Plexus 2024: Navigate

Welcome to the 25th anniversary edition of PLEXUS, UC Irvine School of Medicine’s annual student-organized Journal of Medical Humanities & Arts. To mark this celebratory milestone, it is with great pleasure that I present to you NAVIGATE. In the ever-evolving landscape of medicine, the ability to navigate through challenges and unforeseen obstacles is paramount. NAVIGATE serves as a timely invitation for our colleagues to reflect on the distances traversed and to envision the new horizons that lie ahead. We sought to highlight the constellation of tools utilized when we feel lost and to acknowledge the beacons that steer our actions. The subsequent pages offer its readers profoundinsights into the extraordinary journeys undertaken by the greater UCI Health community. We hope it delivers a sense of direction, solace, and clarity to all readers.As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, wehonor the visionaries, contributors, and readers that have propelled us forward on this remarkable voyage. Their collective support fuels our efforts to serve as a creative outlet for the community, catalyze meaningful discussions, and apply the tenets of medical humanities to foster a cohort of compassionate healers.We extend our deepest gratitude to our faculty advisors Dr. Juliet McMullin and Dr. TanNguyen for their invaluable guidance and for sharing their expertise within the field. We thank the UCISOM Medical Humanities & Arts Program and the UCI Department of Family Medicine for their unwavering support. I invite you to embark on this exploration with us, and witness the intricate tapestry of our contributors’ lived experiences that defines our shared journey in healthcare.Bon voyage,Christopher SahagianEditor-in-ChiefCreative Review — Caroline GeeCreative Review — Huan NguyenCreative Review — Sana ShahDesign — Nicole ParkerDesign — Britney WengFaculty Advisor — Dr. Juliet McMullinFaculty Advisor — Dr. Tan NguyenStaff Advisor — Leonora Naser-Saravia{Front Cover): NEW HEIGHTS Britney Weng, MS1San Pedro de Atacama, Chile(Inner Cover): TRAVERSING  Britney Weng, MS1Chile Route 2