“These encounters made my evening shift much more emotional than usual. I am still not sure what it was exactly that evoked such strong feelings of sadness. Was it having a patient who was a health care worker? Was it the rapidity in which all th…
Category: Hospital-Based Medicine
Alone in the hospital in the midst of a global pandemic
I have never felt so alone. I was lying in bed with severe abdominal pain. Pain I never had before. Well, at least not for a reason. As I lay there, I kept thinking, what if I die while I wait until morning. It was the middle of the night. I had not fe…
To be in medicine is to know grief, pain, and heartbreak in a personal way
“Grief never ends … but it changes. It’s a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith … It is the price of love.” – Anonymous The “price of love”: We are now paying that price with the passing of Debb…
Behind the scenes of a hospital’s COVID response [PODCAST]
“In the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic, getting a flu shot has never been more important. Many people are staying indoors, wearing a mask, and washing their hands frequently. In this environment, patients ask me, “With all this social distancing, d…
The laws of The House of God and Man’s 4th Best Hospital
Forty-two years ago, when I had finally finished the seven revisions of my first novel, The House of God, my editor said, “Why don’t you add a glossary and a list of The Laws of the House of God.” Writing the Laws, I hardly needed to refer to the text…
Does your doctor’s age matter? [PODCAST]
“If I had $100 for every time I walked into a patient’s room, introduced myself as the doctor, and was immediately asked, ‘Hey, how old are you?’ I might be able to retire right now — at the age of 28. Of course, I am exaggerating, an…
Issues faced by LGBTQ individuals in the operative setting [PODCAST]
“Studies have repeatedly demonstrated a vast majority of pain physicians don’t feel like they have adequate training in meeting the unique needs of this patient population, though most agree that such efforts are very necessary. This disconnect b…
Medical residents signed up to live in the hospital, not to die there
I saw a tweet recently from a medical resident training at another hospital that really hit home for me: “In response to a rumor that health care workers who treat COVID patients will be prioritized for vaccination in our health system, one of my co-re…
Turn 2020 into an opportunity by changing your mindset [PODCAST]
“A few months ago, I signed up for a virtual conference for women in medicine. It’s a group of women, over 10,000 of us, who have watched me and supported me through the past two years of my career. Two years of struggle. Two years of perso…
More physicians have tattoos, and how that makes them more genuine at the bedside
Throughout my time in medical school, residency, and now as a practicing physician, I have noticed physicians’ changing face. When applying for medical school, I remember choosing a medium-grey pantsuit to match my medium-brown hair to wear for m…
