Stoa
By Jean Llenos
Artist’s Statement:
A stoa is a Greek structure that serves as a covered walkway and gathering space. Although traditionally associated with the branch of philosophy Stoicism, it has classically been used as a gathering place and intersection of public life, commerce, philosophy, art, and many other aspects of life.
Medium: Digital
Dimensions: 1.63" x 15.51"
With this in mind, I believe it is an excellent representation of the spirit of healthcare, and I chose to demonstrate this with a stethoscope. Although a relatively simple tool utilized for some of the most basic and fundamental skills medical professionals will learn, behind the hand wielding lies the intersection of hundreds of people, circumstances, hopes, and dreams which all lead to one hand holding a stethoscope for the sake of another. Behind even the most simple auscultation are hundreds and thousands of hours of practice and study, the hands of physicians who passed on what they knew to their students, and the hopes and dreams of the people who came before. In the same way the simple stoa gave rise to busy marketplaces, exchanges of culture and idea, and built community, the humble stethoscope represents the intersection of every person who came before, all joined in the singular purpose of service to one's community.
Jean Llenos is a second-year medical student at the UTCOMLS.
