Medicine in the Palm of Our Hands
by Nithya Sundar
Medium: Photography
Dimensions: Aspect ratio 16:9
Artist’s Statement
During a medical mission trip to Guatemala with Dr. Paat and Students for Medical Missions, I was part of a team that provided care to over 700 patients in underserved communities. One case left a lasting impression: a 32-year-old mother of three who presented with right upper quadrant pain radiating to her back. She described the pain as worsening after eating fish. Leading the encounter, I took her history, performed a physical exam, and identified a positive Murphy’s sign. I applied skills recently learned in our GI unit, recalling the population at greatest risk for having gallstones —female, of fertile age, and with an elevated BMI —and applying them in a real-world clinical setting.
As a colleague used a portable point-of-care ultrasound, I captured an image of the screen revealing a gallstone in the patient’s gallbladder. This confirmation of cholelithiasis validated her symptoms and guided her care, exemplifying the incredible utility of real-time imaging in resource-limited settings.
The portability and immediacy of the ultrasound device were invaluable. In a setting with limited access to healthcare, it provided instant visualization of pathology, enabling quick clinical decision-making and eliminating unnecessary delays. This moment underlined the significance of point-of-care ultrasounds—not just as a diagnostic tool, but as a means of empowering providers to deliver compassionate, effective care to those who need it most.
Nithya Sundar is a third-year medical student at the UTCOMLS
