Medical

With COVID-19 continuing to spread, some might assume that the one place to avoid is a hospital emergency room. After all, the space is filled with health care providers who work in close contact with sick people. This assumption could be harmful to a person in need of emergent medical care, and now, thanks to…

Recently surfing the far reaches of Netflix for a program on World War II that I hadn’t yet seen, I found a low budget serial documentary dealing with air power in war and in peace. The producers profiled individuals who had contributed to the eventualities of the airplane as a weapon of war or, conversely,…

“Alright, sir, that’s the plan, and we will take good care of you.   What questions do you have for me?” I asked after discussing the patient’s condition and hospital course.  The patient looked satisfied and nodded as if he understood the plan, and asked: “Well, one question, where are you from?”  I immediately let out…

A man who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) five years ago sees his rheumatologist for a follow-up visit. Fortunately, his arthritis is well controlled through medication. He can walk and do all his daily activities without pain. But over the past six months, he’s been feeling short of breath when climbing stairs. He has…

I knew it was the end of the world. I was about ten years old and returning home just as it was becoming dark. The sky began to be shot full of incredible colors coming from one direction. They became larger and brighter. Having been raised in a strict Catholic household, I had been well…

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 lives lost due to intolerance and racism. Over the past…

“Sitting in front of my laptop with both of us on the screen, I can maintain decent eye contact even if I look something up or type something into the medical record. The patient sees me as paying more attention than when I couldn’t effectively both maintain eye contact and look at the screen while…

“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 issues. I never thought this quarter page of paper would prove so critical…