AMWA's Music and Medicine Committee inspires during Empowering Mentorship event held in partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

The AMWA Music and Medicine Working Group partnered with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) for the event, Empowering Mentorship: Championing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and the Arts in Medicine. The event celebrated the diverse mentoring pathways leading to medical leadership and the medical humanities and medicine. The event was organized by AMWA Music and Medicine Co-Leaders, Dr. Gloria Bachmann, Director of the Women’s Health Institute at Rutgers and Dr. Mary Rorro, a Veterans Affairs physician, along with a steering committee of both physicians and students, which included leaders of the RWJMS AMWA student group.

Opening

The event began with opening remarks by Dr. Bachmann, Christina McGinnis and Alyssa Granito, RWJMS AMWA Student Leaders, and Serena De Souza, RWJMS Women’s Health Institute Intern. Later in the program Dr. Maloney-Patel, RWJUH Medical Staff President, and Dr. Christopher Gilligan, the RWJUH Chief Medical Officer and Chief Quality Office also spoke to attendees.

Welcome

Dean of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Dr. Amy Murthy gave a warm and inspirational welcome, sharing experiences and lessons learned from her own leadership journey as a woman in medicine. Dr. Eliza Chin, AMWA Executive Director shared the history of AMWA’s interest and engagement with the medical humanities and an overview of AMWA’s current communities in art, writing, music, dance, and theater and historical archives.

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Performances

Participants were inspired by a series of uplifting performances – both vocals and dance –

Sudha Nahar and Dr. Gita Patel performed an expressive, traditional, Indian dance
Sydelle Ross and Caitlin Cavarocchi performed vocals for “Physicians, Healers” and “Answering the Call” accompanied by Dr. Mary Rorro on the viola. Both songs were written and composed by Dr. Mary Rorro with musical arrangement by Maestro Matteo Giammario. “Physician, Healers” had been commissioned by AMWA for the Centennial Congress of the Medical Women’s International Association in 2019.
Lyrical Vocal solos by Dr. Ross, Caitlin Cavarocchi
Ranjita Sengupta, Bharati Deka, Kusum Punjabi, and Gloria Bachmann led a group on stage for a lively rendition of “I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy, sporting T-shirts with the slogan “I am Woman, Hear Me Roar” designed by Dr. Sengupta.
In the final piece Dr. Mary Rorro performed “Meeting Our Moment” to which AMWA pre-medical student Sofia Stitz (a classically trained ballerina) danced.

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L-R Dr. Ross, C. Cavarocchi, Dr. Rorro

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L-R Dr. Gilligan, Dr. Bachmann

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L-R Dr. Rorro, S. Stitz

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L-R Dr. G. Rorro, D. De Souza, Dr. M. Rorro, J. Chioffi, Dr. Simoyan

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Presentations

Presentations throughout the afternoon showed the impact of medical humanities both in patient care and physician wellbeing.

Dr. Mary Rorro shared videos from, A Few Good Notes, a program that she established in her veteran’s psychiatric practice, blending music, poetry, and photography as part of her. The program has received acclaim both locally and nationally.
Dr. Sydelle Ross shared her journey of how music nourished her own soul and enhanced her care of patients as a hospice and palliative care physician. The community of support she found within the AMWA music and medicine working group was a validation of this path she chose. She performed vocals
Dr. Peju Simoyan shared highlights from her Women in Medicine photographic exhibit and inspirational reflections on the varied roles of women as trailblazers, artists, caregivers, and practitioners.
Caitlin Cavarocchi shared a preview of the next Humanities and Medicine Journal, a multi-media publication celebrating the arts in medicine – literary, visual and performing arts through various digital media forms. The audience enjoyed a poetry reading by Dr. Padmini Murthy (“A Prayer for a Child,” an African dance performed by Dr. Das and a moving rendition of “Memory” from the Broadway musical, Cats, by a RWJMS student Jason Wang.

Advocacy

Dr. Padmini Murthy shared insights on the art of advocacy, highlighting various global health initiatives within AMWA and key partnerships which enabled life-saving interventions to communities around the world.
Dr. Gloria Bachmann and Amy Papi shared information about Rutger’s January 23, Maternal Health Awareness Day (MHAD), #123forMoms campaign, “Stop, Look, Listen!” which Dr. Bachmann co-led in developing. The goals of the campaign, now legislated by a New Jersey law and adopted by many states and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. MHAD was established to increase public and professional awareness of pregnancy-related deaths, empower women to report pregnancy-related medical issues, and increase awareness and responsiveness among health care practitioners. The NJ First Lady, Tammy Murphy, also has made her focus decreasing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.

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L-R Dr. Bachmann, Amy Papi

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Dr. Murthy

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Dr. Ross

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L-R Dr. Bachmann, Dr. Sengupta

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Mentorship

Mentorship was a theme woven throughout the event. One of the discussion threads emphasized the fact that medicine can be combined with the arts. Mentors whose passion for music showed others that a career in medicine didn’t mean giving up the pursuit of music. Dr. Mary Rorro shared reflections about her mentors, men and women, who supported her efforts to integrate music in her practice, including Maestro Matteo Giammario, who in his 90’s continues to collaborate on musical arrangements. As well, another clinician, Dr. Padmini Murthy, shared her love of creating poetry and her mentorship through advocacy.

Conclusion

The event concluded with a final stirring performance by Dr. Sydelle Ross, reminding us of music’s profound power. Not only does it heal patients, but it also nourishes our souls as practitioners, offering inspiration, joy, and meaning. All who attended felt touched by the power of connection, an affirmation of the impact that our communities are making, locally and nationally. Much gratitude goes to Dr. Gloria Bachman, the AMWA Music and Medicine Working Group and RWJMS Branch, and the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson team.

All who are interested in the humanities are encouraged to join the AMWA music and medicine community.

This coming September, Drs. Mary Rorro, Sydelle Ross, Peju Simoyan, and Lisa Wong will be presenting at the International Association for Music & Medicine in Berlin, Germany.

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L-R Dr. Ross, C. Cavarocchi, Dr. Rorro

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