New Third-Year Med Students Mark Hospital Rotations with Ceremony

New third-year medical students along with faculty and friends gathered in Kresge Auditorium Friday, June 26, 2015, to celebrate the start of their hospital rotations at part of the College of Medicine's annual Student Clinician Ceremony.

Amid the celebration, they were reminded that their hospital rotations are much more than just valuable training sessions for future doctors.

"Don't ever hesitate to become part of the solution as a medical student," said College of Medicine Dean William Ball, MD. "You are not there just to observe. You are there to be an integral part of a team, a team which is struggling to try and find resolution for a patient to get them back to being functional, back into good health and back to their families.

"Don't ever sell yourself short in your career as a medical student that you can add value to the team," said Ball, who noted that third-year students will have to prepare for the range of emotions they will encounter since many have never seen a patient die or suffer in severe pain.

"That's going to be hard," he said. "It's not for me to say you are a professional and you should act like a professional.  I am not necessarily recommending you distance yourself emotionally because that's almost impossible. You are a doctor, but you are also human.

"You have to be able to confront those emotions and find ways of dealing with those emotions or finding help to deal with those emotions as you experience them because sometimes your days will be more like a war zone and other days will be more quiet and pleasant and time for reflection.  . .This is a huge transformation from the classroom to the wards and dealing with patients on a direct basis.  I have full confidence you will all rise to the occasion," said Ball.

Ball offered introductory remarks along with UC Health President and CEO Richard Lofgren, MD, while Margaret Beaudrot, MD, a third-year resident in obstetrics and gynecology, gave the keynote address for the ceremony.
 
"If you always keep the patient and their well-being your focus you will be successful and the rest will come together," said Beaudrot.

The Student Clinician Ceremony, founded by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, is designed to recognize the important transition to third-year clinical rotations. The ceremony celebrated this milestone while addressing some of the inherent challenges and placed an emphasis on the importance of practicing humanism in medicine and professionalism.

Beaudrot said humanistic health care professionals demonstrate the following qualities: integrity, excellence, compassion, altruism, respect, empathy and service.

"Developing humanist qualities is often as difficult a developing the book knowledge required," said Beaudrot.  "When someone you have worked with tells you they trust you to take care of a family member, to me that is the ultimate compliment. That's a position that we all strive to meet."

Humanist qualities will take time while medical students balance their studies, long hospital rotations, relations with stressed out residents and managing the fears they will encounter as they realize their decisions, successes as well as mistakes, can impact a patient's care, said Beaudrot.

"You will all make mistakes; it is inevitable. They key is to take each opportunity and learn from them," said Beaudrot.

Students recited the class Oath of Professionalism taken during the White Coat Ceremony. Gold Apple Awards were presented to David Pettigrew, PhD, D.J. Lowrie, PhD, and David Fischer, MD. Silver Apple Awards were given to Laura Wexler, MD, DJ Lowrie, PhD, Keith Stringer, MD, Robert Neel, MD, and John Quinlan, MD.

Drs. Pettigrew, Stringer and Wexler were on hand to accept their awards and offer their appreciation and remarks. Drs. Neel and Quinlan were presented their awards during an earlier ceremony, but were in the audience.  Dr. Lowrie, who could not attend, asked third-year student Marcus Germany to read a letter on his behalf.

Wexler told third-year medical students that each of them will be interacting with some type of medical system whether it be UC Health, the Veterans Administration or Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center at some point.

"Please remember it is your sacred obligation to be the kind of the doctor you know you should be," she said.  "You need to work within the systems, you can't always be fighting them, but always stand up for the principles of good patient care and good patient centered care. Fight against rules and regulations that you feel are counter to this sacred obligation and always do the right thing and always put the patient first."

Students, their family members and UC faculty and staff enjoyed a reception after the ceremony.