Welcome to the 2024 issue of HMSOM’s Ripple Magazine! When we set out to brainstorm a theme for this year’s publication, we were particularly struck by the ideas of growth and comfort zones. This period in our lives has been challenging and inspiring, both on a global scale and a personal level, as we traverse through our individual paths to become physicians. In many situations, we are faced with decisions that demand self-exploration, pushing us to get in touch with sides of ourselves we may know all too well or not at all. These reflections gave rise to this year’s theme: “Meditations on Growth."
We posed the following questions to our community of medical students: what does growth mean to you? What are some times you’ve stepped out of your comfort zone? Does growth come in moments of comfort, discomfort, or both? In return, we received remarkable submissions containing messages of resilience, realizations, beginnings, and what it means to grow into our own selves. These stories came in various mediums: embroidery, prose, poetry, photography, and more. The passionate voices of our talented peers shine brightly throughout each piece, and as we progressed through the editing process, it was clear how much love was poured into each creation.
As we share Ripple Magazine’s second issue with you all, we honor that love and wish to offer these works with excitement and the utmost humility, grateful to each and every artist and author who shared their craft with us. We would like to express our gratitude to Allison Piazza for supporting our vision, providing her technical expertise, and helping us bring this project to life. We also thank Zara Khan for the vibrant cover art, capturing both the essence of Ripple Magazine and our ruminations on growth.
Thank you for visiting the 2024 issue of Ripple Magazine! We sincerely hope you enjoy.
Zephyr Hameem and Danielle Kong
Editors-in-Chief
