Medical Humanities Commons^™

The Masculine Way, Jessica Asuquo

be Still

This painting was conceptualized after a particularly impactful patient visit. During the visit, the patient described a traumatic event in greater detail, stating that the doctor and I were the first people he had ever spoken to about the event.

I felt both honored and disheartened by this statement. I was honored that this man trusted us with this knowledge. Still, I was immensely sad that he dealt with the trauma of this event alone for decades. I believe he released some of the grief, pain, anger, fear, and hurt when he shared his burden with us, and I will …

A Child’S Oath, Nozimakhon K. Omonullaeva

be Still

"A Child's Oath" reflects the transformative journey of a young girl shaped by her personal experiences with healthcare inequities, both in her home country of Uzbekistan and in the United States. This piece explores the emotional impact of these experiences and how they inspired a lifelong commitment to healing and serving underserved communities. It is a testament to the resilience born from hardship and the sacred promise to bring compassion and equity to medicine.

Helping As A Student, Dayna R. Smerina

be Still

Being a medical student can sometimes feel powerless. However, there are special ways that students can make an impact on their patient's lives.

The Glacier, Emily Rodman

be Still

The Glacier discovers the inner workings of a medical student's mind as she devotes years of her life to eventually partake in the "sacred oath of healing." She knows that these years of medical training - filled with strife and joy alike - will eventually lead her to fulfill the career of her dreams, serving others.

The Sacred Healing Of A Little Warrior, Adrianna M. Zambrano

be Still

As a hopeful pediatrician, I find my sacred oath of healing to be inspired by the radiant positivity and resilience of children. My goddaughter was not even three years old when she had her first major surgery, and I was so worried about her future recovery. Then, she was just a few hours post-op and already cracking a smile. Her innocence and purity extended to the point where she made sure that she wasn't the only one being taken care of; after all, her "baby" Julie needed to be taken care of, too.

The Heart Of Healing, Madison Prieto

be Still

No abstract provided.

Nourishing The Body, Nurturing The Soul, Vidhi Raval

be Still

No abstract provided.

Our Sacred Oath, Jeffrey Joppen, Nisha Patel

be Still

We both tried to find a photograph that could demonstrate what our sacred oath to healing looked like. The stethoscopes symbolize this because they represent more than just a tool for auscultation, they are objects that directly connect a healthcare provider to their patient. When we place the stethoscope on our patient’s chest we listen to their heart and lung sounds and the unique vibrations and rhythms that the individual makes. This action demonstrates deep trust and responsibility for healing.

Frankenstein Colorized, Marianne Koleng

be Still

One of my favorite novel's growing up was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I see Frankenstein's desire to create a "Monster" as a way to grasp at the fundamental human drive for connection, and healing through connection. In this piece, I attempt to bring that inner yearning for fundamental connection to paper.

Beyond Myself - Healing Through Pain, Marianne Koleng

be Still

In this piece I reflect on the importance of setbacks, non-linear growth, injuries, and pain and their ability to provide self-reflection, a platform for growth, and an crucial reminder of the fragility of life. I have often been self-critical for not following a "traditional" path in life, and reflecting on my experiences allows me to show myself grace and hopefully may influence others to do so as well.

The Orchard Of Golden Apples, Ambika Kapil, Brendan Ginsberg

be Still

This poem was written collaboratively by Ambika Kapil and Brendan Ginsberg, reflecting our shared journey through the challenges and rewards of medical school. The inspiration for this piece comes from a pivotal time in Ambika's journey, when she found herself balancing the demands of medical education with personal struggles. During this period, she often turned to the lectures and guidance of various faculty members, including Dr. Lori Dribin, whose wisdom and support provided a sense of stability and hope. The guidance of these mentors became a beacon, helping Ambika navigate through uncertainty.

As many students face an array of challenges …

The Sacrifices Of Being Away, Claudia Pedreira

be Still

No abstract provided.

Remedios De Abuela: Sacred Traditions Of Healing, Madeline R. Sardinas

be Still

Remedios de Abuela is a narrative-style essay reflecting on the Cuban remedies and family caregiving practices that shaped my journey into medicine. From the warmth of sopa de pollo to the soothing ritual of Vicks VapoRub, these traditions embody the sacred oath of healing.

Through personal stories, including caring for my grandfather with diabetes, this essay explores the intersection of family, culture, and the art of medicine. It is a tribute to my grandparents and a testament to the enduring power of traditions and the human connection at the heart of the healing profession.

Death Is Not The End, Marianne Koleng

be Still

In this piece, Death is Not the End, the juxtaposition of maintaining a connection with those lost, while simultaneously adjusting to life without them is explored. The use of mixed media to convey a spectrum of emotions surrounding death along with the use of both a skeleton, to represent death, and "normal" hands and body contours to represent life, highlight the importance that proper healing play in both mourning and celebrating life.

Death Becomes Us: The Consumptive Body In Nineteenth-Century Gothic Literature, Jennifer Marie Mcmahon

All NMU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the impacts of nineteenth-century tuberculosis epidemics on gothic literature published between 1842 and 1872. In this period of time, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the United States and in Europe, killing an estimated one in seven people. Using theoretical lenses of psychoanalysis and material ecocriticism, this project considers borders between material bodies—specifically those between bacterial agents and humans—to be illusory and socially constructed. The first chapter focuses on the ways in which representations of tuberculosis, and its associated entanglement with the environment, appear in the work of two authors from the United States: Edgar …

Ai And Ot: Preparing Future-Ready Practitioners, Jensen R. Antilla, Nancy E. Krusen, Nicole Martino, Stacy Smallfield

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Simulating Vascular Emergencies In Robotic Surgery: Preparing Ob-Gyn Residents For Surgical Complications, Jami Monico, Macy Thonen, Lindsey Mcalarnen

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

An Innovative Approach To Operating Room Simulation With Dental Hygiene Student Preparedness And Awareness: An Iexcel Interprofessional Pilot Project, Jane M. Broekemeier, Amanda Dolen, Lisa J. Moravec

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Exposure Of Tracheostomy Education Well-Received During Pre-Clinical Head And Neck Physical Exam Course, Tony Satroplus, Jayme Dowdall, Chris Bingcang, Tony Richa, Katie Geelan-Hansen Md

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Transitions Into Gme Program Leadership Roles In Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine: Opportunities For Improvement, Courtney Mclean, Jennifer M. Brady, Megan Gray, Erynn Bergner, C. Lydia Wraight

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Enhancing Care Through Occupational Therapy: Implementing Services At The Unmc Sharing Clinic, Mackenzie Post, Nancy E. Krusen, Nicole Martino

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Improving Information Literacy And Research Skill Instruction Through Peer Consultation, Kimberly Harp

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Fortify-Med: Fostering Ongoing Research Training In First-Year Medical Students, Colman Freel, Rebekah Rapoza, Troy Suwondo, Wenxian Zhou, Kaeli Samson, Jesse L. Cox, G. Talmon, Kari Nelson

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Descriptive Analysis Of Student Diagnostic And Documentation Skill Development In A Low Fidelity Simulation In Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Education, Nicholas Guenzel, Hongying Dai

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

This is an abstract from the Spotlight on Scholarship event in 2025.

Feasibility, Acceptability, And Satisfaction Of Redcap As A Tool For Interprofessional Education, Ross J. Bindler, Skye Mckennon, Connie M. Remsberg, Jennifer C. Miller, Marian Wilson

Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal

Interprofessional education (IPE) is an important component of health science training. Ensuring all students have access to necessary information prior to, during, and following simulation-enhanced IPE (Sim-IPE) activities is imperative to ensure a beneficial learning environment and student engagement. Ensuring access to necessary materials can be difficult due to differences in educational resources between institutions. This manuscript will assess the feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction of using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) as an educational tool for a Sim-IPE activity. After a pilot Sim-IPE activity, data from student evaluations was reviewed. Updates were made including use of REDCap as a universally …

Scaling New Heights: A Prospective Survey Of Rock Climbing's Impact On Mental Health, Kathy Chen, Swetha Sundaram, David F Lo, Ahmed Gawash, Charalampos Papachristou, Altamash E Raja

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Sport climbing, officially added to the 2020 Summer Olympics, has grown rapidly, with U.S. climbing gyms increasing from 310 in 2013 to 591 in 2021. Over the past decade, European research has identified bouldering as a potential psychotherapeutic treatment for anxiety and depression. Randomized controlled trials have compared bouldering psychotherapy (BPT) to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), showing that BPT produces comparable results and positively impacts mental health.

PURPOSE: There have been very few studies dedicated to the use of rock climbing as a therapy in the United States; further, there are few surveys that investigate whether American climbers would …

Use Of A Taqman Array Card For Identification Of Enterotoxins And Colonization Factors Directly From Stool Samples In An Enterotoxigenic E Coli Vaccine Study, Jie Liu, T Sakari Jokiranta, Nils Carlin, Suzanne Stroup, Jixian Zhang, Bjorn Sjostrand, Ann-Mari Svennerholm, Eric R Houpt, Anu Kantele

Faculty and Staff Publications

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a leading cause of childhood and travelers' diarrhea. The vaccine candidate ETVAX encompasses several ETEC colonization factors (CFs) with a hybrid LT (heat-labile toxin)/cholera toxin B subunit adjuvanted with a double-mutant LT. Stool samples from a Phase 2b ETVAX trial were tested by a PCR-based customized TaqMan Array Card (TAC), including three ETEC toxin genes (LT and heat-stable toxins, STh and STp) and 18 ETEC CFs. Stool samples were also tested with the molecular platform Amplidiag and culture, followed by GM1-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and inhibition GM1-ELISA for LT and ST and dot blot for …

Developing Humanistic Clinicians: A Review Of Literature, Andrew Taylor, Willie Capers

The Journal of the Research Association of Minority Professors

Humanistic clinicians possess scientific and technical competence and demonstrate essential virtues like empathy, compassion, patience, love, and courage. Humanistic clinicians are trained with an emphasis on the sciences and the humanities. The humanistic clinician is therefore better equipped to care for patients, the patient’s family members, other clinicians, and themselves. Defining empathy can be problematic due to a lack of consistent definition. Relevant literature regarding empathy was reviewed before settling on a working definition. Several pedagogical approaches encourage the moral development of clinicians. The methods and purpose of those approaches are explained. Illness narratives or pathography is a particular type …

Harmonizing Innovation: The Beatles, Emi, And The Birth Of Computed Tomography Imaging, Matthew A. Daniel, Alexander Holland, Saptarshi Biswas

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Computed tomography (CT) imaging has become a cornerstone of modern medical diagnostics, thanks to the groundbreaking work of Sir Godfrey Hounsfield. However, the significant role played by his employer, Electric and Musical Industries (EMI), in providing financial support for his research is often overlooked. In this paper, we explore the connection between EMI's success in the music industry, particularly its signing of the Beatles, and Hounsfield's pioneering work on CT imaging. EMI’s success in the music industry provided the financial stability for Hounsfield's research endeavors. In 1971, he developed the first CT scanner, which revolutionized diagnostic medicine. His collaboration with …

Ethical Considerations Of Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement In A Patient With Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease And Advanced Dementia, Toni Habib, Niamh Siobhán Mulrooney, Yisroel Grabie, Mohammad Maruf, Sophia Kasapira

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative condition that is not easily diagnosed and has no curative treatments available, essentially requiring palliative measures, including tube feeding. Nonetheless, data shows that the endoscope used for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube insertion can be a vector for CJD transmission.

Case Presentation

We discuss the case of an elderly patient diagnosed with CJD, requiring tube feeding. Multiple specialists were consulted, and they were unable to reach an agreement on the best approach. Eventually, the hospital ethics committee intervened, and the family agreed to comfort measures only. This case report sheds light …