‘Humans’ give medical students new clinical perspective
By Lin Lofley
Clusters of medical students walking the halls of Parkland Memorial Hospital is a daily occurrence, but one student group is helping others to learn the value of time taken to actually see patients rather than simply focusing on the injuries and maladies being treated.
Members of the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) at UT Southwestern Medical Center are leading students at Parkland to meet and greet patients, to hear about what concerns them, and to become more adept the human interactions doctors and patients crave, but often don’t know how to execute.
To that end, the students created a “Humans of Parkland” initiative, an emulation of the popular internet campaign “Humans of New York.”
Fourth-year medical student Olivia Belli, a UT Dallas graduate from Brownwood, has become a leader in the “Humans of Parkland” effort, saying the idea struck a powerful chord for her.
“After finishing third year, I realized that getting to know my patients on a more personal level was one of the highlights of each rotation, and that understanding patients’ backgrounds made their treatment and my understanding their concerns much easier,” Ms. Belli said. “When I was on treatment teams in the past it was easy to have ‘blinders’ on, where your main focus was the patients’ clinical progress or diagnosis. In reality, this is not the entire picture of who they are.”
The GHHS, founded in 2002 by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, recognizes students, residents, and faculty who are exemplars of compassionate patient care. According to the Society, its members have a responsibility to model, support, and advocate for compassionate, patient-centered care throughout their careers, and the creation of a GHHS chapter signifies that the institution places high value on the interpersonal skills and attitudes that are essential for the highest level of patient care.
Soon after induction into the GHHS last spring, Ms. Belli, Lauren Kolski, Gina Aloisio, and Bethany Johnston were assigned to the Parkland Committee. They have taken the lead in recruiting students to “Humans of Parkland.” The county hospital’s leadership and UT Southwestern Medical School faculty aid the students in obtaining patient consent for each interaction.
The groups take a photo of each patient visited, include a quote from the students and a picture, and try to drive home the realization that each patient seen is not just a diagnosis.
On a recent visit Ms. Belli and Ms. Kolski took a trio of students to meet Jason Mizar, a garrulous patient awaiting surgery whose room, as it turned out, had become a destination for medical students on Parkland rounds.
“I’ve been swarmed with students,” he said with a grin. “The college kids are coming in and out, and they want me to talk to them, but their stories are just as interesting as my own.”
Eleanor Allen, a Rice University graduate from San Francisco making her second visit as part of “Humans of Parkland,” left Mr. Mizar with a greater appreciation of his personal nuances, the reaction that the Society and the local initiative are hoping for.
“Everyone has a different perspective, different worries, and different struggles that have made them who they are,” Ms. Allen noted. “One of the most remarkable things about the patients we have seen is how positive and hopeful they have remained throughout the course of their life, and their treatment.
“Mr. Mizar is a perfect reflection of what we have seen. He doesn’t have family here, so he doesn’t see a lot of visitors, but he remains one of the most positive, cheerful people I have ever met. He has plans to become a social worker, or find a job related to child-advocacy, especially for children with special needs, he plans to learn to cook gumbo, and dreams of seeing the Statue of Liberty.”
As the students were leaving his room, Mr. Mizar offered some strong words of advice:
“Focus on the patient, listen to the patient,” he said. “Always have a Plan B, and always ask your attending physician for advice. Mistakes can be made, but your attending can help you avoid mistakes.”
