Background: Oftentimes, medicine is described as a science of evidence and efficiency—but beneath its surface are human identities as vivid, intricate and meaningful as our own. During my time at Sunnybrook’s Summer Student Research Program, I spent many of my days in conversations with a wide range of patients—at times, older patients double or even triple my age. A prominent theme that reemerged time and time again was the quiet stories of love and loss. Through storytelling, this project seeks to highlight those silent struggles, advancing the public narrative of patient care as a collection of rich, unique experiences.

Methods: The performance currently consists of three poems, each preceded by a brief explanation and followed by a discussion segment. All of the poems in this spoken word performance are drawn from the experiences of patients I encountered while working at Sunnybrook. They are written as creative reflections, reimagining their stories through a narrative lens. While intended to be subtle and abstract, these pieces of writing are also meant to be approachable, communicating to the listener a clear emotional message. Discussion questions following each poem will invite the audience to reflect on how our unique human stories might shape our experiences within healthcare systems and in the broader world.

Connection to Theme: Ultimately, this performance explores the intersection of identity and healthcare by providing a voice for patients whose experiences are often left unheard in clinical discourse. In amplifying these quiet stories of love and loss through spoken word and discussion, it invites the audience to recognize the emotional realities behind the identity of each and every patient.

Matthew Wong is an undergraduate student and poet from Toronto, Canada. Their poems aim to advance the public narrative of medicine as a collection of unique stories and to reveal its “humanity,” whether that be writings crafted from their own stories in healthcare or musings on the human experience in the context of medicine at large.

COI Disclosure: I do not have an affiliation (financial or otherwise) with any for-profit or not-for-profit organizations