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Albert Schweitzer Fellows Find New Way to Serve Community

I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.
                - Albert Schweitzer

HANOVER, NH - The legacy of Albert Schweitzer, a renowned humanitarian and physician, is thriving at DMS. Eight ambitious second-year DMS medical students who are recipients of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship are laying the foundations for their community service projects, taking on responsibilities ranging from consoling a patient on her deathbed to pirouetting across a ballet studio.

The 2003 fellows, selected from a competitive pool of applicants by the NH/VT program, will contribute at least 200 hours of service towards filling the health needs of the community. While the fellows certainly have their work cut out for them, they are all eager to begin to enrich the lives of others and, ultimately, themselves through the rewarding process.

Shirin Sioshansi and Roy Wade will focus their time and energy on a cultural versatility program to empower their fellow students with the ability to provide the best possible health care by keeping patients' cultural identities in mind. "We don't think of ourselves as cultural experts," said Sioshansi, "but we feel it is important to address this issue and provide an introduction to the complications that cultural differences can bring to a doctor's office." They plan on leading workshops and discussions on how international cultures view disease and healthcare, conduct mock interview sessions, and examine health disparities among various groups in America. "We hope that DMS graduates will seek to learn about a patient's culture as they learn how to treat their illnesses." said Sioshansi, adding that the goal is to make it a permanent addition to the DMS curriculum.

Elizabeth Eisenhardt will build on her interest in the healing arts by teaching a ballet class to provide the medical community with a time to relax, to exercise and to be artistic. "I hope to instill an appreciation of the art, and to help teach music appreciation, she said. "As stressed medical students, I hope this will provide much needed personal meditation time as well as increasing body awareness." Eisenhardt plans on putting together a dance troupe to perform in local senior homes and hospitals. "That way, she said, "we will be able to inspire others and keep our souls healthy too!"

"In med school, we focus most of our energy in learning how to handle the outcome of a disease or health issue," said Emily Walker, "but we think it is extremely important to learn about methods to control and prevent diseases, so they never become issues." She and Krista Heydt will lead a team of medical students to educate patients of the Good Neighbor Health Center on methods to maintain cardiovascular health and provide one-on-one support in making necessary lifestyle changes. "Many patients can make a significant impact in their long-term health by making a few changes in their eating habits, exercise regimen and stress level," Walker said. "I feel like it will make a big difference for people," added Heydt. "It will be like having your own personal trainer to strengthen your muscles � this just focuses on the heart muscle."

Joe Dwaihy is connecting literature with medicine in his efforts to provide companionship and conversation to hospice patients. He plans to write a book based on their life stories and his experiences with them in their final days. "There's a lot of prose by doctors, teachers and writers, but it is difficult to find something written by a student," said Dwaihy, who will focus his time on patients who are dying alone. "I believe I'm in a unique position to connect to hospice patients � they are vulnerable because they are faced with the end of life and I am vulnerable because I have so much to learn."

"We realized there is no 'safe' place for Hanover teens to go and talk about emerging drug and alcohol issues," said Katrina Mitchell, as she explained her motivation to start a peer support group for area teens. She and fellow medical student Christopher Jons will provide a forum for "at risk" teens to address substance abuse concerns in a positive, non-punitive environment. Mitchell and Jons will build off their considerable experience working with teens and, in addition to regular discussions and outreach, plan on incorporating community service activities, social activism and hiking trips to build a community of hope. "Teens are under so much pressure already," points out Mitchell, "that we feel that a easy, positive environment where they can rely on their peers and not be threatened with punishments will pull them through their struggles toward recovery."

Joe O'Donnell, senior advising dean, extols the value of what can be accomplished when funds are combined with young idealism and an academic environment to nurture them. "Our students learn about patient care in lectures but the Schweitzer fellows are in a unique position to actually apply this knowledge to benefit themselves and the community," he said. "We hope this incredible program provides enrichment that extends beyond this one-year experience and enables our students to be Schweitzer fellows for life."

Past Schweitzer projects include smoking cessation programs, building and maintaining trails around DHMC, a resource guide for Teens, and the DMS Patient Partnership Program.

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