Even though the students packing the campus auditorium may have felt some trepidation at the patient clinic, and even though the patients shared stories about difficult health challenges, Sein Lee, an entering Pathways MD student, said it was easy to get to know those newly under their care.
“It was amazing and really joyful learning,” she said.
ITP course director Katherine Miller, HMS assistant professor of medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, spoke to the students about the importance of cultivating their sense of wonder. That can mean being astonished by a patient being cured, a baby being born, or a discovery being made, but it can also mean more, she said — “wondering if you’re right, wondering if what you’re seeing and hearing is what you think you’re seeing and hearing.”
She encouraged them to embrace their curiosity — and their doubts — and to keep their minds open to all possibilities, whether in the context of their patients’ diagnoses, their own assumptions and biases, or their own wellness.
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Other sessions addressed topics such as interprofessional teamwork, health equity, cultural humility, health and the environment, and professionalism, including digital professionalism.
Instructors also emphasized skills and resources available for students to ensure their own well-being so they can not only flourish in school and throughout their careers but also build the resilience that will enable them to give the best care to their patients.
The week concluded with the students reading an oath that they wrote over the preceding days, which included their pledge to lead with humility; create a community with their peers based on mutual respect; see the fullness of their patients’ identities and stories; and defend accessible health care, advancement of science, and pursuit of knowledge for society’s benefit.
A wealth of experiences and backgrounds
This year’s entering MD class is made up of 135 students in Pathways and 30 students in HST. Twenty-one medical students intend to pursue a dual MD-PhD degree.
Ranging in age from 21 to 31, the students represent 31 U.S. states and nine other countries. They attended 62 schools before arriving at HMS, majoring in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Three are entering HMS with doctoral degrees, and 25 have master’s degrees.
HSDM welcomed 35 dental students. One is seeking a joint DMD-PhD degree.
The dental students are from 17 U.S. states and two other countries and range in age from 19 to 24. Hailing from 29 schools, 29 of the students have degrees in STEM and six have degrees in social science fields.
Because HSDM considers dentistry to be a medical specialty, DMD students learn alongside MD students in the same classes during their first year before becoming immersed solely in the dental school’s courses and clinical experiences.
Images: Gretchen Ertl, Steve Gilbert, Steve Lipofsky, and Julia Zhogina
