Nuvance Health and University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine Annual Report 2022

Joanna Pierce
UVMLCOM Class of 2025
Justin Henningsen, PhD
UVMLCOM Class of 2025
Lessons Learned from Ugandan Women
Meeting so many impressive female doctors here in Uganda has been
very meaningful. This evening, for instance, I spoke with a female
pediatric oncologist who joined us for dinner at the Luboga’s home. She
shared similar encounters she had as a medical student and as a young
doctor. It was encouraging to hear how she responded and ultimately
excelled, securing her spot as one of only a few pediatric oncologists in
all of Uganda. Knowing that she and other female doctors have endured
similar challenges gives me reassurance and encouragement to finish
the last week in a more positive light. Encountering these biases and
speaking with women who have overcome them have helped me feel
better prepared to navigate similar situations at home.
Cultural Competency
There was a period early in this century when “cultural competency” was
an important buzzword. The zeitgeist seemed to focus on the idea that to
understand a person, you must truly understand their culture. It seems
so self-evident now how impossible, foolish even, such a task would be.
We are all a product of our culture. It surrounds us, shaping our thoughts,
emotions, and self-image. But what culture actually is—the stuff it is made
of—is so abstract and amorphous that I think it is impossible to fully
understand one’s own culture, let alone another.
This brings me back to the idea of cultural humility. It is the recognition that
people are a product of their cultures, along with the knowledge that we
cannot fully understand the intricacies of another culture. Humility comes
with a recognition that these differences exist and that one way is not better
than another—just different.
Bemen Habashi, MD
Clinical Educator at the Yale-Waterbury Internal Medicine Residency Program
Palliative Care
I was invited to join the palliative outreach program for a visit. The services
that they provide to care for these patients are amazing. They ensure to
touch their patients on all levels: economically, socially, spiritually, and
medically to provide comfort. All free of charge. It is fascinating to know
that in a country like Uganda, with their limited medical resources, they
do care for those patients who need some comfort due to the burden of
terminal illness. Ironically, in the United States, we do not have palliative
care services except for a few academic facilities that strive to make it an
affordable and available service for their patients.
Joanna with the medical team
50 ANNUAL REPORT 2022
NUVANCE HEALTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
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