Life at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Disclaimer: To avoid breaching patient confidentiality per hospital policy, names and circumstances have been altered. However, the spirit of the interaction with patients was preserved as best as possible. As I sit here typing at 3:23 a.m., my sandpaper eyes can just barely focus on a keystroke before looking yearningly at my bed. But, in […]
Countless big and small tragedies occur in the hospital daily. There is the yearning for fresh air, the tedium of one blood draw after another, the inability to defecate, the removal of an organ, the loss of a child or parent. These are interwoven with beautiful miracles, human triumphs, cures and compassion. It is no […]
"Can you check my blood pressure?" This is a common request I get from my co-residents. Even I have taken advantage of the vacant blood pressure cuffs in our clinic to occasionally check my own numbers. Though it seems like medical trainees are constantly surrounded by health care, studies have actually shown that we are, […]
Though the individuals in this story are fictional, the stories presented reflect my real-life experiences with patients and their caregivers. Upon entering my patient’s room, I introduced myself and apologized for running late. I sat across from Carry, my patient’s granddaughter. The clinic was running as usual that day. In one word: overbooked. I had […]