I am a student again! About lifelong learning
I am now a doctoral student at the Fielding Graduate University in the School of Human and Organizational Development. My decision to enter this program comes from my growing interest in bringing still more depth and understanding to the patient experience as contributor to health outcomes. During the next 3-4 years, I will be sharing much of what I am learning here in order to push the issues as I experience them. I also want you to know that I will be doing all that I have been doing and adding this on top of my plate, much the way one adds whipped cream to an already rich chocolate fudge brownie. Such a stunning life i have and there is so much more to do!
The current status of my studies has already put me into the middle of much discovery regarding controversies that have been ongoing in health care. The first is the reasons for the battle between allopathic protocols and what have come to be known as ‘alternative; or ‘complementary’ practices. I believe that the true victim of the battle is the patient and that given that medicine, in all of its incarnations, is not an exact science, the real question is on what basis is a practice deemed effective and for which patient.
My own skeptism is alive and well. From our book, “Sound Choices,” many of you will recall that Dallas and I made a case for distancing ourselves from the belief that music is inherently healing or, more importantly, that a musician or composer has the right to make such a determination. Rather, we put the power of the music into the hands of the listen, much the way the medical outcome rests with the patient, rather than the physician. I will be looking further into this question through a different lense as I discover that this quandry is one that has been asked for thousands of years.
“Who heals?” is a question whose very meaning can be debated. It is no accident that the double-entendre is the heart of the inquiry: Is it “Who is it that is healed?” or “Who is it that is the cause of healing?”
Perhaps the same question is relevant to the environment in different ways…but, whatever it is, that is my focus and I will share with you what i find out or where my own confusion lies.
Please share with me your own thoughts and ideas and interests, as that is what is most rich about all of this work…