[Mark11]

Medical student perspective on stem cell donation

by Mark11 on Mon Mar 02, 2015 8:41 pm

I read this article written by a medical student that discusses his experience as a stem cell donor for a myeloma patient. Great experience for a future doctor. He discusses some experiences we as patients are all too familiar with. I am sure this experience will serve him well in the future. Hopefully he has cured a patient of myeloma even before he has started practicing medicine!

Excerpts:

"I got the call the day we took a test that covered bone marrow transplants during my second year of medical school. I was the match for a patient with multiple myeloma, a disease that may be cured with a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HPST). Foggy details that I had crammed for the exam (peripheral versus surgical? what growth factor again?) resurfaced as I discussed the procedure in the coming weeks with the staff from the Wisconsin Blood Center. I have learned a great deal by being a HPST donor. The most obvious pedagogical part has been about the biology of stem cell transplants. I will forever remember the adverse effects, pharmacokinetics, and uses of filgrastim (G-CSF). And my recipient’s disease has been made much more human and relevant than regurgitating facts about it on an exam. But on a deeper level, I gained a better understanding of empathy from being outside of the white coat.'

"Learning and teaching empathy are difficult propositions. Can seeing medicine from the patient's point of view be a way to accomplish this? Certainly, my journey as a donor did not include the suffering that a sick person experiences. However, I did experience the bureaucracy and inconvenience that can accompany medicine. ... I got to experience the anxiety of anticipating adverse effects from G-CSF and the procedure. The drug is known to cause bone pain, making me worry that it would prevent me from running or even attending school. I also got to fret about rare effects like life-threatening splenic rupture. Fortunately, I tolerated the drug fairly well with no major adverse effects. However, I did learn the difference between memorizing a laundry list of drug effects ad nauseam and dreading the impact they may have on a patient's life."

"My life in medicine will be a quest to prevent suffering and save lives. I find it fascinating and uplifting that minor discomfort and inconvenience on my part may help cure another person. After the procedure, I learned something that made multiple myeloma even more personal. An aunt I fondly remember from childhood died from the disease. If HPST had been an option, she may have lived longer — if a match had been available. I am thankful for the opportunity to try and save a life via the Wisconsin Blood Center and the Be The Match Registry. I am also grateful for the opportunity to experience firsthand what my future patients will tolerate when they visit me."

Jared Bozeman, "Medical Student Perspectives: On Being The Match,"American College of Physicians IMpact Newsletter, March 2015 (link to article)

[cindylouise]

Re: Medical student perspective on stem cell donation

by cindylouise on Tue Mar 03, 2015 6:33 pm

Thank you for posting that. I think that young man will probably make an amazing doctor!!