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Creative Reflections - 2020 - Virtual Clerkship

Medical students in the Carver College of Medicine have a unique perspective on the current pandemic. Participants in the Sub-Internship in Internal Medicine course last month were given the opportunity to reflect on their thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 and express them in whatever form they chose.


Theresa Benskin wrote a Haiku describing having to participate in her Sub-Internship remotely, along with a written reflection.

Reversion

In my mom’s basement

I do my sub-internship

I don’t know the time

 

Reflection: I was 10 years old watching the morning news and eating a bowl of Golden Grahams in my Catholic school uniform when two planes flew into the World Trade Centers. I was 18 years old when the subprime mortgage crisis and Great Recession occurred with millions unemployed. On both occasions, I was in school while global stability was irrevocably fractured sending us on an unknown trajectory. I was merely an observer awaiting the results of the world I would soon encounter.

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Dabin Choi created two paintings to reflect on different reactions he has experienced.

(click images for larger view)

"At the beginning stage of global COVID19 pandemic and things were rapidly changing every day, my initial reflection was feeling of confusion and lost in the chaos. I drew the first painting after hearing health care professionals working in NYC as they were the mot rapidly and severely afftected by COVID. I was thinking of the big cities affected by gloo,y/cloudy forecast where healthcare professinals having to adjust every day and go forward dfespite the uncertainty."

"Second painting I drew was after a month of staying home and transitioning to virtua curriculum. I was inspired by a news article of cities around the world with clear skies and more visibility. Things are still unclear, and it may be premature to say anything, but there ae reports of major cities with decrease number of new COVID patients and death. I was impressed by how people kept volunteering, donating PPEs, and hosppitlas implementing new policies to support and protect the staff and patients, and I didn't feel that lost or uncertain anymore. Being a healthcare profession is scary during this uncertain time, but I believe forecast is sunny and clear as we continuously adapt and do the best we can every day."


Arham Pasha wrote a poem about the spread of COVID-19 from China to the United States.

Wuhan, thousands are dying
America, that’s far we don’t need to be preparing

Wuhan, thousands are dead
Italy, thousands are dying
America, that’s closer maybe we should be preparing

Italy, thousands are dead
The dead plead with America, prepare and do better
America, maybe if we prepare we can do better

America, the disease has arrived
America, let’s start preparing
America, it’s too late

New York, the city that never sleeps
New York, has become the city that only sleeps

New York, Toilet Paper, PPE
Perhaps, America, you should have heeded

Reflection: This poem represents the transformation of the novel Covid-19 coronavirus from an epidemic focused in Wuhan, China to a pandemic that now has made the United States of America, specifically New York City the epicenter.

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Joyce Wahba produced a video reflection in response to a viral video; Joyce discusses the veracity of several points in the video.

 


Maggie Gannon shares her painted interpretation of a histology image.

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Reflection: What does it mean to be a medical student during the COVID crisis? I don’t feel that I can speak to what it has been like to be in the hospital. I spent a few weeks volunteering as a screener, but otherwise was away from the hospital. So, if I could sum up my COVID experience in one word: recharge. I spend the first few weeks of quarantine frustrated being away from the hospital.

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Chloe Hlas has been working on a knitted blanket suring the pandemic.

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"I chose to submit the knitted blanket I have been working on during the COVID19 pandemic. It started as a way of giving me something to do to keep busy during a stressful time. I’ve spent quite a bit of time on each part, and will eventually sew it all together.

In medicine, my role is to help patients, while also learning and soaking up knowledge and experience working with physicians and other staff. My role lately may look different - it’s involved me staying at home and doing my part to mitigate my risk and not contribute to virus spread - but it’s important in a different way. We each have a part to play to make our world function better right now, and we would be incomplete without one piece."


 

Vivian Pham submitted this painting.

Reflection: "It is difficult to overstate the severity of damage done to humanity by Covid19. But there is a reaction for every action, and sometimes good happens only because of tragedy. The initial transition to being quarantined was a difficult one for me. As a medical student, I automatically assumed it would be my duty to help. I felt guilty for being able to sleep in every day while some of my colleagues and friends were risking their lives to treat Covid patients."

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Kiran Sharma

Reflection: What is our exact role in the community? To respectfully call people out who aren’t social distancing or wearing masks? There are people on my social media accounts who I went to high school with commenting on social media that they can’t take this (quarantine) anymore and that the curve has flattened so why are we doing the social distancing and mask wearing still? Do we comment on social media platforms reminding people that this has not all been done in vain? How do we convince the people to care who do not know a friend or family member who has been affected by covid and think it is a hoax? If we can’t convince them to listen to the CDC, the scientists, epidemiologists or medical professionals – whom they think are hog tied and hand fed by big pharma – then how do we convince them to care for the human condition?

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