Cultivating Passion and Compassion in Medicine

By Peter Rantis ’14

Peter Rantis has wanted to be a physician for a long time. A pre-med student, he recently completed an internship at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital with Michael Cohan, M.D., who specializes in nephrology and internal medicine. The internship, which fulfilled requirements for the medical humanities minor, showed him what it truly means to be a physician and confirmed his desire to pursue a medical career.

My recent clinical experience with Dr. Michael Cohan was an enlightening and fulfilling experience. Dr. Cohan is an excellent role model on both a personal and a professional level. He showed a great deal of inter­est in my development and learning experience. He did everything he could to ensure that my time spent with him at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital was beneficial to the fullest extent possible. Most importantly, I feel fortunate not only to have worked with him, but also to have gotten to know such a wonderful man.

There is no substitute for firsthand experience, and my learning experience ran the entire spectrum. I witnessed an excellent doctor in multiple settings: during hospital rounds, in the clinic and in the diag­nostic lab. I felt so fortunate to have this opportu­nity, because some medical students don’t work at hospitals until medical school.

Working with Dr. Cohan, I learned how much preparation medicine involves. A doctor’s learning process is never ending. Medical professions have a certain glamour attached to them; however, I learned that people must have passion for what they do in order to perform well on a daily basis. I also learned the importance of compassion by watching Dr. Cohan’s interactions with patients. During my time at Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, the focus was not on the electronic device in my hands or in my pocket, but on the people in front of me.

During this internship, I looked forward to going to Elmhurst Memorial Hospital and working side by side with Dr. Cohan. I did not look upon it as an obli­gation, but as an opportunity to expand my horizons. Most importantly, I decided to continue pursuing my goal of becoming a physician because of the sense of achievement and gratification that comes from help­ing someone in need.

Dr. Michael Cohan and Peter Rantis