As Mr. Jones shares the details of his symptoms, I hover near the door, wondering how to stand and where to put my hands. To him, I am a bag of plastic and cloth with a thin sliver of brown skin and eyes behind a pair of polycarbonate glasses. I wish I had his bravery….
Category: Clinical medicine
We were inspired to become primary care physicians. Now we’re reconsidering a field in crisis
Written by Richard Joseph and Sohan Japa. Originally appeared on June 20, 2019 in STAT. Nearly three years ago, we began training as primary care doctors in two residency programs at a Harvard-affiliated teaching hospital. We understood the value of longitudinal patient-doctor relationships and wagered that primary care would be the bedrock of this nation’s…
Op-Ed: Let new doctors get some sleep
Originally appeared in the LA Times on March 15, 2019. After two ship collisions in 2017, the U.S. Navy revised guidelines so sailors are now required to get at least seven hours of rest every 24 hours, and eight continuous working hours is the recommended limit. Similarly, the FAA has had regulations for pilots since the 1940s, and today flight time…
Empathy Booster Shot
By May, the enthusiasm of being a doctor had waned. Most patient interactions involved a wide stance with one foot pointing to the doorway. I had come a long way from my empathy-themed medical school admission essay. Intern year had depleted the antibodies that protected my reserves of empathy. Unlike medical school, there was no…