As medical students, we learn about a wide range of diseases affecting each organ system of the body. We learn their causes, consequences, and cures. As we learn these things, we begin to develop our own framework and perceptions regarding various illnesses. However, our interactions with patients can sometimes challenge our preconceived notions. A major framework of illness for me has been categorizing conditions based on the degree of risk and acuity, probably thanks to my time working in the ER. In talking with my community partner, Mr. S, I quickly realized that the conditions that are most concerning or bothersome for our patients may not be the same ones we consider to be the highest risk. Mr. S talked extensively about his and his wife’s struggles with osteoarthritis. He often referred to his arthritis as his “most annoying” medical condition, despite having several others that were more life-threatening. As he and his wife got older, their arthritis got worse and began affecting many aspects of their day to day lives, resulting in changes that he collectively referenced as “downsizing”. Not only did they need to move from their house into a smaller and more accessible apartment, but daily walks got harder and outings got shorter. This idea of downsizing is reflected in the piece by the black and silver cages taking in and forcing the red wire into a smaller and smaller space.
About the Artist: Brooke Hoehn
Brooke is a rising second year medical student from Wilmington NC. She grew up wanting to be a pediatric neurologist, but discovered a love for emergency medicine while working in the UNC ER as a medical scribe. For now, she plans to pursue a career as an emergency medicine physician, but is keeping an open mind going into her rotations this year. It is completely possible she will find a new speciality she loves even more. When she’s not sitting in the medical school lecture hall or library, she spends a lot of time in the air working on circus arts such as aerial silks, aerial hoop, and flying pole. Brooke also enjoys drawing, sculpting, reading and going dancing with friends. Her lifelong interest in the arts prompted her to complete a studio art minor during her time as an undergraduate student at UNC, and her absolute favorite class from this minor was metal sculpture. Her interests in both medicine and the arts have collided in many of her past art pieces, and she often finds a new perspective to a situation when engaging with it through an artistic lens. She was excited to learn about and be a part of the SCOPES project for this same reason. This program allowed her the opportunity to reflect on her patient’s story in a unique way, and enabled her to share that story and reflection with others.
