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Personal stories of loss, war, assault, courage and more were shared with a community of Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine students, faculty and staff during the fifth annual Behind the White Coat event on Friday, March 3.
The annual storytelling event was founded in 2019 by Heritage College students Sami Nandyal and Aiesha Polokampalli to create a community through storytelling. The founders were inspired by the long running podcast, “The Moth,” which uses the art of storytelling to honor both the “diversity and commonality of the human experience.”
According to Behind the White Coat’s website, the event aims to “Keep human connection at the forefront of our minds: damming back science’s tendency to see patients and people as a clump of cells and molecules with or without dysfunction. We refuse to forget the experiences, hopes, fears, joys and pains permeating the tissues around hearts.”
This year’s event was hosted by OMS II students Luke Kubacki and Meghan Trout, who throughout the evening introduced the storytellers and invited the audience to fully embrace what was being shared.
Before introducing the first storyteller, Kubacki acknowledged that many people are deprived of the opportunity to share their stories because of oppression or fear. He stated that the evening, just like other activities that happen in Heritage Hall, was “practice.”
“Tonight, the practice for us is to appreciate and value stories told openly so that when we encounter stories that are for whatever reason are hidden, we can recognize them and value them,” Kubacki said.
To kick off the evening, Sharon Casapulla, Ed.D. director of education and research in the Office of Rural and Underserved Programs, shared a simple story of her significant other bringing her a cup of coffee every morning. This small gesture, she said, allows her to wake up surrounded by feelings of love and support each day.
“Stories don’t really need to be epic, or grand, or even exciting. I think stories that are told with heart and compassion are bound to be good, they just need to be yours,” Casapulla said. She called the sharing of stories an act of love and a gift and encouraged the audience to receive the gifts with “open minds and open hearts.”
“Let yourself be moved and changed. You might find you carry these stories with you long beyond this evening,” Casapulla said.
Eight stories were told by students and faculty, with music shared by Matthew Morris and Max Hall. A few of the stories involved what inspired them to pursue medicine. Some shared about achievements that made them proud, others about difficult topics like sexual assault, self-doubt, being a minority in the United States and personal loss.
The audience welcomed each speaker warmly, giving them their time and emotionally connecting with the messages, as evidenced by the tissue boxes scattered throughout the space and sounds of both sniffling and laughter at various points throughout the night.
Sam Sullivan, OMS II, brought joy to the audience with his story, “My Best Friend,” about Bonnie, the black lab that saw him from childhood through his first year of medical school. He shared how the dog miraculously survived eating seven pounds of Halloween candy and an unknown amount of rat poison, causing the audience to laugh in amazement at the dog’s iron stomach before crying at the tenderness and love between pets and humans.
Suzanne Chaar, OMS I, shared her story of fleeing from Syria to Egypt as a young teen and the moment she decided to become a physician, when she watched her cousin die suddenly of an unknown health issue at 20 years old. She spoke of her family’s eventual move to the United States and her adjustment as a Muslim girl wearing a hijab who did not speak the language. Chaar shared that she applied to medical school multiple times, becoming disheartened after each rejection, only to finally receive her acceptance phone call from Heritage College while on a summer trip back to Egypt on the 10th anniversary of her cousin’s death.
“Life is a full circle,” Chaar said. “Just don’t let your hardship prevent you from achieving your goals.” This year’s stories were recorded and are expected to be uploaded to Behind The White Coat’s website in the coming weeks. The website also hosts an archive of past years’ stories for those who wish to listen.