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At Morehouse School of Medicine, Convocation is a time of recognition and celebration for the incoming class of learners and marks the kickoff to a new academic year. For first-year Doctor of Medicine (MD) students, receiving their short white coat serves as a constant symbol of a critical part of medical education; a standard of professionalism and trust they must earn from patients.

For MD-1 student Nirvana Durbal, the importance of doctor-patient trust is at the heart of her aspirations to become a physician. Durbal experienced firsthand how crucial this trust is while serving as a caretaker for her late grandmother.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think they [her doctors] communicated how serious her kidney failure was, so she was eating all this stuff she wasn鈥檛 supposed to,鈥� Durbal said when discussing her grandmother鈥檚 healthcare experience. 鈥淪o I went to go visit her and she was extremely sick and I couldn鈥檛 drive at the time so we had to take an Uber to an Urgent Care, and from there they were like 鈥榦h, no, you gotta go the ICU鈥� so then from that moment, that鈥檚 when I started really being more involved with her.鈥�

Often, patients don鈥檛 fully understand medical terminology that healthcare professionals use every day. This lack of understanding can create communication barriers, preventing patients from grasping the seriousness of their conditions.

鈥淚 just think, maybe telling somebody they have renal failure, or kidney failure, I don鈥檛 think she understood how severe it was,鈥� Durbal recalls. 鈥淎nd then some things, like high blood pressure for minorities is kind of assumed, so I think in her mind she was like 鈥榳ell, y鈥檏now鈥欌�� she says with a shrug.

Durbal plans to become a pediatrician, aiming to empower families to take charge of their health early in life. She believes that establishing trust between doctors and patients from an early age leads to healthier lives.

鈥淢y grandma was already sick by this time, but then she got a new doctor, and she loved her and was so receptive to her, would actually talk to her [...] just making people feel that you care about them. After her doctor changed, she would wanna go to the doctor when she was sick, [...] so having that relationship where they can feel comfortable to tell you something versus [feeling] embarrassed,鈥� Durbal goes on to explain.

Durbal doesn鈥檛 want her future patients to feel judged or ashamed if they struggle with their health. As a physician, she aspires to advocate for those who can鈥檛 speak up for themselves.

Join us virtually this Friday, September 20^th at 10am as Nirvana Durbal and her fellow MD-1 students receive their white coats at Morehouse School of Medicine鈥檚 40^th Convocation & White Coat and Pinning Ceremony!

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Michael Martin
Digital Content Strategist
Office of Marketing & Communications
mamartin@msm.edu