Columbus short film highlights diversity and the complexities of medical school
As Columbus increasingly becomes a hub for immigrants and people from diverse backgrounds, representing their stories accurately is key. One artist is seeking to do this through visual storytelling.
Phillip Anjum, an Ohio State University College of Medicine graduate in the and cellular and molecular physiology program and resident at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, premiered his most recent short film, “A Place For Us” on YouTube.
The goal was to tell a relatable yet underrepresented tale of medical school while filming a visual love letter to the city of Columbus.
“Every second, every shot is in downtown Columbus,” said Anjum.
The film was shot on location at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Wexner Medical Center, even featuring a scene in a hospital room.
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Anjum’s medical experience was not the only thing that helped him tell this story.
When obtaining his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, Anjum double majored in biochemistry and film. He kept his artistic leanings alive and well, even while pursuing a career in STEM.
“I wanted to really unite the story of medical school with the story of residency,” said Anjum. “We have shows like 'Scrubs,' all these shows about residency and about practicing medicine, but there’s nothing about the medical-school experience itself.”
Anjum also took advantage of the opportunity and used it to communicate an interwoven story, painting a picture of the strain that medical school, and graduate school in general, can put on a parent-child relationship.
Drawing on personal sentiments, Anjum wrote two characters with complex family dynamics, one passive and one active, but both unsteady.
“I think it's something that a lot of children feel. They (parents) want you to do one thing, and you want to be independent,” said Anjum.
After going through that experience and coming out with a refined perspective, Anjum said he thinks that making sacrifices for one's parents is an integral part of growing up, just as they made sacrifices for him.
Incorporating this into “A Place For Us,” he got to express that feeling and create a multifaceted narrative at the same time.
Anjum said he did not want to shy away from confusion either, analyzing the emotional response that comes from finding one’s footing in a transitional period and highlighting the drama that it creates for medical students.
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“By the time you’re a fourth-year medical student and about to become a resident doctor, your experience is pretty close to what you see in the shows, (but) mentally, spiritually and emotionally, you’re not quite a doctor yet," said Anjum. "It’s that transition point; I wanted to tell that story.”
Despite its 20-minute runtime and professional appearance, “A Place For Us” was made with haste. Anjum initially planned to film for four days, but ended up shooting the majority of the film in just two.
This was a result of transportation and scheduling workarounds, as actors and crew members were driving to shoot in Columbus from Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan.
Finally, Anjum wanted to incorporate the growing cultural diversity in Columbus. He's watched it clash and weave its way into the medical industry, and added thoughtful commentary into "A Place For Us."
One scene, in particular, portrays an uncomfortable interaction between an older white male doctor and a younger Black female doctor, where the former belittles the challenges current students face.
"I actually wrote that scene in response to the last film I made, 'History of Present Illness,' because it was posted on a Medscape page, which was for clinicians for doctors," said Anjum.
"There was just a ton of pushback about how medical trainees are really weak, basically, and they don't have resiliency. It was ridiculous."
Anjum said he has seen firsthand not only how demanding medical programs are, but also how those problems are compounded and expanded for immigrants and people of color. He said he wants to ensure these voices are not silenced, and that no one's hard work is disparaged or ignored.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus' Phillip Anjum creates film to represent medical-school students
