We don’t have to be heroes
On the first day of medical school, our anatomy lab instructor handed us scalpels and told us to skin our cadavers. Early on, I learned: A good physician does not betray her feelings. A good physician suffers long. A good physician embodies resilience. A good physician is imperturbable. This lesson continued throughout training.
I contemplated leaving medicine during my second year of residency. I was no longer an intern, which meant I could …