Beth: What have been the most important challenges you confronted when constructing your program at St Jude’s, and the way can the remainder of the sphere profit from listening to your story? Are there issues that may be generalized throughout a number of populations? How do you take care of the robust elements of your job?
Amy: So many ideas. I feel one of many largest challenges I’ve confronted, simply working within the medical inhabitants generally, is maintaining with all the lingo, the understanding of various procedures and terminology. It’s form of like all these individuals are talking this language that I’ve by no means heard earlier than. For those who’re wanting to speak with different folks on this space, we actually should take the time to know what they’re speaking about, and the way these various kinds of procedures and diagnoses actually influence the care we’re offering as healthcare suppliers generally.
I feel plenty of instances as music therapists, we’re wanting folks to know the music lingo aspect of it, and the way music performs a component within the medical surroundings. However we even have to know how totally different medicines would possibly influence the way in which a affected person interacts in a music remedy session, or the way in which that music can actually profit a selected process. So, figuring out these steps and understanding how that each one suits collectively to higher present look after our sufferers.
I feel this isn’t particular to pediatric oncology. There are such a lot of folks within the pediatric inhabitants generally, and the medical inhabitants generally, the place we’re attempting to maintain up with all of this language, but in addition holding true to ourselves as music therapists.
I feel programs like this are going to permit us to have that understanding, and apply it to music remedy particularly.