“To Doris, On Her Retirement” by Elisabeth Preston-Hsu, MD, MPH
Download the article (pdf) Table of Contents This poem is dedicated to Doris Armour, MD. Leaving this season lush with life, you’ll connect to a greener one. You’ve sketched a map of terrains traveled to lay out the journeys ahead. You’ve seen the microscopic proof of cells and vessels, how grafting injury […]
Accessibility Accommodations on the National Physical Therapy Examination: An Exploratory-Descriptive Qualitative Study
This study reports on the negative impact on some NPTE candidates of seeking accessibility accommodations. The results show that requesting accommodations for testing puts an additional burden on these students, which can affect their academic, and even their professional, lives. The authors call for “improved ease of access to information,” and “a more streamlined approach nationwide” to the exam process for persons with disabilities.
The Young Doctor: One Day, Inshallah
In her winning essay, “The Young Doctor: One Day Inshallah,” Katie Spencer recounts her transformative experience providing medical care in a Syrian refugee village during her time as a US Army medic. Central to her essay is an encounter with a young girl who dreamed of becoming a doctor, despite her school being destroyed by insurgents. Spencer invited her to follow along as she treated patients. Learning to innovate patient care with limited resources, Spencer prioritized listening to patients’ stories and recognized that “language barriers and cultural differences mean little when a bridge of universal compassion is built.” Her essay emphasizes that healthcare extends beyond visible symptoms, requiring providers to understand patients’ personal narratives and cultural contexts.
Learning From Experiences of Chronic Illness: A Book Review of The Room Sinatra Died In and Other Medically Adjacent Stories
In this book review, author Ted Meyers reflects on his own writing process and how it has impacted his perspective on his life and chronic illness. “Writing is my way of preserving … moments,” he notes. In her commentary that follows, Priyanka Bhakta highlights the role of the caregiver in family-centered care as presented in Meyers’ book: “The stories convey the unavoidable impact of health on one’s relationships…” Teaching Tools at the end of the article suggest two of Meyers’ stories for healthcare students, with Discussion Points.
Advocating for Palliative Care Is Our Role: A Physical Therapist Perspective
This insightful and moving article argues for wider use of palliative care in end-of-life situations. Written from her personal experience with terminal patients, the author notes how, ironically, a focus on positivity can deny the much-needed comfort that palliative care provides. Contrasting a rural southern hospital and a top urban neurorehabilitation facility, she notes how her patients received more end-of-life comfort in the former. She calls for physical therapists to “advocate for better integration of palliative care principles into PT practice.”
Utilizing Drama to Teach Intervention Strategies for Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease: The Intersection of Humanities and Clinical Science
Clinical simulations are often used in entry-level healthcare education. However, according to the authors, these simulations lack the depth of understanding that drama can provide to students. This research report details how a two-act play written by the authors and presented here, employing professional actors, increased student understanding of effective interactions with Alzheimer’s patients.
Building Community Through Storytelling: A Case Report
These authors report on their most recent ‘StorySlam’ – an event hosted by USC’s Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy – where Division members described their personal encounters with diversity, equity, and inclusion. The storytellers (including faculty, students, and patients) spoke for just 5 minutes each. But the attendees – many quoted here – noted the impact of those stories, and their enhanced sense of connection with their fellow Division members.
A Quarter-Century Post-Olmstead, We’re Still Waiting for Freedom
Download the article (pdf) Table of Contents Twenty-five years ago, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Olmstead v. L.C.1 was seen as a victory for disability rights. Led by Georgia disabled advocates Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, the decision affirmed that disabled people belong in their communities, not in institutions. It was a powerful declaration: institutionalizing […]
Art, Well-being and Medicine at the Barnes Foundation
A key mission of the Barnes Foundation is the promotion of education through art appreciation. Its Art, Well-Being and Medicine program was created in 2017. Practitioners and patients alike experience the Barnes’ vast collection through seven guided exercises; the results can be profound. This article takes the reader into an encounter with art at the Barnes, and shows how the questions raised among colleagues can impact clinical perspectives.
Female CHF 89
This gentle poem honors a lovely lady—“a hundred birthdays…give or take”—who gave her body to science. As the clinicians dissect, observe, and study, the poet juxtaposes the harsh procedures with softer observations. This lady was loved and cared for. The poem pays homage to a life well-lived, and to a final decision to help others learn.