Click here to read the paper! Kathy May first drew the illustrations in pencil and colored pencil (first image below), then scanned them and cleaned them up in Photoshop (2nd, 3rd, and 4th images below):

[See image gallery at www.kathymayandsilas.com] If you or your colleagues are in need of medical illustrations, I am volunteering Kathy May for opportunities! Click here to see some of Kathy May’s other medical illustration and artwork. 

Until next time,
Silas

During her internal medicine clerkship, Kathy reflected upon the use of eponyms in the medical lexicon after meeting a patient with de Quervain’s thyroiditis, a condition named after the physician pictured above. Her essay, entitled “By Any Other Name,” won the Medicine Science Award for Outstanding Essay from the NYU Department of Internal Medicine. I’m happy to announce that earlier this month, Clinical Correlations, the peer-reviewed NYU Langone online journal of medicine published her piece! Please click here to read Kathy’s essay, “By Any Other Name.”

Until next time,
Silas

Image of  Dr. Fritz de Quervain courtesy of the Library of the Royal College of Physicians.

Click here to see story published on Mogul, an online publishing platform for women.

Dear Mom, happy Mother’s Day.
Today is your day and we want you to know that.
Thank you for everything.
We love you.

We have all said these words before. In fact, we have said them on this day every year for as many years as we can remember. Nothing has changed – we still mean every single word and we still love our mothers just as much, even more. But, at the same time, everything has changed – because now we say these words with our hearts and not with our voices.

It may have been decades, years, months, or days since you lost your mother. For me and my brother, this is the second Mother’s Day without our beloved mom. Even though time has passed, I still find myself reaching for the phone when I want to share exciting news with her, when I have a question about what to do, or when I am just feeling lonely. I always catch myself to realize that when I press her picture on the speed dial that no one will be there to pick up with a “hello.”

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, we all miss our mothers. On Mother’s Day, we miss them even more. We miss them when we’re at the store, surrounded by flowers, candies, and brightly-colored cards with affectionate messages written happily across them. We miss them when we see other people with their mothers, smiling and perfectly content in each other’s company. Sometimes I yearn to return to Mother’s Days of years past so that I could hug my mom again and shower her with love and kisses. I wouldn’t just say, “I love you,” but I would tell her just how much I love her, just how much I appreciate her, and just how much she means to me.

Despite how much we miss our moms, Mother’s Day does not have to be a day filled with sorrow and longing for us. After all, it is intended to honor our mothers for the exceptional women they were. Let it not be a reminder of loss and pain, but let it be a reminder of how beautiful women our mothers were, how great the lives they led, how blessed we are to have had them.

A mother’s love is everlasting and a mother’s comfort spans distance, time, and life. I sense my mom’s presence as I walk along the street, remembering places she liked and sights she found interesting. I know she’s watching when I cook a recipe that she taught me, even though my version is never as good. I feel her spirit when I sit for dinner and say the blessing, as we had done together so many times before. I see her reflection when others point out the similarities between her and my brother or me. Then, I feel better because I know that she is there, and I know that she is in us.

Just because our mothers do not sit beside us does not mean that they are not in our hearts. Just because we cannot say “I love you” in person does not mean that they do not know how much we care. And so, to them, we will say the words that we have said so many times before and we will continue saying them, especially on this day every year for as many years as we can:

Dear Mom, happy Mother’s Day.

Today is your special day, Mom, and we want you to know that you are the absolute best mother a person could ever hope for. You healed our wounds of skinned knees and broken hearts. You were tough when we were stubborn, gentle when we were vulnerable. You supported us regardless of our flaws and mistakes and celebrated our big moments and successes. You gave us memories that we will treasure always.

Thank you, Mom, for everything you have done for us, everything that you have given us. Not only did you give us life, but also you gave us a meaning for our lives. You gave us enough love for more than a lifetime, more than enough love to last us even now you’re gone.

We love you, Mom, and we miss you.

Art by Kathy May Tran
Writing by Kathy May Tran, Mogul Influencer

• Click here to read Kathy May’s article on KevinMD.com
  

• Click here to read Kathy May’s article on Mogul

– Silas

Click here to view this article published on MOGUL, an online publishing platform for women.

Click here to view this article published on KevinMD.com, a health blog for physicians about all things medical.

Friday was Match Day.

At 12 noon EST, medical students all over the United States simultaneously opened envelopes which revealed the destination of their residency training. The tradition is an exhilarating and emotional event for everyone involved. For medical students, it is a milestone that symbolizes a dramatic life change and a new adventure. It marks the culmination of years of hard work, the end of one thing and the beginning of another. For me, Match Day was an opportunity to reflect upon the difficulty of my medical school years and how those struggles changed my professional and personal life for the better.

My medical school years have undoubtedly been the most challenging ones of my entire life. There were long and endless hours of studying, filled with facts and jargon and medications and algorithms. There was self-imposed pressure not only to memorize but also, more importantly, to understand the pathophysiology of disease. There were exhausting days and nights in the hospital. All of that was difficult, but none of that was the hardest part.

During medical school, I came to understand the true meaning of responsibility and sadness that all adults – health professional or not – must eventually endure. I am not referring to the responsibility of paying tuition bills on time or the disappointment of not acing Step 1, but I mean the deep commitment and intimate concern we have for those dear to us. Part of this came with the realization as a medical student that one day the entire well-being of a person would be subject to my own medical knowledge and decision-making. Most of it was the actual experience of losing people who I cared for, on both sides of the doctor-patient relationship.

I had my first exposure to critical illness, the dying process, and finally death while working on the inpatient wards. I tried to be as objective, rational, and data-driven as a diligent physician-in-training could be, but I was wholly unprepared for the emotional toll that the loss of patients took on me. The first was a gentle, kind lady with whom I bonded despite an enormous language barrier between us. Our medical team made the diagnosis of a rare gynecologic cancer. I studied and learned the expected course of the disease; however, I could not fathom just how close a person could be to death even though we smiled in conversation via the translator phone each day. Just over a week later, she passed away. At first, I was in shock; by evening, I was hidden in a corner of the house staff workroom, alone in tears, mourning a beautiful soul that passed to the other side.

Since then, I have participated in the care of a number of patients who, despite the most optimal care and the most valiant efforts, have died. Every single one has impacted me. However, death burdened not only my academic life but also my personal life. At the beginning of medical school, I lost my uncle, whose son was also a medical student, to lung cancer. Soon after I lost my aunt to hemorrhagic stroke. My world came to a screeching halt when my own mom, my unconditional supporter, my strongest rock, and my greatest inspiration, passed away from colon cancer. I took a leave of absence so that I could share more precious moments with her in her last months. During that extra year, I also lost my dear friend, a young, charismatic person taken too soon by amyloidosis only seven weeks after we celebrated her wedding. I thought the heartache was over – at least for these five years of school – when our beloved family dog passed away unexpectedly just five days before Match Day.

Other doctors and student doctors are not immune to heartbreak. While in medical school, I have witnessed and shared in their grief of losing patients and loved ones. My husband lost his uncle, whose daughter was also a medical student. My best friend lost her dad. We were studying for a cardiology exam at his bedside when it happened. Another friend also lost her dad only last week. His spirit watched over her proudly at Match Day, as she opened her envelope and learned that she had successfully matched into residency.

More than anything I’ve read in a textbook or heard during rounds, it is the intense personal losses during medical school that have contributed to my truly comprehending and absorbing the profound privilege it is to care for a panel of patients, each of whom is the center of someone’s life, just as my mom was the absolute center of mine and my friends’ fathers were the centers of theirs. In our personal lives, we medical professionals have focused our energy on caring for our own loved ones. Now in our careers, we care for an entire panel of someone else’s loved ones on a daily basis. Whether the situation is dire or not, we see our loved ones in the faces of our patients; we see ourselves in the faces of our patients’ families.

Sorrow is an inevitable part of life. My medical school years have shown me that death is not something I can escape in my profession and that I as an earthly doctor cannot fix every problem. Instead I can only strive to be a physician who cures sometimes, treats often, and comfort always. I can only hope to make an impact on every patient, whether that is improvement of symptoms, stability of health, or even peace in death.

At Match Day, I could see the end of my medical school years approaching and the next step of residency coming into focus. At my side was my husband; in my hands was a photograph of what was dearest to me – my mom, my brother, our dogs, our home. I looked at this two-dimensional representation of the blessings in my life, and my heart ached as I thought about how difficult medical school has been and how much has changed since I and others have lost loved ones. At the same time, I was comforted as I reflected upon their impact on me and many others, a legacy that extends far beyond their living and breathing and being on earth. The lives they lived inspire my life, my actions, and my work; caring for them at the end of their journeys shaped my growth as a person and as a doctor. I closed my eyes and dedicated my career to serving others in their memory. Then I opened my envelope, ready for the years that lie ahead.

1. Dillon AB, Myung JS, Tran KM, Tseng J, Wald KJ. A Modified Iris Suture Technique for In-the-bag Intraocular Lens Dislocation. Submitted for publication.
2. Tran KM. By any other name: eponyms in the modern medical language. Clinical Correlations. 2016 May 4.
3. Kazmi SM, Pemmaraju N, Patel KP, Cohen PR, Daver N, Tran KM, Ravandi F, Duvic M, Garcia-Manero G, Pierce S, Nazha A, Borthakur G, Kantarjian H, Cortes J. Characteristics of Sweet Syndrome in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia. 2015 Jun; 15(6): 358-63. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 25630528.
4. Smith KM, Maragnoli ME, Phull PM, Tran KM, Choubey L, Vaccarino FM. Fgfr1 inactivation in the mouse telencephalon results in impaired maturation of interneurons expressing parvalbumin. PLOS ONE. 2014 Aug; 9(8): e103696. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 25116473.
5. Komitova M, Dionysios X, Salmaso N, Tran KM, Brand T, Schwartz ML, Ment L, Vaccarino FM. Hypoxia-Induced Developmental Delays of Inhibitory Interneurons are Reversed by Environmental Enrichment in the Postnatal Mouse Forebrain. Journal of Neuroscience. 2013 Aug; 33 (33): 13375-87. Cited in PubMed; PMID: 23946395.
6. Smith KM, Maragnoli ME, Phull PM, Tran KM, Vaccarino FM. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (Fgfr1) participates in postnatal interneuron development. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience. 2010 Nov; 28(8): 698.
7. Tran KM, Broder M, Luft S, Schwartz ML, Smith KM, Vaccarino FM. Environmental Enrichment Contributes to Neurodevelopmental Recovery After Hypoxia. Yale Review of Undergraduate Research in Psychology. 2010 Mar; 1(1): 102-115
8. Smith KM, Maragnoli ME, Fagel DM, Phull PM, Tran KM, Vaccarino FM. Postnatal maturation of cortical parvalbumin inhibitory neurons is impaired in FGF receptor mutant mice. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience. 2008 Dec; 26(8): 870.

Academic Abstracts & Posters

1. Tran KM, Winer A, Liu J, Taff J. Tuberculosis in single lymph node presenting as flank pain. Poster session presented at: Society of General Internal Medicine 38th Annual Meeting; 2015 Apr 22-25. Toronto, ON, CAN.
2. Tran KM, Winer A, Liu J, Taff J. Tuberculosis in single lymph node presenting as flank pain. Poster session presented at: New York University School of Medicine Department of Medicine 14th Annual Research Day; 2015 Jun 11. New York, NY.
3. Tran KM, Wang SL, Kontari I, Asimellis G, Kannellopoulos AJ. Evaluation of femtosecond laser-assisted combined Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and astigmatic keratotomy (AK) surgery. Poster session presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; 2013 May 5-9. Seattle, WA.
   • Tran KM, Wang SL, Kontari I, Asimellis G, Kanellopoulos AJ. Evaluation of femtosecond laser-assisted combined Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and astigmatic keratotomy (AK) surgery. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2013 Jun; 54(15): 3122.
4. Kazmi SM, Kantarjian H, Tran KM, Cortes J, Ravandi F, Borthakur G, Jabbour E, Faderl S, Garcia-Manero G, Kadia T, Daver N, Pierce S, Nazha A, Cardama AQ, Pemmaraju N. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of Sweet’s syndrome in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Poster session presented at: 54th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition; 2012 Dec 8-11. Atlanta, GA.
   • Kazmi SM, Kantarjian H, Tran KM, et al. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of Sweet’s syndrome in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2012 Nov; 120(21): 2587.
5. Pemmaraju N, Kantarjian H, Tran KM, Kazmi SM, Kadia T, Borthakur G, Verstovsek S, O’Brien S, Garcia-Manero G, Estrov Z, Faderl S, Ravandi F, Pierce S, Cortes J, Quintas-Cardama A. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of extramedullary disease in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Poster session presented at: 54th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition; 2012 Dec 8-11. Atlanta, GA.
   • Pemmaraju N, Kantarjian H, Tran KM, et al. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of extramedullary disease in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2012 Nov; 120(21): 2592.
6. Tran KM, Kantarjian H, Cortes J, Kazmi SM, Quintas-Cardama A, Estrov Z, Ohanian M, Kadia T, Borthakur G, Ravandi F, Faderl S, Pierce S, Pemmaraju N. Cytogenetic and molecular characterization of genitourinary extramedullary disease in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood. 2012 Nov; 120(21): 4326.
7. Tran KM, Wang SL, Kannellopoulos AJ. Contralateral eye long-term follow-up of prophylactic high-fluence collagen cross-linking combined with Lasik for high myopia. Poster session presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting; 2012 May 6-9. Fort Lauderdale, FL. [View poster]
   • Tran KM, Wang SL, Kanellopoulos AJ. Contralateral eye long-term follow-up of prophylactic high-fluence collagen cross-linking combined with Lasik for high myopia. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2012 Mar; 53(14): 6817.
8. Smith KM, Maragnoli ME, Phull PM, Tran KM, Fagel DM, Vaccarino FM. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (Fgfr1) in postnatal interneuron development. Poster presented at: Society for Neuroscience 38th Annual Meeting. 2008 Nov 15-19. Washington, D.C.

Non-scientific Writing Publications

1. Tran KM. “Happy Mother’s Day… for daughters and sons who have lost their moms.” MOGUL (onMogul.com). 2016, May 5.
2. Tran KM. “After Match Day: a bittersweet reflection.” KevinMD. (KevinMD.com). 2016, Mar 19.
3. Tran KM. “The Bittersweetness of Medical School Match Day.” MOGUL. (onMogul.com). 2016, Mar 19.
4. Tran KM. “Tâm sự Tết xa quê của người con nơi đất Mỹ.” Báo Mới Newspaper. 2014, Feb 3. [Written in Vietnamese]
5. Tran KM. “Tâm sự Tết xa quê của người con nơi đất Mỹ.” Tiên Phong Magazine. 2014, Feb 3. [Written in Vietnamese]
6. Tran KM. “Habitat Means Hope to My Family.”  His Voice. 2006.
7. Tran KM. “A New Home Brings a New Future.” Houston County Habitat for Humanity Headlines. 2005.

Art & Photographic Publications

1. Tran KM. “Bridges.” Photograph. Agora Magazine. 2013: 6.
2. Tran KM. “Mom.” Graphite. Agora Magazine. 2013: 17.
3. Tran KM. “Celebration of Summer.” Photograph. Agora Magazine. 2013: 34.
4. Tran KM. “To the Market at Dawn, Nam Dinh, Viet Nam.” Photograph. Agora Magazine. 2012: Cover.
5. Tran KM. “Finding New Life in a Forgotten Place.” Photograph. Agora Magazine. 2012: 13.
6. Tran KM. “Cutaway View of Globe.” Graphite. Agora Magazine. 2012: 15.

Art & Photographic Exhibition & Honors

1. Tran KM. “Vertebra.” 2012. Graphite. Art & Anatomy: Drawings. MSB Gallery, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY.
2. Tran KM. “Study in Texture and Color, No. 4.” Third Prize, 11th Biannual NYU School of Medicine Photography Competition.
3. Tran KM. “Finding New Life in a Forgotten Place.” Grand Prize. 10th Annual Biannual NYU School of Medicine Photography Competition.

We are Kathy May and Silas, a couple of normal folk temporarily located in Boston. We hand-coded our individual personal websites since our college years, but decided to combine them as www.kathymayandsilas.com in 2008. In 2016, our website underwent a major overhaul to what you see today! In addition to amateur web design, we also share a number of other hobbies and interests, including but not limited to photography, electronics, arts and crafts, exploring, volunteerism, healthcare, and experiencing new things in general! Most of all, we enjoy doing these things together!

Kathy May is currently an internal medicine resident at Massachusetts General Hospital. Silas is a comprehensive ophthalmologist and Instructor at the  Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary. They met 12 years ago at Yale and have been sharing adventures together since… with many more to come!

We invite you to explore the links below to learn about aspects of our lives that we value. Afterwards, please browse our blog to see what we are up to! More updates will be posted frequently. Finally, keep in touch with us by commenting on any page. We would love to hear from you!

Thanks for visiting us,
– Kathy May and Silas

Our Loved Ones:

Kathy May’s Mom
Kathy May’s Brother
Silas’ Brother
Bucci
April
Mimi

Our Organizations:

Habitat for Humanity
ALIVE
AAAYA
Boston Makers

Our Hobbies:

Blog
Arts & Crafts
Photography
Japanese Shore Crabs
Lab Mice

Our Professions:

Silas’ Professional Website (Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary)
Silas’ Publications & Abstracts
Kathy’s Publications & Abstracts