intertwine : current and past issues
Winter 2026
Letter from the Editors:
Our founding editor-in-chief Dr. Michelle Bui bore the hope of creating a space within the medical humanities for our narratives as healthcare providers and learners to intertwine with those of our patients. For the interprofessional community of UCSF, intertwine seeks to foster a space for reflection, connection and growth.
For our second issue of intertwine, our editorial board chose the following themes:
Resilience: In our work, we face times of immense uncertainty, change, tragedy, loss, and humanity. How do we cope with these realities? How do our patients and their families? Many of us have found creative practices, such as writing or making art, which help us foster resilience and strength in the midst of crisis. The voices in this issue of intertwine showcase the depth of resilience we have along our journeys, our family’s journeys, and our patient’s journeys.
Liminality: In healthcare settings, there are often latent moments that sit with us for longer than expected; moments that perhaps don’t have a home in our clinical notes. They are in-between spaces of uncertainty, anticipation, anxiety. We wait for diagnostic results. We wait for family to arrive. We wait for life to start, resume, or end. The artists in this issue capture those human moments of inhalation, bated breath, and exhalation.
To better understand and articulate the complexities of the themes in this issue, we also provided a way for authors to discuss the inspiration for their pieces. Contributors’ bios are located on pages 51-53. Here, our artists share important aspects of their experiences and backgrounds which helped shape the wonderful work displayed in this journal.
We are proud to share with you the second edition of our journal. We graciously thank the artists for contributing their work to this publication, as well as our incredible team for helping to build this magazine.
Sincerely,
Ethan Tanchoco, Kathleen Cui, Em Pham
Editors-in-Chief
Spring 2024
Letter from the Editor:
I am often asked about why we decided to name the journal “Intertwine.” It goes back to 5 years ago.
When I applied to medical school, I ended my personal statement with, “I look forward to seeing how my narrative and those of my patients intertwine.” I liked how “intertwine” brought up a mental image of colorful threads uniting, and that stayed with me.
With this journal, our interprofessional learner, staff, and faculty team has worked hard to collect narrative threads from all corners of our community at UCSF. We envision this journal serving as a space where the stories and perspectives we all gain from “intertwining” with our surroundings find a home.
We are proud to share with you the inaugural edition of our journal. Most importantly, we thank the artists for contributing their creativity, talent, and care to this publication.
Michelle Bui
Founder & Editor-in-Chief