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Student Medical Ethics Journal
Fall 2025 Issue
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Cover: 'The Global Health Issue' is both the title of the fall 2025 issue of the SMEJ and the central crisis in health ethics following major upheavals in global health funding and priorities. The fallout and considerations of this focus are explored in the following journal.
Artwork by Charleigh Williams
Design by Jonathan Ma
Books & Arts
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green is a Crystal Ball
by Jonathan Ma | p.
John Green’s second foray into nonfiction, Everything is Tuberculosis, begins with the story of a great-uncle
by Victoria Pomopsiello | p.
The dominant American understanding of aging can be understood by Becca Levy and her colleagues
Henrietta Lacks: Modern Medicine Has Her Cells to Thank
by Ava Fleury | p.
The HeLa cell line was the first immortal human cell line ever established. These cells, a highly aggressive form
Perspectives
Lives Lost in Labor: Rethinking Maternal Health in Ghana
by Kundivy Dauda | p.
Ghana has made progress cutting maternal deaths, but the promise of safe motherhood remains unfulfilled.
From Chloroform to COVAX: Nationalism’s enduring role in public health
by Calli Cahill | p.
Medicine does not operate in a vacuum. Its practice is influenced by politics, sociology, and even language.
Needles and Rights: The Ethics of Vaccine Mandates
by Rouaa Sleiman | p.
As said by John Stuart Mill, “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of
To what extent should we use genetic testing to identify children at risk for conduct disorders
by Harini Sethuraman | p.
Conduct disorders (CD) are a group of psychiatric conditions characterised by persistent pathological childhood
Research
A Proposal for the Application of Virtue Ethics of the Character of the Virtuous Psychiatrist
by Josef Fosum | p.
This article explores the application of virtue ethics within psychiatric care, with a particular focus on the four cardinal
‘Does Corridor Care Really Care?’ Ethical Implications of Providing Care in Temporary Escalation Spaces
by Alexander James Wellington | p.
Corridor care, or the use of ‘temporary escalation spaces’ refers to the treatment of patients in non-designated areas
The Intersectionality of Incarceration and Disabilities: Dismantling and Renovating the Approach to Disability in the U.S. Criminal Justice System
by Victoria Pomposiello | p.
The U.S. criminal justice system has increasingly served as a default institution for confining individuals with
Literature Reviews
Postpartum Permanent Sterilization: History, Policy, and Ethics
by Roshni Patel | p.
Postpartum sterilization is a form of permanent contraception that is widely utilized in the United States.
Case Studies
The Doctor Who Played God: The Anna Pou Case
by Sumaiya Abdul | p.
The power is out, and I’m on the third day of carrying body after body up more than five flights of stairs.
Poetry
by Addisyn Ferris | p.
9 years old playing with my friends // Two days later dying in a bed