It’s the winter of 1993. A cold, snowy day. Windy. A blizzard. The phone rings. I’m not on call for my patients today — except for one. Daisy has been in my care since the early 1970s, and given the risk that she may suffer a serious downtu…
Category: KevinMD
The suicidal patient who couldn’t be placed
Mr. Fine is in for the eleventh time in less than a week. I work as a social worker in a hospital emergency psych unit. Mr. Fine is suicidal again. It is kind of late in the evening when I see him, although it is my first time, I am the only social wor…
A patient who taught an important lesson in doctoring
As a doctor, there is an experience that all can relate to. It concerns that particular patient who comes in with not just one concern, but a litany of them. They require more than the prescribed 15 minutes of visit time, and we sit and listen, try our…
In the midst of physician burnout, remember the privilege of being a doctor
I read the recent article on KevinMD: “I’m sorry: Why I lost my love for medicine” with great sadness. My heart goes out to the author; many of their concerns echoed deeply within me. I am sorry that we, as physicians, haven’t effectively succeeded in …
It’s important for physicians and medical students to stop and realize how far they’ve come
As I was finishing up with my doctor’s appointment for the required immunizations I needed for medical school, my doctor asked if he could give me some advice for my upcoming journey. Being the clueless pre-medical student I was at the time, I said, “P…
It’s important for physicians and medical students to stop and realize how far they’ve come
As I was finishing up with my doctor’s appointment for the required immunizations I needed for medical school, my doctor asked if he could give me some advice for my upcoming journey. Being the clueless pre-medical student I was at the time, I said, “P…
A physician considers 5 new financial goals for the New Year
1. Increase retirement investments. As young professionals who will eventually retire or cut back on work at some point, we need to start investing in our future. While many of us may already have started setting aside money for retirement, others of u…
Medical school ends with a leap of faith
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s a question I frequently hear from physicians on my clinical rotations. Phrased somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the wording allows me to answer either in jest or in earnest. “An astronaut…
A patient who touches your heart in unexpected ways
I’m a pediatric hospitalist, and I know that most days in the hospital are routine. But every once in a while, a patient pierces through your armor, and touches your heart in totally unexpected ways. Willow did that to me. Willow was five days old and …
A patient who touches your heart in unexpected ways
I’m a pediatric hospitalist, and I know that most days in the hospital are routine. But every once in a while, a patient pierces through your armor, and touches your heart in totally unexpected ways. Willow did that to me. Willow was five days old and …
