Writing has always been a passion of mine, a way to express my thoughts, feelings, and struggles with this beautiful, terrible, delicate, scary world. From clickbait-y articles to more profound pieces, I will post all of my non-academic writing here, newest material first.
Current writing projects
(links to each title below will be added + descriptions will be updated soon)
- Why Heal? (short stories to help me remember why I’m on this long journey) – an anthology of patient encounters that have helped me remember the human, pure, inspiring side of medicine and how fragile, good, and sensitive doctors can be
- The Life We Made – a novella that tackles social, moral, and political gray areas through the eyes of two young adults
- Meet My Neighbors – a children’s book promoting cultural awareness and de-stigmatizing disability and “the other”
- How My Body Works series – a children’s book series made of stories I’ve used to explain diseases and what’s healthy to my pediatric patients
If you are an artist/illustrator and are interested in working with me on any of my children’s book concepts, please reach out! (natasha.abadilla@gmail.com)
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Scope Blog: Scope is a blog published by Stanford Medicine, and I became a contributing writer during my first year of medical school. Here’s a link to my full body of work, and my favorite pieces can be found below:
- My very first piece I wrote for Scope, on how I (gladly) found a bit of humanism during my first OR experience: “Doctors should take care of teddy bears too”
- A piece that has been hotly debated after being picked up by med blogger KevinMD: “The case for slacking off in school”
- Written after my first year in med school: “Don’t let the fire consume you: A letter to incoming medical students”
- On being in school or training for what seems like forever: “The medical student’s identity crisis”
- My coming out (as a survivor of domestic violence) story that sparked many conversations and advocacy that I am so appreciative and grateful to be a part of: “I am a domestic violence survivor: One medical student’s story”
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Life, Love, and Lists: This was a WordPress blog site I set up during my first few months in Kenya. I intended to blog more regularly, but working in rural Kenya, and later in Nairobi’s informal settlements, was a whirlwind, and I didn’t keep up with my monthly blog goal. There’s still some good stuff here though! If you’re here to learn more about my time in Kenya, here’s a little introduction, via blog posts from my first half-year.
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EliteDaily.com: I was a Contributing Writer for this online website, aimed at millennial women, while I spent two years doing public health work in Kenya. A full collection of my pieces can be found here, and my favorites are below:
- On suicide and survivor’s guilt, 4 Things I Wish I Could Say To My Friend Who Took His Own Life.
- On my relationship with my own mom, Dear Mom: 5 Apologies I Owe My Mother.
- On my very first dog and how animals can teach us how to love, Big Heart In A Little Package.
Natasha Abadilla, MD 