Kirilee West’s Studio Art piece, “The Art of Being Here,” from the Spring 2022 Intima beautifully depicts “hidden” moments of care. Her artwork shows different providers attending to patients and ensuring they are comfortable even when they are not fully conscious.
“True character and compassion lie in the acts of kindness and care that are unseen”
The pieces of art made me reflect on moments in my own medical school journey where I witnessed great physicians who took the time to notice the small things. I had one OBGYN attending who personally helped a patient’s husband carry home-cooked dishes from their car for a patient who had just given birth. I had another anesthesia attending who was careful and deliberate about the way a patient’s IVs were placed to make sure they wouldn’t be uncomfortable when they woke up.
This level of care resonates with the themes of shared connection, compassion, and advocacy in my own piece, “Coffee and Crosswords.” I once had a great mentor tell me how our true character and compassion as physicians and healthcare workers lie in the acts of kindness and care that are unseen, that are not performative. As a medical student, the small acts of kindness and compassion have been what elevated the connection and trust with patients I had the privilege of caring for. Whether it be bringing a patient their favorite crossword, refilling their coffee, or taking time to listen to their story—it is these small moments of shared connection that really matter.
Tiffany Chen
Tiffany Chen is a 4th-year medical student at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She is pursuing family medicine residency, hoping to work with underserved patient populations and take care of patients from newborns to end-of-life. She has a special interest in pediatrics, obstetrics and end-of-life care. Outside of medicine, Chen does craft projects with friends (crocheting, knitting, watercolor), works as a florist at a flower truck and plays tennis or pickleball. Her Field Notes essay “Coffee and Crosswords” appears in the Fall 2024 Intima.