Reflecting on the first AA meeting

Patient
June 5, 2012

I recently attended my first AA meeting. It surpassed many of my expectations; however it ruined others and left me slightly dumbfounded.

My imagination, with the help of television and movies, painted a picture in my mind of what an AA meeting would be like. It portrayed a room filled with people that obviously looked like addicts; unkempt appearances, borderline offensive hygiene, and at least one person emitting a radiance of …

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Reflecting on the first AA meeting

Heed the 4th year medical student spoils

Education
March 16, 2012

Looking back on the first three years of medical school, it’s hard to imagine living through the endless days of studying again. Weekends were spent cooped up in the library and there were countless holidays that I wasn’t able to spend with my family. Instead, they were spent memorizing indecent aspects of the human anatomy and performing DREs on strangers. There are better ways to get to know a person …

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Heed the 4th year medical student spoils

The 3 types of residents that medical students will encounter

Education
January 6, 2012

Every medical student is a bit apprehensive when he/she knows they will be assigned a new resident. The same questions always come up. Will the resident be nice? Will they understand my busy schedule? Will they make me do a ton of scutwork? Will they make me write all of his/her progress notes? And maybe most importantly, will they let me leave early to study for boards or enjoy the …

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The 3 types of residents that medical students will encounter

The hesitation before shaking a patient’s hand in the hospital

Physician
November 17, 2011

Today, during my psychiatry rotation, a very grateful patient confronted my attending and thanked him profusely for saving him. The patient had been severely depressed and was at his wit’s end before they met. The doctor listened to him, analyzed his situation, and came up with a plan to help which included involving the patient’ family as well as using proper medication. The patient had a great response to this …

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The hesitation before shaking a patient’s hand in the hospital