Medical Humanities Commons^™

What Gives, Samantha Stephen

Akesis

It may never be enough and that's okay.

Balancing Sacrifice, Akesis Anonymous Author

Akesis

We have sacrificed a lot to get into medical school, pushing away quick satisfaction for the hope of a bigger reward in the future. Our faculty members keep telling us that medical school is a marathon, not a race. For this reason, we must be careful about how much we sacrifice to become physicians. Life is a balance, and finding that balance is the key to happiness as a medical professional.

I’M Going To Tell You A Little About Myself: Illness Centrality, Self-Image And Identity In Cystic Fibrosis, Susan Horky Lcsw, Laura Sherman Licsw, Julie K. Polvinen Ba, Medhavi Saxena Md, Michael Rich Md

Patient Experience Journal

This study assessed the illness centrality of adolescents with CF and the specific ways that CF may affect adolescents’ identities, through the qualitative analysis of video narratives. Adolescents with CF were loaned video cameras and asked to “show us your life outside the hospital” and to “teach your healthcare team about your CF.” Four major themes were identified related to illness centrality: CF is Central, CF is Compartmentalized, CF is Integrated into Self Image, CF is Denied. Integration and compartmentalization often co-existed. Four themes emerged related to the role of CF in self-image and identity: (1) Valence (positive or negative); …

The Path To Health Equity Through Multidisciplinary Collaboration, Cynthia Haq

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The author, a guest editor for this special issue of the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews dedicated to health disparities and inequities, comments on recent studies demonstrating poorer health outcomes among various patient populations in the United States despite its having higher spending per capita than any other nation. Noting that health inequities are defined as avoidable differences, the author encourages health professionals to work to narrow these gaps.

Push For Progress Inspired Improved Outcomes, Jacob L. Bidwell

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The author and issue editor describes the changing faces of health care as well as movements undertaken by U.S. health systems over the last two decades to improve the treatment and documented outcomes of minority or impoverished patients and to understand the impact of cultural differences on patient care. While much progress has been made, achieving health equity will require the continued efforts of many working toward this goal.

Onset Of Multiple Chronic Conditions And Depressive Symptoms: A Life Events Perspective., Maureen Wilson-Genderson, Allison R Heid, Rachel Pruchno

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Faculty Scholarship

Background: While the association between depressive symptoms and chronic illness has been the subject of many studies, little is known about whether depressive symptoms differ as a function of the illnesses people have as they transition to living with multiple chronic conditions.

Methods: Self-reports of five diagnosed chronic conditions (arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and pulmonary disease) and depressive symptoms were provided by 3,396 people participating in three waves of the ORANJ BOWL

Results: Between 2006 and 2014, controlling for age, gender, income, race, and a lifetime diagnosis of depression, people who transitioned to having a diagnosis of multiple chronic …

A Brave New World Comes From Strong Roots, Nihit N. Mehta

Akesis

I feel like a monument,

a witnesss to Father Time.

Welcoming Clinical Medicine,

with certain excitement and shine.

A brave new world now awaits behind life's doors,

my roots are strong,

as I come from UNE's shores.

Pressed, Samantha Stephen

Akesis

Pushing myself to reconnect with what makes me feel grounded during my medical pursuits.

Reminding myself what it feels like to think abstractly.

Sunbathers, Jessica Rehrig

Akesis

in series with previous submission

Meditation, Jessica Rehrig

Akesis

in series with first submission

Surfers, Jessica Rehrig

Akesis

this goes in series with my first submission

this photo is "surfers"

Our Love For The Ocean Has Rooted Us Here, Jessica Rehrig

Akesis

Harun Yahya once said,

"I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth, then I ask myself the same question."

This quote echoes a deeper meaning that is intertwined with the human experience, the human connection - to people, to culture, to memory. Often in life we move for school, travel for work, explore different countries for adventure, but we always come back "home". We are all rooted in somewhere or someone, and those connections and relationships shape us into who we are today and give life meaning.

The …

The Opposite Of Rhetoric, Jack C. Lewis

Akesis

There are a handful of moments from my past that continue to motivate me to pursue this medical education. This one in particular, telling a family that there is nothing more we can do for their deceased loved one, left me wanting to say much more than is professionally acceptable. And when I ask “why am I subjecting myself to this grueling education?,” I can find strength in these moments of not knowing whether or not there is more that I could’ve done to help an individual or family through a difficult moment.

Intra And Inter-Rater Reliability And Convergent Validity Of Fit-Hansa In Individuals With Grade П Whiplash Associated Disorder, Michael Pierrynowski, Colleen Mcphee, Saurabh Mehta, Joy C. Macdermid, Anita Gross

Saurabh Mehta

BACKGROUND: Whiplash-Associated Disorders (WAD) are common following a motor vehicle accident. The Functional Impairment Test - Hand, and Neck/Shoulder/Arm (FIT-HaNSA) assesses upper extremity physical performance. It has been validated in patients with shoulder pathology but not in those with WAD.

OBJECTIVES: Establish the Intra and inter-rater reliability and the known-group and construct validity of the FIT-HaNSA in patients with Grade II WAD (WAD2).

METHODS: Twenty-five patients with WAD2 and 41 healthy controls were recruited. Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), cervical range of motion (CROM), and FIT-HaNSA were completed …

Maternal Intuition Of Fetal Gender, Michael Mcfadzen, David P. Dielentheis, Ronda Kasten, Maharaj Singh, Joe Grundle

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: Fetal gender speculation is a preoccupation of many expecting parents, and pregnant women commonly profess to intuitively know the gender of their unborn babies. This study objectively compared pregnant mothers’ perceptions of fetal gender to sonographically proven gender determinations. Also, success rates from previously published studies, noninvasive prenatal testing and a myriad of gender determination methods were observed and reported for context.

Methods: All pregnant women presenting for second-trimester screening ultrasound (at 17–23 weeks gestation) in the obstetrics department of a single health center were asked to participate. A medical sonographer described the ultrasound examination, obtained appropriate consent and …

Every Word, Every Gesture, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Two nonverbal patients teach a novice clinician the power and often hidden impact of the physician-patient relationship.

On Syntropy & Precognitive Interdiction Based On Wheeler-Feynman’S Absorber Theory, Florentin Smarandache, Victor Christianto, Yunita Umniyati

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

It has been known for long time that intuition plays significant role in many professions and human life, including in entrepreneurship, government, and also in detective or law enforcement activities. Women are known to possess better intuitive feelings or “hunch” compared to men. Despite these examples, such a precognitive interdiction is hardly accepted in established science. In this letter, we discuss briefly the advanced solutions of Maxwell equations, and then explore plausible connection between syntropy and precognition.

Did You Hear What I Meant To Say?, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Dennis J. Baumgardner, MD

The author introduces Volume 4, Issue 1 of Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews by acknowledging the importance of communication between patient and caregiver in the clinical setting. Failure to communicate effectively can have a negative impact on a patient's well-being, therefore efforts to improve communication skills among clinicians, researchers and health practice administrators should be undertaken with regularity.

Ethical Concerns For Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Olga Najera

Dialogue & Nexus

The development of assisted reproductive technologies has provided new options for infertile couples in their pursuit of parenthood. As a result of the successful implementation of in vitro fertilization (IVF), gestational surrogacy is now an alternative. Other technology, such as genetic enhancement, could potentially become available for human beings soon; however, numerous ethical concerns have been raised by the fact that it requires germline engineering. The concerns brought about by these new reproductive technologies will be addressed in light of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and of the following ethical theories: Kantian, evolutionary, utilitarian, and virtue ethics.

After The Dark Comes The Light, Jenifer Van Deusen

Akesis

No abstract provided.

Progress, William Ciurylo

Akesis

Finally, the weekend. Finally, free of the constraints of mandatory lectures and clinical experiences. Finally, freedom to work how and when I want to work; learn how and when I want to learn. The lack of structure is refreshing. I will be so productive. Finally. But first – I will sleep in. Might as well, I am free to do so after all. I am my own person for once. Just because I sleep in does not mean that I won’t master the material. I work better in the afternoons and evenings anyway. I deserve this after a week of …

The Knock Of Progress, Nihit N. Mehta

Akesis

This work is created as an amateur attempt, to push forward the philosophy of caring touch in modern medicine.

Humor In Medicine: A Literature Review Of Humor’S Potential Therapeutic Value In Health Care, Weston Michael Grant

Psychological Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Using humor and laughter within the health care field has the potential to be relevant to patients during treatment, to the patient-caregiver relationship, to the subjective well-being of health care providers, and to the environments’ (e.g., work settings) impact on group relationships (e.g., colleagues). A review of the literature examines how the psychological and physiological effects of laughter and humor within the human body impact health and well-being, how humor and laughter improve the patient-practitioner relationship, and if humor and laughter can potentially impact physician burnout. Several possible implications for these findings are discussed, such as professional medical comedians, improvements …

Did You Hear What I Meant To Say?, Dennis J. Baumgardner

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

The author introduces Volume 4, Issue 1 of Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews by acknowledging the importance of communication between patient and caregiver in the clinical setting. Failure to communicate effectively can have a negative impact on a patient's well-being, therefore efforts to improve communication skills among clinicians, researchers and health practice administrators should be undertaken with regularity.

What Can A Primary Care Physician Discuss With Older Patients To Improve Advance Directive Completion Rates? A Clin-Iq, Judith M. Myers, Edmund Duthie Jr., Kathryn Denson, Steven Denson, Deborah Simpson

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Advance directives (ADs) provide patients with the opportunity to indicate their preferences for medical care while they still maintain the capacity to express their wishes, thus retaining autonomy. ADs increase the likelihood that patients will receive the care they desire, as their family members and physicians will better understand the level of care desired. Despite this, the AD completion rate by elderly patients continues to be low, especially for patients not facing serious illnesses. Primary care physicians (PCPs) are uniquely positioned to engage patients in discussions about ADs before a health crisis arises yet often do not due to time …

The Effects Of Patient Characteristics On Clinician’S Adherence To Preventive Practice Guidelines, Deshana A. Collett Ph.D,Pa-C, Kenneth M. Tyler Ph.D.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The existence of health disparities confirms that not all patients, regardless of differences in patient demographics, are provided quality healthcare (Agency of Health Care Research and Quality, 2003). Moreover, research suggests that health disparities may be present due to the inadequate delivery of medical services (S. Haist, J. Wilson, M. Lineberry, & C. Griffith, 2007; Van Ryn, Burgess, Malat, & Griffin, 2006). The differences in the delivery of care and services to ethnic minorities and those of low socioeconomic status warrant examining the role healthcare providers play in the causation of these health disparities (Smedley, Stith, & Nelson, …

Thank You, I'M Sorry, Paige Kube

Akesis

We go into medicine to help others, cure disease, end suffering. We want to be caretakers, but to do so, there has to be disease. Does that make us thankful for the processes that cause this pain and suffering because it gives us purpose, it allows us to fulfill our role as caretakers? Who would we be without it? How can we help, be of use, if nothing is wrong, if no one needs us?

Are we subconsciously endorsing disease? Are we thankful for it? We say we’re thankful when we end it, cure it, thwart it. But, to be …

A Letter From An Editor, Nihit N. Mehta

Akesis

A Letter from an editor.

Gratitude To Our Family And Friends, Nihit N. Mehta

Akesis

We in the College of Osteopathic Medicine welcome each one of our classes with a White Coat Ceremony. It has been my honor to take part in this event for the last two years, the first time receiving my white coat and the second time as a companion. This event in it’s entirety is as much a celebration of an individual student as it is of their friends and family members. We never truly appreciate the sacrifices our families make, a debt of their love that can never be repaid!

Our missed dates,

Promises wiped from life’s slates,

My dear …

Untitled, Samantha Stephen

Akesis

I am grateful for the forest; for all the adventures I had there, the chance to connect with my friends, and better understand myself.

Made with ink, paper, and adhesive note paper.