By Samuel Huist, Department of Communication intern
A select group of Communication Studies majors have been chosen to accompany Associate Professor Dr. Marie Thompson to the Seventh Annual Medical-Spirituality Conference at Sinclair Community College on Thursday, April 16.
“I like to bring students to the conference for the opportunity they get to network,” said Thompson. “It exposes them to cutting edge advancements in the field of health communication.”
Thompson will be holding a workshop at the conference titled “Narrative Mapping: Mapping our Stories and Making Sense of Illness, Trauma and Healing.”
She is one of three workshops guests can attend at the conference. The other workshops are “Multi-Sensory Storytelling through Creative Programming” by Dr. Lynn Harter and “The Healing Power of Hope: In our Patients and in Ourselves” by Mr. Lu Marchand.
The conference is scheduled for 8:45am-4:30pm at the Sinclair Conference Center, located on 444 W. Third Street in Dayton.
The keynote speech will be presented by Dr. Harter, who is a Professor of Health Communication at Ohio University. Her research includes a focus on the organizing of health care of underserved populations, pediatric cancer care and disability related concerns.
Alyssa Bensmen, 23, attended the conference last year and will be going again on April 16, where she hopes to attend the workshop by Dr. Harter.
“Dr. Harter is one of the authors of ‘Vital Problematics of Narrative Theorizing about Health and Healing’, which I read earlier this semester and found fascinating,” said Bensmen. “I’m looking forward to meeting Harter and learning more from her.”
Proceeds from the conference will benefit the Boonshoft School of Medicine’s Healer’s Art Fund. The tickets for the students attending with Dr. Thompson have been paid for by the Department of Communication.
Communication Studies major, Mercedes Centeno, has taken three of Thompson’s classes at WSU and will be attending the conference for the first time.
“Health Communication is really cool because you learn a lot from it. You learn what to say and what not to say to someone who is experiencing grief and how to communicate with someone who has a disability,” said Centeno. “These two things are so important to everyday life!”
Bensmen said the conference is great way for students to expand on topics learned in health communication classes.
“Last year the conference was everything I expected and much more. It was a wonderful learning experience for everyone that attended,” said Bensmen. “Today, I heard the quote, ‘You don’t get smart talking to yourself’, and boy is that true. The conference was a great opportunity to interact, listen, and learn from professionals in the health field.”
To register for the conference, or for more information call (937) 245-7628.
