“I believe that this program should be a part of every medical professional’s training and curriculum”
July 2024 – As a single mom with her two-year-old twin girls in tow, Heather MacDonald G’24 arrived at Drew University for her first day of work in 2008 at the Health Service. Little did she know this was the start of a life-changing journey that would affect all aspects of her life.
Her position at the Health Service was initially intended as a stepping stone along her journey to become an independent single mom. But 15 years later, you can still find MacDonald at the Drew Health Service, now a College Health Nurse and Travel Advisor. “Drew’s Health Service is a treasure,” she said. “Our medical professionals have many years of experience and history. We’re all very seasoned healthcare practitioners.”
“The staff at the Health Service has become my extended family,” said MacDonald. “We have ridden the waves of our personal and professional lives together with full support of one another.”
During her nearly 30 years as a healthcare provider, she has been caring for patients in various areas of medicine. “I have been lucky to be a part of my patient’s most critical moments,” said MacDonald. “From taking care of Navajo and Zuni women in New Mexico as a labor and delivery nurse to caring for patient’s in various areas of medicine such as high risk labor and delivery and everything in between, my experiences prior to arriving at Drew allowed for me to see life from both sides and helped prepare me for the great role of caring for Drew students.”
“I have always felt that the Health Service at Drew is a bridge for students moving from adolescence to adulthood,” continued MacDonald. “Aside from providing healthcare, we assist students in learning about taking care of themselves and becoming autonomous in their lives. We are a safe place that students can come to for almost anything.”
“I believe that the various components of medical humanities, such as compassion and empathy, are an integral part of practicing medicine and should accompany a health care professional’s expertise.”
When the pandemic hit in 2020, MacDonald and the Health Service staff had to pivot from the day-to-day responsibilities to ensure that every student was kept safe and healthy. “It was a paramount moment for all of us to recognize our true devotion to our profession and to Drew,” said MacDonald. “Without complaints, we took shifts while at home to address any issues with students, families, staff, and faculty during the pandemic. The pandemic brought us even closer as a team.”
The pandemic also made MacDonald realize that she wanted to study Medical & Health Humanities and enrolled in Drew’s Master of Medical & Health Humanities program.
“After seeing the suffering and taking into account what I’ve seen throughout my 30 years of practice, I saw the need for compassion, kindness, and connection with the patients you’re privileged to take care of, and that all of these human needs should be incorporated into all forms of medical practice,” she said.
The program is led by Medical & Health Humanities Director Merel Visse, a world-renowned ethicist. “I felt privileged to be a student of hers,” said MacDonald.
“The Medical Humanities program changed my life,” she said. “Aside from seeing Drew from a student’s perspective, I was impressed by how knowledgeable and impactful my professors were. I believe that this program should be a part of every medical professionals training and curriculum.”
“The community is wonderful. The professors are phenomenal. I was impressed on every level.”
“My journey at Drew has touched each part of my life in a positive way,” said MacDonald, who also met her current husband through a staff member. “Drew University is a special place and I believe that anyone that has spent time on Drew’s campus understands it’s magic.”
