As a college freshman, Marcus Engel was blinded and nearly killed after being struck by a drunk driver. Through two years of rehab, over 300 hours of reconstructive facial surgery, and adaptation to many life changes, Marcus witnessed firsthand the good, the bad, and the profound in patient care. Marcus’ contact information will be included at the end of the post.
A few weeks ago, Compassionate Care in Medicine Club had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Marcus via Zoom. We were able to talk with him about his personal knowledge of patient care and how the power of storytelling has helped him overcome his challenges. In honor of the power of storytelling, a few of our club board members wrote reflections on what they learned from meeting with Marcus.
Brian Villa, President, Class of 2022: What do gatherings around a campfire, past family vacations, books, movies, dorm dances, and even the new Taylor Swift album all have in common? In one fashion or another, they are all stories. It seems like everything from our favorite songs to our favorite memories are talked about or remembered in the form of a story. What Marcus Engel helped us realize is not only how prevalent stories are in the world we live in today, but how powerful that sharing stories can be.
The benefits of storytelling that were made apparent during the discussion:
- There is a healing element of writing down any story from our life
- When we share our stories, it allows others to be comfortable sharing theirs
- To hear someone’s story is a surefire way to be present and become closer to fellow human beings
“The greatest gift you can give to another person is to listen to their story” -Marcus Engel
Ella Batz, Communications, Class of 2024: Storytelling is a beautiful thing; it provides a way to relate and share experiences of your life with others. Whether it be through conversation, journaling, or reflection, the mental act of sharing your story helps greatly with emotional processing and can have a tremendous impact on the people around you.
Marcus Engel is an inspiration in the fact that he made something beautiful out of a tragedy. Today, he travels the world sharing his own story and encouraging others to tell theirs. One thing I took away from M.E.’s talk with the CCIM club is that storytelling and reflection are essential for success in the field of healthcare. Just as essential as proper medical knowledge is. He shared how a lack of sharing our experiences with others (aka storytelling) can result in burnout, poor doctor-patient interaction, and an overall sense of unhappiness. Healthcare professionals must be able to share their stories, especially those detailing particularly trying/challenging moments, with others to prevent making the same mistake again and to process these emotional events properly. I am very grateful we had the opportunity as a club to speak with M.E., as he is a true inspiration to those who get thrown off their intended path. We all can find the beauty in our unique futures, and now share that with the people around us.
Jillian Brunner, Service Commissioner, Class of 2024: Marcus Engel shared his incredible story full of trials and obstacles that led him to his life today. Even through all his hardship, he finds the beauty out of everything that is ugly in the world. My time listening to Marcus led me to a period of reflection on my own life. It is amazing how one person’s story can make such a difference in the way you view your own world.
Marcus’ storytelling was especially applicable to the CCIM club because he has dealt with so many medical professionals in his life. Being able to hear firsthand how impactful those patient-physician interactions were was so profound and has stuck with me. His perspective was something that every healthcare professional should hear, so they can better understand the thoughts and emotions of a patient and treat them not only with medicine, but also with compassion.
Listening to Marcus Engel was a privilege, and I will carry his words with me as I make strides towards becoming a healthcare provider. His storytelling has made me want to learn more and know more and do more for others. I hope that everyone not only listens to each other’s stories, but also learns from them. That is the power of storytelling.
We encourage you to learn and hear more from Marcus!
Website: https://marcusengel.com/
Email: [email protected]
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0cfJE2JH7ExzMJ9yD03ubM?si=f7b4b3b6533c4c3c