David participated in the GOCHATS program, which pairs medical students with patients receiving treatment at the Duke Cancer Center. In his interviews with his patient, David was most profoundly struck by the depth of commitment between her and her spouse. “Under One’s Wing” is an attempt to capture the strength of that bond and of the advocacy and love his patient’s partner provided during a protracted and meandering treatment saga. Said treatment often involved isolation due to immune suppression – even before the coronavirus pandemic – a theme represented by the central pair’s lonesomeness on the bough.
About the Artist: David Stevens
David Stevens was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and enrolled at DukeMed after studying history and chemistry in college. His course of study included several courses in the history of medicine, which first opened his eyes to the medical humanities and the interconnectedness of disease, society, and culture. Within medicine, David is interested in internal medicine, cardiology, and minimally invasive procedures. Outside of medicine, he enjoys distance running all over Durham, reading books and magazines, and playing golf at the Duke course. David chose to participate in SCOPES in order to maintain a personal passion for visual art.