Trisha K. Paul is a pediatric resident.
I wake when the sky begins to darken. As the sun buries itself beneath the horizon, the hospital beckons.
Nights bring a kind of calm. I find that wakefulness, while others sleep, grants me something sacred — time, untouched.
Circadian rhythms align us with light: The sun guides us through our days, the moon lulls us to sleep. Night shifts cast aside any semblance of schedule and orientation. At dusk, my body …
Gravel crunched beneath our feet as my co-residents, and I walked alongside one another. Our laughter filled the air as the shadow of our large white camper van stretched behind us, looming farther and farther away. We had escaped the warmth of a vehicle that had been our home all week; it was cold, and we were underdressed, not uncommon in Iceland. Surrounded by sea, the wind blew furiously, unforgivingly, …
“Tell me something you love.”
I love warm chocolate chip cookies — straight out of the oven.
“Thank you. Tell me something you love.”
I love to read, to write, to dance. I don’t know yet if I love medicine.
We were gathered in a ballroom, a group of doctors and dancers, to explore the art of medicine through movement. I sat cross-legged, looking into the eyes of a person I did not know, …
The national Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) strives to “recognize students, residents and faculty who are exemplars of compassionate patient care and who serve as role models, mentors, and leaders in medicine.” This society relies initially on a validated peer nomination tool to identify medical students who embody clinical competence, caring, and community service.
Upon discovering this emphasis on peer nomination, I began to question my own humanism, wondering which …
Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.
