ELEVATING V O I C E S
Maturing My Voice: How Class Leadership Taught Me to Use My Skills for More
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Buzz
by Warren Van Nort, M3
Buzz *
New message received:“ Hi honey, I hope your studies are going well. I found this new rash on my arm – was wondering if you could take a look next time we see you. Thanks! Love, Mom.”
After starting medical school roughly two years ago, I have often opened my phone to find a message similar to this one. Many of my friends and family members have reached out to ask about their rather ambiguous medical concerns. While I would love to walk them through a carefully crafted treatment plan, there is simply not much I can offer … especially after one semester of anatomy. Even still, I methodically read through their messages, hoping to ask the right questions to form some sort of History of Present Illness( HPI) and offer my best advice: whether or not they should go see a fully graduated and practicing physician( or as I will often say, an actual doctor).
In all seriousness, however, I consider each new concern carefully as if I am a practicing physician because my community of friends and family trusts me, even at the bottom of the medical hierarchy. Pursuing a medical degree carries with it a sense of professional prowess, as does boasting an MD next to your name, that must not be overlooked. And while I may not have much to offer just yet, I remain eager to use my problem-solving superpowers to respond to my friends’ messages because I recognize the importance of my words. I recognize that what I say, even as a medical student, matters. While this kind of social influence may come readily to us with the excitement of our first white coat, it never goes away; with enough practice, we may discover the true depth of our voices.
As a leader of my medical school class, I have had the opportunity to continue to strengthen my voice as an advocate for my classmates. Members of my school community have trusted me to look out for their best interest, no matter the challenges in doing so. The biggest concern of my classmates throughout our pre-clinical years has not been a mysterious stomachache, but the ever-evolving nature of medical education. With the introduction of numerous third-party resources to supplement pre-clinical education and the rapid advancement of AI in medicine, it is important that medical schools continue to evolve. It is critical as a class leader that I communicate the importance of integrating these new tools into our education. This past year, I helped promote the introduction of an application exercise that utilized a pop-
20 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE