For UAB School of Medicine Montgomery Regional Medical Campus fourth-year student Michelle Wang, music was not only a way to relax after a long day at work but also a way to share a little bit of joy with patients who might be going through a tough time. That is why she was excited to start a “Share the Music” program at Baptist Medical Center South.
“I approached Dr. Many (now retired dean of the UAB School of Medicine Montgomery Regional Medical Campus) and the Baptist South volunteering department to get permission to play at the hospital and help someone feel better the way it helped me feel better,” said Wang. “The volunteering department was incredibly supportive, and they immediately jumped in to help me.”
Wang goes from hospital room to hospital room offering music to any patients who want to listen. For a lot of the patients, this is their first time seeing or hearing a cello. Hearing the cello’s soothing melody brought tears to a patient’s eyes who was having a particularly difficult day due to complications. After a short performance filled with selections from the Bach cello suites, the patient asked Wang to come back the next day.
“I think the most rewarding part of the program is the opportunity to remind the patients of your human side as a clinician,” said Wang. “It can be easy to lose that connection when we are so focused on their treatment course.”
Share the Music from UAB School of Medicine on Vimeo.