Life Changing HEART Rotation
By Jonci Jensen
“Life changing. Amazing.” This is how Jonci Jensen, fourth year medical student, described the American Medical Student Association’s HEART rotation. HEART is defined as Humanistic Elective in: Alternative Medicine, Activism, and Reflective Transformation.
HEART is an LCME-accredited program that lasts for one month in Central California. This elective rotation is open to fourth year medical students. Students spend the month in a cooperative living and learning environment while creating a community focused around the exploration of the healing path. Students cook and clean together and teach and learn from each other while, at the same time, expanding their knowledge on a number of important topics not typically emphasized in medical school curricula.
The 2008 HEART rotation was held in April and students attended classes during the daytime hours in a bright building sitting atop the Santa Cruz Mountains. Various healers and doctors took part in instructing students during this month long venture.
Dr. Paul Brenner, author of Buddha in the Waiting Room, spoke on the “nature of healing” and stated, “If you can’t accept the responsibility of others, then teach them how to be responsible for themselves.”
Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, author of Kitchen Table Wisdom, spoke on “the Healer’s Path” and explained to the students, “If you sit in it with your eyes open you might actually be wise by the end of it. There is no aspect of this work that is without meaning.”
Joel and Michelle Levey discussed meditation, Dr. Wayne Jonas discussed Evidence-Based Medicine and how it related to alternative medicine, and Ocean Robbins discussed how physicians can leverage their “privilege” to have a positive impact on society.
The students learned about Ayurvedic medicine from Dr. Rohini Kanniganti. Kanniganti taught with a hands-on approach that included food, massage, rest, and laughter.
“It turned out that Reflective Transformation roughly translates to Life Lessons,” said Jensen. “The list of presenters was inherently impressive, but it was their lessons of generous listening, being a server, right becomes righteous, teaching responsibility, and to see the person not the patient that will help to form the physician I become.”
The 2009 HEART elective rotation will be held from March 30 – April 24 at The Sequoia Retreat Center in northern California. Interested students must submit an application and be accepted to this rotation. Details for the 2009 HEART elective can be found at www.amsa.org/heart/ or contact Katie Stage at k.stage@scnm.edu for more information.
