( continued from page 23 ) there ?” He suddenly got very quiet and still . Instead of shuddering away , it was as if his body had frozen in time as his frown faded into a look of surprise and curiosity . From him radiated the same excitement I saw over my winter break , emulating the same delight I once felt as a child . I couldn ’ t help but wonder if maybe one day he would remember this moment , just as I did from all those years ago . It wasn ’ t long until finding dancing dinosaurs became a routine part of my pediatric physical exam .
Seeing the “ red dancing dinosaur ” come full circle was not only the best part of my day but has become one of the most special moments in my medical education . From childhood to medical school , seeing the impact that a raw moment of play had upon comfort and trust , has served as a reminder to be both vulnerable and gentle with my patients . After all , wasn ’ t it silly for me to be looking for dinosaurs when I was supposed to be conducting a physical exam ? This certainly wasn ’ t something I had learned from our standard medical school curriculum . Instead , this illustrates the important role that seasoned physicians play in the lives of budding physicians . There is only so much that can be learned from a textbook – but a tremendous store that those senior to us can teach us .
There remain practical challenges when caring for patients as a medical student . We learn the realities of patient needs and woes in many ways . The patient can ’ t afford the medicine you had diligently memorized for the treatment of osteoporosis . The child you thought you could examine with ease is too frightened even to open their eyes . The patient with COPD still struggled to breathe , even though you had followed the most up to date guidelines for
treatment . Now I understand what one of my third-year attendings meant when he told me , “ Sometimes the patient doesn ’ t read the textbook .” As medical students , we witness Netter ’ s Atlas and other references come to life , transforming into our new walking , talking teachers . Pathologies we thought we could never remember turned into patients that we will never forget . We watch as a newborn takes their first breath and hold our own breath witnessing systemic anaphylaxis . We finally felt cervical lymphadenopathy and heard the whoosh of aortic stenosis beat against our stethoscope . Our patients ’ lived experiences become a new and fertile source of learning , one that consolidates our picture of pathology .
But patients can be our greatest teachers only if we take the time to engage . Remembering to look for the red dancing dinosaur has taught me the importance of taking my time to truly engage with patients , whether the young or the elderly . As medical students , we are fortunate to have a bit more time to spend with patients – we must cultivate this gift wisely . I have quickly learned that patients ( and parents alike ) appreciate when we take this extra time to be gentle and thorough . To me , this was just another day in my pediatric clerkship experience . To a mother and child , it was a special and heartwarming moment . Taking the extra minute to look for dancing dinosaurs isn ’ t something we learn in textbooks – but it is something I ’ ve added to my medical toolkit .
This essay was a submission to the 2023 Richard Spear , MD , Memorial Essay Contest .
Maria Shields is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine Trover Campus .
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