Music and Medicine
Ethan Hardy, a Neuroscience major, has always loved music. Growing up in Utah, “music was a big part of [my] high school years,” along with the cross-country team. When he was young, Ethan loved the technical challenge of music mastery: “I was really interested in Bach because it felt like it was like a puzzle.”
However, the older Ethan got, the more he realized that there was more to music than the thrill of mastering a difficult piece. “In high school I used to volunteer at a senior living home every week. People would say things I wouldn't expect, like, ‘This really meant a lot to me.’ Feedback like that helped me realize that there was something more.”
Ethan has continued to volunteer his piano abilities during college as well. During his first year and a half at BYU, Ethan has been teaching weekly piano lessons at Provo’s South Franklin Community Center. He works with children who might otherwise not be able to afford to learn piano. “It’s been incredibly valuable,” Ethan said. “I love teaching and seeing students grow. But the reason I’ve stuck with it is the relationships I’ve built with these kids and their families.”
A balance between community service and technical challenge drew Ethan not only to music, but also to medicine. Ethan spent four months preparing for his audition to the BYU piano program, but changed his plans. “I jumped into school in the piano program…and then switched to neuroscience!”
Explaining his medical career path, Ethan said, “I’ve always been drawn to subjects like math and science, which was why I was interested in medicine when I was young. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve experienced the fulfillment that comes from caring for others. I’m drawn to medicine because it combines an intellectually rigorous career with daily opportunities to improve peoples’ well-being.”
Recently, Ethan started an internship at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Part of his work is research. One area of Ethan’s research is about lung cancer in different populations, while another is on training AI to perform surgeries.
The other part of Ethan’s internship is raising public awareness about lung cancer screenings. “There's a lot of people who are at high risk for developing lung cancer, but less than 6% are getting screened when it's recommended,” he said. “There's a very clear need for raising awareness and advocacy for lung cancer with certain patient groups. So, we do a lot of work going into the community giving presentations and workshops.”
Choosing a career in medicine doesn’t mean that Ethan has left music behind, though. In fact, music plays an important role in his work at the hospital. Every week, the chaplains lead the residents in singing hymns, which up until recently had no piano accompaniment. Ethan spoke with the department and got permission to play along with the singers.
“I think what music does for me now is it connects me to a higher purpose,” he said. “The day to day of my work here is really exciting. I love the research. I love the science of understanding everything. But moments of going down to the chapel and hearing these people sing…those are moments that connect [my work] to spiritual things and to what's most important.”
Ethan appreciates the Honors Program “for the same reason I like music. It's kind of like stepping back and realizing that there's more.” He shared that the Honors Program has prepared him for medical work by adding depth and different perspectives to his thinking. "I think the reason why I stayed in the Honors Program was because I saw the value of its mission, including interdisciplinary thinking,” he said. Rather than just focusing on the technical aspects of medicine, Honors has helped him add humanity to the practice.
For example, Ethan took an Unexpected Connections course that included reading about the history of medical racism. Since starting his internship, he has seen this come into play. “We're doing a Black women's health research study, and I've been interacting with patients,” he said. “They've brought up things that we studied in that class.”
Ethan is excited to continue to serve in both his medial career and with his musical talents. “It's always been disconnected: growing up music was a side hobby, and medicine was what I would do for work. But I had this idealistic hope. I want a career where I feel engaged and spiritually connected. I'm doing that with medicine and somehow also using music.”
Using his interdisciplinary skills, Ethan is fulfilling his dream to “be able to live every day and serve people.”