From the Editors

Dear Reader,

We are pleased to celebrate the tenth edition of The Muse alongside the beginning of a new year and a new decade. This issue’s theme "Perspectives" was selected to celebrate the various cultures, thoughts and experiences that have shaped the minds of people around the world. We hoped to explore stories and ideas that embody resiliency, creativity, strength, and the best of what makes us human.

This was our first year as Editors-in-Chief for The Muse, and it was truly an experience that changed our perspective. We were humbled by the hard work of everyone on the team as well as courage of many to share the stories and experiences that shaped who they are today. This year, our hope was to increase the presence of The Muse in the community. Though many may see The Muse as simply a writing or journaling initiative, it is much more. We believe that The Muse can serve as a platform for the various stories in healthcare. In this way, we can all instigate change and explore the issues and successes of healthcare today.

By continuing to build upon the hard work and successes of our predecessors, we hope to faithfully serve the unique stories and perspectives of patients, families, and healthcare practitioners around the world.

We would like to give a big thank you to our faculty advisor, Dr. Ellen Amster, for her guidance and support when starting out this position, and to all of the members of The Muse for welcoming us and working even harder than before to make this issue possible. Furthermore, we thank you, our contributors who have beautifully illustrated with words their stories and experiences. And last but not least, to our readers, whom this would not be possible without: thank you!

Best regards,

Samuel and Shamir