Historical Reflections: The Medical Heritage Center Blog

Voices in Humanism

Sometimes I Have Some Feelings

Sometimes I have some feelings
Of so many different kinds
That make my heart ache
And give no peace of mind

The fears that I face
To leave home for just an hour
To enjoy the sun
To find a flower

After touchdowns it’s a meme,
During anthems you’re a traitor,
If you’re in a church it is pristine,
But towards Mecca deserves a crater,

What does it mean to kneel?
A tale as old as time
Not the way to protest, not ideal for the frontline,
But if it’s on a neck, it takes 4 days to be a crime

MLK not long ago,
X said the healing’s yet to begun
The last tea party sucked
Maybe this one will get it done

The month of May seemed to break the bough
To those who ignored the plight before:
Can you hear the voices now?

Jared Squires
Class of 2021

Voices in Humanism

Following Suit

I find it rather ironic
When one bulb burns out
And the rest on the string follow suit
Showing solidarity with their fallen comrade.

#37 went out today
Followed by the next 13
And I couldn’t help but ponder
That their circuitry remains intact
Filaments held tightly
Choosing not to draw current
Because no man left behind.

I know, the ones with parallel circuits don’t do that,
So you think I should buy those,
But I find them less metaphorical.

And it doesn’t sit well with my conscience
Letting #37 go out alone,
While the other 49 illuminate the blank sheet of paper
That’s been staring at me for the past 2 hours.

I’d rather face writer’s block in dim light
Surrounded by the quiet camaraderie of 14 burnt out bulbs.

Kaitlyn N. Tindall
4th Year Biology Major
Pre-Health Professions Specialization
President, Humanism in Medicine Undergraduate Section
The Ohio State University

Voices in Humanism

Frequent Flyer

A Visitor

“Each piece was inspired by birds seen overhead and beside me during evening walks throughout the
COVID-19 shelter in place. I was struck by their beauty and seemingly simple life in the midst of so much
uncertainty and I was comforted by their routine as I saw them each evening. Creating art during this time
and throughout medical school has provided me a refuge from my worries.”

Artistic Media: Micron Pen on Paper
Jennifer Cenker
Class of 2021
OSU College of Medicine
Interest: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Voices in Humanism

Stand With Us
‘To Wear A Mask Is Simply About Caring for Others As Well As Yourself’

Digital Art
Meika Eby, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and COPC Physician
Kia Eby, Sophomore, The Ohio State University

Voices in Humanism

Riot, Columbus

You say it’s weird to see
riots here
where we live

I think my pale white skin
might be put to use
between black and blue

the injustice pulls my heart like an anchor
down through my chest, bursting
through my ribcage, hurtling
past my stomach and
intestines ‘til it sinks,
impractically,
quietly,
to my
feet.

Jessica Rutsky, MD
PGY-3, Pediatrics, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
2017 Graduate, OSU College of Medicine
5/30/2020

Voices in Humanism

Vice
“I created this work to try to juxtapose the macroscopic and microscopic imagery of smoking by pairing the pathohistology of squamous cell carcinoma with cigarette imagery.”

Acrylic Paint and Pencil on Canvas
Spencer Miller
Class of 2023
OSU College of Medicine

Voices in Humanism

June 5, 2020 brought the Black Lives Matter protest to the Short North in Columbus, Ohio. George Floyd, Eric Garner and so many others have repeated the words, “I Can’t Breathe” and yet the police did not stop.
Doctors are supposed to be objective and I hope that we can be better at listening to our patients than the police to their victims.
The photos speak for themselves: What if people in America loved black people as much as they love black culture?

Phil Anjum
OSU College of Medicine, Class of 2022
Photographer, Videographer

Voices in Humanism

Quarantine Still Life
Graphite on Paper

“Art is an escape for me. With everything going on in the world, I needed recentering. This still life, created from things I found in my apartment, (my wildly growing green onions and a Honeycrisp apple I ate afterwards) brought me back to my studio drawing days in Undergrad, which I deeply miss. I loved the way
the light came through the glass and the shadows they cast. It was just what I needed.”

Sabrina Mackey-Alfonso
MD/PhD Student, Second Year

Voices in Humanism