Essay On The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: A Doctoring Lens Rebecca Skloot begins The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks with a quote from Elie Wiesel: Instead, we must see in every person a universe with its own secrets, With its own treasures, with its own sources of anguish, And with some measure of triumph.
This quote centers Henrietta Lacks’ story around the same questions that have driven the Doctoring course: What does it mean to care for others? And how do we ensure that we care for our patients first as people, rather than as a disease? In many ways, Henrietta Lacks’ story is a textbook case in how not to be a good physician. In examining and learning from her story through the lens of Doctoring, we can inform our own practice and
However, many or most of the people involved in her story felt as though they committed no wrongdoing, and indeed likely felt good about providing care for a poor black woman. It is a little frightening to consider that we might one day do things as physicians that will be considered as wildly unethical in our practice as the actions of researchers and physicians that affected Henrietta and her family. It is certain that we will be affected by our biases, that we will fumble, and that we will make many mistakes as we try to find our footing as physicians. However, I would argue that the crucial first step lies in the words that Rebecca Skloot used to begin her retelling of Henrietta’s story. When we see patients, we must remember that we are not simply treating a disease. We are caring for people with lives, hobbies, jobs, families, and friends, who are likely in a very vulnerable position. We must ensure that we use the status of physicians to benefit patients first and foremost, and do what we promised to when we entered the profession: provide care and improve quality of life, and hopefully leave the world a little better than it was