Tag: humanism in medicine

Malone V Hill III Malone V Hill III (1 Posts)

Contributing Writer

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston


Malone "Trey" Hill is a second-year medical student at UTMB. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Trey received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. Following graduation, he worked in the natural gas industry in Fort Worth, Texas, before deciding to pursue medical school. Trey's current research projects at UTMB focus on surgical techniques for intramedullary nailing of the tibia, as well as the diagnosis of infection following total joint replacement. He serves as a student liaison to UTMB’s Alumni Committee, Co-Director for National Student Research Forum, Student Assistant within the Anesthesia Department, and tutor for first year medical students. Trey enjoys woodworking, water sports, and catching lizards; he also considers himself a barbecue connoisseur. Trey plans on completing his Family Medicine rotation in Alpine, Texas this coming year as part of the Rural Healthcare Track. He anticipates a career in academia, wherein Trey can teach both medical students and residents.




Cynical Yet? A Med Student One Year Later

I used to work as an anesthesia tech at a hospital in Austin, TX. I was surprised the first time a doctor asked me, his incredulous tone dripping with disbelief, “Why would you want to want to go to medical school?” It wasn’t the last time that happened, it wasn’t exactly making me excited to go to school, and it wasn’t a flattering reflection of the doctors that said it, but physician cynicism about the future of health care wasn’t something new to me, either. People fear change, but I think people’s perceptions about impending change are shaped just as much by their perceptions of themselves, especially the interacting dynamics between themselves and their evolving environment.

Sara

How can doctors-in-training foster intimate connections to keep their passion for medicine alive? Sara, a rising medical intern in physical medicine and rehabilitation, reflects on the community activities she engaged in during medical school that allowed joy and presence to be a central part of her educational experience.

A Portrait of the Patient as an Old Man

I looked up from my computer to motion the next patient in line and saw before me an elderly gentleman who resembled many of the other patients attending our health fair in Key West. Casually dressed: a white V-neck T-shirt and track pants. Hair: gray and wispy. Skin: tan and leathery from the sun. He was over six feet tall, with an athletic build for a man his age. It was approaching lunch hour and the line for my Med IT station was dwindling.

Hello Sir

When I opened up the gurney for the first time, I expected to be overcome with this profound, epiphanic wave of emotion. I thought this would be one of those slow motion, cinematic, defining moments in my training. I thought I would be solemn. I thought I would be grateful. I thought I would be curious. I wasn’t.

On Being a Good Doctor

The first year of medical school is deeply rooted in science and facts. During this time, my peers and I endeavor to fill our minds with copious amounts of information about every inch of the human body. When the tests roll around, our task is simple: choose the right answer. When I began medical school, I believed all aspects of the medical profession revolved around this fundamental task.

Is it Better to Trust or to Hope?

Since the start of my third year as a medical student, I have been quite interested in observing how people interact with me now that I am wearing a white coat. To be more specific, I find it amazing that people do not realize that my white coat is so much shorter than everyone else’s. To me, the length of my coat should act as a warning to those around me; I do not know where things are, and I do not know what’s going on most of the time.

Jazmin

How can doctors-in-training create balance in their lives and not let school define them? Jazmin, a fourth-year medical student in Galveston, Texas who intends to begin pediatric residency next year, discusses how important it was for her to not solely identify as a student during the four years of medical school. She also espouses the benefits of creating a family-like community at school.

Being There

“In all seriousness,” the attending physician says, “he can wear women’s underwear to minimize the pain.” “Can he really?” “Absolutely,” replies the attending. “If we can’t prescribe any pain medication, then tighter fitting clothing can help keep things from jostling about too much.”

The Value of Empathy in Medicine

Empathy: it’s what supposedly drives us to become physicians, and what we’re told to demonstrate through our extracurricular activities and during our interviews. We yearn for that perfect patient interaction in which we comforted or understood in a way that changed the patient’s perspective on medical care.

Sarah Bommarito Sarah Bommarito (1 Posts)

Contributing Writer Emeritus

Wayne State University School of Medicine


Sarah is a Class of 2016 medical student at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. She majored in Honors English at the University of Michigan. Her interests beyond medical school include reading memoirs, baking, and travel.