As you take part in clinical rotations, there is so much to learn. Sometimes it's easy to forget that you're caring for human beings—not pathologies. With these patient stories, obtained directly from our own medical students, the IU chapter of Gold Humanism Honor Society hopes to re-center your attention to the humanistic side of the art of medicine and how impactful this practice can be:
I'm in my family medicine rotation during the M3 year and I’m about to enter a room where I knew a Hispanic couple was behind the door. I excitedly adjusted my stethoscope, pressed out wrinkles in my white coat, and knocked.
'Hola!' I said with a huge smile. Ahead of me, a woman and her husband greeted me with high eyebrows and a smile. 'Oh, you speak Spanish!'
'Yes, I do,' I replied. Not only were they surprised to see someone in the clinic speak Spanish, but a Hispanic woman? Rare occurrence.
After taking a history, I found out the patient was coming in for heart palpitations and elevated blood pressures for the past few months. As I took my stethoscope and listened to her heart, my medically naive ears could hear an abnormality. I’ll suggest an EKG to my preceptor, I thought.
My patient had atrial flutter. As my preceptor and I explained everything, they both absorbed every word I translated.
After the visit was over, the couple looked at me with grateful eyes and said, 'Keep up the good work, mija (my daughter). Your parents must be very proud.'
Then, 'the feeling' came. I knew for a fact that my patients were speaking from their hearts. They truly were grateful for me being there and understanding them, not only at the language level, but a cultural level. This feeling comes every time I take care of a Hispanic patient—no matter who it is, I sense the same sincerity in their 'thank you's.'
My purpose with this story is to hopefully inspire you to find your motivation in school and to connect with your patients. Your role as a medical student is more important than you think it is, and some of your patients will tell you this! Keep up the great work!
