God’s Work versus Meaningful Work versus Value.
Every now and then, when some people learn what kind of work I do, they say, “You’re doing God’s work. Thank you.” They mean well, so I accept the compliment, though I also tack on, “I also like what I...
View ArticleWhat Would It Be Like to Say Hello?
My first memory of encountering a person who appeared to have no place to live was during my first year of college at UCLA. A man was sitting outside a mini-mart, his legs crossed and his hair long. He...
View ArticlePeople Get Better.
“What?!” he exclaimed. “Are you serious?” “Yeah,” I replied, puzzled. “That’s… amazing.” “Yeah, it is.” I paused, finally realizing that he had never heard me talk about this before. “It actually...
View ArticleStatus Game Strategy.
How do you introduce yourself when you greet people, particularly those you don’t know? Yes, your answer might depend on who you’re meeting. But what’s your general approach? I try to emanate warmth: I...
View ArticlePatients in a Resuscitation Room.
I didn’t post anything here last week because my dad, while walking, was hit by a car. (He is feeling better, thank you.) When I arrived, my father occupied one of four beds in a resuscitation room....
View ArticleThoughts about the Digital Pill.
Reader and stellar nurse Natalie1 wondered about my thoughts about the digital pill. My initial reactions were similar to several of those who were interviewed for the article. The digital pill, which...
View ArticleMy Seattle Times Op-Ed about #MeToo in Medicine.
The Seattle Times published an op-ed I wrote! Their editorial staff provided the title, #MeToo in medicine: ‘Who would believe a trainee?’ I wonder: What if I had a different byline? Would the Seattle...
View ArticleThe Social History.
From the notes I read, it seems that other medical specialties limit “social history” to whether or not someone uses tobacco, drinks alcohol, or uses drugs. “Social history” is meant to get a sense of...
View ArticleThe “Best Of” 2017.
There are ten days left in 2017. This is the third iteration of my blog. I started this one in November 2010. The first iteration of my blog started in November 2000. That means I’ve been writing...
View ArticleHow to Prevent All of This?
Some of the people under my care in the jail right now are quite ill. (This statement is always true, but it seems that the intensity of illness is greater now than usual.) As a result, the perennial...
View ArticleOn Trusting Doctors.
There exists a particular physician who many in medicine regard as a quack: She has argued that HIV does not cause AIDS. She has written many pieces stating that vaccines are toxic and cause diseases...
View ArticleExpectation.
He was scowling all morning, so I decided it was worth a try. “Hi.” I leaned in. “What is orange and sounds like a parrot?” Still scowling, the jail officer working in the psychiatric unit glanced at...
View ArticleDevastation and Vulnerability.
We are all devastated that children died. Again. Even though we know that the causes are complex, we want to reduce the issue down to one factor. “There’s not enough access to mental health services!”...
View ArticleYou Don’t Have to Like Everyone.
You don’t have to like everyone under your care. And you probably won’t, which is okay. Own how you feel. If you insist on telling yourself that you should like someone when, in fact, you don’t, it...
View ArticleWhat Doctors Look Like.
I don’t remember her name, but I do remember her light brown hair, the simple nose ring that looped out of her left nostril, and the calm and centered presence she had with patients. She came across as...
View ArticleSome Thank Yous.
To the intern on the trauma surgery service when I was a medical student: Thanks for occasionally wearing leather pants to work. Thanks for smiling and having a sense of humor despite having to round...
View ArticleI Have No Plan.
We learn about SOAP notes early in medical school: S = Subjective, or what the person reports to you O = Objective, or the data you gather from the person (vital signs, physical exam, lab studies,...
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Representation Matters.
This post comes directly from a Twitter conversation I was in a few days ago: … though this topic has actually been on my mind for nearly a year due to some events that have occurred at work. Many...
View ArticleOn Dignity.
There were about nine of us waiting to cross the street. Several were Asian; there were also a few black and brown men. A van approached the curb to turn. It was one of those vans with a back door that...
View ArticleOn Suicide.
I still feel a little anxiety whenever I ask someone about suicide. I have no fear when asking The Question—“Have you been thinking about killing yourself?”—but sometimes I find that I’m not breathing...
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