Writing Contest
Word Power
Few things are more powerful than words. They can start wars and broker peace. They can break hearts and mend wounds. They can lift us to the sky with elation, then send us crashing to the floor in despair. They can rally us to action or convince us to walk away from conflict.
Words are especially powerful in the hands of physicians. They can deliver the news of a fatal diagnosis; offer the hope of a new drug, procedure, or finding; or soothe the final moments of the dying. They also have the power to help physicians come to terms with what they encounter in the hospital and clinic and better understand themselves as healers and humans.
For the writers who entered this year’s Medical Musings writing contest, words do all that and more. In the hands of these authors, they can influence others, clarify the complex, and commemorate the people who’ve influenced their lives.
We would like to thank all the physicians, residents, and medical students who entered our fifth annual contest.
We also would like to thank our judges who were charged with the difficult task of selecting entries to honor: Minnesota Medicine editor in chief, Charles Meyer, M.D.; editorial advisory board members Donald Deye, M.D., Barbara Elliott, Ph.D., Jon Hallberg, M.D., Barbara Yawn, M.D., and medical student Peter Stiles; and MMA staff members Jocelyn Cox, Mike Finley, Lorrie Holmgren, Kim Kiser, and Carmen Peota.
Discover the power this year’s honorees have found in the written word in the links below.
By Marilyn Aschoff Mellor, M.D.
By Matt Anderson, M.D.
By Nicky Te Poel
By William Shores, M.D.