Medical Humanities Commons^™

Intimate Moments: Dispelling The Cancer Myth With Real Life - Summer Rain By Nanna Hauge Kristensen., Sophie Townsend

RadioDoc Review

Nanna Hauge Kristensen’s Summer Rain is a small piece in length and in scope. It is intimate, almost fragmentary. It is simply a story of a woman, who is a mother, and a daughter, and who has cancer; a woman undergoing treatment, and raising her child, and dealing with the ramifications of what cancer treatment means. An anthropologist by training, Kristensen’s observational, almost distanced approach style, allows us to glimpse her life, but also to feel it. There is something very empirical about what she’s doing in this piece, and she allows us no room to pretend that her cancer …

Gender, Gender Roles And Academic Success In Diverse College Students, Noelle Rowe

Honors Capstone Projects - All

More than ever before, college serves as an important entity to further an individual’s personal and professional goals. An interesting pattern has emerged: women are outpacing men in college enrollment, as well as in degree attainment. Hegemonic masculinity serves as one of many theories to explain this gender gap. Additionally, little research has focused on the topic of hegemonic masculinity exhibited by men of color. Thus, this study had three purposes: to understand the academic behavior and achievement of racially diverse college students, understand how hegemonic masculinity contributes to decreased academic achievement among males, and how hegemonic masculinity differs across …

Blended With The Savior: Gregory Of Nyssa's Eucharistic Pharmacology In The Catechetical Oration, John David Penniman

Faculty Journal Articles

Humankind, for Gregory of Nyssa, was poisoned through a primordial act of eating the forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden. As a result, the toxin of sin and death has been blended into the body and soul of each person, dispersing itself throughout the component parts of their nature. If eating and drinking initiated the spiritual and physical degradation of humanity, Gregory argues, then it must also be through eating and drinking—namely, through the Eucharist—that humanity will be healed. This article proposes that Gregory's instruction on the Eucharist in his Catechetical Oration should be understood as more than merely …

The Effectiveness Of Needle Exchange Programs In The United States And West Virginia, Margie J. Phillips, Alberto Coustasse, Sara Johnson, Briana Washington

Alberto Coustasse, DrPH, MD, MBA, MPH

Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) have been controversial aspects of public health care due to conflicting beliefs and opinions for public policies. NEPs have allowed Injection Drug Users the ability to exchange their used equipment for clean, unused supplies. Research into the effectiveness of needle exchange programs and the impact it has had on the reduction of HIV and viral hepatitis infections in people who inject drugs. Injection Drug Users have accounted for 10% of HIV transmission cases in West Virginia, and this state has been ranked as the highest in the whole United States for incidents of Hepatitis C. NEPs …

Gender Differences In First Authors, Peer Reviewers, And Grand Rounds Presenters In Medicine, Parisa Mortaji

Shared Knowledge Conference

Women are underrepresented in senior academic positions that depend on accomplishments like presentations and publications, and gender bias has shown to be a factor. We studied whether gender differences existed in multiple internal medicine venues: first authorship in a national trainee poster competition; first authorship in a national specialty-specific poster competition; peer reviewer-ship in three prestigious medical journals; and in presentations at UNM grand rounds. We found some progress in gender parity overall, but not yet enough. We first studied gender differences in authorship among residents in a 2015 national internal medicine resident poster competition; we found more authors were …

Tell Me More: Promoting Compassionate Patient Care Through Conversations With Medical Students, Danielle Qing, Anjali Narayan, Kristin Reese, Sarah Hartman, Taranjeet Ahuja, Alice Fornari

Patient Experience Journal

Tell Me More^® (TMM) is a medical student driven project that represents a movement amongst the rising generation of physicians to practice humanistic, patient-centered medicine through a collaborative approach. Students interviewed patients to create individualized posters designed to build rapport and trust between patients and clinicians, remind patients of their special strengths by highlighting their unique interests and qualities, and encourage more personal and compassionate patient-clinician interactions in order to enhance the patient experience. Students asked each patient three questions: 1. “How would your friends describe you?” 2. “What are your strengths?” 3. “What has been most meaningful to …

Euthanasia, Assisted-Suicide, And Palliative Sedation: A Brief Clarification And Reinforcement Of The Moral Logic, Peter A. Depergola Ii

Journal of Health Ethics

A persistent misunderstanding of the moral distinctions between the practices of euthanasia, assisted suicide, and palliative sedation suggests a critical need to revisit the relationship each shares with licit medical practice in the context of palliative care. To that end, this essay grounds its arguments in two, straightforward premises: (i) the licitness of medical practice is largely determined by the balance between (a) good ends, (b) proportionate means, (c) appropriate circumstances, and (d) benevolent intentions; and (ii) whereas palliative sedation employs criteria A-D (above), both euthanasia and assisted suicide fail to secure criteria A-C. Drawing from this syllogism, the aim …

Searching For Wisdom: A Phenomenological Investigation Of Women's Perspectives Following Participation In An Ovarian Cancer Supportive Care Group, Helen Butlin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study used a novel methodology of hermeneutic-poetic-phenomenology to explore perspectives of women living with ovarian cancer. Each had participated in a supportive care group process Soul-Medicine prior to volunteering. Three women, Beth, Carrie, and Denise contributed to this study. The methodology was grounded in Gaston Bachelard’s philosophy of poetic-phenomenology. Data was analyzed with attention to image-centred knowledge; material imagination; reverie; and horizons of hope to elucidate their implicated aspects of wisdom and the ways participant’s formed their personal wisdom integrating feminist theories of embodiment and bioethics.

Findings are framed through three images of a uniquely formed inner ‘wisdom-compass’, an …

Oh Bother!, Jack Williams Phd, Med

Akesis

I often ponder those wonderful days of innocence, and I long to return there as I remember those magical places and things. What imaginations and lightness we had in those times! And our worries, when and if they existed, were like wisps of the wind. We would fall down, cry perhaps a little, then return again and again to the wondrous realities of play. As I have become "a senior citizen" in our often stodgy culture, I have come to realize that we never really lose those wondrous gifts....We just have to remember and work to remind ourselves of those …

Refill, Humza Ahmed

Akesis

The experiences we carry with us play a role in how we see the world. At times, those experiences are accompanied by the negativity, self judgement, and regret that can weigh us down and prevent us from becoming the strongest versions of our selves.

Sometimes, the solution involves finding an environment in which we can pour out our poisons, forgive ourselves for being human, and refill ourselves with positivity and hope.

The defining moment comes when you stare at the puddle of poison before you, and reflect on what you see staring back at you, behind the ripples of self …

Re-Purpose, Jordan Morrison-Nozik

Akesis

I would often take breaks from studying by walking along the beach, collecting any good seashells I would find. I started using them as plant holders, and enjoyed the hermit crab-like appearance.

Refrigerate, Alay P. Nanavati

Akesis

I just wanted to share my experience of burnout since beginning medical school. Given how widespread and common burnout is in the medical field, I felt like there would be many people who could relate to my experience. If my experience could help or even comfort anyone by the fact that they are not alone in the feelings that arise from burnout, it would make this piece worth the effort of writing for me. If anything else, I hope any readers can enjoy reading about the experience of a brand new medical student.

Putting The Patient Back In Patient Care: Health Decision-Making From The Patient’S Perspective, Bill R. Garris, Amy J. Weber

Bill R. Garris

This research explored health decision-making processes among people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Our analysis suggested that diagnosis with type 2 was followed by a period of intense emotional and cognitive disequilibrium. Subsequently, the informants were observed to proceed to health decision-making which was affected by three separate and interrelated factors: knowledge, self-efficacy, and purpose. Knowledge included cognitive or factual components and emotional elements. Knowledge influenced the degree of upset or disequilibrium the patient experienced, and affected a second category, agency: the informants’ confidence in their ability to enact lifestyle changes. The third factor, purpose, summarized the personal and …

Fiqws 10113 Composition For Creative Expression- Narrative Medicine, Julia R. Brown

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Print Materials In A Health Science Context: Creating And Marketing A Wellness Collection, Margaret Ansell, Ariel Pomputius

Charleston Library Conference

In the healthcare field in which out-of-date information can harm patients, the currency and immediacy of digital collections is highly valued. As a result, many health science libraries have deselected much of their print collections (Haapanen, Kultamaa, Ovaska, & Salmi, 2015; Lingle & Robinson, 2009; Tobia & Hunnicutt, 2008; Xiaoli & Kopper, 2005). However, print materials continue to be valued by health science library users for a variety of purposes (Houghton, 2017; Watson, 2016). This paper describes how one academic health science center library found a role for print materials in the context of a wellness initiative, which (1) gave …

Diagnosing The Will To Suffer: Lovesickness In The Medical And Literary Traditions, Jane Shmidt

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Throughout Western medical history, unconsummated, unreturned, or otherwise failed love was believed to generate a disorder of the mind and body that manifested in physiological and psychological symptoms. This study traces the medical and literary history of lovesickness from antiquity through the 19^th century, emphasizing significant moments in the development of the medical discourse on love. The project is part of the recent academic focus on the intersection between the humanities and the medical sciences, and it situates literary texts in concurrent medical and philosophical debates on afflictions of the psyche. By contextualizing the fictional works within the scientific …

The Effectiveness Of Needle Exchange Programs In The United States And West Virginia, Margie J. Phillips

Margie J. Phillips

Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) have been controversial aspects of public health care due to conflicting beliefs and opinions for public policies. NEPs have allowed Injection Drug Users the ability to exchange their used equipment for clean, unused supplies. Research into the effectiveness of needle exchange programs and the impact it has had on the reduction of HIV and viral hepatitis infections in people who inject drugs. Injection Drug Users have accounted for 10% of HIV transmission cases in West Virginia, and this state has been ranked as the highest in the whole United States for incidents of Hepatitis C. NEPs …

An Assessment Of Students' Knowledge Of Health Disparities Through Participation In A Clinic-Based Project, Haley Dewitt, Lea Pounds Dr

UCARE Research Products

No abstract provided.

Multiracial Patient Experiences With Racial Microaggressions In Health Care Settings, Cyndy R. Snyder, Prince Z. Wang, Anjali R. Truitt

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Illuminating patients’ experiences of microaggressions in health care settings can help practitioners develop care that is more culturally responsive. While much of the literature on health care disparities focuses on minority groups generally, we sought to identify and to describe the ways in which racial microaggressions manifest for multiracial individuals and families specifically.

Methods: Using a combination of interviews and focus groups, we conducted 15 interviews and 3 focus groups. Eligible participants self-identified as more than one race and/or they self-identified as part of an interracial family, and they and/or someone they considered to be part of their family …

Mother Nature, Breanna M. Glynn

Akesis

Mother Nature is our greatest teacher in the lesson of patience and new growth. She makes us wait for the sweet moments, but when they come how lucky we are to bear witness to her beauty. She renews life, and breaths fresh air into the dead leaves that winter has plastered onto the ground. She reminds us that with death, comes more vibrant and boisterous life. We just need to sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

Boompa, Breanna M. Glynn

Akesis

My Boompa was my mother's father, and my beloved grandfather. He passed away this April just after his 85th birthday. He, and the rest of the family, thought he would make it to at least 100. Boompa was one of the greatest people I will ever meet. Yea, sure, a lot of people say that, but I really mean it. He was the most kind, genuine, empathetic, hardworking man, always taking care of others first. This photo is a picture of the eucalyptus and pussy willows that were in the floral arrangement that laid over his coffin during his services. …

A Love Song, Jack Williams Phd, Med

Akesis

For us to truly succeed in our chosen work of helping and healing, we must succeed in listening deeply to ourselves and to others--listening to the voices of our hearts. Without this wholeness, we become shells of ourselves and cannot be fully present for others in their healing. I wrote this poem in celebration of my best friend and partner, Beth. During our 43 years together, our oneness has given me the courage and creativity needed to work in the service of others far beyond what I could have ever achieved alone. She has helped me to laugh and to …

Medical Apartheid: A Book Review, Carmen Kennedy

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

No abstract provided.

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Four Sights Of The Patient (Ophelia), Cecily Ann Fergeson

Graduate School of Art Theses

I make work in a variety of media, largely dealing with the imagery and material of the human body. My current work attempts to reckon with the following subjects: a reclamation of the notion of the so-called medical gaze and its historical record in photography; the idea that receiving the medical gaze transforms patients’ bodies; the idea of illness as an uncanny and intimate experience; and, finally, the act of metaphorically retracing the body’s material journey through the medical institution as it exists today. In this text, I discuss my practice in the context of critical theory, a recent observation …

Friends Of The Poppy: An Ethical Exploration Of Opioid Addiction, Emma Goldblatt

Sound Decisions: An Undergraduate Bioethics Journal

Scientists and philosophers have been puzzling over the root of addiction for centuries. In the past, addiction was seen as a moral failing, a choice and an inevitability for certain people. Since then, science has shown us that social circumstance and physiological dependency are much better explanations for why addiction develops and persists. This has come into the conversation surrounding the current American opioid epidemic. It is spoken about in medical terms and is being addressed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both of which would not be possible without defining addiction as a disease. Addiction is more …

The Core Relation Between Hospitality (Philoxenia), Dignity And Vulnerability In Orthodox Christian Bioethics: A Contribution To Global Bioethics, Rabee Toumi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In a pluralistic world, reaching consensus in matters of bioethics has proved to be difficult, especially with the political polarization that nurtures inimical differences. This dissertation argues that a middle ground can be identified between the plurality of value systems in contemporary bioethics based on an anthropological approach. This middle ground that reflects commonalities of the human condition can be explored in relation to the foundational principles of Orthodox Christian anthropology. To identify this middle ground the analysis discusses the core relation between hospitality, dignity, and vulnerability as a contribution to global bioethics.

In general, based on Orthodox Christian theology …

Doing Well By Doing Good Benefits For The Benefactor, Aneka Khilnani

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

This study seeks to examine if volunteering affects mental and physical health and examine if health behaviors or social participation affect the association between volunteering and perceived mental and physical health.

Method and Data: Using a logistic regression model, data from a cross-sectional study that obtained a statewide representative sample of Texas adults, N=1409, was used to predict an adult’s perceived mental and physical health in relation to volunteering, after controlling for the effects of health behaviors and social participation.

Results: Adults who do not volunteer have an increased odds of reporting poor perceived physical and mental health. After controlling …

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review Spring 2018

Gettysburg Social Sciences Review

No abstract provided.

Should Doctors Take Into Account Human Races? A Medical Ethics Approach, Gabriel Andrade

Journal of Health Ethics

Racial discrimination has some very harmful social effects. But, can discrimination in medicine lead to good outcomes? This is an emerging question in medical ethics. It is undoubtedly true that some individuals are more genetically prone to some diseases than others. But, we should not rush to judgment, and believe that race may be a good guide in order to discover what diseases an individual is more susceptible to. Illnesses such as sickle cell-anemia and Tay Sachs disease have long been thought to have a racial correspondence. This is in fact not true. There have also been attempts to prescribe …