Skip to contents
In This Issue:
For Internal Medicine Resident David Rosenthal, MD, there is a common thread that ties together both of his passions: documentary storytelling and practicing medicine. Whether Rosenthal is conducting an interview on camera or taking care of a patient, he is privy to intimate details of people’s lives, and that affords him the opportunity to make a difference.
“This is one of the reasons I wanted to practice medicine,” said Rosenthal, who studied film and video at Harvard University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in Visual and Environmental Studies before going to medical school.
As part of the BWH Kessler Library speaker series, Rosenthal presented “Lights, Camera, Interview: How Video Led Me to Think about Participatory Medicine” in April. He told patients, staff and visitors how his background in video and film has helped him to better connect with the patients he cares for.
“Both practices require you to be an extremely good listener and pay close attention to details and the gestures a person makes,” said Rosenthal, whose first long-form video project involved documenting his grandfather’s five-year battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. “When I decided to go into medicine, I found that I could continue to have similar interactions with people and help them.”
During the presentation, he shared anecdotes about being a care provider as well as a storyteller. He also played several videos that showcase the power of patients sharing their stories, especially when used to educate others about a particular illness or provide hope to those who are sick.
“Well-informed and engaged patients can form strong and effective partnerships with providers in their own care and treatment,” he said.
Although video production has taken a backseat to his residency work recently, Rosenthal hopes to pick it back up this summer, when he completes his residency at BWH and heads to Yale’s Veterans Administration Medical Center in West Haven, where he will be an attending physician.
To view the Kessler Library speaker series schedule, email Health Educator Laura Zanini at LZanini@partners.org. To learn more about Rosenthal’s documentary work, visit www.witnessingdeath.com.