The first Clown Town Healing Fest in the United States was held at the downtown Phoenix Arizona Center on Saturday, February 26. The planning for this day of love, laughter, and healing was led by Dr. Carl Hammerschlag who has been friends with the famous “clowning” doctor, Patch Adams, for many years. A quote by Patch Adams that I came across is: “The purpose of a doctor or any human in general should not be to simply delay the death of the patient, but to increase the person’s quality of life.”
If I had read this quote before medical school, it may have seemed more profound. I do not mean to imply that Patch Adams’ quote is not profound, but rather, I mean to demonstrate the wonderful curriculum that The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix provides. The idea in this quote is deeply embedded in the curriculum at UA COM-P.
We are taught about the importance of ethics in patient care. We learn in our ethics lectures that we should always consider the patient’s quality of life, and we are taught to make decisions that will give our patients the chance at a meaningful life. We understand the importance of building relationships with our patients and the necessity to know what our patients desire in their medical care. The Doctoring course is another aspect of the curriculum that teaches us to be more than just “delayers of death.” In this course we have the opportunity to practice with standardized patients how to make an emotional connection—an important tenant emphasized at the Clown Town Healing Fest.
The collaboration of UA COM-P faculty in the planning and execution of The Clown Town Healing Fest demonstrates our school’s commitment to bringing healing to the community and teaching medical students to care for all aspects of a patient’s health. Just over 30 first year medical students from our school volunteered at the Clown Town Healing Fest. Students helped with simulation demonstrations, encouraged people to talk to truth fairies, and talked to people about their experiences at the event. This shows the commitment of our students to helping others learn about health, prevention, and healing. I am so grateful to attend a school that has a well-rounded and patient-centered curriculum.
MS1 volunteers at the Clown Town Healing Fest. Photo Courtesy of Katie Hawk, MS1.
Madalyn Nelson is part of the 2020 class at The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. She is an Arizona native and graduated from Xavier University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology. Madalyn has a passion for traveling and global health. To contact Madalyn, please email her at madalyndnelson[at]email.arizona.edu.