MH Medical Humanities Magazine

Baylor Medical Humanities Program

Spring 2014

Baylor UniversityMedical Humanities Program

a bridge between the arts and sciences

A

Friends: We are delighted to bring you the second issue of MH Magazine with stories about the impact the Medical Humanities Program has had in the lives of Baylor students as they enter the next step in their training to work in or around the healthcare professions. This issue of MH Magazine features Dr. Michael Attas, the founding physician faculty member of the Medical Humanities Program, who is well-

known and well-loved by the graduates of our program. Dr. Attas’ influence on the program can-

not be exaggerated and we are particularly delight-ed that he will be the keynote speaker for this year’s

Medical Humanities Retreat—an event that Dr. Attas instituted 15 years ago. The retreat has become the heart

and soul of the Medical Humanities Program and an oppor-tunity to reflect on medicine as the sacred vocation that it is.

You will also meet Dr. Bill Hoy, our newest faculty member, and

several of our current students. You’ll also read an interview with Abigail Jakubec, one of our alumni--now a 3rd year med student. And you’ll learn about

the innovative volunteer project at the Family Health Center, connecting Baylor pre-med and pre-health stu-dents with family physicians who are serving some of the neediest patients in the neighborhoods surround-ing the Baylor campus.

The stories that are coming out of the Medical Humanities Program continue to generate excitement among friends and fans of the program—whether they be current students, recent grads, or physicians in the Waco community who are allowing Baylor students to serve and shadow in their footsteps. These are stories of transformational education—stories in the spirit of Pro Futuris, and stories that are shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals who are called to medicine. With medicine in mind and healthcare at heart, Lauren Barron, MDAssociate Director, Medical Humanities ProgramBaylor University

A from

Dr. Barron

Photo Credit:

Jamie Lim

What is Medical Humanities? ......................................

In the Spotlight ............................................................

Where are they now? ......................................................

A Journey Started ............................................................

It’s More About Life Than Death ......................................

Baylor University Pre-Med Students Volunteer at the Waco Family Health Center ....................................................................

About Dr. Barron ...............................................................

Staff Credits ......................................................................

Table of Contents

23810

14

161819

what ismedical humanities?

“I feel as though I am well-rounded and have more of an awareness of the art and humanities of medicine in addition to the sciences. I am a more compassionate and thoughtful person because of the teachings from medical humanities professors. Furthermore, I stand apart from my classmates because I have a strong foundation in what it means to be both a healer and scientist. Finally, my personal skills and ability to provide support and empathy to patients are more mature because of the opportunities from the Medical Humanities Program.”

-Taylor Derr, Spring 2013

“I can confidently say that my undergraduate education has been an intricate and multi-faceted effort in a variety of fascinating disciplines. I have learned that pa-

thology and physiology are essential in the study of medicine, but they are not its end. Patients are much more than their pathologies. Courses and experience in the

Medical Humanities Program at Baylor have taught me the importance of caring for the whole person, from a perspective that is rooted in empirical science and

data as well as empathy, humility and compassion.”

-Stephanie Allen, Spring 2013

“The Medical Humanities Program gave me an honest look at the practice of medi-cine beyond the basic sciences. Understanding the importance of a holistic approach to patients allows me to first relate to the patient as a human and then assess their illness. It also allowed me to explore some of the ethical and theological implications of practicing medicine.”

-Mark Dimski, Spring 2011

2

3

Estela RodriguezSenior from Madrid, SpainBy Tiffani McReynolds

Photo Credit: Nikki Vinyard

Estela Rodriguez, a senior from Madrid, Spain, is majoring in medical humanities. When she was 14, Rodriguez made her way to Texas after her father, an engineer, took a position in Houston.Since childhood, Rodriguez knew that she was meant to be a doctor. So the venture into Baylor’s Medical Hu-manities Program was no coincidence. “Medical humanities is the perfect mix of science and the arts,” Rodriguez said. She knew her time at Baylor would be filled with science classes, but she was intrigued by medical hu-manities’ ability to think outside of the box. “It doesn’t stray from the sciences but it touches base

with everything that’s going on,” Rodriguez said. During one of Rodriguez’s preliminary courses she shadowed a physician at the Fam-ily Health Center. This experience at the clin-ic reassured her that medicine was her niche. For Rodriguez, the clinic was a perfect exam-ple of humane medical care. “You truly get a sense that the physicians

are there truly to help people -- it’s a very compassionate type of care,” Rodriguez said. While at the clinic, Rodriguez took note of the patient and physician interactions. “They relate to the patients on a deeper level and they create bonds with them and relationships,” Rodriguez said. She also noted that physicians took their time when talking to patients. “I remember thinking that their interpersonal skills were impeccable,” Rodriguez said. The personable physicians at the clinic reaf-firmed the teachings of her medical humanities courses.

4

“I think being a compassionate person [is] within you, but being able to know how to take care of people is something you learn,” Rodriguez said.

Along with being compassionate, Rodriguez has learned the importance of seeing the person as a whole. Finding out the patient’s background and emotional status are all part of addressing a person.

“There’s not a logarithm on how to take care of peo-ple. It’s important to get to know the whole person,” Ro-driguez said.

Currently, Rodriguez works as a helper at a local hospice center. There, she is an assistant and at times a companion for her patients. She tries to apply the com-passion and respect she has learned from class and the family clinic into her daily work.

The biggest lesson the Family Health Center has taught Rodriguez is the importance of doctors touching the lives of their patients.

“It’s medicine, a professional field of service, not a business. Practicing medicine is such an honor,” Rodri-guez said.

This honor is her motivation for the future. Gradu-ating in May, she hopes to attend medical school and eventually practice geriatrics.

As Rodriguez approaches her final step in the Medi-cal Humanities Program, she looks forward to making a difference in her future patients’ lives.

[Medical Humanities] has made me more passionate about medicine, and it has encouraged me to continue to pursue my dreams to become a physician,” Rodriguez said. “In a sense, it’s giving me hope. I feel that I can make a difference at least one life at a time.”

Steven Chang knew he wanted to pursue more than the traditional scientific track for pre-med. It was this yearning that led the fifth-year senior from Memphis, Tennessee, to major in medical humanities with a mi-nor in chemistry.

He found out about the Medical Humanities Pro-gram through the College of Arts and Sciences’ majors fair in the Baylor Science Building.

“I was captivated [that] it offered so much as a ma-jor,” Chang said. “[Medical humanities] combines the very essence of what it means to be human with the aspect and role of being a physician.”

A unique aspect of the Medical Humanities Pro-gram is the equal emphasis placed on caring for pa-tients and the sciences. Taught by Dr. William G. (Bill) Hoy, the end of life care and bereavement course was the class Chang enjoyed the most.

“We learned that to be a human is to care about people in all situations of life,” Chang said. “It’s our duty to care for them, and it becomes a natural innate responsibility.”

Being in the medical field is much more complex and requires more than just knowledge of the ins and outs of science. Studying in the Medical Humanities Program has allowed Chang to explore beyond the traditional understandings of medicine.

“We learn how to integrate our faith into the work-place instead of having two separate worlds,” Chang said. “We learn how to understand the patients’ stories and use that to treat them and be better physicians.”

After he graduates, Chang plans on going to Thai-land for six months to work in the medical field.

“There is a lot of brokenness there,” Chang said. “With this major I will be able to deal with and under-stand the patients in a different way. I can view them with empathy and use that to care for them.”

Steven ChangSenior from Memphis, Tennessee

By Karoline Argo and David Prindle

5

Mark Burroughs, a junior from Denton, Texas, is a medical humanities major minoring in biology. He chose the Medical Humanities after his sister, a medi-cal humanities graduate, referred him.

Burroughs has always been active in medicine. When he was younger he frequently shadowed physi-cians at medical camps.

“I went to different camps that let you go into the operating room,” Burroughs said.

“They let you shadow the physicians. I got to see the dynamics, especially the patient-physician dynamic and I found that really interesting.”

His passion for making sure people are completely healed, rather than just cured, is why he chose medical humanities.

“There’s a difference between giving someone care and then actually having them healed,” Burroughs said.

Instead of associating patients with their diseases, Burroughs’ experience shadowing physicians played a key role in viewing patients as people.

One particular physician helped Burroughs realize that bedside manners are vital to the patient-physician relationship. He noticed that going to the doctor is not the easiest thing for most people. By being personable and friendly, patients respond more positively.

“I always came into the room with a smile,” Bur-roughs said.

In the Medical Humanities Program, profes-sors like Dr. Lauren Barron play a vital role in the lives of students.

“[Professors] push for an alternative mindset. They don’t look at the person as an illness; they look at them as a person,” Burroughs said. “It’s a more ho-listic type of medicine where you look at everything. You understand where they’re coming from, you un-derstand the different dynamics the patient has to offer, their family around them, everything.”

The alternative ways of thinking in the program have helped Burroughs research alternative treatments for ailments, like autism. During an introductory class, Burroughs researched how art therapy could help au-tistic individuals.

By Tiffani McReynolds

Photo Credit: Nikki Vinyard

Mark Burroughs

between giving someone

6

Mark Burroughs“It was really interesting because you don’t make con-

nections like that normally, but you do with medical hu-manities. It’s crazy, eye opening stuff,” Burroughs said.

Burroughs one day, hopes to actively practice his skills learned in the program as a trauma surgeon

“I love the team work that is involved,” Burroughs said. “I work well under pressure. I calm down when stress

is around me.” This calm, cool and collected student plans on using

the skills learned in medical humanities to communicate with the families of his future patients.

For Burroughs, a medical humanities degree is key when it comes to restoring medicine back to the way it was. He is motivated to actually heal people.

“I know what medicine is, but I’m excited to know what it can be. I believe I can be a factor in helping bring it back to what it once was,” Burroughs said.

care and then actually having them

healed.

There’s a difference

between giving someone" "

7

Whereare they now?

Q & A with alumni Abigail Jakubec

Abigail Jakubec, a medical humanities major from Mar-ble Falls, Texas, graduated from Baylor and is currently completing her second year of medical school at Tex-as A&M University.

Q: When and why did you decide to go into the medical field?I attended a science-based high school when medicine entered into my life as a possible future career. But I didn’t decide beyond a shadow of a doubt that medicine was where I belonged until the end of my junior year at Baylor. It is one of the things that I am most grateful to my medical humanities degree for. Thanks to my exposure to the medical field through my classes and professors, I was able to make an informed decision about my future, with knowledge of both the positive as well as the negative aspects.

Q: How did you become involved with the Med-ical Humanities Program at Baylor?On a visit to Baylor’s campus, I had a discus-sion with an admissions counselor who told me a bit about the major as a possibility. At the time, I was planning on entering as a biology pre-med major, but medical humanities sound-ed so much more fascinating that it was hard to resist. Little did I know the impact that decision would have on my life.

Q: Can you remember a specific course or les-son that you learned within the medical human-ities department that resonated with you?One that seems to really characterize the heart of the Medical Humanities Program occurred the first day of my first medical humanities class. Dr. Lauren

By David Prindle

8

Photo Credit: Abigail Jakubec

Q & A with alumni Abigail Jakubec

Barron was telling us a little bit more about what we would be doing that year. She said something

that has been imprinted in my mind ever since. “You are already the person you need to be in order to be a good doctor. My job, and the job of the med-ical humanities program, is to help you maintain that humanity throughout your medical training.” Connecting with another human being is some-thing we all do on a visceral level. Unfortunate-ly, medical education has a way of transforming a person so that by the time a doctor steps into

an exam room, there is so much separating those two human beings –the physician and the patient. I

believe medical humanities serves as a method for mak-ing you aware of that process, in the hopes of halting it.

Q: How has medical humanities impacted your jour-ney throughout medical school at A&M?I think medical humanities has made an impact on my journey in medical school from the very beginning. Medical humanities made interviews for med school not only easy, but fun. We had already discussed so many of the issues asked during the interview in class-es and with my other classmates. On top of that, it has made me more aware of where I am today. It is very easy to get lost in the day-to-day struggle of studying [while] trying to master this huge amount of info. But I like to think that I started my study of medicine by looking at

what is important, the patients. With that framework in place, a framework I gained from my medical hu-manities degree, it is easier to maintain perspective in the midst of all the studying.

Q: Do you think that studying medical humanities at Baylor has given you a certain advantage over oth-er medical students at A&M?It has, like I said, helped me to maintain [my] per-spective. Which, if this is viewed simply as an aca-demic exercise without a specific goal in mind, is easy to lose. I believe the advantage will be seen in the clinical setting more than in the classroom set-ting. Because that is where we will encounter [what] medical humanities taught us to focus on most, the patients.

Q: How did the medical humanities professors im-pact your educational journey at Baylor?They challenged me to think through new scenarios and put new resources in our hands. These professors had a goal in mind: expanding our ability to articulate our thoughts and beliefs, and to also consider how important the patient’s thoughts and beliefs would

be in every encounter. Both would be so important in maintaining that human connection with our patients later in life.

Q: Would you recommend medical humanities to pro-spective pre-med students rather than going into the usual pre-med majors?Without a doubt, unequivocally, yes. This major gives you the opportunity to learn about what you are get-ting yourself into. Getting into medical school is diffi-cult, time consuming and often heart breaking. Medi-cal school is even more difficult. I have been told that residency is even more difficult than that. You have to know that this is the career for you before you pick it. A pre-med student needs to learn where the possible downfalls are that might be a deal breaker for them, of which I will be honest and say there are many. But they should also get to learn about the amazing sides of medicine, including the patients, the colleagues, the constant learning and even the science. You need to be able to learn enough about medicine to know whether or not you are willing to put in the time, sweat, blood and tears to accomplish this goal. Thanks to this pro-gram I was forced to confront many of the pitfalls early on. [This] gave me the confidence to confront the many difficulties in medical school head on, knowing I am where I want to be and I absolutely love it.

9

Phot

o Cr

edit:

Nik

ki V

inya

rd

A Journey StartedThe Founder of Baylor Medical Humanities

r. Michael Attas never anticipated that the Medical Humanities Program would grow to the size it is today.

“The growth has been intimidating honestly,” Attas said. “It kind of grew much faster than I thought it was going to. Dr. Lauren Barron and Dr. Jim Marcum have done a great job of looking at the big picture,

and working with the administration to take it to the next level. We currently have close to 300 students that are majoring or minoring in the medical humanities.”

Attas is credited with forming Baylor’s Medical Humanities Program, as well as helping it grow beyond the ini-tial stages of development. Currently, he works for Waco Cardiology Associates.

A Baylor graduate and former professor, Attas recalled how the program began around 15 years ago. “Three Baylor professors had taught a class having to do with a literary philosophical perspective on medicine.

I had done some guest lecturing for that course from time to time,” Attas. “I was enrolled part-time at a seminary in Austin and was completing a masters in divinity, and I wanted to explore the idea of teaching at Baylor.”

After Attas began to teach at Baylor, he realized that he wanted to form a pre-med path for students that would move past focusing on just science or math. His goal was to ensure students had a broad exposure to the human-ities, such as religion, philosophy, literature and economics.

However, the idea of medical humanities as the focus of a hands-on medical education was nonexistent at the undergraduate level. It would be a first for Baylor and a first for an American university.

“Of all the places that could expose future doctors to the notion of humanities in medicine, why not start at the undergraduate level?” Attas said. “Nobody else in the country was doing it. A few professors and I went to Dr. Robert Sloan, the president of Baylor at the time, and he authorized us to put together an advisory committee on medical humanities.”

By David Prindle

Photography by Nikki Vinyard

D

11

What resulted was a committee comprised of members from the biology, chemistry, philosophy, and reli-gion departments at Baylor. An English pro-fessor and the chaplain were also included. Dr. David Pennington served as the chairman for the committee as it brainstormed about what the program could look like.

“We finally hit upon the idea of developing a minor in medical hu-manities housed under an institute that was already in existence, the Institute of Faith and Learning,” Attas said. “We basically cobblestoned a minor together using exist-ing courses…and got authorization to cross list them with medical humanities. I created some new classes that I personally taught.”

These classes in-cluded spirituality and health care, the mean-ing of the patient/phy-sician relationship and a freshman academic seminar on the issues of suffering. Through-out his time teaching, Attas continued to practice as a cardiolo-gist in the Waco area.

During the forma-tional years of the pro-gram, Attas initialized what he considers to be the key factor in contributing to early Ph

oto

Cred

it: N

ikki

Vin

yard

12

growth: the annual Medical Humanities Retreat. “The retreat was very instrumental in building a

sense of community for the program. It lead to 20-30 students coming together, listening to speakers talk about the issues affecting healthcare today and going back to campus and spreading the word,” Attas said. “I still get emails from students. They’re now in academic medicine and private practice and they said those retreats changed their life.”

This year marks the 15th annual retreat for the Medical Humanities Program. Fittingly, Attas will serve as the keynote speaker for the retreat held on April 11 and 12.

Eventually, the medical humanities minor was offered as a major as well. Attas explained students who had graduated with the minor were going through the interview process for medical school and were “blowing them all away.”

In addition to fostering the program at Bay-lor and working at his cardiology practice, Attas

serves as a priest at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Waco. His ability to be in three places at once begs the question: where does he find the time?

“I retired this last year from teaching,” Attas said. “The program got too big for me because I wanted to keep my practice, and it wasn’t fair to the students to have a class designed to be a semi-nar for 15 students to have 50 or 60.”

Attas emphasized the role he felt was key in his practice as a doctor but also as his job as a priest. “Sometimes, the best preaching is to be kind to people. One of the best sayings I know is ‘Preach always, but only when necessary use words,’” Attas said.

This idea of servitude and kindness is something Attas hopes will be characteristic of graduates from the program. The attention to patient rela-tions and showing kindness to hurting people is what he hopes will separate these medical human-ities students from the rest of the pack.

Sometimesthe best preaching

is to be kind to people.

“

”13

Deathit’s more about life than

a c l o s e r l o o k a t t h e n e w e s t M e d i c a l H u m a n i t i e s f a c u l t y m e m b e r

Dr. William G. (Bill) Hoy spends a lot of time thinking about death.“Virtually everything I have published in the last 25 years has been about end of life and bereavement,” Hoy said. The newest faculty member of Baylor’s Medical Humanities Program has published numerous books and arti-

cles. Almost all of them have been about death and the final stages of life.This might sound morbid, but it would be helpful to take a closer look. Hoy teaches a course called “End of Life

Care and Bereavement.” When teaching students, he weaves together the role of medical care with the end-of-life care.

When illustrating the role of medical humanities, Hoy mentions a conver-sation he had with Dr. James Marcum, director of the Medical Human-ities Program:

“I suppose that when push comes to shove and I have to choose between a fine scientist or a fine bedside manner, I want the best scientist,” Hoy told Marcum.

Marcum replied with asking Hoy, “why should we have to choose?”

Rather than taking a purely scientific approach to the delivery of healthcare, medical humanities opts for a combination of good medicine and a personal touch.

“It isn’t either/or. Just because I have a great skill set as a scientist doesn’t mean I can’t have communicative ability,” Hoy said.

Hoy, who has worked in the program since the spring of 2012, received his bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University in social sci-

ences (sociology, anthropology

By Karoline Argo and David Prindle

14

Death and geography). He then then went to the West Coast where he did graduate and doctoral work in practical theology and counseling. Before coming to Baylor, Hoy pursued clinical work for 16 years. He ran bereavement and counseling programs for large, community-based hospices in Long Beach, California.

The End of Life Care and Bereavement course is an-other step that the Medical Humanities Program has taken to reach their overall goal: improving healthcare. The class was added when Hoy joined the staff due to his expertise on the subject. In this class, students ex-

plore the process of death, integrating personal and scientific care.

Hoy’s career, which spans nearly 30 years, has always been focused on the end of life and the ways people make social meaning of death. This includes how societies make sense of death through funerals, and how societies deal with it emotionally. His newest book, Do Funerals Matter? The Purposes and Practices of Death Rituals in a Global Perspective was pub-lished in March of 2013.

When asked what his favorite moment has been at Baylor, Hoy replied with two things.

“The first is the relative brilliance of the men and women who go to school at Baylor. The type of thinking, for example my students who I’m mentoring for their honors’ thesis…they are asking

questions and thinking strategically about medical is-sues in ways that I myself never thought about in grad-uate school. It has been a shockingly wonderful thing,” Hoy said. “The other thing is the nature of getting to work with a team of people who really understand and get what it is we are trying to do together, and that is to improve healthcare.”

Photo Credit: Lauren Kelley

I suppose that when push comes to shove and I have to choose between a fine scientist or a fine bedside manner, I want the best scientist.Marcum replied with, “why should we have to choose?”

15

Written By Yasmin Pouya and David Prindle

Baylor University Pre-Med Students Volunteer at Waco Family Health Center

16

y the time Andrew Sayers finishes his education, he will be 28 years old. Sayers, a Baylor graduate stu-dent studying public health, has known he wanted to be a doctor ever since he

was a child. Growing up as the son of a physician, Sayers was able to spend time at a clinic and witness the expe-riences of being a doctor.

However, Sayers found himself tested by the rigors of preparing for the completion of his undergraduate education.

“The toughest thing about being pre-med for me was junior year,” Sayers said. “Junior year is when you are in upper-level biology and chemistry courses and you are doing MCAT prep, which is scheduled in the spring or summer of that year.”

In addition to the abundant amount of work, pre-med students are encouraged to get involved in medical organizations and participate in volunteer work.

This is where Baylor’s pre-med volunteer program comes in.

Baylor’s Medical Humanities Program has teamed up with the Family Health Center, a non-profit organiza-tion that provides healthcare to the vulnerable popula-tion of the Central Texas community. This partnership created a pre-med volunteer program where students are able to gain hands-on experience working in the medical field. Since the spring of 2013, Baylor students involved in Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-med student or-ganization, have had the opportunity to serve the Waco community at the clinic on South 18 Street.

The associate director of the Medical Humanities Program, Dr. Lauren Barron, teaches full-time at Bay-lor. In addition to teaching, she also practices medicine at Family Health Center clinics. Furthermore, Barron helped to pioneer the program.

“I wanted to find a way for Baylor pre-med students to volunteer at the Family Health Center for many rea-sons, but mainly to do actual substantial service that really helps the staff and patients,” Barron said. “It’s basically matchmaking between motivated, bright, high-achieving pre-med students and harvesting their talents and energy in a way that provides real service in the community.

Laura White, a senior pre-med student and one of Barron’s assistants, is the primary student in charge of

B

Photo Credit: Lauren Roller

helping to select volunteers for the program. She de-scribed the agenda for a typical volunteer shift.

“The volunteer checks in at the front desk, and en-gages in tasks that involve calling for patient reminders, calling for next-day appointments, faxing, organizing, pulling charts and generally completing any task that needs to be done,” White said. “Once that’s finished, we move to the nurses’ station, where we help organize their charts, restock their rooms, and clean up their sta-tions.

The second hour also allows the student to shadow a physician, but requires that the student continue to help with tasks the nurses or doctors might need completed. Doing this allows student volunteers to gain insight into the daily tasks of a family physician.

Andrew Sayers, who helped start the volunteer pro-gram, is now the co-director.

“It’s important for pre-med students to be exposed to the medical environment before they go to medi-cal school,” Sayers said. “As a pre-med student, you are struggling for a place to get plugged into that is associ-ated with health. It not only looks good on your resume when you’re applying to medical school, but it’s a great experience.”

With the current demand for family physicians, one of the goals of the volunteer program is to get pre-med students interested in family medicine. By exposing students to the family medicine environment, the pro-gram’s creators hope it will motivate students to reach long-term goals of becoming involved in the medical

field. Simultaneously, they hope it will in-spire interest in family medicine.

The students involved with the clinic take away positive experiences that change their own outlook on the practice of fam-ily medicine.

“The Family Health Center has really changed my entire perspective on medi-cine, by seeing what these people do and how they serve changed my concept of the type of doctor I want to be and how I serve my patients,” White said. “It’s made a huge impact. Having the opportunity to serve these doctors has been one of my favor-ite things because they have given me so much, especially the understanding that medicine is truly a service.”

Those involved in the program eventu-ally hope to expand it by pairing up with other Family Health Care clinic locations around Waco.

“Our hopes and goals for the program would be to make volunteers available to all the satellite Family Health Center clin-ics in Waco,” Sayers said. “Just like Alpha Epsilon Delta is paired with the South 18th Clinic, MSO [Medical Service Orga-nization] and other pre-health organiza-tions can partner with other FHC clinics around [Waco].”

Photo Credit: Lauren Roller

About

The associate director for the Medical Humanities Pro-gram, Dr. Lauren Barron, is a full-time professor at Baylor University. In addition, she practices medicine through the Family Health Center. Her love for students and patients is quite evident through her work in the classroom and doctors office.After graduating from Baylor in the honors program with a B.A. in psychology, she returned to hometown, Houston, and attended medical school at the Universi-ty of Texas Health Center. Shortly after, she returned to Waco for her residency in family medicine at the Family Health Center, where she remains actively involved.Barron first became involved with the Medical Human-ities Program at Baylor when Dr. Michael Attas, who helped start the program, asked her to speak at the an-nual retreat. Since then, Barron has spoken every year. “The Medical Humanities Retreat is what pulled me into Baylor’s orbit. It became a peak experience every year—personally and professionally.” During her time teaching medical humanities courses, Barron had a huge role in uniting Baylor students with the Family Health Center through volunteer programs. She is passionate about medical humanities, as well as

helping her students become prepared, well-rounded individuals for medical school.“Hearing from my students who are now in medical training is very gratifying” Barron said. “They seem to be flourishing in a way that I didn’t flourish when I was in medical school. They have a vision for what medicine can be, and a vision of caring for people as a whole that I am not sure they would have if they had only taken science courses.”The Medical Humanities Program has high hopes for the future. It hopes to find ways to stay connected with the alumni and keep them connected with current stu-dents, and to partner with medical humanities scholars in medical centers throughout the state. “As more and more universities realize there is a demand for programs in the medical humanities for premedical and prehealth professional students, we are starting to get phone calls from all over the country, asking for our input and ad-vice on building medical humanities programs at oth-er institutions. It shows how forward-thinking Baylor University is and how much vision and leadership Bay-lor has shown by establishing a Medical Humanities Program.”

By Yasmin Pouya

Dr. Lauren BarronAbout

18

Medical Humanities

David PrindleGeneral Manager

Tiffani McReynolds Account Executive

Nikki VinyardGraphic Design & Photography

19

OurBear

Necessities

Writing and Editing

David PrindleKrisha JohansenBresha PierceLauren KellyMollie KirkSarah SypertPaige WillisJaimie LimTiffani McReynolds

DesignKaty CranfillLauren RollerSarah SypertNikki Vinyard

PhotographyHayley HerringMollie KirkBresha PierceLauren RollerPaige WillisNikki Vinyard

TrafficHayley Herring

20

Medical Humanities ProgramBaylor University

One Bear Place #97202Waco, Texas 76798

Office: Baylor Science Building D108

Email: medicalhumanities@baylor.edu | Website: www.baylor.edu/medical_humanities