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FROM THE EDITORS couldn’t compromise on. We wanted The Muse to be a place where personal relationships could be formed, where we would operate under honesty and transparency, where leadership did not mean taking control, but meant taking initiative. There will inevitably be changes in The Muse, and there already has been change. These changes are not something to avoid; they are simply an eventual move forward with the flow of time. There is no question that we’ve had our ups and downs. Coming into The Muse as Editors-in-Chief, we are embarrassed to admit that we did not fully recognize the weight of this position. It was only through the various experiences that we understood the responsibility of being held accountable, the importance of details, and listening with an open mind. There were many moments of doubt and frustration, but having one another for support was extremely comforting and encouraging. Our journey with The Muse has truly been one of learning, discovery, compromise and humility.
Dear Reader, Stepping into this role, we were filled with both excitement and trepidation. With a leap of faith and the question of “what if?” that resounded in our minds, we went from general editors to Editors-in-Chief. And what a journey it has been, both for ourselves and for The Muse. We wondered to ourselves if we truly grasped what the field of medical humanities encompassed, as we begun our official duties as Editors-in-Chief, struggling to define and explain what it meant. Not only to ourselves but to those who had never heard of it. We wondered if we could fill in the gaps that Anna had left behind when she decided to retire from this position. Did we know enough? Were we passionate enough? Were we worthy of this position? Somewhere along the way we must have realized that we weren’t going to be able to keep The Muse as it always was, and that was okay. We didn’t quite know where to begin, but what we did know was what we
THE MUSE • WINTER 2017
We are not perfect, just as medical professionals are not - or any human being, for that matter. It is so easy to get caught up in the scientific aspect of medicine, forgetting the complexity that exists within the relationships and personal lives of healthcare workers and patients. But there is so much more to the person than their title and we can only hope to be given the opportunity to showcase the beauty and intricacies of one’s story. Lastly, we would like to give a big thank you to our faculty advisor, Dr. Amster, for her endless support, and all of the members of The Muse, for working together to achieve new heights. And to our readers, we certainly did not forget about you. Thank you. Sincerely,
Katherine Kim & Nikki Wong