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My Religions Professor Said

Written by Sumreet Sandhu, Dartmouth Class of 2025, Eichler Fellow 2023-24

Never tell a child that life is better
In heaven- scraped knees, loose feathers,
loss of a parent, forget her– 
Stay here, doctors are tethers.    
 
Doctors can’t go to heaven,–
the thoracic oncologist takes five
for a smoke break,
the pastor kneels
In His waiting room–awake,
they choose to carve their Paradise 
with his pair of eyes. 
 
The fluorescent light flickers over
His body– silent buzz of cosmic err 
-while they argue about what came first
God or the Doctor?

Throughout the year, the Eichler Fellows learned to write poetry. For their capstone project, the fellows wrote a poem that encapsulated their fellowship experience, a moment that has special meaning, or a concept that was learned.

My name is Sumreet Sandhu. I'm a Dartmouth class of 2025 from California majoring in Anthropology. I was thrilled to dive deeper into the world of medical ethics, with Dr. Carpenter-Song and Dr. Mishra during my fellowship year!