HOW MEDICINE HAS CHANGED ME: WE ARE THE INSTRUMENTS OF CHANGE
Cynthia Rigby, MD
When I read the announced topic for the Richard Spear, MD, Memorial Essay Contest in the practicing / retired physicians’ category, I did not linger on the page, but it has been a recurring topic that has finally prompted me to attempt a response.
In my case, the question is“ How have we changed medicine?”
When I joined the University of Louisville School of Medicine Class of 1985, I became a member of a group that should be considered a watershed class in the school’ s history. Before the term“ non-traditional” became a buzzword, we were told that we were the oldest entering class since the post-WWII GI Bill returnees. The average student was almost 27 years old, and had diverse experience to bring to the pursuit of a medical degree. We also were to be the first class with year-round clinical“ tracks” and the first to do these assignments in the brand“ new” University of Louisville Hospital( RIP General Hospital).
My path to medical school had been unique. After having been diverted from pre-med by a department chair(“ women in pre-med just take up space”) and having no other means of support, I directed my energies toward what I thought were other avenues for my desire to make a difference: education, social work and eventually government service. I already knew from summer work in migrant education that gender, geography, education and language were barriers to the benefits that society had to
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