Disconnected

Kathleen Dao, the collaborating illustrator of “Disconnected,” is an undergraduate student at UTA studying Biology. “I’m a premed student, and all my life, so many people have told me to focus on the science of medicine, that helping people has more to do with medications and treatments than anything. It wasn’t really until I entered college that I began to hear more about the issue of patients feeling that they weren’t being seen or heard by their doctors. Therefore, I decided to draw this picture to represent this problem. I used warmer tones on the patient and cooler tones on the doctor to show the disconnect between them. Instead of providing the patient with the attention and warmth that they are seeking, the doctor instead focuses more on their laptop, prioritizing the science of medicine over its humanity."

Smriti Ghimire, the collaborating author of “Disconnected,” is an undergraduate student at UTA studying Biology. “As a premedical student, I have been exposed to the many ways in which healthcare is changing as a result of continuous technological advancements. Though technology is helping to make treatment more efficient, there have been several concerns from patients about the lack of connection with their physicians. ‘Disconnected’ is a piece that serves to illustrate this issue in healthcare and highlight the importance of the medical humanities. I wrote the poem in a free-form couplet style and in a manner that walks the reader through the modern patient experience. I also meant for the title to hold a double meaning so that it emphasizes the irony in modern healthcare practices. The final takeaway is that efficiency doesn’t necessarily equate to effectiveness, and that is something for current and future healthcare providers to keep in mind.”