An emotional story and message from an unexpected source. I think I must have been settling the popcorn or the children the first time I saw the movie, as I missed its power then. Source a handkerchief before watching.
Many things to read from this clip, it illustrates the suffocating effect of medical costs, the sacrifices people make for those they care for, the carer behind the patient.
But maybe the strongest message is that even the grumpiest, or most mundane person that you meet in your clinic in a series of apparently dull patients has a life story that’s all their own. How you come over, and what you do or can’t do as a clinician, can be such an important influence on every life you cross.
Liking to know the back stories of your patients is often also described as an immunisation against burnout from the intensity of clinical work.
As an illustration of a central message for Medical Humanities from popular culture it is useful for introducing humanities to a new or sceptical audience. Less intimidating than poetry or classic. But a powerful opener also for those who are already won over.
Further info
- Up is a Disney-Pixar film (movie) released in 2009. It was written by directed by Pete Docter and written by Bob Peterson with Pete Docter.
Contributed by
Neil Turner