During one of his first rotations at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita, third-year student Will Cleek looked over a list of often interrelated medical conditions involving the patient he calls Ms. C. After visiting her daily, Cleek came to realize that Ms. C always mentioned her pain instead of those conditions.

Once the medical team addressed and lessened her chronic pain, Ms. C became more personable and cooperative and some of the other medical conditions resolved. Cleek took away valuable lessons: Even when training may teach a doctor to attack other problems first, "Don't write off what they're telling you. Pain can mask the person beneath and create impressions and biases that are wrong."

Cleek and fellow third-year Joe Brungardt recently shared stories of how patients became their teachers during KU School of Medicine-Wichita's second Legacy Teachers^® event. Legacy Teachers^®, begun in 2005 at the University of Missouri School of Medicine-Columbia and now in its second year at the Wichita campus, celebrates the patients who influenced and helped shape students' approach to medicine and providing care. 

Both Brungardt, from Wichita, and Cleek, from Olathe, wrote essays about their memorable patients and on March 22 had the opportunity to share their recollections with a lunchtime crowd of second-year medical students, who are just months away from delving into their clinical training. The patients, referenced by Cleek and Brungardt by pseudonyms, will each receive a certificate noting their contribution to the student's education.

Dr. Scott Moser, associate dean of curriculum, introduced the event and told about "Frank," a man he met early in his oncology rotation during medical school. The man's bravery and generosity of spirit during a bone marrow biopsy - the first Moser had done - demonstrated how "our patients are our best teachers."

Frank, a veteran of too many biopsies, asked Moser how many biopsies he'd performed and saw through Moser's vague answer of "very few," replying with a "first-timer, eh?" Frank then stoically tolerated Moser's two unsuccessful attempts - the maximum number of tries according to Moser's agreement with his supervisor - to power the big needle through the pelvic bone. But instead of balking at another go, Moser recalled, Frank told him to "try it again, Red!" 

Moser, his ginger hair now gray, succeeded on the third try and "learned a lesson about a patient's sacrifice for my education."

Brungardt's lesson came from a patient he couldn't really get to know, because "Gabe" was unable to communicate for an extended period.  Instead, he communicated closely with the man's family as the medical team tried to address multiple things that were going wrong with Gabe at once. 

Gabe eventually went home despite predictions that he never would. From him Brungardt learned that despite the survival or recovery statistics that can be placed upon each case and condition, "patients are not odds."

Learning to keep the humanity and individuality of patients top-of-mind is among the most valuable medical school lessons of all.