Faculty Spotlight: April Flynn

By Korrina Gidwani

Professor April Flynn is a Teaching Associate Professor in the English Department, here at the University of Pittsburgh. After growing up around several family members in healthcare, Professor Flynn “hoped to bridge the gap between medicine and the humanities” by crafting health science courses for Pitt undergraduates. Professor Flynn’s mission strongly aligns with The Pitt Pulse’s goals, as we similarly explore science and medicine through a multidisciplinary lens.

At the undergraduate level, Professor Flynn teaches Writing in the Health Science Professions and Language of Medicine. “Narrative medicine is all about the patient’s experience and treating the whole person, including their feelings, emotions, and everything that comes into a patient interaction,” Professor Flynn explained, citing this idea as a common theme in both classes. They encourage students to utilize narrative storytelling to understand scientific ideas, explore health equity, and conceptualize patient relationships from a holistic standpoint. Expanding upon these topics, Professor Flynn will also teach a brand-new course at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine that is geared towards medical advocacy. They hope to inspire medical students to become compassionate listeners and communicators, which will deepen their connections with patients and enhance their ability to advocate for vulnerable populations.

Professor Flynn deeply values their connections with Pitt students; in fact, it is their favorite part about teaching these medical humanities courses! “I feel really inspired by the students that I work with. …this current generation of healthcare providers will be leaders in a very positive transformation in health and medicine, where not only is there more focus on a holistic, patient-centered approach but also bringing in an understanding of the social side of medicine, health equity, and implicit bias,” they stated. Moving forward, we highly recommend that you enroll in Professor Flynn’s courses or check out their remarkable work in the medical humanities!