As many of my friends are now in Montreal for the annual AAHPM conference, the first in-person event for many, I thought it might be a good time to think about the connections we hope to build and the walls and barriers we face in medicine.

Take a moment to read Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall.” You can find a link to the poem here. This poem is a favorite of mine, and I use it all the time with my medical students, residents, and fellows in our narrative medicine reflective reading sessions.

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,

That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,

And spills the upper boulders in the sun;

And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.

What are are some of the walls or barriers we face in medicine? In palliative care? What are some of the barriers our patients and families face?

What are some of the walls we should build up and fortify, what are some we should tear down?

Why is this poem called Mending Wall? Can walls bring us together, rather than force us apart?

Would love to hear some of your thoughts!