A Physician’s Prayer
DENISE L. DAVIS, M.D. 1999
Compassionate One, Who requires that I wash my hands For the benefit of my patients, That no harm should come to those I care for, And no harm should come to me. Reveal to me now respect, wisdom, patience and love. Help me to rise to these sacred relationships As I reach to hold the hands of those who are ill, Opening to both the voice and the silence of those who are suffering, Clear the way so that I will see the divine image in every one. May the day come soon that all who live in scarcity Flourish, When all who are in pain Are relieved, May my actions hasten that day.
Denise Davis (B.A. ’80/M.D. ’81) serves as associate director for faculty development at the San Francisco VA. She is also a professor at the University of California, San Francisco's medical school. Davis returned to UMKC in 2013 when she was asked to give the Marjorie S. Sirridge, M.D., Outstanding Women in Medicine Lecture.
Ideal and Real
JEREMIAH NELSON, M.D. 2000
The patient is an individual The patient checks in and is greeted at the front desk The patient waits The nurse greets the patient The patient waits The physician greets the patient The physician listens The physician examines The physician listens The patient’s needs are assessed and addressed The physician listens The patient feels justified in having waited The patient feels justified in having shared The patient feels justified in carrying out the recommendations The patient is satisfied with the visit The physician is satisfied with the visit The situation is ideal The situation is realistic The physician listened
Jeremiah Nelson (B.A. ’99/M.D. ’99) is currently practicing in Las Vegas.
Why the Medical Humanities?
DARCI L. GRAVES 2001
My connection with the medical humanities is obviously a different one from most of yours. I am not a doctor, nor do I care to be one. So why do I work in a medical school and more pointedly why am I interested in the medical humanities? Because of something I share with each of you — an interest and commitment to the healing process. A vital part of that process is your ability to understand the person you are attempting to heal. As individuals, we are the culmination of all of our life experiences. We each have our own path, our own baggage, and our own story to tell. Patients come to you with a story of their own — a complete spectrum of experiences that you may or may not ever be able to comprehend. The illness or injury that they are currently experiencing, is only one spot on that spectrum, one aspect of a very rich life. It is for this reason we study the humanities in medical schools.
The literature, the plays, the paintings, and the music allow us to vicariously experience so much more than every day life ever could. As physicians you are going to have remarkable careers, touch so many lives, and hopefully leave the world better for having practiced medicine. One way to ensure that you will be able to fulfill these promises is to understand experiences beyond your own. It is this knowledge that will allow you to connect to your patient so that you may make the most of your medical expertise. For the healing process involves taking into account not only a patient's diagnosis, but also that individual's story. This is what will allow each of you to become successful healers.