Dear Reader,
Dear Reader,
The stories contained in the upcoming pages reflect a collection of experiences and reflections from the current fourth-year class of medical students. These stories reflect a spectrum of experiences and emotions, from uplifting to sorrowful and even devastating. We experience the spectrum of emotion and connection in our learning from and care of these patients. We invite you to read on and revel in these experiences reflected in 55-word stories written by our peers.
Voices from the Wards started in 2019 as a means to transmit emotional knowledge between classes of medical students. The booklet is designed to fit in your white coat or scrub pocket as a reminder of our collective experiences during the clinical years. We are excited to continue this tradition with our 2024 issue. Submitted by graduating medical students, these works portray the epic story arc of being a medical student: We start with the grief we feel when our patients aren’t treated well, when we can’t help them, and when the medical system lets them down. At times, we ourselves feel discouraged by the hospital and mentoring systems within which we train. However, through all of our grief and questioning, we are impressed by the stories of immense growth that occurs in a few short years and are inspired by the resilient hope as we watch patients, families, and ourselves heal despite disappointments, frustrations, and hardships.
Ultimately this collection transcends genres, narrative styles, and topics. This is intentional. As you may discover while navigating the wards, much of medicine expects us to mold ourselves into certain images: to compose notes with a particular language, to present with unflinching confidence even when we are afraid, to hide parts of our identities that seemingly do not fit in that ubiquitous definition of “Doctor.” By sharing a diverse set of stories, we hope to emphasize that your voice—colored by your unique perspectives
and background—is powerful. To our authors and artists, thank you for your contributions.
Your honesty and authenticity are the heart and soul of this collection. To our readers, we
hope these stories can ground you and bring you moments of raw emotion and connection. We encourage you to continue to create, draw, and write as you move through your clinical
experiences.
Every story or emotion, no matter how seemingly miniscule, can be meaningful.
Storytell on. Create on.
With Love,
Brandon Wilde, Cam Arkin, Maddy Ekey, and Matt Glasgow
Brandon, Cam, Maddy, and Matt are members of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, Class of 2024 & 2025 for the Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine at the University of Utah. We are passionate about carrying on the powerful tradition of expression through creating and hope that these pieces allow members of our community to reflect, emote, and continue to tell stories as a part of their learning and healing process. We are honored to be able to compile this collection and carry on this wonderful tradition.