VCOM - Virginia 2017 Yearbook

BAHM Bioethics and Humanities in Medicine, a specialty committee of SOMA

Gregory Rodden and Stefani Mead

T he Bioethics and Humanities in Medicine (BAHM) committee wants to encourage critical thinking about the culture of medicine and strives to provide a place for collaborative and creative expression for medical students and community members. ■ ■ BAHM held a Cadaver Memorial Service on November 8, 2016. The service provided an opportunity for students to share gratitude for their donor cadavers and for the entire anatomy department. Students were organized into their lab groups and invited to the stage to share their thoughts and feelings about their anatomy experiences at VCOM. Afterward, they were given

floating lanterns to release into the pond at the VCOM

medical mission trips. They encouraged small-group discussion among students on several important questions. ■ ■ BAHM held a two-part series featuring Marc Edwards, PhD, a MacArthur Fellow and Virginia Tech professor, who played a crucial role in the discovery of the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Dr. Edwards answered questions about the role of physicians during public health crisis and how physicians can help rebuild the public’s trust in government- based health initiatives. BAHM also held a lunch with a video

amphitheater where the event took place. This was a unique and heartfelt event for all who attended. ■ ■ To help VCOM students better help their patients deal with substance abuse, BAHM hosted a talk by Warren Bickel, PhD, who leads the Virginia Tech Carilion Addiction Recovery Center. He discussed the current heroin addiction crisis in the United States and highlighted Southwest Virginia. ■ ■ BAHM held a round-table discussion about the ethical considerations that students should think about before participating in short-term

screening of Dr. Edwards explaining the cause of the water crisis.

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