“Street Medicine has taught me the value of trust-building with my patients.”
– Benjamin M.
My name is Ben Meyer and I am the ED & Specialty Referrals Officer. I joined the program in 2022, and before becoming a student leader,I was a volunteer packing food donated from the Shands cafeteria.
Street Medicine has taught me the value of trust-building with my patients. Folks experiencing homelessness often face daily indifference or even hostility, making genuine care and concern a rare commodity in their lives. By seeing patients through a lens of empathy, and treating them as a person enduring difficult circumstances, I have learned to bridge this gap.
Modern medicine is driven by timeliness and efficiency, but Street Medicine functions outside this norm by adapting alongside our unique patient population. Understanding and accommodating the unique challenges our patients face, such as missed appointments or relapse with substance use disorders, allows us to provide more effective and personalized care. Giving patients the grace to make mistakes means we can more meaningfully celebrate their successes.
I am still considering which route to take in my medical career, but my experiences with Street Medicine have inspired me to focus on revitalizing the doctor-patient relationship. I believe exposure to underserved populations early in medical training is essential for gaining perspective and reinforcing the core values of compassionate care. I hope to find myself in a position that lets me nurture this ideal within others through education and advocacy.