The Impossible Decision with Oak Sonfist
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What is Oak Sonfist’s vivid Atlantis dream and why does it matter?
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Jobs come from a broad range of clients across all major industries who are looking for medical experts in their field. FlipMD allows physicians to expand their careers through consulting and other non-clinical roles that fit their schedule and their interests. To learn more, visit flip-md.com. This season of The Nocturnist is sponsored by the Physicians Foundation. Support for The Nocturnist comes from the California Medical Association.
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You're listening to The Nocturnists, stories from the world of medicine. I'm Emily Silverman. Today we hear from medical student Oak Sonfist about a vivid dream that they had. The dream took place during a hypoglycemic episode and serves as a metaphor for the challenge that Oak faces navigating two different worlds. Oak is a rising fourth year at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences and focuses on med school education reform, rural health, mental health, trauma-informed care, and transgender health. Oak is currently the Education and Advocacy Fellow with the American Medical Student Association and acts as a liaison between grassroots organizations and national institutions to foster growth and understanding.
After the story, Oak and I talk about what it's like to be in medicine with a chronic illness, the mental health crisis that physicians are facing today, and their own journey as the first transgender medical student at their school. But first, let's listen to an intimate studio recording of Oak's story, which was initially performed live at an event that we co-produced with the UCSF Memory and Aging Center in October 2022 on the theme of sleep and dreams. Here's Oak.
I am surrounded by murky waters. concealing monsters and creatures, things I can only dream of. I'm sitting inside of my small metal submarine, crossing the ocean floor. I can hear the metal creaking around me as we move forward, the pressure of the entire ocean on top of me. Of course, my ship is in the shape of an anglerfish, with one antenna and light coming from the top. The light bounces across the floor, illuminating only one moment at a time. It bounces from here to there to over there. Suddenly I see it light up something that looks different. As we get closer, I see a hole on the ocean floor. I'm not sure what it is or where it goes, but I know that that's where I'm supposed to be. I direct my ship down into the long cavern.
As I move forward, the walls scrape along the sides of my ship. In front of me, the light shines one path forward. Behind me fills up with empty darkness. Suddenly I emerge on the other side and I see exactly what I have been looking for. It's the lost city of Atlantis. And it's not old and decayed like we expected. No, it's bright and a vibrant city. As I dock my submarine on the shore, I see the paths of marble with green vines hanging between buildings. I emerge from my submarine and I can smell the fresh bread being baked at the nearby market. People are running towards me, so many people, all wearing white robes with gold adorned into them.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is Oak Sonfist’s vivid Atlantis dream and why does it matter?
0:00–5:34
2
How do low blood‑sugar levels influence the dream’s imagery?
5:34–9:08
3
What ethical dilemma does Oak face when the surface scientists call?
9:08–14:45
4
How does Oak’s experience with type‑1 diabetes shape medical school life?
14:45–19:47
5
Why is setting boundaries crucial for physicians and trainees?
19:47–24:55
6
What changes are being made to medical‑licensing mental‑health questions?
24:55–28:59
7
How does being the first openly trans student impact Oak’s training?
28:59–35:01
8
What final message does Oak share for listeners navigating two worlds?
35:01–40:31