A Life-Changing Patient Encounter
24 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE
by MEGHAN CAWOOD, M3, & WILLIAM J. CRUMP, MD
Prologue:
For almost 10 years, we have had a formal professional identity curriculum effort at the University of Louisville Trover Campus in Madisonville. The literature supports that having medical students write narrative pieces about meaningful interactions with patients significantly helps with maintaining and building empathy. What follows is a particularly powerful essay from a student about halfway through her third year. It is an excellent illustration of how a simple task that we all do every day can turn into a truly remarkable interaction if we are curious and have the time to truly connect with our patients. As I read it, it was as if I were in the room as she described it, and I felt some of that remarkable sense of peace.-Bill Crump, MD- Associate Dean, ULSOM Trover Campus
Today, I walked into a patient’ s room to take a cardiac history and listen to his heart. What I initially thought would be a straightforward check-up turned out to be an encounter that would leave an unforgettable mark on me. Murphy *, a 46-year-old man in palliative care due to chronic pancreatitis and end-stage heart failure, was going through an immense amount of physical, emotional and spiritual suffering. But what struck me most about him was his strength, his resilience and his deep desire to share his story. As I introduced myself, I immediately sensed that he was eager for human connection. Despite his painful condition, Murphy welcomed me with warmth and an open heart. He was not only willing to help me learn, but he was also open to sharing the struggles of his life. As I began with a simple question,“ How are you feeling today?” his response took me by surprise. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he asked me to shut the door. With that, we began a conversation that would forever change my perspective on medicine and patient care.
Murphy’ s life had been fraught with hardship from the very beginning. Born into a poor family with a history of heart failure and pancreatic issues, he grew up surrounded by addiction and abuse. His father and aunt struggled with heart failure, and his mother’ s own pancreatic problems made life even harder with pain medications