York County Medicine Summer 2020 - 14

YO R K C O M E D S O C . O R G

FEATURE:

WSMG President's Briefing
Post for May 2020
By: Andre Lijoi, MD, WellSpan York Hospital, Narrative Medicine

A

s our senior residents prepare
to graduate, our Clinical
Psychologist, Ana Tovar, PhD, gave
a presentation about closing relationships
with patients. She offers many practical
pointers for saying goodbye and directing
the patients' transition to their new Family
Physician. The group also considered
their own transition to life after residency.
However, not only are the seniors leaving for entirely new
positions, each resident is finishing an important year of training
and moving to a new position whether a PGY 1, 2, or 3.
Following Ana's presentation, we turned to a painting by the
American painter and photographer, Georgia O'Keefe, titled
"Winter Road," for close reading, discussion and writing.
This unique piece of art prompted much discussion about
the road a physician experiences in training and professional
life. Some felt like the journey started at the top of the road, in
a far-off place, coming into the present near the bottom of the
painting. Others thought just the opposite, that the road to life
as a physician started at the bottom and involved a journey of
ascent. There were observations about the change in the color
of the road, how it narrowed becoming almost imperceptible,
reconstituting and heading off seemingly into the future.
Next, we listened to and watched a rendering of the song,
Seasons of Love, from the soundtrack of Rent, performed by the
cast of GLEE. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH_IzT1Bc60
The song informs the listener in its first line that there are
five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes in a year
and poses the question, "How do you measure,
measure a year?" The answer is in sunrises,
sunsets, cups of coffee, in inches, miles, laughter,
and strife.
Then the song asks the listener to consider
how to measure a year in life? The answer is love,
and the next question it poses is, how do you
measure love?
The discussion turned to how we measure
a year in the life of residents and attending
physicians, and it wasn't long before the idea was
raised that there is an element of love motivating
the labor we do. Rana Awdish, MD, in her
book, In Shock, points out that we make a choice
to do the hard work we do and that it "requires a premeditated
intentionality." She adds that all forms of love require "a fierce
commitment."
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York County Medicine | SUMMER 2020

The group was asked to write for five minutes about a
moment in the past year when they recognized that their work
and study were a labor of love. Patricia Iroabuchi, DO, PGY-1,
shared this narrative:
Rude, abrupt, self-centered
Not making a good first impression
Needy, defiant, self-destructive at subsequent encounters
But yet I and we persevere
Persevered in our efforts to effect change
Persevered in our efforts to connect with you
In the hope that together we can make a difference
In unveiling a better you.
One of the faculty members shared this story:
"There's so much to love about our work in medicine. Very
few people are in the position day in and day out, as seasons
come, and seasons go to help other human beings the way we do.
I was on L&D some weeks ago, to do an induction with a
resident for a primip with a Bishop's score of zero. Surprisingly
her cervix ripened nicely, and active labor ensued in about 10
hours.
Then the late decels started. I really wanted the resident
to have a good labor hall experience and our patient to have a
good labor experience. We hadn't had the chance to labor many
patients together. There were procedures for her to learn...
IUPCs, FSE, AROM.
We worked with the patient...on the Ball, on her left side, on
her right side, on O2
off O2...
And it was in this effort that I realized that
what motivated me was a labor of love to help
our patient and help my resident flourish in the
moment. "
The session closed with this image of O'Keefe
and co-rider heading off for the New Mexico
horizon. A resident commented that the road
may look a little rough and the destination
uncertain, but the gleam of excitement in the
subject's eye gives one a positive sense for what is
to come.
Our Narrative Medicine sessions are now
virtual, using the ZOOM Platform. Our next
session will be held June 29 at 5:45 PM. Topic to be announced.
Contact Victoria Staub, vstaub@wellspan.org for information.
http://www.YORKCOMEDSOC.ORG https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH_IzT1Bc60
York County Medicine Summer 2020

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