Great experience..Exceptionally well rounded training for building the future leaders like us..through the out the day one I was overwhelmed with tragedy faced by Lewis Blackman’s family. One of our attending once told us..” Hospitals are dangerous places over weekends”.. This incidence just gave the glimpse of it..enthusiastic and brain storming discussions filled the entire day..This is really preparing us to think through the process and find solutions for this growing prproblem of medical errors. Second day took us further in depth of this patient safety issues and need for culture change. I had been doing a lot of introspection about my experience in US healthcare system all these days..see,s like “healthcare reprogramming” is the best solution here. This work shop is preparing us for upcoming challenges.
The exciting part of this workshop is making new friends from different places and different specialities who are in various different levels… Continue reading
As medical students we are often made to feel like an annoyance to everyone: the attending who can’t be bothered to teach yet another new batch of newbies, the nurse who wishes we would get out of their way so he/she can do their job, the resident who is post call and just wants a bed, and yes, even sometimes the patient who at times view us as yet another person who will do the same thing to them that 3 other people had already done that day. However, after having heard the stories and discussed with fellow colleagues at the camp today, I realize that I should not let anyone make me feel like a hassle. I should take ownership of my assigned patient and do my absolute best to help them. I need to not be kept in the sidelines, but to be in the trenches with the… Continue reading
Today was the first official day of the Academy for Emerging Leaders in Patient Safety: The Marseille Experience, and after just a few short hours here I realized how fitting that name is. First of all, Marseille really is an experience. The beauty can’t be captured in pictures and the peacefulness and tranquility is something that can only be felt. It truly is the perfect location to forget about the stress of life and the pressure of school and focus on the important issue of patient safety. Second, the insight, opinions, and ideas that my fellow “Marseille Alumni” have already shared makes me believe that these really are the emerging leaders in patient safety. The discussions had during day one have already exceeded my expectations and I look forward to what the rest of the week will bring.
One of the topics that came up today that resonated with me… Continue reading
Today was the first official day of 11th Marseille Patient Safety Camp and it far exceeded any expectations I might have had. From the moment I sat around the fire outside of our beautiful lodge nestled in the jaw dropping landscape that makes up Marseille, I was sold. The enthusiasm of everyone around me, the great conversations and the energy radiating off of this group of people all excited to be here learning from some of the best in patient safety as well as from each other tipped me off that this is going an unforgettable experience in my medical career.
After hopping on the gondola and experiencing one of the best morning commutes I could imagine, we settled in for a day filled with thoughtful discussion, heart wrenching stories and collaborative learning. Unlike many of my colleagues here, I have a very limited background in quality improvement and… Continue reading
Today our group watched “The Faces of Medical Errors…From Tears to Transparency: The Story of Lewis Blackman” as the beginning of the 10th Marseille Patient Safety Student Summer Camp. The film brought up so many emotions for me, including sadness, rage, shock, and embarrassment. Even as a new member of the healthcare community, I felt embarrassed to be associated with such an out-of-control beast that could make not one, not two, but such a series of errors as to end the life of a 15 year old boy, a tragedy that could have been prevented at so many stops along the way.
The most eye-opening line of the film came from something said by Lewis’s mother, Helen, while reflecting on the events of that week. She said, “The hospital was the only place that he couldn’t get the medical attention that he needed.” She went on to talk… Continue reading
I have been blaming the air for my shortness of breath. And I have been blaming the allergy season for my tears during the film showings on these two days. The truth is that I have been having more visceral reactions toward the patient safety stories. It gets emotional easily when I think that my family could have been the one affected by similar events.
Obtaining informed consents occupies a relatively minor part of a resident’s day. After viewing Michael’s story, I have to ask whether it should be the case. The moment when an informed consent is being obtained, usually is a critical time in a patient’s stay: it means a likely diagnosis was suggested and it means a possible treatment has been proposed.
It should be a time of many questions: how was the diagnosis obtained? what else could… Continue reading
The day started with Dr. Cliff’s “railmen story”–Listen to the Rhythm. I was deeply impressed by Dr. Cliff’s kindness to, and caring for others, whom he does not know and may never know. Not only did he give extra notice to the things easily overlooked as a passerby, but he also carried out his caring despite the inconvenience to himself. I was thinking to myself what in the world could stop this devoted man from becoming extraordinary? He is so caring to the world outside of his expertise, then what level of caring does he pay to his field? I was also reflecting on myself on how far I am behind him as for the caring heart—-how often I overlook what’s going on outside because I am already quite full with my own business?
A fun thing for today was Teeter Totter Game. This was my first time playing the… Continue reading
By Jenna Reece MS2 Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons
Many fantastic take-home thoughts from Day 2 of Marseille. Hearing the medical error stories, I couldn’t help but reflect on my main reason for being here, and for working towards improving the medical profession: I want to be a part of a profession that I can believe in.
A lot of the stories that we have heard reflect a willingness to see the world through one myopic lens, rather than stepping back, and considering why we all went into medicine in the first place.
For example, we have heard terrible stories about the way that hospitals have treated the victims of medical error. These actions, to me, reflect fear. We are so terrified of lawsuits, that we fail to step back and consider the ethics of their situation, and the humanity of our victims. The… Continue reading
By John Joseph, MS2 Wayne State School of Medicine
We completed the first day of the Marseille Patient Safety Summer Camp and I can say already that I am so glad I took the time to make the trip out. Marseille is a beautiful place and the enthusiasm and passion of the participants and leaders has reignited my interest. The lesson that stood out the most to me today was the video put together by Drs. Mayer and McDonald on the heartbreaking case of Lewis Blackman. His mother, Helen Haskell, fought tremendously for Lewis while he was in the hospital (and she continues to fight the system that killed him to this day) after a routine surgery. She trusted her instincts that something was wrong and repeatedly pushed for more senior physicians to examine Lewis, over and over and over. I was shocked that despite her insistence, that her requests… Continue reading