summer-2003-Part 2-live - Nieman Foundation - Harvard University

Portraits of the Living With the DeadA photographer documents the transition from medical student to physician.By Meryl LevinMedical ReportingThe process of dissecting the humanbody during Gross Anatomyclass forces medical students toface death, all in the hope of betterunderstanding life. This introductoryexperience is considered a major transitionin the training of physicians. Andhow medical students emerge fromtheir training sets the tone for the relationshipsthey will form with their patients.“Anatomy of Anatomy,” a book andtraveling exhibition, combines my photographsof a group of first-year medicalstudents during their anatomy classwith excerpts from journals they kept.During the past decade, I have focusedmy camera on issues of health andsocial welfare, observing the deliveryof health care from the patient side.Over time, I became curious about theunique skill-set required of physicians,as well as the intensity of their training.This led me to Cornell University’sWeill Medical College in the spring of1998. There I sought out a small groupof medical students willing to collaboratewith me on a project that woulddocument their anatomy course. Weworked in the basement lab, at thelibrary and in dorms, recording thestruggle of these doctors-to-be as theylearned the innermost workings of thehuman body. All of this was made possiblebecause of the generosity of individualswho, in death, donated theirbodies to medical education.We discovered that the dead canteach us in many ways. With honestyand openness, these students wroteabout their experiences and their relationshipsto their cadavers, or as onestudent wrote, her “own really livedead body.” The students’ words helpprovide “Anatomy of Anatomy” with aclear narrative framework.As these words and images havetraveled to 13 exhibition sites withinthe medical education arena, I’veworked closely with educators and students,organizing panel discussions toexplore the complex journey of movingfrom patient, to medical student, tophysician. ■Meryl Levin is a social documentaryphotographer based in New YorkCity. “Anatomy of Anatomy” and itstraveling exhibition were madepossible by the Open SocietyInstitute’s “Project on Death inAmerica.” More information aboutthe book and exhibition can befound at www.ThirdRailPress.org.mlevin@igc.orgI have finished my dissection of the wristand hand. It is 3 p.m., and I have to pickup my daughter from school. I hold herhand tightly as we cross the street. Shenotices, but doesn’t say anything. Herhand is soft and warm despite the Januarycold. This is what life feels like, I say tomyself. I have learned something aboutthe human touch. I will never holdsomeone’s hand the same old, ignorantway again. —RajivNieman Reports / Summer 2003 19