Quieted Voices – My Week at the Family Planning Clinic
A medical student reflects on her time at the family planning clinic, calling for more support and understanding and an end to the harsh and unfair stigma.
“Digame”: Communication Beyond Language Barriers
During my last outpatient pediatrics clinic in residency, a patient and his mother reminded me that the therapeutic relationship can transcend language. I had been taking care of a young boy, whom I’ll refer to as “A,” since the beginning of his life. He had developmental delays and several other medical problems. His mother was […]
When It Hits Too Close to Home
I am equal parts excited and filled with dread as I open the door. The operating room is abuzz with activity, everyone hurriedly working to complete their duties during the operation. I focus on keeping out of the way of the ordered disorder, and avert my eyes from the patient on the operating table. I […]
Who Are the Best Teachers in the Hospital?
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 […]
Compassion in Eight Stitches
The first time, you don’t realize how warm his body will be. On some level, you knew the patient’s temperature would be in the range of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit; his skin, just a few degrees below that. But somehow that information never registered with your fingertips. As you feel the tissue around his wound, palpating […]