We are taught that auscultation is more of an art than a science: that the sound of the heart likens itself to music and poetry in its different rhythms, and that the student must immerse himself into the sound of the heart murmur as one would sit listening in the center of a symphony. I have listened to many heart murmurs, and while I cannot say that this is incorrect, I have learned that there are far more murmurs than the ones heard at key points in the chest. I take note of the sudden revealing during a patient interview, quiet whispers of loved ones, the gentle posturing of a body as it is positioned for surgery. These murmurs of medicine-- the strange and poignant, the directed and imperfect-- will be addressed here.
Content Editors:
Erika Chang-Sing, Yale School of Medicine
Madee Ehrenberg, Yale School of Medicine
Design Editors:
Neeta Patel, Yale School of Art
Claire Hungerford, Yale School of Art