JUNE 2020

Making Connections: An Interview with Wei-Jung Chen, Ph.D By Sarah Elmer, M2, and Thomas Nguyen, M2

It is noon on a Monday, one of those rare lulls in medical school when the day is a wash of echoes, the sum of the cicadas buzzing and finches chirping. For months now, we have adjusted to a steady life on Zoom—lectures, meetings, and even hangouts with our friends have all taken place through this virtual medium. Still, as much as it is familiar, it is also foreign. As we prepare for our interview, we talk about how life has changed since COVID. Dr. Wei-Jung Chen (Professor of Anatomy, Associate Dean for Student Affairs) remarks, “I still remember when they cancelled the NBA season. The Jazz were seconds from going against the Thunder in Oklahoma when the game was delayed, then called off.” As we reminisce about what could have been, we give each other updates on our lives and how we’ve been staying busy during social distancing. As we talk about the challenges of moving medical school online, we realize that we keep circling back to one central thing: the loss of human connection.

We begin the interview on a hopeful note, despite the barriers of computer screens and many miles between us. We learn that Chen grew up in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan. Growing up, he came from a financially disadvantaged background, and the importance of education was instilled in him at a young age. “I was told that getting an education is the most important thing you can do for your future,” Chen said.  

Throughout his adolescence, Chen’s educational journey was smooth. His desire to get a good education drove him to excel in his classes. However, at the end of high school, he faced a disappointment.

“All high school graduates take the National Entrance Exam. Depending on your score, you get matched to a preferred university or major,” Chen said. “I actually tried to match to medicine. There were six medical schools, but more medical applicants than spots available, so I didn’t match to medicine. Instead, I matched to zoology. Though I did not match to medicine, I have no regrets. It’s amazing how things have come full circle.”

Chen’s undergraduate zoology coursework included learning about the neural systems of primitive animals.

Chen thought that embracing technology in gross anatomy lab was a step in the right direction but got feedback from students that it was inconvenient to constantly have to go back and forth between the dissector and the cadaver. Also, students noted that the superficial fascia from the dissections made it hard to keep the laptop computer clean and sterile. Chen ultimately terminated the program because it was not well received by students but then started the ADAPT (Academically Driven Anatomy Peer Teaching) program, which is still going on today.

The ADAPT program gives M2s a chance to go back to gross anatomy lab and help M1s during their dissections. Not only does this mean there are more mentors in the lab to guide M1s, but Chen added that “ADAPT members say they have gained an appreciation of anatomy on a deeper level” as well. 

Another change still present today, the A-B-C rotation system—where students are subdivided into pairs within their larger anatomy group and rotate teaching and taking the anatomy quizzes—came about because the increase in class size meant that faculty had to start thinking about space limitations and the student-to-faculty ratio. “With COVID, this is now even more necessary because the incoming class size is 140 in the BCS campus,” Chen said. In comparison, the incoming class of 2019 had 98 students in the BCS campus.

When we asked about COVID and its potential impact on MGA, Chen was emphatic about his philosophy for the course. “COVID is a temporary thing. With the advances in medicine and technology, we can take care of it,” he said. “I personally do not believe in the virtual learning system for anatomy because it is not the most optimal way to learn the subject matter.” 

With COVID, Chen is aware that contingency plans have to be in place if it is impossible to have in-person labs. “We have been talking about maybe using commercially available dissection videos, but this means that you have to follow their videos, which may not follow our course,” he said. “Drs. Hubbard, Brakora, and Allen are trying to create in-house videos that record every step of the dissection and provide instruction along the way,” he added. 

Another option the MGA team is exploring is live-streaming prosections. Chen said this will be trialed with MedCamp this summer but added that students lose the 3D spatial orientation, and the camera angle might not be perfect. “To feel the texture in anatomy is a very important part of the learning,” Chen said.  

Beyond the technical issues of moving MGA online, Chen is also concerned about how the move to virtual anatomy will change students’ experience of a course fundamental to learning about things beyond basic medical science, including connecting with the donors.

“If you move completely to virtual, then you lose the experience of having the first patient. That goes beyond the medical education,” Chen said. “You learn about selflessness, gratitude, appreciation, and even about the depth of humanity. You may not go into a specialty where you face a huge mortality. This may be the first encounter that someone has with a deceased person. In the past, I have referred to the cadavers as the best teacher—they don’t yell at you, and they show you about the human body. The cadaver is the best anatomical sciences teacher for everyone.”

Ultimately, Chen is most committed to the option that allows MGA lab to be conducted in person. “Ideally, we hope that if the school allows us to have a certain percentage of the course in person, then we will try to deliver the lab portion in person,” he said. “We will provide safety measures as much as we can, such as changing the air filters, making everyone wear masks, and spreading out the tanks.”

Aside from his role as the primary MGA instructor, Chen has other positions within the College of Medicine that allow him to form new connections with others. He closed his research lab a few years ago to focus on his other responsibilities within the College of Medicine, but he still stays active in research by serving on advisory committees for studies funded by the NIH. Currently, one of his other major roles is serving as an Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

“I enjoy both jobs—teaching and student affairs,” Chen said. “Being a student affairs dean is never a dull job. I can help come up with solutions. I really like both jobs. I have never had an issue balancing them because you move from one job you like to another job you like.”

On top of teaching and administrative duties, Chen also serves as NBME chief proctor and JAMP council member. The JAMP program is a state-mandated program created by the Texas Legislature in 2003 to support economically disadvantaged students interested in pursuing a medical degree by guaranteeing admission to one of Texas’s eleven medical schools upon graduation from college.  

“I enjoy every one of my roles,” Chen said. “JAMP has to do with students, NBME has to do with students; as long as I’m with students, I’m happy. Without students, I would have no job.”

Chen admittedly wears many hats in the College of Medicine. When asked how he does it all, Chen said, “I am never doing it by myself. For anatomy, Dr. Allen updates the manuals every year, and someone else is in charge of prosections. With student affairs, Dr. McCord is a key part, and we have a wonderful staff who also help with responsibilities.” 

Both of his roles with the College of Medicine are team-oriented, and Chen said that being able to connect with others is what gives him joy in both of his roles. 

“We have a wonderful Student Affairs team, and being able to work with them is never a burden,” Chen said. “It gives me pleasure, fun, and happiness. If I have to be in the anatomy lab until late in the night, I’m having a great time with the students.” 

Even in times of considerable uncertainty, one thing is clear. The most joyous moments in life all circle back to one thing: the power of the human connection. 

White Privilege By Bailey King, M2

How fortunate am I

To be granted 

A voice that is heard

The benefit of the doubt

An advantage from birth

How fortunate am I

To be favored by 

The authorities

The media

Leadership

How fortunate am I

To never understand 

The trauma of oppression

The fear of those sworn to protect 

The rage of being forgotten

How fortunate am I

To speak on this topic but not experience it

All because of the color of my skin

This poem first appeared in the June 14, 2020, issue of the Texas A&M Student National Medical Association (SNMA) newsletter and is republished here to explicitly show support for SNMA and Black Lives Matter.

Grace By Farah Wazir, M2

The more I learn, the less I know

The more I see, the less I believe 

The more I hear, the less I feel

The more I venture out, the less I see inside me

I try to see their future, but I am stuck in my past

But then within me, I hear a voice

That the greater the uncertainty, the stronger the truth

The louder it grows, the more I know

The more I feel, the more I believe

The more I heal, the more I love

“I wrote this poem while in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems that as I progress through medical school, I realize that the older I become and the harder I try to ‘envision the future,’ the less I know yet the stronger I become.”

To My Daughter: A Piece on Medicine and Motherhood By Mimi Phan, M4

“The following is a letter I wrote to my daughter the week after she was born. I was full of anxiety about being a third-year medical student, married to a resident, and having a newborn. It was my way to cope with finding the balance between motherhood and medicine—and all the beauty and love that lie within both.”

Dear Sophia,

I wish I could hold you in my arms and keep you safely tucked away forever. I feel apprehensive about going back to my medical school rotations because I want to stay close to you and keep you safe. But while it hurts me so much to be apart from you, I hope that my work ethic will set a positive example for you when you grow up. I hope to be one of many strong female role models that you will have in your life. 

You have made me stronger than I have ever known. You have been my biggest cheerleader, kicking and rolling in my belly when I took STEP 1. You have motivated me to study hard and remain focused, and with your affection, my grades have gotten even better after you arrived in my stomach. Your dad and I love you so much, and we are working hard to build a great future for our family. 

It is beautiful seeing how our family is coming together. While we are not perfect parents, I can promise you that we will always try our very hardest to do our absolute best. I cherish every moment with you, from the long sleepless nights to the wonderful seconds when we see glimpses of your precious smile. I hope time doesn’t go by too fast.

We love you so much. Thank you for giving us the blessing of being your parents.

Love,

Mom

Caregiver By Brittany Witt, M4

With this pen

I hold him here

On that leather sofa.

Our spontaneous Friday afternoon

With his brows pulled tight

Eyes squinting

From the long awaited sun

And full concentration

On that tiny screen

As he planned

And sketched

His Sistine Chapel.

We left the door open wide

To let in the breeze

And the sound of the cars

Believing them waves.

The plastic palette knife

Sat cumbersome in his hand

As he mixed the oils

And layered them

With total abandon

On brown paper. 

His innermost thoughts

In peach, red, and navy.

The air was buzzing

With soft music and

Inspired genius.

No words were shared

But none were needed.

Our cares set aside.

Left at the door

To pick up when he leaves.

For now, the world was paint

And music

And late afternoon sun

And early spring breeze.

On that sofa

His mind traded its 

Throwing knives

For that funny bent plastic one.

Destruction

Traded for creation

For the same mission:

To feel.

With this pen

I hold him here

On that leather sofa

In a cease-fire with himself.

I can immortalize

Today’s joy

Though time mandates his return

To yesterday’s demons.

Poetry’s greatest appeal

Is the merciful ability

To prolong those illusive

Glimpses of joy.

11 Pieces of Advice for Sheltering in Place By Jordan Garcia, M4

1. When you wake up in the morning, instead of crying, “Why, God, why!?”—ask yourself, “What would Dr. Chen do?”

2. If you are an introvert, know that extroverts will be reaching out to you to see “how you’re holding up.” Introverts, I get it, you’re trying to quarantine in peace, but please, show them some compassion.

3. Don’t mark in your 2020 planner with pen. Instead, write in pencil lightly or not at all. (Preferably the latter—it’s the only option your tears can’t wash away.)

4. Think of remotely proctored exams as opportunities to work through your trust issues. When things get tough and you’re sitting there pale and diaphoretic, know that your proctor will always be there—watching, staring, inspecting—no matter what.

5. Before going to the grocery store, pick out your favorite mask, and designate time in front of the mirror to practice eyebrow scowls. Use these judiciously on COVID-deniers and anyone you catch in the middle of a deep pre-sneeze inhalation.

6. If you’re quarantining with a significant other, don’t look each other directly in the eye … It’s too confrontational.

7. Prometric Testing Center no longer answers phone calls, emails, or questions of any sort. If you need to schedule your STEP exam, best practices would have you pour yourself a glass of red wine and refill it (nonjudgmentally) as needed.

8. When everyone gets a stimulus check—except you because your parents claimed you as a 24-year-old dependent—find solace and self-respect in the fact that realizing “life isn’t fair” is actually a very adult thing to learn.

9. If you’re like me, your lower back isn’t sturdy enough to support your torso for extended periods of sitting. Either invest in an ergonomic chair or let the vertebral fractures take an inch off your height. 

10. A back brace is not to be substituted for an ergonomic chair. If you don’t have the money, suggest to your friends that, for your birthday, they use their stimulus checks to pitch in for the chair and skip the whole drive-by birthday celebration, car-parade thing.

11. Your upstairs neighbors aren’t intentionally stomping to annoy you. Try considering things from their point of view. Maybe they’re PhD students doing research from home, and they accidentally ingested a rabies-infected specimen.

Uncertainty By Steven Jacob, M2

When reflecting on the year 2020, I have struggled to put into words how much this year has taught me about the unexpected difficulties that come with life. Just within this past month, we saw a civil rights movement against racial injustice and a spike in cases relating to the COVID-19 pandemic sweep our world. These are events we would not have imagined occurring at the beginning of this year, yet here we are.

As medical students, we tend to want to have a sense of control over our lives. We try to analyze or explain with logic why events, processes, or human interactions happen the way that they do. But if 2020 has been any indication, that sense of control has certainly been challenged. The evils and public health crises that we have faced are not things that can be explained with definitive reasoning. If anything, they have reminded us of our human nature. We are pushed to have discussions beyond our comfort level and to face issues that will impact not only our generation but those to come.

In the face of these uncertainties about how to progress as a nation or even as a world, I have come to a realization and reminder of my role not only as a future physician, but beyond that, as a human being. I took an oath to serve and advocate for the life of all my patients. In the face of a pandemic, I am reminded that I don’t have all the answers. I realize that I will never fully be in control of what goes on around me. But despite the unexpected challenges, I have to trust in my faith in Jesus and prepare myself to do what I promised to do, no matter the challenges that come my way. In the face of new conversations on race and identity, I am reminded that I must advocate for ALL of my patients, regardless of race, religion, gender, or any other source of identity. We may not be able to fully control everything that happens around us, but we do have control of our actions and our voices. This year sets a precedent for us to set an example for not just our generation, but our children’s and those that follow after.

Synapse Board Members

Thomas Nguyen, Chairman of the Board
Lena Ayari, Managing Editor Farah Wazir, Acquisitions Editor Jordan Garcia, Associate Acquisitions Editor Sarah Elmer, Staff Writer Ahad Azimuddin, Copy Editor
Tasfia Rouf, Copy Editor

thank you:

A special thanks to ... 

Karen Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N., for being our faculty editor, and Barbara Gastel, M.D., MPH, for serving as editorial mentor.

The Synapse is sponsored by the Department of Humanities in Medicine at the Texas A&M University College of Medicine.