Humanizing Our Education: June 2017

Written for World Med Newsletter-USC MSGM

The movement to protect and fight for clean water sources is one of the best examples of “Thinking globally and acting locally.” Indigenous communities across the world know this to be true. There is a great lesson to be learned from their commitment to a just and sustainable future. We can learn what it truly means to understand our global interconnectedness, our connection to this land, and our role in protecting humanity. When I thought about what I would share with the World Med Communi-ty, I thought about what has helped me over the years in crafting my path to-wards my professional goals. The simplest question came to mind, “Why?” This question was something my mother would always ask me. While it frustrated me at times, I now understand her lesson. She instilled in me a sense of purpose. While it is not always an easy question to answer, it helps push us to find the value in the skills we are devel-oping and the knowledge we are gaining in our programs. At the core of our pursuit to become health professionals is the belief that medicine and the medical field is about humanizing illness and being present for a person in their most vulnerable moments. Medi-cine and social justice are intimately linked to one another. You cannot achieve health equity without the understanding their root causes. In order to do this we must have real conversations with people who are impacted by the diseases and health conditions we learn about in class. It is not enough to memorize the definition of a disease, the calculation of quality of life, or the biochemical processes that happen within our bodies. Cultivating your skills means engaging real people throughout your educational and professional career. I learned this lesson most recently in November 2016, when I travelled to North Dakota to support the resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline. I followed my heart when I heard the call to stand up for a basic human right- clean water. I embraced the Lakota assertion “Mni Wiconi” (water is life). My visit to the Oceti Sakowin Camp was humbling and pushed me to be observant, to listen with an open mind and re-flect on my purpose and connection to indigenous narratives. Two things stand out from my participation with the No DAPL movement. First, this was the largest gathering of indige-nous communities in recent history. It demonstrates that local movements are connected to a global fight against oppression. Second, the movement empha-sized the power of listening to the needs of others, to engage by having an open mind and centering the narratives of those most impacted by the issues we sup-port. Our greatest skill as health professionals is the ability to listen and uplift the stories that are shared with us. Moving forward, our best response to our current social climate is to look inward at our own capacity to advocate, serve and uplift others. We are in a moment in history where we cannot escape the pain, suffering, and illness of others. Remaining silent and not taking action, is never the answer. We must dig deep and wrestle with the discomfort of being different. Plant the seeds of change; tend to your skills like a garden. Help your consciousness and the consciousness of others grow. As Global Medicine students, we are global health leaders. Through frameworks like social justice, cultural humility and narrative medicine we are able to respond to global and local crises. The future of health and medicine is interconnected with these concepts. If you believe in fighting for clean water, the rights of women and children, the protection of refugees, or other social issues, remember that your in-volvement today will make a difference tomorrow.