Medical
Bereavement during social distancing
It’s never easy to lose someone you love. Imagine not being able to be at their bedside or say goodbye in person. Imagine losing them and not being able to have more than ten people at their funeral … if you are even able to have a funeral. There is no hugging, no tears wiped…
Read MoreImmigrant physicians: Acknowledge our privilege and move to action
Born in the United States of America to Nigerian parents, I was raised in Nigeria and returned to the U.S. after medical school for residency training. I have practiced medicine in Chicago, IL for 25 years, and like many others, have had to deal with microaggressions and racism within and outside the workplace. However, this…
Read MoreA few intense hours with a cardiothoracic surgeon
The warm rays of the sun serenade me as I drive to work eager to begin another shift. I find a parking spot on the first floor of the garage don my N95 mask and walk towards the hospital. First, I must stop by at the neighboring building and have my temperature checked. Today it…
Read MoreStrategies to foster meaningful connection during telemedicine visits [PODCAST]
“The COVID-19 pandemic has upended health care, with telemedicine emerging as a strategy to reduce risk exposures for patients and clinicians. Video visits, in particular, can be effective for many types of clinical care and offer convenience and savings for patients. As care shifts to this virtual modality, however, there is a risk of jeopardizing…
Read MoreTelehealth is the future but it is obscured by a dismal present
In so far as our current public health emergency is concerned, telehealth has obvious, indisputable benefits. The redirection of patient flow has enabled the conservation of personal protective gear, decreased nosocomial transmission of the coronavirus, and, therefore, saved lives, especially those who are immunocompromised, who are far more likely to contract COVID-19 as well as…
Read MoreDon’t become that physician who sees medicine only as a job instead of a calling
“Will I ever get better, Andrew?” my mother asked. She laid in bed, too weak to sit up, unable to eat, her myelofibrosis in the final stages of its relentless course. Her question stunned me – did she not know she was dying? How could she not? Was she in complete denial? Was she simply…
Read MoreThe middle school of medicine: a reflection on the first year of medical school
There is a picture of me kneeling in front of the Azure Window, once off the coast of Malta, eating a chocolate ice-cream cone. I am 12 years old, having just finished the sixth grade, wearing high-top “Bathroom Wall” Converse and not-at-all-grungy cargo pants in my attempt to emulate the 2008 aesthetic of Avril Lavigne.…
Read MoreTo my kids from a mentally exhausted doctor
As I reflect on Independence Day, I think of soldiers that sacrificed their own lives for others – present and future. They knew what they were facing, and yet, continued to push forward. They imperfectly led our nation through unprecedented waters with wisdom and perseverance. Today, we find ourselves in unprecedented waters – questioning our…
Read MoreWhy it’s so important to look at the big picture
One of the last things my dad said to me before he passed was, “remember to always look at the big picture.” He said this many times throughout my childhood and teenage years, but it never quite resonated until I was thinking about it in retrospect. As I near the end of my intern year,…
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