Instead of having to memorize all the bones in the
foot or describe the clinical guidelines for colorectal
cancer, first- and second-year medical students at
the University faced an unusual requirement in September.
They had to turn in a creative writing exercise to
Margaret LeMay.
The UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
has embraced the University’s world-class reputation
as the “writing university” by establishing
a writing center to nurture medical students’ creative
and professional writing skills.
LeMay, who received an M.F.A. degree in poetry from
the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2001, has been
coordinating the center since it opened in March
2002. She works individually with students and also
helps faculty members craft writing assignments.
While medicine and creative writing might seem strange
companions, they work together very well, LeMay and
college officials say.
“There is an amazing synergy that exists between
the nature of medicine and the nature of creative
writing,” LeMay says. “Medical students
are exposed to so much during their years in school.
They see so much life, and they experience so much
triumph and accomplishment in themselves and others.
But also they see human suffering, anxiety, vulnerability,
and death. It quickly became clear to me that these
people have a lot to say.”
Marian Schwabbauer, assistant dean in the college,
coordinated a proposal from the Office of Student
Affairs and Curriculum that requested funds to establish
the center from the Office of the Provost’s
Writing Initiative. Former UI President Mary Sue
Coleman started the initiative to establish Iowa
as a university in which good writing is important
in all colleges.
“Our students tend not to come from the humanities,” Schwabbauer
says. “They’ve spent much of their energy
on the science courses and experiences that are required.
They don’t realize how much they will need
to write and how much skill it will require.
“Some students are not sure whether writing
instruction is a good thing or not, but when they
need help, they quickly come to get it,” she
adds. “But other students came to Iowa because
of its reputation as a writing university. They tell
us they wanted to be on a campus where writing is
valued.”
Christopher Wyatt is one. A second-year medical
student from Phoenix, Ariz., Wyatt would like to
join a long list of Iowa physicians who are well
known for their writing—a list that includes
Antonio Damasio, Nancy Andreasen, Ethan Canin, John
Murray, and many others.
“I did like Iowa because of its strong balance
of arts and science, creating a rich academic environment,
which was one of my selection criteria,” Wyatt
says. “Actually, I still hope to blend writing
and medicine together to a much greater extent.”
Asked if he considered himself an aspiring writer,
Wyatt says, “Hopefully I’m aspiring but
I’m not a writer—maybe a dabbler, at
best. But I do hope to gain more exposure and experience
in that direction.”
LeMay says she has helped to develop students’ skills
in two kinds of writing: practical and creative.
Students come to the center’s offices in the
Medical Education and Biomedical Research Facility
for help with what LeMay calls “practical writing,” such
as scholarship applications, correspondence with
fellowship grantors, or the personal statement required
for medical residency. In addition, she works with
professors, staff, and students in providing creative
and practical writing instruction classes ranging
in size from 10 to more than 150.
“In the spring of 2004, we’ll be offering
a four-week elective course in literature and creative
writing for medical students,” she says.
Writing is not the only creative outlet for medical
students, LeMay says. Students also have formed a
chamber music ensemble, an a cappella singing group,
a marching band, a percussion circle, a writing group,
a student newspaper, a literary e-zine, and literature
discussions. A medical student who also is a professional
photographer is starting a student photography class,
and a local portraiture artist is leading medical
students in figure drawing.
These activities provide relaxation from a difficult
academic schedule and give students perspective,
LeMay says.
“Having been here for one and one-half years,
I consider medical students colleagues and friends.
Medical students are the ones who drive this program
and make its vision real. I can see moments of substantial
pressure that can be alleviated through participation
in creative outlets.”
LeMay is happy to see that creative writing is beginning
to be included in some parts of the curriculum. She
notes an assignment that asks students to create
and fully describe an imaginary patient and then
pretend to be that patient with a disease, talking
with a physician.
“As a long-term challenge, I would like to
see writing inserted into the curriculum,” she
says. “Students have to master a rather intimidating
amount of required material now, though.”
Kimberly Ephgrave, associate dean for student affairs
and curriculum, says college officials already have
noticed the benefits of starting the center.
“Students writing personal statements for
their residency applications all want to meet with
Margaret for feedback, as do students applying for
scholarships or other special opportunities that
involve written applications. At the same time, she
has been able to do writing exercises with the entire
classes of first- and second-year medical students,” Ephgrave
says.
“Her approach as a poet works very well for
medical writing. Short, clear, evocative language
is essential for poetry and also effective in the
medical record,” she adds. “With Margaret’s
help, I hope that our future Iowa graduates will
produce medical records that capture at least a little
of the unique humanity of their patients, along with
all their test results and medical data.”
by Anne Tanner and
David Pedersen
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