Why this doctor shares his patients’ stories

Physician
October 21, 2016

Around 10 a.m., I had just finished seeing a patient in office when my pager went off:

“Yellow Trauma — 3 y.o. male: Alleged fall down 7 cement steps, suspected abuse.”

Our team dropped everything and descended upon the emergency department in our hospital. By the time we had reached the patient, a dozen ER nurses and doctors had already surrounded his bed in the trauma bay. The patient had been intubated …

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Why this doctor shares his patients’ stories

A medical student speaks up and saves a life

Education
July 12, 2014

Recently, I was on call for surgery at a hospital in New York City. At 2 a.m. in the morning, we were paged to a trauma in the ED. After we stabilized the patient and moved him for CT scans and x-rays, I noticed a small stretcher tucked away in the back part of the ED, a place typically reserved for overflow patients when we run out of rooms.

The patient …

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A medical student speaks up and saves a life

Why we persevere despite a poor prognosis

Education
December 29, 2013

Last night, I responded to a code blue while working the night float at the hospital. The patient was a relatively young female who had just completed a coronary artery bypass procedure. Per training, I began compressing her chest to induce blood flow to the rest of her body.

As I pushed, the incision reopened and blood began spewing everywhere. I could feel her ribs giving and cracking from the force …

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Why we persevere despite a poor prognosis