Pro Me members show off their personalized cards of encouragement for patients at a local medical center.
By Kathleen Jean-Louis
Very often, you might think of health professionals and characterize them as logical, left-brained, methodical, and systematic. You might not see them as risk-takers, explorers, or creative-types. In reality, individuals that push the most innovation in any field, including health care, are all of the above.
One of my struggles in pharmacy school has been being unable to express my creativity. I grew up singing, playing guitar, loving theater, and being excited about art. My favorite books were mystery novels. However, I also love the sciences and pharmacy. There is no greater feeling than counseling a patient, seeing understanding spread across their face, and knowing their compliance will increase.
In true “Embrace Your Calling” fashion, I was able to combine my interests and co-found a new student organization, highlighting creativity and medicine at Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP).
A therapeutic intervention
My love of mystery novels definitely contributed to my love of infectious disease (ID). As ACP Assistant Professor Kristen Preston, PharmD, would say, “ID is a mystery and you’re the detective.” What health professionals with a talent often deal with is the difficulty in reconciling art and medicine together, as they can appear to be operating on different spectrums. Nonetheless, art is being used for therapeutic interventions daily.
Traumatic brain injury can lead to damage in the left-brain region responsible for speech. The right side of the brain is where the ability to sing originates. Singing bypasses the left side of the brain and can allow patients to gradually stop singing the melody, and speak. Dancing and art have also been used to improve symptoms of neurodegenerative disorders. Studies in the Journal of Neural Transmission and Complementary Therapies in Medicine show dancing contributes to neurological adaptations such as neurogenesis and improvement of neural activity due to the combination of music, coordinated movement strategies, self-awareness, and cognitive engagement. This was the inspiration for my reaching out to Dr. Preston regarding a new organization. She not only teaches ID at ACP, but the coveted “Music and Medicine” elective.
The structure and foundation of an organization was there, but the organization’s name evaded us. It wasn’t until I had a seemingly innocuous conversation with ACP Assistant Professor of Neuropsychology Ted W. Hagen II, PhD, about Dietrich Bonhoeffer that I knew what the name should be.
Pro Me is formed
Bonhoeffer was a German theologian famous for being an ordained pastor embroiled in a plot to overthrow Hitler. Dr. Hagen introduced me to Bonhoeffer’s concept of living pro me (pronounced “pro may”), Latin for “for me.” His concept of living for others was the inspiration for the name of our novel health professional organization. Thus, Pro Me was created at ACP.
Pro Me is an organization where health professionals can use their talents to promote healing and emotional well-being while creatively pushing health care initiatives. Students and faculty volunteer their time and/or talent at health care facilities, homeless shelters, or even schools. Pro Me is divided into two subsets, “The Cast” and “The Crew.” The Cast consists of the organization’s officers, which include the President, Social Media, Art, Music, and Performance Chair. The Crew consists of general members. Any health professional, regardless of their talent, can join and volunteer.
Pro Me’s ACP Chapter, while continuing to volunteer at various health care facilities, is currently working on creating a comic strip that stresses the importance of healthy eating for elementary aged children in the Grundy-Oakwood Appalachian region. Later this year they will participate in Pro Me’s Superhero Day, where members visit children’s hospitals and dress up to entertain children.
At first glance, medicine and art appear to be two separate entities. One is consistent, often irrefutable, and based on fact. The latter is considered intangible, subjective, and variable. However, medicine’s ultimate goal is to bring healing to your body, while art’s ultimate goal is to bring healing to your soul. Pro Me can provide the framework for both, and has allowed me to embrace my calling as an artist and future pharmacist.