Experiences of the DeBakey Scholars

By investing more than $1.7 million in the Medical Humanities Program at Baylor, the DeBakey Medical Foundation has made it possible for a highly motivated and academically talented group of students to be named as DeBakey Scholars each year. 

In carrying the distinguished title of a DeBakey Scholar, students are to act as custodians of the DeBakey legacy: to uphold a standard of personal excellence and act as continuing agents of the foundation’s vision for the place of the humanities in medicine.

Here's what some DeBakey Scholars had to say about their experiences this semester:

“This semester I had the privilege of being involved in the organization of Healthcare Interprofessional Week sponsored by the Baylor PreHealth department and the Healthcare Leadership Fellows. This week-long series of panel discussions featured insights from various healthcare professionals of different disciplines from the local community as they deliberated fictional case studies. Their dialogue focused on how their respective disciplines would manage the patient’s care, but more importantly, where there were opportunities for collaboration to determine how they could deliver the best care possible. Each panelist stressed the importance of reducing the stigma of discussing death with one’s loved ones, as expressing one’s wishes early increases the likelihood they will be achieved. Modern American culture rarely discusses death let alone acknowledges it, even though it is unfortunately omnipresent. While it may seem morbid to tell a room full of college youth to contemplate their own death, in reality, it served as a sobering reminder that not only is our time on earth short, it is never guaranteed.” – Carlos Alvarado-Richter

“I was moved by the magnitude and weightiness of end-of-life matters and felt compelled to take Supervised Hospice Care. I was able to shadow nurses, chaplains, and social workers of the hospice team as well as volunteer, which I have continued to do with the organization since. As a hospice volunteer, I help provide comfort, fellowship, and support to several patients in their homes. I am a listening ear and hear the nuances of the patient’s well-being and suffering and my feedback is an integral part of the care team’s evaluation… The patient is seen not as their disease, but as a human with a wealth of life experiences in the last chapter of life. The fact that they are nearing death does not make the patients any less worthy of care and presence. My passion for end-of-life care and alleviating suffering has continued to spur my educational interests.” – Emma Fraga

“This fall, I have had the incredible opportunity to take Supervised Clinical Medicine with Dr. Barron.  Since becoming a Medical Humanities major, I have wanted to take “the shadowing class,” as it had often been described to me, and over the course of this semester it has easily become one of my favorite classes that I’ve taken here at Baylor. The experiences I have had through this course have stood out to me because of their diversity and the ability to share and connect over them with my peers.  I’ve been encouraged by the physicians I have shadowed and Dr. Barron to be curious, ask questions, and wrestle with the difficult cases or stories that I witness.” – Jessica James

“As I reflect on my journey, I can’t help but think about how much I have changed as an individual, a student, and a follower of Christ over the past four years. I am incredibly grateful for the relationships I have built, the lessons I have learned, and the memories I have made. Although I did not know it at the time, my choice to attend Baylor University and join the Medical Humanities Program was one that would profoundly affect my life and my future career. Through my courses and the opportunities that I have had in college, I have built an understanding of what it means to be a conscientious and compassionate healthcare professional, which I will carry into my future education and career. On the days when I felt stressed, overwhelmed, or burnt out, I was able to rely on the foundation that I had built and remember why I wanted to be a physician. With help from my professors and my coursework, I was able to better understand and articulate my desires, passions, and aptitudes as they applied to my calling in medicine.” – Mallory Abbot