March 19, 2019

2800 Campus Ridge Road

Matthews, NC 282105

Judges, NC Graduation Project Board

Levine Middle College High School
2800 Campus Ridge Road
Matthews, NC 282105

Dear Judges:

Graduating from high school has been a long awaited goal of mine. Each year I put in the work necessary
to do well in school, and pursue interests outside of the classroom. In my junior year, I chose to focus my
graduation project on a topic that is central to medicine, bedside manner. While writing my essay, I
researched the implications that bedside manner has in medicine, and I interviewed two doctors to learn
what good bedside manner consists of from the perspective of a physician. After writing my essay, I set
out to gain experience in my topic through volunteering at the Novant Health Matthews Medical Center.
During my first year as a volunteer, I admitted and escorted patients throughout the hospital and had a
slew of experiences interacting with patients. In my second year volunteering, I became a Junior
Volunteer Team Leader and was involved in organizing, interviewing, and rounding on other junior
volunteers throughout the hospital.

For my product, I shared my research and experiences with other high school students in order to bring
awareness to the importance of bedside manner. During my presentation, I encouraged the students to
pursue opportunities to expand their experience with bedside manner, and to keep the practitioner-patient
relationship at the core of their future careers in medicine.

Going into senior year, I expected a more laid back experience then in my junior year, but I quickly
learned that I was wrong. Unfortunately, the only easy day was yesterday, and I learned that this year.
Although each year in the near future will be gradually harder for me, I am still excited about all that I
will learn, experience, and the autonomy that I will acquire.

I am excited to be presenting to you on a topic that is a focal point of what I hope to be doing in my
future. I want to work towards becoming a physician, a road that is long and hard, and one that gradually
consumes the empathy of the providers that enter it. That is why I chose the importance of bedside
manner as my topic. Medicine is a field that is centered around treating people, and because of the nature
and stress of the job, many practitioners often forget how important the relationship that a provider has
with their patient, along with the actual treatment. It is my goal in completing this project that I will go on
to remain empathetic in my journey to becoming a doctor, and to raise awareness of the importance of
bedside manner.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my work and listen to my presentation.

Sincerely,

James Hant