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, my colleague translated as I took her medical history, performed a physical exam, and identified a positive Murphy’s sign. I applied skills recently learned in our lectures about the gastrointestinal system, 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 another 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
