POWER WITH Anthology:
Storytelling for Health Justice
POWER WITH is a collection of multimedia stories that uplift the lived experiences and perspectives of community members, patients, and health care workers and trainees. This collection spotlights how our experiences with oppressive (or "power over") structures impact us individually, while also demonstrating that we are all connected through a greater shared human project. These stories inspire us to imagine what a system that embraces relationships and collective change (or “power with”) could look like.
“Systems change when people change. And people change when they feel something.”
Want to explore using stories to have conversations about health equity and justice with your work teams or colleagues? Check out the toolkit we’ve developed to use with any of our Power With stories.
Ruben’s Story
Ruben Sanchez is currently a research assistant at Oregon Health &
Science University. He is working toward applying to medical school and hopes to one day serve his community as a physician.
Some of the music in this video is performed by Grupo Los De Ferreyra. Ruben's brother is one of the guitarists. He learned to play during the pandemic. You can hear more of their music on Instagram.
Learn more about the important mentorship work being done by MedStaircase.
“There’s other jobs that I can utilize to also help my community, but every time I go back to it, I’m like, okay, but I won’t be able to touch these people the same way that I can as a physician. I won’t be able to explain to them the medicine but also tie into my cultural experiences, which also match their cultural experiences.”
Ariah’s Story
Ariah Tesema, a pre-med student, shares her journey of pursuing a career in medicine and embracing her multicultural identity. This begins with immigrating from Ethiopia to the United States as a young child and discovering that her multicultural life does not fit neatly into the boxes American society tries to place her in. As an aspiring surgeon, Ariah also talks about her experience as a MedStaircase scholarship recipient, and the importance of representation, access, and mentorship in achieving her goals.
“It’s not just my passion because it’s my passion. It’s my passion because this is my life. It’s my passion because I have to change it for those that come after me. I have to change it for myself.”
Deidré’s Story
Deidré Burton, MD is a pediatrician at Metropolitan Pediatrics in Portland, Oregon. She shares her experience attending medical school at Oregon Health & Science University in the late 1980's and why she decided to start her practice here after graduating.
“It’s hard to be your authentic self when you feel that weight of not just representing you or your family of origin, but a whole community of people and possibly future applicants.”
Andrea’s Story
Andrea Morgan, a doctoral student at OHSU, shares her experience moving to Portland from Southern California and her dream to share her love of science with children who come from similar backgrounds.
In addition to her studies, Andrea is leading a Racial Equity & Inclusion grant called Black Like Me 360, a project that allows viewers to see and hear in a first-person experience the day-to-day lives of Black Portlanders on campus and in the city in an art installation.
“I realized when I moved here that I was being treated like I’m Black. That’s all I’m allowed to be here. That’s all people see of me.”
Ricardo’s Story
Ricardo Mendoza shares his journey from a small, rural town in eastern Oregon to a career in medical research at OHSU. Ricardo is currently preparing for medical school and plans to pursue a career in rural medicine.
“That was my first exposure to medicine. I just didn’t really see, back then, that being a viable career for me. I didn’t think I was able to do something like that. Whether that has to do with me not believing in myself back then or just the circumstances of where I went to school and all that. I graduated in a class of 78. Out of those 78, I think 20 of us went to school, and then only 7 of us actually graduated.”
Toren’s Story
As a college student, Toren Ikea-Mario helped his father through a difficult cancer diagnosis and treatment. In the process, he realized that the healthcare system was broken, especially for people like his father, and was determined to be a part of the solution.
Toren is currently preparing for medical school and plans to pursue a career in pediatric oncology.
“Unless you’re from the island, like my dad and a bunch of my uncles, you really do not speak fluently. Most people don’t even know what Pacific Islander is, nonetheless this small island in the Pacific Islands, and a language that isn’t even recognized by Google.”
What does POWER mean to you?
