Schwartz Rounds Help Students Explore Compassion in Healthcare
By Jennifer PersonsStay Updated with MCPHS News
During the educational rounds, two MCPHS pharmacy faculty shared how personal experiences with cancer taught them how to navigate uncertainty in healthcare.
Fans of medical dramas know what “rounds” are. A group of doctors visits a patient and reports on their condition, introducing the plot for the rest of the episode. In real medicine, rounds originated in France in the 1600s and came to the U.S. in the late 1800s to encourage collaborative discussions between patients and their healthcare providers.
Today, rounds take on many forms: clinical, as seen on television; research, to discuss current projects; and educational, to promote learning among providers. The Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, founded in Boston, provides the framework for educational rounds for more than 700 institutions across the country.
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) formed the Committee for Compassionate Care and became one of the first universities to host Schwartz Rounds for both undergraduate and graduate students. The University has offered Schwartz Educational Rounds every semester since 2009. The fall session, held in October, was titled “When You’re Not Sure: Navigating Uncertainty in Healthcare.”
“Uncertainty is a part of healthcare, and it can be scary, but it can also be informative,” said Dr. Rick Shifley, Chair of the MCPHS Committee for Compassionate Care. “You may not have clinical experience yet, so we’re offering these scenarios as a way to show you what uncertainty looks like and help prepare you for it.”
The event featured two associate professors from the School of Pharmacy: Dr. Christy Harris and Dr. Loriel Solodokin. They shared stories of how they deal with uncertainty not only in their professional lives, but also in their personal lives. Both have lost family members to cancer.
Dr. Solodokin’s experience of loss as a child helps her interact with patients at her hematology and oncology clinical practices at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
“It brings me joy to share my story with others, not because I have all the answers but because this story combines love, respect, grief, and uncertainty in decisions that helped me become the individual I am today,” she told attendees. “I hope my experience can help you treat yourselves and your loved ones with an equitable amount of grace and compassion that you extend to your patients.”
Dr. Harris, who also has a clinical practice in oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, explained that uncertainty is very common in cancer care, and every patient brings a new challenge.
“Even after 25 years practicing in oncology, there are days I don’t know what to do or recommend when there isn’t enough data to make the best decision,” she said. “We have to take the information available and come up with the most reasonable answer we can.”
Both Drs. Solodokin and Harris acknowledged that finding those answers is especially challenging when they are dealing with a loved one, balancing their personal stake with their professional knowledge as healthcare providers.
“More than anything, I hope students give themselves grace,” Dr. Harris said. “There are different roles they can play, and sometimes the best thing you can do is support your loved ones.”
“When I was first asked to speak about uncertainty, I planned to give a clinical example,” Dr. Solodokin added. “I’m glad I shared a personal story because it is part of the reason why I do what I do. It’s also my way of honoring my father.”
Schwartz Educational Rounds at MCPHS are held every fall and spring semester and are open to all students, faculty, and staff. The Committee for Compassionate Care also hosts Program Rounds to explore more specific issues within healthcare education and practice.
Featured Connections
Schools
More University News
PharmD Student has a Different Kind of Prescription for Service
Jill Patel brings lessons from criminal justice into his pharmacy studies, guided by a belief that both fields begin with helping people.
Halloween’s Scariest Candy for Your Teeth
A Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene professor shares how to enjoy Halloween candy without it coming back to haunt you.
Leading with Safety: Alum Builds Career Protecting People at Dana-Farber
Triple MCPHS alum Dr. Lyubov Duarte has found her professional home in environmental safety, ensuring a world-renowned cancer institute is safe for all patients, visitors, and staff.
Falls Awareness Event Returns to Educate & Connect the Community
Students from three Worcester-based programs hosted an interprofessional presentation to teach older adults strategies for preventing falls.