Beyond Skin
by Naveed Shah
Artist’s Statement:
While sitting alongside the attending physician, I observed the interactions she had with her patient. It was clear from the patient’s enthusiasm and ease in speaking that she had an established trust in her physician. From her family affairs to her personal struggles, the patient allowed us a glimpse into her life. As I thought of her condition, I couldn’t help but to now imagine its effects on her role as a mother, wife, and provider.
It appears to be natural practice to examine the patient from outside to in, that is examining what’s on the surface-at the level of the skin-before doing a deeper study into his or her physiology and anatomy. What if we began instead, beyond the skin? At the most basic level-who is this individual? In doing so, we maintain that it is the human that comes first, not his or her accompanying pathology.
Naveed Shah is a third-year medical student at the UTCOMLS.
