Above all, the impact of this initial connection between us on his engagement in the care journey filled me with a profound sense of accomplishment. What would have become of Bernard without this connection? This experience confirmed for me the importance of an authentic connection with the patient.

Rémi Esclassan reflects on bonding with a patient over his tattoo, which illustrated the profound beauty and complex nature of health care.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the December 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

I realize it’s my calling to hear heartache, but it’s also my calling to feel hope, see beauty, and experience life in its entirety.

Final-year Doctor of Nursing Practice Nurse Midwifery student Hailey Sommerfeld reflects on a shift that began with sadness and doubt but ended with reassurance and optimism.

This essay placed first in the 2024 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the December 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

There is an unspoken understanding that nursing is both an art and a science. Often, you will be called to use your critical-thinking skills and training to help save lives. Other days, you will need to show compassion and understanding to meet the needs of your patients. Most days involve a combination of both. And some days, it means breaking the rules to allow a cat in the ICU.

Doctor of nursing practice student Megan McDowell reflects on sneaking a pet into the ICU so a patient could say a final goodbye.  

This essay placed second in the 2024 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Something special happens when you work in the field. It speaks to you. It calls on the bounty of your generosity. It coaxes you to the precipice of your creativity, and it demands that you become sharper, savvier, and more self-possessed. If you listen, then in return you find it affords you the greatest gift life can offer: the privilege of having touched someone’s heart.

Medical student Noor Ahmed reflects on the special year-long connection forged with a patient during her time in the field as a health outreach worker.

This essay placed second in the 2024 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the November 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Andrew Orr, MD, MSEd, and Dorene Balmer, PhD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss their study of a longitudinal arts and humanities curriculum for internal medicine interns, which is part of this year’s Research in Medical Education (RIME) collection. Also joining the conversation are RIME Committee member Pilar Ortega, MD, MGM, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Nicole Findlay-Richardson, MD, MPH.    This episode is the final one in this year’s 3-part series of discussions with RIME authors about their medical education research and its implications for the field. Check out last month’s episode on medical students’ experiences of failure and remediation.    Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org.

Lynnea Mills, MD, joins host Toni Gallo to discuss her new study of medical students’ experiences of failure and remediation in the United States and the Netherlands, which is part of this year’s Research in Medical Education (RIME) collection. Also joining the conversation are RIME Committee member Mike Ryan, MD, MEHP, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Anna-kay Thomas, EdD.

This episode is the second in this year’s RIME series. Check out last month’s episode on perceptions of disability inclusion in medical education among students with disabilities. And tune in next month for the final episode in the series on the transformative potential of the arts and humanities in residency training.

Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org. 

Whenever I pass that room, though, I will think of it as G.’s. A sacred sanctuary—where medicine, care plans, and labels like “incontinent” and “terminal” fall away and where priority is placed instead upon two human beings connecting at two different junctures of life, united in this powerful moment of G.’s creation and a shared love of chocolate. G.’s space. His quiet place.

Final-year nursing student Erin Bowdish reflects on the connection forged with a patient on comfort care during mealtime.

This essay placed third in the 2024 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest and was published in the October 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Neera Jain, PhD, MS, and Erene Stergiopoulos, MD, MA, join host Toni Gallo to discuss their new study of the experiences of students with disabilities during the first 2 years of medical school, which is part of this year’s Research in Medical Education (RIME) collection. Also joining the conversation are RIME Committee member Andrea Leep Hunderfund, MD, MHPE, and AAMC MedEdSCHOLAR Rosaysela Santos, PhD.

This episode is the first in this year’s RIME series. Check back next month for the next episode.

Read the article discussed and access the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org. 

Theresa Papich, MD, Lisa Meeks, PhD, MA, and Timothy Gilbert, MD, join host Toni Gallo to discuss fostering an accessible and inclusive learning environment for medical students with disabilities and left-handed medical students during surgical training. They explore partnering with students, reducing bias and raising awareness about disability and inclusion, and addressing the hidden curriculum to create an inclusive learning environment where students feel welcome and can best learn throughout their medical education. 

Read the articles discussed and access additional resources and the episode transcript at academicmedicineblog.org. 

The complicated positionality of a learner in medicine means that our fingerprints are always there, regardless of the role. And while it is never documented, our most profound contribution is how we accompany patients in need.

Daniel J. Olivieri reflects on his first death pronouncement and what he learned about communicating with patients and their families.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2024 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Claim your free CME credit for listening to this podcast. Visit academicmedicineblog.org/cme, listen to the episodes listed, then follow the instructions to claim your credit.