The Noble Calling of Medicine: Q and A with Dr. Lynn Feun
This fall, our longitudinal clinical educators (LCEs) share their experiences mentoring the next generation of physicians at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
As a young child, Lynn Feun, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, felt an immediate connection to the noble calling of medicine. Over the course of his career, he has found fulfillment through patient care and research, focusing on skin malignancies and liver cancer. Dr. Feun is especially honored to mentor and inspire the next generation of medical students.
What inspired you to become a physician and what keeps you inspired today?
When I was a child, I saw films of “Dr. Kildare,” a fictional character who was a kind, caring and thoughtful physician. Seeing him on screen led me to want to pursue the same path. Today, I continue to be inspired by my cancer patients as well as my bright medical students.
See the poem I wrote below:
The Noblest of Callings
The noblest of callings,
a doctor you wanted to be
ever since you were a child
watching movies on TV.
You were so inspired by people
like Dr. Kildare
physicians who demonstrate
the highest compassion and care.
A long road lay way ahead
with barriers you could not see.
But you knew in your deep heart,
it was in your destiny.
Years of study and struggle,
many years of self denial.
Years of extremely hard work,
through tribulation and trial.
Becoming a good doctor is
a journey not an end.
So the buck stops with you now
and on you, others depend.
Throughout the passing of years,
wonderful patients you see
so many kinds of people,
from homeless to celebrities.
Perfectionist by nature,
it’s the failures you recall,
for patients you did your best
but nothing worked at all.
Some patients’ lives you did save,
for others, it was their health.
Fond memories so to cherish
instead of riches and wealth.
You enjoy teaching students,
passing the torch like before
Hippocrates to Galen,
and so on with countless more.
In the corridor there are
some med students standing there.
Pause to give encouragement and
to show them how to care.
A huge privilege it has been to
service my fellow man.
To fulfill a lifelong dream
was in the Great Healer’s plan.
What led you to become a longitudinal clinical educator?
I was involved in Miller School’s clinical skills program in the 1990s, in which I taught physical diagnosis and clinical skills to medical students. This program became part of the current longitudinal clinical educator program, with me continuing to be involved.
How do you maintain balance between clinical duties, teaching and life outside of medicine?
I enjoy non-medical activities such as reading books, traveling and gardening.
What advice do you always give to your students and what advice do you wish you’d gotten as a student?
I tell them to try to and maintain a balance between studying and relaxing. When students express anxiety about the long road ahead, I would quote a famous Chinese proverb, “The journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step.” They need to take it one step at a time and not stress out.
In addition, as a student, I wish I had more advice on doing research, which is now part of the emphasis for our students today.
What excites you about the future of medicine and how do you see today’s students shaping it?
I see today’s landscape integrating new technology into medicine. This is both exciting and challenging, as students should embrace and shape technology into their studies and future practice.
Tags: Department of Medical Education, longitudinal clinician educators, Lynn Feun, medical education, medical students