Medicine as Social Work

By: Katharine Lawrence, MD, MPH I chose medicine as a career, not necessarily because I was a scientist, but because I am a humanist. I believe in the concept of illness, not just disease, and strive in my career to better understand and address the various social, political, and economic realities that inform my patients’ health. I chose an undergraduate medical program, the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM), because its mission statement and cultural ethos mirrored these beliefs. As part of the HWCOM curriculum (described in a recent Academic Medicine article), medical students participate in a “household-centered” medical home program, which pairs trainees from medical, nursing, social work, and other fields with a household in the Miami-Dade area. Over four years, the team works closely with the household to address not only medical issues, like diabetes or hypertension, but also social determinants of health, like access to healthy foods, housing or job insecurity, or legal issues. In my household was Ms. A*—a diabetic, but also a loving mother, cosmetician, and recent survivor of intimate partner violence. She invited me into her life, not only as a physician, but as a friend. I sat in her living room, met her family; I was even invited to church on the weekends. When she mentioned her daughter wanted to be a nurse, I offered advice on applications. When the family got a new puppy, she sent me photos. Ms. A helped me be a better doctor by sharing with...
Source: Academic Medicine Blog - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Tags: Featured Trainee Perspective diversity health disparities medical education medical students residency social determinants of health Source Type: blogs