It was hour thirty, and I was still at the hospital. My shift had technically ended two hours ago, but I was emotionally invested in this patient She was dying. I didn’t want to leave because I was so worried that she would pass the moment I stepped out of the hospital. My colleagues urged me to go home and practice self-care, as if that was going to make everything …
Time for grieving is a necessity for medical trainees
I recently listened to DDx, a new podcast from Figure1. In their third episode, a 37-year-old man presents to the emergency department in the middle of the night with persistent vomiting and retching. He is highly vocal and agitated. Upon questioning, he reveals that he experiences these episodes frequently and previous investigations have all been inconclusive. His skin is noted to be flushed and his father …
What is the pediatrician’s role in marijuana use?
In past years, the opioid crisis has become a topic of interest among the adult population. More recently, attention has grown surrounding the pediatric population, as well. In fact, the topic was included in the State of the Union address given by President Trump just a few weeks ago. He vowed to end the crisis and named it a “public health emergency.”
When discussing true addiction, …
The opioid crisis hits children
I recently attended a conference in San Francisco, California, where the increasing amount of physician suicide was discussed in concert with the ramifications of a psychiatric diagnosis for physicians. An attendee addressed the audience after the presentation. She disclosed that she was a resident physician and that she had been previously hospitalized for five days with symptoms of severe anxiety, depression, and suicidality. As tears welled in her eyes, she …
A stigma no physician can afford
In 1968, Rosenthal and Jacobsen introduced the concept that expectations in the classroom can positively or negatively affect students. This phenomenon was dubbed, “The Pygmalion Effect.” Since then, there has been controversy surrounding the topic. Other authors have argued that the data was insignificant or inconclusive. From my own personal experience, having been in school for over ten years, I believe that the concept carries validity. Furthermore, I believe that …
Attending physicians should not pass down their impressions of trainees
I was surprised when I felt my body stiffen as I became aware that an iPhone had just been fiercely thrown in my direction. “I’m calling security,” shouted a distant voice in the background.
“I want the 10 mg oxycodone pills! I am in 10/10 pain!” The patient shouted this to me as he abruptly got up, violently launched his phone in my direction and stomped toward the exit of the …
The moment this physician realized she hated the pain scale
A few weeks ago, my program hosted a lecture series that focused on patient safety. One lecturer truly caught my attention. He chose to highlight the fact that medical professionals have been trained since medical school that perfection, as a practicing physician, is necessary. We have been held to high expectations during our training, and we hold ourselves to these impossible standards as we continue our courses in residency and, …
Dismiss the ideal of perfection
I find myself spending close to an hour on the computer each morning at the hospital. I spend this time dutifully looking up vital signs, labs, recent radiology or pathology results as well as many other valuable pieces of information about each of my patients. I watch as my colleagues frantically record values, while making sure to point out important trends and gross abnormalities.
When we round, there is always a …
This doctor spends more time at a computer than with patients
As a pediatrician in training, I’ve seen countless instances in which parents, in both the ED and inpatient/outpatient care settings, have presented with deep concern regarding their child’s fever. It’s an age-old concern. But why exactly does fever cause so much distress in a parent’s world?
As a medical student, I distinctly remember rotating with an attending physician who had strong feelings regarding fever. He became angry with me when I …
This pediatrician doesn’t fear fevers and neither should you
I was rotating through an infectious disease elective at an outside hospital during my fourth year of medical school when I encountered a startling situation. We were called to evaluate a patient who was suffering from an infection called Haemophilus influenzae. Now, I knew that most children were vaccinated against this pathogen, so I was surprised by the consult.
I was working on a team with three others: one attending, one …
Stories to help parents think critically about the importance of vaccinations
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