Dev Gingrich is a medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School. She found her way to medicine after several years spent farming, gardening, and teaching across New York State, and is still always happiest with her hands in the dirt. Confronted by the fact that she no longer has a job outside, she’s come to Auxocardia as a way to find beauty and humanity in medical training through her own writing and collage and through the community it provides. She hopes to continue to make space for healthcare providers in training to dip into the emotional, vulnerable, and transformative capacity of this work.

Madison Caldwell is a first-year medical student at the University of Michigan. You can usually find her jogging through Ann Arbor, curled up with a book and a latte, or picking through vegetables at a farmer's market. She strongly believes that everyone has a story to tell if you are willing to listen, and her background in anthropology showed her that all of those stories have something to teach. She came to Auxocardia to continue her mission of collecting and sharing stories, hoping to contribute to a space where her peers could showcase the complexities, challenges, and rewards of medical training.

Danielle DuPuis is a medical student who has had a lifelong passion for music and writing. Traditional music and the spoken word helps her stay connected with her Arapaho community, although they are several states away while she attends medical school. She is passionate about elevating the creative work of fellow healthcare students as a means of building community and digesting what it truly means to be human in a field that is often not centered in humanity. In her free time, she loves to play the flute, make beaded jewelry, read, and be outside.

Cate Frost is a first-year medical student at the University of Michigan. She is a lover of podcasts, walks along Lake Michigan, and, of course, books. Growing up in a family of passionate educators taught Cate the power of storytelling at a young age. Even now, her faded hometown library card is still a prized possession. Cate came to Auxocardia to be part of a community that creates space for the sharing and absorption of the stories she loves so dearly. Beginning medical school is a challenging transition, and she hopes to contribute to Auxocardia in ways that acknowledge this through self-reflection, healing, and celebration.

A self-professed butter enthusiast, Sarah can be found dreaming up her next big bake or wandering through trails with a fresh pastry in hand after a morning of re-reading Never Let Me Go. She believes deeply in the power of the medical humanities, convinced that engaging in the arts is essential for well-being, meaning-making, and storytelling. Passionate about accessible healthcare and the healing potential of narrative, Sarah is excited to work with Auxocardia, where she seeks to blend her love for the arts with her dedication to community and connection.

Morgan Biele is a first year medical student at the University of Michigan Medical School. She is from Woodstock, Vermont but spent time turning North Carolina and New York into home as well. She is happiest walking or running outside to take a good look at things– an avid absorber of the world around her. Morgan studied neuroscience, chemistry, and creative writing after she discovered this joint pursuit could help her understand what makes people feel comfortable. She loves to discover places outside of traditional healthcare sites where people feel cared for, especially local libraries and community centers! She received her Master’s Degree in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University in 2024 before beginning medical school with the hope that she could begin her medical education centering the stories we tell about health. She joined Auxocardia to continue to attend to these stories straight from the clinic. Her favorite books are The Argonauts and Bluets by Maggie Nelson.

The idea for Auxocardia emerged, for Molly, during her clinical year, where the humanity and inhumanity of medical education and practice seemed to collide. Seeking a place to engage in a conversation about the process of becoming a care-provider, she sought to create such a home for contributors and readers in Auxocardia.

Molly grew up on a llama farm outside Detroit, and studied at Bryn Mawr College. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, serving in Belize from '14-'16. Her work has been published in Real Simple online, The Fairy Tale Review, NPR.org, Burnt Pine, K’in Literary Journal, Everywhere Stories, Not Very Quiet, Alimentum Journal, Cicada Magazine, Tendon, and Intima, among others.

She is published academically as M. Margaret Fessler, or Mary Margaret, because all of her five sisters are Mary Fessler too.

It’s a long story.

She remains in awe, and incredible gratitude, that you have found Auxocardia.

Ellie Lorenzana is Pediatrics Resident at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Narrative Medicine at Columbia University. In her free time, she enjoys daydreaming, exploring new places, and writing poetry. You can find her poetry at elenalouisepoetry.com.