One evening after Dean’s dinner, second-year students in the MD program, Dorothy Gheorghiu and Dave Salven, were walking across the Anderson Street bridge when they recognized a person in distress and three other people standing near him. Quickly assessing the situation as dangerous and recognizing the need for action – and human connection – they acted. Dave called 911 while Dorothy greeted the distressed man, having a conversation with him, inquiring about his circumstances, and facilitating his comfortable acceptance of help from the Duke Police who arrived on the scene.
Joy Xiao and Neha Patel, first-year students in the PT program walking to their cars after the first Wednesday Wellness Workshop, had noticed the person in distress and were two of the three other people on scene when Dorothy and Dave arrived. After the man’s safety was ensured, the four health professions students walked together for a bit and checked in on each other. Offers of support and admiration were well-received before they parted ways. The next morning, Joy wrote to the Associate Dean for Learning Environment and Well-Being to briefly describe the incident and express her hope that someone would check in on Dorothy and Dave to make sure they were OK.
Two weeks later, John H. Dailey, Chief of Police, Duke University, reached out to SOM leadership to commend the students, particularly Dorothy Gheorghiu, for their bravery and skill.
Our students stepped outside of their comfort zone when they each stopped and did the best they could in an unfamiliar and frightening situation, recognizing shared humanity, and heeding the call to help. An impressed Joy wrote, “We were so glad to have the two MD students there [me applauding]…They acted very fast and kindly. Dave Salven called 911, and Dorothy Gheorghiu calmly talked with the person in danger.”
In medical education, we spend a lot of time brainstorming ways to get our interprofessional health professions education (HPE) students to collaborate. We offer optional seminars. We test out various wellness workshops. Teams create opportunities for shared learning experiences during FLIP sessions. Our students may find themselves assigned to teams on which other HPE students also work, and we hope professional and collaborative relationships form.
Unable to fully close the chapter on this story (was the person in distress able to access useful help?) and rejecting the idea that any other motive (getting home at the end of a long day, studying, relaxing) would have crossed her mind at the time, Gheorghiu notes, “There is no greater purpose in life than to help somebody who needs it.” Collaboration, compassion, and authentic human connection…we would all do well to remember the importance of these simple elements in our lives and our work.