Traveling chalkboard inspires Wright State medical students to discuss death and dying

Over the past week, an interactive exhibit has sparked deep reflection among medical students at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine. The large four-sided chalkboard on wheels, placed prominently in the lobby of White Hall, encouraged students to answer the question: What do you want to do before you die?

“It’s not a topic I think about a lot,” said Ryan Parker, a first-year medical student who wrote about his desire to visit all seven continents before he dies.

The exercise is part of On Death and Dying, The Last Taboo Subject in America, an elective course introduced for fourth-year medical students this year.

“The time to have conversations with patients is not in the ICU,” said Kelly Rabah, Ed.D., assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology and geriatrics.

Rabah said the course allows her to discuss how students can offer hope to their patients at the end of their lives.

“Maybe the hope they get home and they can die in their own bed or they hope they can be with their grandkids or their pets,” she said.

The inspiration for the traveling chalkboard came from a TED Talk presented in Chronic Illness and End of Life, a special topic in communication course at Wright State.

Marie Thompson, Ph.D., professor of communication, said the project is a great way to discuss end-of-life care with her students.

“Every word choice that you put on the wall is a way of talking about the life you want to live and how you want to be,” said Thompson.

The elective course is specifically designed for fourth-year medical students who will start residency training after graduating in May. It has been wildly popular and is already full for the 2025 fall semester.

“As future physicians, we are going to be talking about death a lot,” said fourth-year medical student Shayna Mehta. “I think it’s important to have the wall here for first- and second-year medical students to start to think about this.”