Author's posts
Tragic turn in the OR: A rookie doctor’s race against time
An excerpt from A Surgeon’s Knot. The phone jarred Jackson Cooper, MD’s weary, anxious brain into consciousness from the edge of sleep. He jumped up, dropping the receiver on the cold floor of the call room. “Hello,” he said, te…
A Cuba missionary journey: Witnessing faith amidst hardship
I had the honor and privilege of visiting Cuba for a missionary trip this past week. As I ponder that amazing time, I will put my thoughts in this essay. Cuba is a small, sad country in the Caribbean. While one can see the tropical beauty and its forme…
Unmasking physician burnout: a survivor’s story and solutions for a healthy medical profession
I am a physician, a urologist, but what most people don’t know about me is that I am a survivor of mental illness, physician burnout, and multiple suicide attempts. Today, I write about the condition of the medical profession, its problem with bu…
From physician to survivor: My inspiring journey through burnout, mental illness, and triumph
I am a physician, specifically a urologist. However, what most people do not know about me is that I am a survivor of multiple suicide attempts. My essay attempts to tell my personal story—a story of burnout, mental illness, and suicide—and to discuss …
The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide
A most memorable message awaited me on my desk one morning: a brief note from Mrs. G asking, “Why did my husband take his own life today?” Startled, I reflected on Mr. G’s history as I had been treating him in my urology clinic for th…
The tragic story of Mr. G: a painful journey towards understanding suicide
A most memorable message awaited me on my desk one morning: a brief note from Mrs. G asking, “Why did my husband take his own life today?” Startled, I reflected on Mr. G’s history as I had been treating him in my urology clinic for th…
The 4 stages of suicidal ideation: a physician’s experience with burnout and self-compassion
I am a physician, a urologist, and a survivor of multiple suicide attempts related to physician burnout. In dealing with my psychopathology, I experienced a devolution in my mental status, culminating in suicidal behavior. I can remember the exact mome…
Lazarus: the dead man brought back to life
Lazarus is a man of the new testament, living in the time of Jesus Christ in the city of Bethany. He was the brother of two of Christ’s followers, sisters Mary and Martha. Bethany sat less than 2 miles south of Jerusalem in Israel. The story of L…
