Marshall did much more than teach me the science of medicine. It cultivated the art of it, too. 

To become a physician, we spend hours memorizing how to treat heart failure, how to recognize a COPD exacerbation, the most likely causes of meningitis in a newborn baby, and the list goes on. A large part of our medical education surrounds the science of medicine. Being a physician, however, encompasses so much more. Medicine is a craft, and I have learned more about its practice from spending time with my patients than could ever be taught from a book.  

There have been many moments in my brief time providing patient care that have reminded me what a gift it is to share in someone’s life. It is beautiful to share in someone’s joy, such as news that their cancer is in remission or the birth of their first baby. It is equally special to be invited into moments of someone’s deepest pain, such as the disclosure of past assaults, substance abuse, intimate partner violence or bullying. 

When I think of those who most inspired me to go into medicine, I don’t think of those who pioneered new surgical techniques or conducted groundbreaking research. I think of those who truly understand what an immense privilege it is to be entrusted by a fellow human. I think of those I watched hold the hand of their patient while they broke bad news to them, or who remembered their patient’s dog’s name, or asked them how their grandkids are doing.  

I am not trying to diminish the academic knowledge required to be a doctor, but I firmly believe the role of a physician is much more than learning how to treat an illness. At its core, a physician’s role is to love humanity.  

I would be remiss if I didn’t share how genuinely thankful I am to have received my medical degree from the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. Just as medicine embodies the “see one, do one, teach one” philosophy, Marshall taught us to encourage humanism by demonstration. While it is crucially important to know how to treat congestive heart failure, remove a gallbladder and deliver a baby, that knowledge and skill is not what I am most proud of as a Marshall medical school graduate. Marshall did much more than teach me the science of medicine, it cultivated the art of it, too. The science of medicine cannot succeed effectively if the art of medicine is not valued.  

On behalf of the Class of 2024, I want to thank you, dear reader, for placing your trust in our care. It is, and always will be, the honor of our lives. 

Caroline Briggs, M.D., is president of the 2024 graduating class from the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. She will complete her obstetrics-gynecology residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky.  

This article was first published in the 4/29/2024 edition of The Herald-Dispatch.

Date Posted: Monday, April 29, 2024