The Voices in Humanism (Voices) initiative is a collaboration between The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine’s Gold Humanism Honor Society Resident Chapter and the OSU Medical Heritage Center. The mission is to collect, preserve, and share the arts created during this challenging time. Students, residents, faculty, staff, alumni, and all members of the healthcare family submit all forms of visual arts, writing, and music to the collection. To view the growing collection, visit the Voices webpage.
Ounce of Prevention was created and submitted by OAFP Past President Brian Bachelder, MD.
“I created this piece to honor the dedication of family physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic and donated it to the 2021 American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation silent auction,” said Dr. Bachelder.
Going to the Park was submitted Jeanie Croope, an artist, photographer, blogger, and community volunteer.
“Ask any grandpa and they will tell you nothing is better than one-on-one time with their grandchild—especially after months of separation due to COVID restrications. The little one may be too small to remember in years to come, but the elder will never forget a magic moment like this one,” stated Jeanie.
Sunset Park was submitted by OAFP member Holly Cronau, MD.
“Our Port Clinton home is blessed with a lovely park nearby with spectacular sunsets.” Retiring from family medicine brings its quiet rewards,” stated Dr. Cronau.
A New Day was submitted by Louise Dierker, MD, MPH, MM, MFA, who, following a career in medicine as a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, pursued her love of music, earning degrees in music composition.
Dr. Dierker, reflecting about her photograph, stated, “After a long winter’s night, I am always in awe of the rising sun of the early morning hours; transcendent beauty which brings with it the peace “which passeth all understanding.’”
Submitted by Twyana Davis, Afghan Girl is a charcoal drawing created after she saw the girl on the cover of National Geographic. “I was captivated by her eyes,” said Twyana.
“I believe the eyes are the windows to the soul. What we see and experience shapes our world either in a negative or a positive way. As I stared at the image, I wondered long and hard about all she had experienced at such a young age. So, I recreated her capturing every expression in her eyes,” shared Twyana.
In this submission by Jody Glasser Sobol’s The Whimsical World of Wilbur, he says, “There’s always lots to be grateful for…just maybe not this turkey costume!”
How Mommy Found Her Way Home is a touching and poignant story told by a young girl about the tragedy and hope she feels because her mother is in prison. The words of authors Annette Dominguez and Candace Paulucci and the artistry of Shelia Luther bring this story to all of us with compassion and hope for tomorrow.
“Lily’s life is a composite of the children of incarcerated mothers we worked with for more than 30 years,” said Ms. Dominguez.
The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) is partnering in this initiative by highlighting pieces of work in the Weekly Family Medicine Update, as well as on the Joy Among Chaos webpage. If you would like to contribute to this collection and share your own piece of work that reflects thoughts during this time of dual pandemics as we struggle to understand the impact on our patients, their families, our communities, our profession, and ourselves, we encourage you to do so. Submissions may be emailed to LCStoneMD@columbus.rr.com.
Financial support for this program is provided by the AAFP Foundation Philanthropic Consortium (FMPC) which is funded by members like you! Help programs like this continue to support family medicine by giving to the FMPC. Select “Chapter Grants” when making your gift online. Thank you!