Clara Goebel ’27, Emily Hovan ’28, and Jonathan Palmer ’27, all make up the newly established Arts@Larner Committee at the Larner College of Medicine
In this blog post, Goebel, Hovan, and Palmer reflect on their experience being on the committee and the impact that it has and will have on the community.
“After all, the art of storytelling is intertwined with medicine. I am excited for the Arts@Larner committee to emerge and grow in partnership with several interdisciplinary members of the Larner community.” –Emily Hovan ’28
Clara Goebel, Class of 2027
As a fourth-year medical student, thinking back to the first semester of first year brings up a lot of emotions. My undergraduate studies were in French and Portuguese, and my liberal arts education offered seemingly unending access to the arts, so finding the Music Student Interest Group and joining jam sessions in the student lounge was really what made me feel at home at LCOM. First year, I’d often sneak off for a study break to play some of my favorite songs on the piano, and that both grounded me and allowed me to return to studying feeling refreshed.
When I learned that the Arts@Larner Committee was being formed, I was so excited to see the support for the arts I’ve experienced become a formalized committee. I have been so grateful for the opportunity to participate in LCOM Student Performance Night every year, including the evening of clerkship year when I had an overnight shift on my surgery rotation (thanks again to the surgery team for letting me run over to the medical school for an hour – I think I only missed one lap chole!). Last year, I had the chance to perform at StorySlam Rx with Ryan Marawala and fellow Arts@Larner member, Jonathan Palmer. These performances continue to reinforce that music creates space for connection in environments that can feel cold and isolating.
Arts@Larner’s first event as a committee was a collaboration with Mary Lacy, an incredibly talented local artist who is well known to LCOM. From first year, when I practically lived in the anatomy lab, to now, her artwork has served as a friendly reminder that there is so much more to medicine than what I think of on a daily basis. It has allowed me to consider another perspective of medicine, one that demands reflection. Her 2024 exhibition, “Anatomy Of”, struck me as someone who had only recently finished our first-year anatomy course. Our first Arts@Larner event, “The Art of Observation”, involved a conversation with Mary Lacy and fellow committee member Jeremiah Dickerson, MD, after which was the unveiling of “Willow Tree.” We then had a group discussion about what her work meant to us. I think a mosaic is a perfect representation of my medical school journey: first year, it was the huge adjustment of being far from home, without having had time to develop close friendships yet, and spending my free time in the anatomy lab. By second year, I had a really close-knit group of friends that I could trust and rely on, and some of those broken pieces came together in a new and beautiful way. Third year, I found my feet in the clinical space and started feeling comfortable in the role of student doctor, and then tragedy hit; I unexpectedly lost my father. He was the first thing that came to mind upon the unveiling of “Willow Tree.” Like the mosaic, my family’s great loss found us broken in ways we couldn’t have imagined. But with time, we found ways to rebuild, knowing the broken parts would become something new, something different. Art can touch something as devastating as death and remind us of the beauty of life. “We are all broken. That’s how the light gets in.” -Ernest Hemingway
Reflecting on all of this as a fourth-year medical student, my involvement in the arts at the Larner College of Medicine has been so important to me. Some of my most meaningful times in medical school are from the moments I mentioned above. Now, having the opportunity to serve on the Arts@Larner Committee as an inaugural member is a huge privilege, and we have plans underway for projects that will incorporate visual art, literature, movement, music, film, and poetry. It is so rare and so special to have an official medium through which I can share ideas with a group of individuals who care a lot about the arts. Having the support from Dean Page and everyone else who has made this committee possible is a huge honor, and I’m so excited to see what this committee does in the next few years.
Emily Hovan, Class of 2028
Prior to starting medical school, I was living in New York City and studying Narrative Medicine. My days followed a steady rhythm: I would wake up in my studio apartment, and the first thing I would see were my books. My books surrounded me in stacks on my windowsill, competed with my lamp for real estate on my nightstand, and sometimes would be scattered across my futon if I had fallen asleep while reading the night before. A book always accompanied me as I traveled uptown on the 1 train or strolled through Central Park. When I was not reading, I was discussing what I had read in seminars with my graduate school cohort or engaging with the arts in another shape or form. And nearly every day, whether I had class or not, I effortlessly would have time to appreciate art or create it.
So, before I began medical school, I would often wonder if I could continue reading, writing, and engaging with art as a medical student. The thought of deviating from my daily routine was daunting, since I knew that the arts brought me joy. But then I remembered a quote from writer Adrienne Maree Brown: “There is always enough time for the right work.” Candidly, as a medical student, I have not always succeeded in making time to engage with art, although the longing is always present. When the Larner College of Medicine created the Arts@Larner committee earlier this year, it resonated with and inspired many of my classmates and me. I am grateful to be part of a school community that is committed to better uniting medicine and the humanities, and I am hopeful that medical students will no longer have to overcome such a high activation energy to engage with art. After all, the art of storytelling is intertwined with medicine. I am excited for the Arts@Larner committee to emerge and grow in partnership with several interdisciplinary members of the Larner community. And most of all, I am thrilled to see how the arts will transform future generations of medical students at the Larner College of Medicine.
Jonathan Palmer, Class of 2027
Medical school has flown by. It feels like yesterday that I was standing shoulder to shoulder with new peers at our white coat ceremony, pledging ourselves to a new role and the next chapter in our lives. As fun as it was, that was also an intimidating time; big life transitions are often accompanied by the need to build a whole new community. Thankfully, I had music and the arts to help. I couldn’t have found my home at Larner without them. In my first year, Jam sessions, Student Performance Night, and a variety of creative outlets allowed me to get to know others. I found people like Clara and Emily with values similar to mine and formed many enduring, meaningful connections. An intimidating sea of new faces became a network of trusted colleagues and friends.
That is why, when Dean Richard Page announced his plan to further integrate the arts and humanities into our institution with the Arts@Larner Committee, I immediately resonated with the mission and wanted to help. Several months in, I am happy to report my experience of the committee as a cohesive, respectful, vibrant, funny, and downright delightful team. Great ideas are generated at every meeting. Initiatives are already in progress to build connections with the life sciences graduate program, bring more opportunities for musical and visual expression into our spaces, partner with nearby arts studios and artists, and even to explore how we can formalize the arts and humanities within our curriculum. I believe that in a few years’ time, the Arts@Larner committee will have transformed what it feels like to be a member of the Larner College of Medicine community. Students, staff, and faculty will feel even more welcomed and encouraged to bring their best selves to their work and studies. We are leaning into the genuine human spirit and warmth that I believe has always made Larner special, and I have never been prouder to be here. I extend my thanks to everyone who has helped support these efforts, and to the new Class of 2030: please get involved! We can’t wait to get to know you.
