I love being a doctor. But I almost walked away from medicine entirely—not because I did not care, but because it almost killed me.
I am a neurodivergent, African-American woman who grew up poor and beat the odds to wear a white coat. But nothing in my medical training prepared me for the business of medicine. In fact, I would argue the system was designed to keep me from learning it.
We …
If you’ve ever published or read scientific research, you’ve likely encountered the phrase non solus — subtly attached to over 720,000 research articles in 2024 alone. It’s Latin for “not alone.” In 1620, a Dutchman named Isaac Elzevir believed this phrase reflected the symbiotic relationship between authors and publishers — neither could succeed without the other. He incorporated non solus into his family’s publishing logo, alongside an image of a …
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Internal medicine physician Edward Hoffer discusses his article, “Can rural health care be saved?” He outlines the significant health care disparities facing rural communities, including higher death rates from major diseases, increased …
Driving through South Dakota after visiting the Badlands, I entered the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. As a medical student at GCSOM in Scranton, PA, I rarely see Native American communities. I was shocked by the poverty and neglect. How had I never heard of Pine Ridge?
Pine Ridge Reservation was established as a prison camp before a deadly massacre.
Pine Ridge Reservation was established in 1889 as Camp 334 for …
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Physician assistant David Olson discusses his article, “Taking a break from medicine: a journey to rediscover joy and purpose.” He describes feeling trapped in an unhealthy, borderline abusive relationship with medicine, citing …
An excerpt from Narrative Medicine: New and Selected Essays.
One of my adult daughters recently reminded me of a cherished memory. When she was about four years old, we spent a few hours together at a small, independently owned bookstore. I selected books straight off the shelves and read to her, and later we joined a circle of children and parents to …
Let’s talk about a trend I’m seeing—and honestly, I can’t stay quiet about it anymore.
Across the country, more and more NP programs are telling highly experienced family nurse practitioners (FNPs) working in acute care settings that they can’t precept ACNP (Acute Care Nurse Practitioner) students. Meanwhile, those very same programs are approving Physician Assistants to precept ACNP students in those exact same roles.
I’m all for collaboration, and I respect the …
Silence is a prison that locks away the truth,
hiding it in the shadows of life.
Words yearn to be spoken,
but are instead swallowed whole.
It’s a safer alternative
than facing an empty void.
Your gaze is directed elsewhere,
avoiding the person who sits
before you … one who is waiting for
compassion that never arrives.
So, the spaces between words
grow longer and
the disconnect becomes stronger.
Words exchanged fall flat,
drowned out by the ticking clock
and the clicking of a keyboard
as …
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Physician advocate and physical therapist Kim Downey, physician coach Erin Hurley, and patient advocate Dawn Veselka discuss their article, “Spreading hope one card at a time: How small acts of kindness can …
Today I want to speak into something we don’t talk about enough. In a world where female physicians are constantly pulled in every direction—as doctors, mothers, wives, daughters—we often forget our own personhood.
Between closing charts, answering endless patient messages, kissing boo-boos, and making sure every event has the right outfit, we forget to eat, to sleep, to breathe. And no one is doing this to us maliciously—but it happens, because …
Many years ago, I thought I was going to be a mechanical engineer. My studies revolved around case-based learning and field work, all of which I enjoyed immensely. Then I learned about biomedical engineering and decided to go to medical school.
For the first two years of medical school, my education focused on classroom didactics and instruction, with little to no involvement in what was happening with patients in the real …
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Interventional physiatrist Francisco M. Torres discusses his article “The key to longevity: fitness, mindset, and nutrition.” He challenges societal assumptions about inevitable decline after age sixty, arguing that joy, vitality, and strength …
Imagine walking through the hospital and seeing a colleague you haven’t worked with in years. The moment your eyes meet, a giant smile spreads across both of your faces—pure, genuine joy.
There’s an instant connection, an unspoken recognition of the experiences you shared. You remember the ease of collaboration, the unshakable trust in each other’s expertise. Teamwork at its best—fluid, energizing, and effective.
But over time, things shift. People move on in …
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Recently, I found myself in need of surgery, a situation I had not faced in many years. The vulnerability I experienced as a patient was more intense than I ever anticipated. Despite my role as a doctor who often considers patients’ emotional well-being, I felt this. This experience brought me face-to-face with the emotional challenges that patients face in a new way. This perspective is crucial for all health care …
I didn’t know them well.
They were primary care doctors on the hospital staff where I served on the Medical Executive Committee. They provided care to the most vulnerable members of our community, both in the hospital and their offices. I feel guilty for not recognizing that each of them was personally suffering, as they took their own lives.
Losing lives of those saving lives is heartbreaking.
Doctors heal people. While most professions …
For years, empathy has been seen as a moral virtue that binds relationships, the antidote to pain and suffering while caring for patients. But lately, empathy is facing a surprising backlash in society and the medical profession. From being called “toxic” to being labeled outright as a “sin,” the virtue of feeling others’ pain is now under sharper scrutiny across ideological, psychological, and even religious groups within our society.
In caregiving …
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve typed out a broken heart emoji in response to yet another tragedy, I’d probably be able to take a break from work for a while. But here I am—because I love what I do despite it all.
There are many days my heart breaks.
Not in the cliché, romance-gone-wrong kind of way. It’s deeper than that. It’s …
I’m in this place of noticing—not reacting—simply noticing the dance between myself and my environment, in the clinical setting and beyond.
I’m noticing myself in conversation with colleagues. I’m asking the tough questions I hadn’t thought to ask before: Do my thoughts, ideas, and opinions truly contribute to moving the conversation forward? Do they actually help shape the actions needed to reach the end result?
As physicians, we often believe they do. …
Unless you’ve lived it,
you can’t fully understand.
We’ve all cared for patients with cancer. We’ve delivered hard news, sat beside bedsides, explained scan results, and offered hope when we could. We’ve been the calm in the storm. That’s what we were trained to do.
But being on the other side of the table changes everything.
When you become the patient, the world shifts beneath you. Suddenly, you’re the one in the gown, lying …
How or when did physicians move from being teachers and healers who comfort and ease fear and pain to fear-inducing informational social media establishments?
I am a huge fan of sharing information and using tools and technology to do so with a larger audience. After all, our office or operating room are no longer the only venue where we can impact patients.
However, why have so many turned to fear-inducing videos, posts, …
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