Each year we ask our classmates a straightforward, simple question taken from the lines of a poem by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Mary Oliver. We share with you intimate and candid responses to this question, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" Concept and photography: Tony Deifell, MBA 2002.
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
I donned a yellow hazmat suit, gloves, boots, face shield and N95 and walked into a locked-in COVID-19 facility that was created in the Boston Convention Center. I was terrified. There was so much uncertainty, with chaos, confusion and sadness in the air at the beginning of the pandemic. I worked to provide high quality care for hundreds of patients with COVID-19 in a converted conference ballroom without any of the usual resources. This experience defined me and how I deal with adversity, pain and suffering. In just a few months I lost more patients than I had in 9 years as an EMT turned medical student, and it broke me down. These moments showed me that we have so far to go in helping people access the healthcare they need, but also that humankind is much more resilient than I ever thought.
I want to make healthcare access more equitable using technology, so that patients can obtain the care they need in their most vulnerable moments. I want to reimagine how we bring innovative healthcare tools to the right patients so that in times of crisis we can adapt quickly and prevent unnecessary suffering. I hope to inspire people passionate about healthcare to create new technologies that will enable patients to have high quality care at their fingertips.
