“I used to shoot people like you,” the patient said to me. He was one scary Vietnam vet, and I was one scared second-year resident. Though not Vietnamese, I figured correcting him wouldn’t matter. As an Asian American (Chinese on my dad’s side, Japan…
I am writing this commentary in response to a seminal opinion piece published by Dr. Donald M. Berwick, of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in Boston, Massachusetts, in the online edition of JAMA, entitled “The Moral Determinants of Health.“ In…
One of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon is perusing bookstore shelves and choosing books solely based on their cover. Wow, No Thank You is a series of essays by Samantha Irby that was selected in such a fashion. While the adorable fluffy bunny on…
1. Thou shalt first become comfortable with having uncomfortable conversations with thyself, before ever trying to have them with any other person. At this point in our earthly lives, we must — as a matter of urgency — get into that space of vulnerabil…
Our country is currently battling two urgent and severe health care crises: COVID and systemic racism. We believe that addressing systemic racism now is as urgent and as dangerous to the health of our nation and its people as the COVID19 pandemic. In a…
I just want a few berries. This was my comment that started the earthy discussion. We were visiting with friends who have a thriving garden producing more than they can consume. As we talked about the types of lettuce and greens in the neatly organized…
How do racial issues affect patients’ physical and mental health, and how do we address them during regular visits? For those without the lived experience of the black community, how can we learn and educate ourselves? How are the current protest…
I fixed my gaze across a sea of white coats, scrubs, and face masks, as I took a knee in front of my institution’s hospital. A photographer was walking around capturing historical moments while we spent 10 minutes in silence to remember all the black l…
“Give ‘em out like candy,” advised a senior resident while handing me a stack of small flyers. The text outlined a list of services provided by a nearby community resource center for help with things like housing, food, education, employment, and legal…
Two years ago, my wife and I spent our 20th wedding anniversary in Charleston, SC, a city steeped in national history, both good and bad. Nothing could be more iconic of good history than Fort Sumter, and nothing more iconic of bad history than the Old…
