By Mike Clark

Proteins and channels and ions and enzymes
In lumens and spaces and membranes and at times
Seem more to remember
The med fire-hose awaits
But every Wednesday gives us a taste

Called Seldin, Sprague, Fashena, or Cary
Estabrook or Pritchard are our-six where we
Physically examine
Listen, learn and observe
A peek at our future and the patients we’ll serve

So we fill in the bubbles and name every bone
Coffeehouses and libraries become our new homes
Laying the foundation
For what really drives me
Clinical use at the end of the pre

Mike Clark, M.D., Class of 2018, wrote this piece reflecting on the gulf between preclinical didactics and the humanistic future of practicing. UT Southwestern’s Academic Colleges and the creative arts have played a meaningful role in his appreciation of a global perspective.