From the Editor

Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH, BDS, FAAFP, FASAM When I moved to Berks County in early 2020, as the pandemic was rearing its ugly face, I had no idea what lay ahead. Becoming the editor of a new arts and literary journal was certainly not on my “to do” list. If anything, it was on my “been there, done that” list! As I settled into my new role and made connections with the larger medical community, I met several wonderful colleagues who welcomed me into their circles.

One of them was Lucy Cairns, MD an ophthalmologist who at the time was the editor for the Berks County Medical Society’s quarterly publication, Medical Record. After hearing about some of my professional interests, she informed me that a retired OB/GYN physician was in the process of trying to start a medical humanities curriculum for the medical residents and subsequently introduced me to Dr. Peter Schwartz. The rest, as they say, is history. Dr. Schwartz provides more details about the process in his thoughtful essay about the need for a medical humanities curriculum in graduate medical education. Dr. Caitlyn Moss, who is now spearheading the curriculum has also written eloquently about how we arrived at the name Silver Linings. Alexandra Short, the Director of Library Services, did an awesome job of keeping things organized as we received and reviewed submissions.

This first issue includes heartfelt reflections on a range of topics, including our collective experiences with the COVID - 19 pandemic, loss and reminders of those simple but meaningful gestures that can make a lasting impact on the patients we care for. The stunning pieces of art that are included here are only a sample of the artistic talent that lies within our medical community, proof that indeed, the left and right cerebral hemispheres actually do work together!

We hope that you will be encouraged to find the silver linings in life’s challenging situations, which can indeed be transformative. Just think about the caterpillar who didn’t know it was destined to be a beautiful butterfly!

On behalf of the editorial team, I invite you to join us as we explore the connections between healthcare and the arts in this very first issue of Silver Linings. We hope you will enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed the process of bringing it to life, and that you will share it with your friends and loved ones.

Olapeju Simoyan, MD, MPH, BDS, FAAFP, FASAM Editor in Chief Executive Director of Research, Fran and Doug Tieman Center for Research/Caron Treatment Centers Director of Scholarly Activity, Caron/Reading Hospital Addiction Medicine Fellowship Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Drexel University College of Medicine

“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.” - Hippocrates