HUMANIZING HEALTHCARE: AN INTERVIEW WITH JOSHUA YOON
by Eileen Chen
Having a life while being in medical school sounds a bit like a paradox, but first year medical student Joshua Yoon is here to prove that it can be done.
While studying as a full-time student, Joshua also serves as the chair of the Kerrisdale Community Centre (KCC) Youth Committee. He began volunteering for KCC as a youth leader since he was in high school and says that the community is “dear to his heart.”
The original Youth Leaders in Action program that he participated in emphasized leadership, professionalism, and interpersonal skills, and involved collaborative event planning for various holidays and special occasions. Today, the Youth Committee still runs several community events in spite of COVID-19, such as an intergenerational tech workshop that pairs high school volunteers with seniors in the community.
Joshua was initially surprised by the level of interest shown by both seniors and high school students to return to these events after the pandemic put it on hold. They followed strict COVID-19 protocols for masking and distancing, and have had several successful sessions this summer.
“There are more avenues for intergenerational dialogue now, whether digital or remote or not,” said Joshua. The seniors in the program have always been more than willing to divulge experiences beyond laptop and smartphone trouble-shooting, and the pandemic has only highlighted the importance of social interaction in a time of physical distancing. Joshua notes that intergenerational dialogue isn’t emphasized by most school curriculums, which makes these community activities especially valuable to the youth.
Even as a medical student, interpersonal skills are indispensable. During practicum at the Vancouver General Hospital, Joshua has to practice interviewing patients to identify their problems and efficiently summarize them. Although most of these “patients” are volunteers or standardized patients—trained actors for medical students to practice their clinical and interview skills with—the ability to connect with patients’ problems while reserving judgment is clearly valued by the curriculum.
When asked his reason for pursuing medicine, Joshua replied simply, “I fell in love with learning about the human body!” Studying physiology as an undergraduate made him in awe with the everyday activities that we take for granted. Even the small act of getting up from bed is triggered by a series of complex physiological actions sparked by the precise firing of neurons. He isn’t currently sure what medical specialization he will pursue, but given the interconnected nature of each system in the human body and how diseases affect one another, he isn’t too worried about committing to one specific niche at this point. He is most interested in forging relationships with people on their journeys to recovery, regardless of whether it is in a clinical or hospital context.
Beyond links within the human body, Joshua notes that the study of medicine itself is intertwined with other disciplines. He is especially enlightened by the sociological dimensions of his core curriculum.
While anyone can get sick, some communities are at greater risk than others, and access to healthcare is far from equitable. Joshua raises the example of barriers to healthcare for Indigenous people and the lack of Indigenous-centred resources in BC. Furthermore, there is still considerable stigma against people who don’t identify as cis-gender. To add a word of my own, this is not only a problem in healthcare practices, but in health research as well, as is manifested in the use of gender binary models and rigid database filters.
“Between a physician and a patient, there are power dynamics at play,” Joshua also observes. “Patient-centred care is all about the patient and treating them with their values in mind.” The traditional model for Western medical practice is a paternalistic one in which the doctor makes decisions and the patient is expected to comply. Today, a collaborative process is favoured—one that is centred on the patient and involves doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, other specialists, and even social workers.
When asked about his thoughts on alternative medicine and traditional healing practices, Joshua says that he takes a similar approach to it as he does with religion. “Patient values are of the utmost importance.” He respects and values what treatment patients seek, and believes that a doctor’s role is to give the best advice he can and allow patients to make their own choices. If evidence points to these practices not being the best option for a patient, he would still validate the option while proposing better alternatives, as at the end of the day, he believes in giving patients all the options.
Besides, holistic medicine implies that Western medicine shouldn’t be the only valued framework, and Joshua notes that there are many intersections between Western medicine and other traditional practices. For example, the traditional Chinese herb mahuang contains active compounds that were isolated in the development of a drug for nasal congestion.
Finally, when asked about advice for people with an interest in pursuing medicine, Joshua emphasizes the importance of focusing on passion and looking past horror stories of debt, over-time, and being in your thirties by the time you graduate. “If you’re passionate about the human body and care about helping people at their worst times, you can make a difference.”
Joshua also encourages interested prospective students to not be discouraged by having a non-medical background, as there are many healthcare professionals with varying experiences, and this diversity is essential for a holistic, patient-centred approach to medicine.
Those with any inquiries for Joshua, as well as those who are passionate about forging intergenerational relationships, climate change initiatives, or the Youth Leaders program at KCC in general are more than welcome to contact Joshua (yoon.joshua@hotmail.com), or inquire at the Community Centre for more details!
Originally published at Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society’s e-zine, The Colloquium:
