PAGULAYAN, Vann Andrei F.

NSTP May 26 Asynchronous Activity

Hamilton: An American Musical

Hamilton: The Musical follows the story of one of the founding fathers of America and the birth
of the renowned nation following their freedom from British Colonization. Within the upbeat fusion of
R&B, rap, and soul, the musical features compelling characteristics of humanity, highlighting love,
friendships, diversity, and striving for limitless possibilities.
Why did u choose this?
Although musicals do bring forth certain exaggerations and compromises between execution and
story to bring forth an appealing performance on stage, the performance was able humanize people of
great reputation, bringing in some dimensionality and empathy to people we would assume had
everything figured out. I found this very enticing since there is this notion of perfection within the medical
field wherein doctors are assumed to be know-it-alls, being expected to have the best answers and
decisions within their profession especially when lives are at stake. Although I do acknowledge the need
to be intricate and delicate with matters within the medical field, it is also humbling for healthcare workers
and non-healthcare workers alike to acknowledge everyone’s innate humanity, leaving some room for
possible error while also leaving room for growth and multi-aspect learning.
What do you think makes a great physician?
Like in the musical, I see a great physician being someone having a limitless mindset, having the
passion and grit to strive and continually hone their craft and knowledge to widen the horizon of
possibilities and the quality of life not only for themselves but also for their patients. But first and
foremost, a great physician must be human, being able to humanize themselves as well as their patients
to recognize the gravity of their responsibility to be of service while not creating a social disparity and lack
of empathy between doctors and patients. Great physicians, being the epitome of service, are those that
put forward humanity and compassion over personal gain, willing to go out of their way to champion
health and ultimately serve the underserved.
Why do you think INTARMED is a liberal-arts based and not a science-based course?
Since medicine is essentially a profession of service, it is necessary to be equipped with the skills
and knowledge that would incline to benefit society. The liberal arts explore the intricacies of the self and
of our environment, digging into the principles of humanity and humaneness while also minimizing
inhibitions to what possibly defines humanity and ultimately an individual person. The INTARMED
program provides us the social perspective of medicine, bringing forth some humanity into science to be
able to produce socially-inclined yet medically-competent doctors that are able to practice their privilege
and responsibilities to serve not only within the walls of the hospital but ultimately recognizing health as
a multi-factorial matter which is best tackled by multi-disciplined professionals through means beyond
curative care.