Medical
Finding happiness in the time of COVID
I was waiting for my boyfriend to return back from cleaning his car. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the tears started rolling down my face. I was startled at the sudden deluge. I don’t cry often. We had a small argument earlier in the day, the details of which I won’t divulge here. It made me question…
Read MoreHow this medical student is inspired by pediatrics
I slip through the slightly cracked door. “Knock, knock,” I say, but mom is hidden under the blankets, resting while there are so many of us to take over for her for a tiny bit. In the darkness, I make my way to the crib, where a crack of sunlight peers through from the slightly…
Read MoreA story of a family physician looking for work during the pandemic
I never expected to find myself in this position. Ironically, I, a family medicine physician, in a world grappling with a pandemic, became underemployed for the first time since high school. A unique set of circumstances led me to this situation, but it turned out to be far more challenging for me emotionally than I…
Read MoreAll rise now — just how fit are you?
How fit are you, really? Fitness is not always best measured by parameters like your weight, your ability to run a 5K, or whether you can do 10 push-ups. Instead, one test of fitness is how well you can stand from a seated position. Try this: Rise from the floor without using your hands Before…
Read MoreA physician-mother comforts her frightened, 6-year-old daughter
It’s Monday morning at 7:15 a.m. Our kids, ages 6 and 9, have just finished breakfast, and they know to get their shoes on to go for a walk. We are hand-in-hand, slowly waking up as we put one foot in front of the other. We ambled down our neighborhood streets, listening to birds chirping…
Read MoreAn advertisement for COVID 2020
Have you ever felt completely overwhelmed both at work and at home? Perhaps you’re thinking, my job as an anesthesiologist isn’t anxiety-provoking enough; I should probably homeschool my kids at the same time. When’s the last time you uttered the phrase, “This is the most stress I’ve ever experienced” multiple days in a row? Come…
Read MoreThe plausible positive alternative to COVID-19
Do you remember those old cartoons with the angel or good guy on one shoulder and the little devil or bad guy on the other? Of course, the good guy was always trying to keep the character out of mischief, and certainly, the little devil was doing quite the opposite. Sometimes, especially now during these…
Read MoreGo to the hospital if you need emergency care, even in the era of COVID-19
In the era of COVID-19, the hospital must be a place of mystery to those on the outside. I imagine some think it’s bustling with activity, with caregivers scurrying around at a frenetic pace. Of course, we’ve seen video on the news from hard-hit New York City or Lombardy, Italy, when they were at their…
Read MoreHow COVID-19 is forcing physicians to rethink the concept of job security
Prior to 2000, a practicing physician was almost guaranteed a prosperous economic livelihood. The guaranteed future meant that a physician could take on financial risks such as using student loans to finance their education, purchase a house during residency, and start building a family. After becoming an attending, affording the million-dollar house, saving for retirement,…
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