butler lives in New York City and Dr. Shad lives in Sydney, Australia.

Brief bio: Mufakir Bhanain is the union of two neuroscientists (Drs. Pamela Butler and Fatima Shad), who write poetry together. Mufakir means thinker and Bhanain means sister.

Manal Imran is a medical student from Miami, FL. Her poem ‘In the Presence of Shadows’ l was inspired by an OB/GYN rotation, where the unexpected loss of a newborn contrasted with the floor’s usual joy

by Maryam Tariq, MD

This poem was inspired by a clinical encounter during my Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship. What began as a routine outpatient follow-up revealed, through a single screening question, a recent suicide attempt by a teen who had appeared stable. The piece reflects on the tension between clinical progress and hidden emotional suffering, and the critical importance of asking direct questions ,even when things seem “better.”