Sharon Deskins, MD
Sharon Deskins, MD
Dr. Sharon Deskins on the power of storytelling and connection.
Something that connects us all — whether you’re a doctor, a nurse, a patient or simply, a human being — is our need to be storytellers, said Sharon Deskins, MD.
“We tell stories all the time,” she said. “Stories about ourselves, stories about others, and it influences who we are and how we interact with the world. Stories are everywhere.”
Dr. Deskins’ story includes growing up in Ann Arbor, where she attended the University of Michigan Medical School. She then moved to California, where she did her residency and internship at the now named Los Angeles General Medical Center.
She lived in California for 10 years, but knew she wanted to come back to Michigan to raise her four kids. She’s been back in the St. Joseph area practicing medicine for about 30 years.
What Dr. Deskins likes about medicine is how it combines several of her passions. She’s always been interested in science and trying to make peoples’ lives better. And she loves learning, which there’s certainly no shortage of in medicine.
“It's something that's never going to be boring and it won't be, after about five years, ‘oh I've mastered everything,’” she said. “There’s always something new to learn.”
And then, of course, you meet so many different people in medicine. Like Dr. Deskins’ almost 101-year-old patient who served in the Navy during World War II and is part of a book club. Dr. Deskins is also an avid reader, reading about 120 books a year.
Patients aren’t always clear medical storytellers. They might give unnecessary information or be sporadic with timelines. That’s why you listen — so you can pick out the important information for their medical story, Dr. Deskins said.
Dr. Deskins also works closely with Corewell Health South internal medicine residents and Michigan State University and Central Michigan University medical students.
Dr. Deskins also works closely with Corewell Health South internal medicine residents and Michigan State University and Central Michigan University medical students.
Just like with her patients, Dr. Deskins talks to the residents to find out what they’re interested in. What are their life goals? What makes them feel loved, involved, respected?
“People are similar in a lot of ways. We all want connection, validation and love, though we may want them in different ways,” she said. “It should be fairly easy to make connections if you just take a moment, show some curiosity and ask people questions.
“You'll be surprised what you find out.”
