The challenges of leaving a positive impact while practicing as a physician in another country

Physician
September 26, 2017

He was approximately 75 pounds and appeared to be wasting away. Although he was only 43 years old, he had end-stage AIDS. Even in this cachectic state, he continued to refuse to eat the hospital food because he didn’t like it. After speaking at length with him, he said that he only wanted porridge with meat or “fat cakes,” both of which we did not serve in the hospital. He …

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The challenges of leaving a positive impact while practicing as a physician in another country

The irony of the “sick” caring for the sick

Conditions
March 19, 2017

“Why do you eat so healthy?” or “Where’s your kale today?” I would hear regularly.

For as long as I can remember, my colleagues and friends have often smirked at my lunch choice. To me, I always ate what I enjoyed (even if it was the occasional french fry), and my diet and lifestyle were all about balance. Growing up, I played competitive soccer for 10 years and knew my performance …

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The irony of the “sick” caring for the sick

The difficulty of maintaining relationships throughout medical training

Education
January 29, 2017

It was 1 a.m. on a Sunday night on call, and we were waiting patiently for admissions in the resident workroom. We were four near-perfect strangers, yet we had one thing in common: our challenges we faced in maintaining relationships. Was it truly because of our shared profession of medicine or because of our similar personalities that led us into the field? We realized we struggled preserving our current relationships …

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The difficulty of maintaining relationships throughout medical training

My experience as a patient has made me a better physician. Here’s how.

Physician
December 9, 2016

The medical assistant swabbed my nose and my throat multiple times. Pricked my finger too. Then, the phlebotomist (or vampire?) drew bottles and bottles of my blood. Along with the physical discomfort, there was emotional discomfort too. What would the test results show? If they were all negative, would I be satisfied without having an answer?

Being a patient can be extremely vulnerable. Not only do you often divulge to a …

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My experience as a patient has made me a better physician. Here’s how.