Matthew Ryan is an emergency physician.
Emergency medicine has evolved far beyond what its founders envisioned. Once an afterthought of the health care system, it is now the gateway to care for millions. Every day, our emergency departments serve as the front door of the hospital and, for many, the only door into health care.
This is why I argue that emergency medicine safeguards human rights.
Consider the patient mix of any emergency department: we care for the …
A faculty-wide email recently announced that shadowing in our emergency department would no longer be recognized as a valid educational activity. I wrote back asking why. The reply was brief, dismissive, and telling:
“It doesn’t pay the rent.”
That line has stuck with me—not just because it was flippant, but because it revealed something deeper about how we now view education.
Shadowing has long served as the first bridge between curiosity and calling …
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