Five Things
“What are you looking for?” I asked my supervising attending physician. I had been the intern on the bone marrow transplant service for less than a week. “Which numbers are important?” I wanted to know. “You listen every day as I rattle off hundreds of numbers in a few minutes, with no emphasis or pause, … Continue reading
Dying
It is another night on call in the intensive care unit. The night shift starts with what we call a sign-out where the physicians who have been taking care of these critically ill patients during the day tell me a bit about each of them as well as any issues that would be useful to … Continue reading
Thinking in Cliches
[From Bellevue Literary Review Vol. 1 Issue 1. Fall 2001.] The Diagnosis You, a 67 year-old cardiologist with a PhD in music theory and an avid interest in ancient Greek history, find yourself re-examining old lessons. The one thing our patients ask, you cannot answer, your first medical professor had warned you. What will happen … Continue reading
Diary of a Disaster: a nonfiction account of 9-11 and its aftermath
Hi everyone, As the 10th anniversary of 9/11 nears this Sunday, it seems everyone’s been looking back on what went on so long ago and reflecting on where we are today. I was a medical student at NYU when the towers fell, and am attaching my account of the events surrounding those days, if you’re … Continue reading
What I learned at the ATP Course Spring 2011
[An email to my fellow classmates at the Advanced Training Program in Healthcare Quality and Delivery run by Brent James, MD at the Intermountain Healthcare Institute for Quality Improvement.] I hope you all arrived home safely. It has been a real privilege taking this course with you. After Tommy’s speech on Wednesday, my husband asked me … Continue reading
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