The Most Important Thing: First Day on Wards
Most of all though, I tried to calm my racing mind and remind myself to just learn. And with that, I wondered, “What is the most important thing I can do today?”
Tag: humanism in medicine
Contributing Writer
UT Southwestern Medical School
Isaac Myres is a fourth-year medical student at UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, TX. After growing up in San Diego, CA, he earned a BS in Biophysics at Brigham Young University. He will be applying into Otolaryngology this year. In what free time exists, he plays volleyball and pickleball, reviews donut stores, and competes in local trivia nights with friends.
Traditional South Asian Dance: A Medium to Understand the Illness Experience
In disease and in health, our bodies tell stories. But more often than not, these stories are left unheard and unseen. A meaningful method for illuminating untold stories is through traditional/classical dance forms. Dance especially is a space for knowledge and roles to be authentically represented. For marginalized communities in particular, traditional dance has for centuries been a medium for creative expression and healing despite how circumstances and society have complicated their access to care.
Tell Me About Yourself
As I completed my residency interviews, I recognized that we are hard pressed to find a better way to match burgeoning physicians with training programs searching for their next class of interns. Yet I also knew that neither I nor any other applicant could fit into a preconceived box or several sentence summary. I could not simply market myself as a humanist or an artist, or an activist or a researcher.
On Rounds
Because I could not stop for death, / He kindly asked I pause. / My arms were full of sterile wraps, / Scissors, tape, and gauze.
My Most Important Lesson from Medical School
Upon reflection, my actions and feelings in caring for this patient reveal how truly afraid I was to be wrong; not necessarily about the diagnosis, but rather about whether the patient would be okay. Maybe coming in daily and opening her chart for good news was just me hoping that my initial impression was still right instead of coming to terms with the fact I was very wrong.
“Hola, mi nombre es … y soy un estudiante de medicina.”
She asks me if I can speak Spanish, to which I regrettably deny, stating I can understand it well, but my ability to communicate in my mother tongue is lacking. Her eyes catch my sight, this time not projecting annoyance, but now disappointment, with her head shaking and her uttering, “That is an absolute shame. You should know how to speak Spanish. You are Hispanic and do not know Spanish? What a shame.”
Critical Senses
Do you hear what I hear? / The humming of machines, / which can’t breathe, / but enable artificial ventilation for living beings.
Dancing Through Imposter Syndrome
Dance has always been a medium for me to express my emotions. It makes me feel alive and helps me process my experiences, including that with imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome has been described as feelings of self-doubt, especially in high achieving people
champagne tap
she is curled on her side like a child / eyes closed, back exposed.
To Give Your Heart And Soul (2021)
Physicians give their heart and soul to the practice of medicine. Caring for patients at their most vulnerable moments is a heavy responsibility and privilege that medical professionals must carry.
Dying Is Not
Dying is not / as romantic as I once thought. / I think you always knew this.
His Lens
His hands were shaking as they gently peeled open a tattered envelope. I leaned forward, attempting to understand what he was trying to show us, then gasped.
Contributing Writer
McGovern Medical School
Hunter is currently a fourth year medical student at McGovern Medical School in Houston, Texas. In 2018, she graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology and minor in Biology. In her free time she enjoys journaling, spending time with her dog, hiking and being outdoors, lifting weights, and listening to podcasts. She plans to pursue a career in Obstetrics and Gynecology guided by her passion of incorporating education, humanities, and interdisciplinary care to optimize women's health.