*Photographs taken before implementation of COVID-19 safe distancing measures, when classes moved online.
Emotionally resilient. Socially conscious. Globally minded.
These are the attributes of doctors and healthcare leaders that the new Health and Humanity (H&H) learning pathway aims to inculcate and nurture. When clinical and overseas electives were cancelled in early 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, NUS Medicine quickly organised a pathway-based elective programme to provide students with alternative learning opportunities. Students in the H&H pathway had the opportunity to participate in experiential activities, inspirational workshops and hands-on project work to help vulnerable communities hard-hit by COVID-19, so as to develop critical thinking skills in global health, teamwork and leadership skills, and ultimately to inspire health for all.
The objectives of the H&H pathway are to allow students to appreciate the crucial intersection between health and art, and to kindle in them an appreciation of the importance of humanity in the practice of medicine. Students learn to synthesise and apply narrative medicine and reflective skills to strengthen their resilience in their journey as lifelong medical practitioners. They then apply their learnings by designing projects with partners to develop creative solutions to health challenges. This process enables them to learn and apply the skills of partnership management, needs assessment, monitoring and evaluation.
Students who participated in the H&H pathway during the pathway-based elective programme were required to write reflective pieces. The following two selections provide the students’ perspectives and describe their experiences, illustrating how this pathway has impacted their journey as future doctors.
Student Reflection By Elisha Chow Hsin Han, Phase IV Medical Student
Coming to the end of H&H, I must say that it has been a very different eight weeks from any other medical curriculum I have gone through. I’ve enjoyed learning new skills and knowledge, discussions with friends, as well as the projects we have embarked on. The emphasis is not on how much I know but always on how this knowledge applies to me individually.
H&H fits very well into the context of COVID-19. With many of our electives cancelled, H&H provided a great avenue for us to redirect our time into meaningful projects. My current group is working on a project to help the socially isolated elderly during COVID-19. I have learnt so much from this project and experienced many of the challenges that come along with implementing social projects. Moreover, it was encouraging to have so many mentors available to give us advice and support in this project.
Personally, the main takeaway I have from H&H is that it is normal to struggle in medical school and at work. Nobody is perfect, and everyone will make mistakes. As I proceed to my final year, I hope to keep my eyes and ears open for those who are struggling. I hope that I will be able to see the problems of others instead of just focusing on myself. And I want to be able to help those who are struggling (including myself)—to tell them that it is normal to not be okay, and that they don’t have to fight these battles on their own.
“H&H has also equipped me with the necessary tools to address my emotions and anxieties, understand how to deal with shame, practise compassion and use different techniques to release my emotions.”
— Elisha Chow Hsin Han, Phase IV medical student
Dr Tam Wai Jia conducting a workshop
H&H has also equipped me with the necessary tools to address my emotions and anxieties, understand how to deal with shame, practise compassion and use different techniques to release my emotions. I will also remember to practise being meta-cognitive, to recognise my emotions as they happen and put them aside to be addressed at an appropriate time.
Some of the highlights from this elective include the infectious laughter of Dr Ann Toh1, the fun movie sessions we had together and the walks we had with Dr Tan Lai Yong.2 I also benefitted greatly from lectures by Dr Liow Chee Hsiang3 and it was inspiring to see how they translated directly into our projects. Lastly, I really enjoyed the community of friends that H&H helped foster and I am very thankful to Dr Tam Wai Jia4 for making all of this possible.
Student reflection by Grace Tan, Phase IV medical student
I feel that the H&H experience was one of refocusing and healing. Possibly jaded and worn out by the hustle and bustle of medical school, it was an opportunity to take a step back and rediscover myself and realign my intentions for doing medicine. It gave us space to explore our deepest hurts and mental distresses in a safe community, with the support of well-meaning and loving faculty—that we may apply the lesson of being first healed in order to be effective in healing others. There was also preparation for possible futures, acceptance that doctors are also humans, limited and prone to mistakes, as well as how to identify shame and guilt in order to process these emotions. The willingness of the faculty staff to be vulnerable and share their stories added a personal dimension to the learning process, driving home the importance of having that very same human touch when interacting with patients.
H&H elective students and faculty.
“The willingness of the faculty staff to be vulnerable and share their stories added a personal dimension to the learning process, driving home the importance of having that very same human touch when interacting with patients.”
— Grace Tan, Phase IV medical student
H&H facilitated an open space for me to reflect upon and explore my dreams, aspirations and what brings me meaning and purpose. I am open to any branch of medicine that involves patient interaction, with a working environment that strives for humanistic medicine, and which includes building safe and supportive relations not only with patients but also among healthcare providers. Perhaps I now aspire to be an effective doctor who welcomes and embraces the pain that brings about change, to constantly strive for self-betterment, and to be others-centred.
I may not have kept to my original plans to revise for my fifth year through clinical electives, finish up data extraction for research, or revisit specialties that caught my eye. However, I have experienced camaraderie with my peers, opened my world-view to be attuned to the vulnerable, as well as gained a few mentors who can support and guide me along the way. I have also learnt that the mindsets, intentions, as well as interpersonal skills required for mental strength and resilience in traversing a medical career are important in preparing for my fifth year and what lies beyond the MBBS.
REFERENCES
1 Dr Ann Toh facilitated sessions addressing topics of grief, compassion and medical humanities and facilitated virtual hangout space for group mentoring.
2 Assoc Prof Tan Lai Yong helped students gain a deeper understanding of social determinants of care through facilitating experiential learning activities like the poverty walk.
3 Dr Liow Chee Hsiang mentored the students to concretise their dreams and passions into experiential learning to create actual community projects to meet the needs of vulnerable communities.
4 Dr Tam Wai Jia passionately designed, shaped and crafted the entire elective. Her workshops on Kitesong and Savor inspired students through facilitating reflection and connection with their dreams, aspirations, meaning and purpose.