I’m currently a second year medical student at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. My current practice areas of interest are Emergency and Internal Medicine. I am completing by pre-clinical curriculum in East Lansing, MI and will be doing my clerkship rotations at Sparrow Health System in Lansing, MI.
In addition to my EMIG involvement, I also serve on the AMA-MSS Region 5 Board. In this capacity I had the opportunity to help plan 2012’s most attended AMA-MSS regional meeting in the country at the University of Toledo (OH) which attracted over 125 attendees representing every state in Region 5 (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky).
“At first glance, this kinetic sculpture may appear to be an ordinary flock of birds. However upon closer inspection, one can see that there are two types of flying creatures present in this arrangement–those made from traditional origami paper, symbolizing social-cultural competencies, and those folded from Netter anatomy plates, representing medical-scientific know-how.
As physicians, it will be imperative to our patients that we are able to balance these proficiencies in order to provide them with the best care possible.”
This project was created in the fall of 2010 as part of MSU CHM’s Introduction to the Patient-Physician Relationship (IPPR) course. Each medical student was required to submit a creative mid-term reflective project to put on display for their peers and faculty to enjoy during a reception at MSU CHM’s headquarters at the Secchia Center in Grand Rapids, MI.
“Even as a medical student years away from being the sole person responsible for the care of my own patients, it is not difficult to imagine that despite our best intentions, in the course of juggling the multiple daily responsibilities assigned to doctors, sometimes mistakes will be made. From the surgeon whose tired hands inadvertently perforate a neighboring structure, to the pathologist whose fatigued mind fails to diagnose cancer of a tumor biopsy, it is important to remember that just like the patients they serve, physicians are human too. Humans capable of error, misconception and oversight. And when these blunders occur, the effects can be monumentally catastrophic for not only the patient in question but also for their family, friends and other loved ones. As physicians, we represent not only ourselves but also our institutions, our profession and the entire health care system. Thus, when mistakes are made it is important to be forthcoming in apologizing for the outcome and ensure that needs of the patient and family are met while also taking measures to prevent the same errors from occurring in the future.”
