Missouri Medical Review Fall 2009 : Page 29Barbara Fisher (left) joins Valerie French, a third-year medical student, at the 2008 Legacy Teachers Luncheon. Before he passed away, Fisher’s husband was French’s Legacy Teacher, and French wrote an essay about the lessons she learned as part of his care team. French and Fisher have maintained contact over the years, and Fisher was one of the speakers at the 2009 Legacy Teachers Luncheon. care. This care includes respect for individual patient values, preferences and needs, as well as shared decision- making and active patient participation. The Legacy Teachers Program is one of the ways we ensure that our graduates’ care will be marked by compassion, empathy and patient advocacy.” Medical student Emily Stuart was on a clinical rota- tion in pediatrics at the time of Remingtyn’s accident. When the girl regained consciousness four days after her surgery to treat an open skull fracture, Stuart visited her daily. Stuart was so moved by her experience, that she chose to write an essay about the girl and her family as part of the Legacy Teachers Program. Stuart recalled the Bealmers’ positive attitudes and their active involvement with Remingtyn’s care. She said her experience caring for this family helps illustrate the balance between learning medical knowledge and learning about patients as individuals. “I need to learn as much as I possibly can from text- books, but I also need to be a compassionate doctor,” said Stuart, who wants to become a pediatrician. “It’s not just what I think patients need. I need to talk to the patients and their families to truly learn what they really need.” Coming together for the Legacy Teachers Luncheon on April 16 gave Stuart the chance to re-connect with the Bealmer family and see how much Remingtyn, now 10 years old, has improved. After months of physical therapy, the girl has made an almost complete recovery and main- tains her passion for horses, despite the accident. Remingtyn’s mother, Tyena Bealmer, said during their time at University Hospital she was impressed with the time students took to answer any questions, and to care, not just for the physical needs of the family. “They always took the time and cared, not just about how her incision looked, but about how her heart was do- ing,” Tyena Bealmer said. Since it was initiated in 2006, student submissions to the Legacy Teachers Program have increased from four to 23. Today, nearly a quarter of the third-year class submits essays, artwork or poetry to the Legacy Teachers Program. Surveys of participating second-year medical students show that more than 60 percent believe the program has provided them with new insights about providing patient- centered care. The Fifth Annual Legacy Teachers Luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, April 15, 2010, at the University of Missouri in the University Club at Reyn- olds Alumni Center. Alumni are invited to attend. For more information, please contact program co-founder and organizer Elizabeth Garrett, MD ’79, at 573-882-0974 or garrette@health.missouri.edu. For more information about contributing to the Legacy Teach- ers Program through its newly established endowment fund, please contact Sue Dunkin, School of Medicine Foundation executive director, at (573) 882-5371 or toll-free at 1-866-260-4517. —Natalie Fieleke 29 Publication List |
