I count myself among the fortunate – the University of New Mexico and Brown University gave me the chance to study the science of medicine; experiences since have taught me the art. Cut from the mold of my hometown role models, I wanted to be just like them, because growing up in Montana if your town had a doctor you thought yourself lucky. Most were family doctors bred in the shadows of World War II and they practiced like it – they did everything. To this day I deliver babies, treat the common cold, alleviate depression, set a fracture and hold trembling hands when people die. In that circumstance I’m happy to care for one patient, and one disorder, with one therapeutic regimen at a time; although my perspectives have evolved and continue to change.
An extraordinary life rich in diverse educational, geographic and cultural experiences has sharpened my vision, yet widened my focus. My professional travels recently took me to the University of Liverpool where I earned a Master’s degree in Public Health, expanding once again my horizons. Caring for patients, while no less critical, has now become just one aspect of healthcare; while addressing the social determinants of health and crafting healthy social policy is yet another. Hell-bent on my next journey, my pen and Microsoft Word may become mightier than my stethoscope understanding that through healthy social policy, I can better care for that one patient, that one disorder, with one therapeutic regimen at a time. Health is a human necessity; health is a human right!
Photo courtesy of KSNV Channel 3 Las Vegas