I knocked, sanitized, and strode into the soft-lit pediatric clinic exam room wearing my freshly embroidered white coat. Within my first months of medical school, I was taught a structured algorithm for motivational interviewing, expecting to gracefully untangle complexities in human behavior. At one of my first clinic visits, I was focused on strictly adhering… Read more »
The first time a patient in the U.S. called me “Doctora,” something inside me ignited. It was not the title itself, nor the years of hard work and studying that mattered. For in that moment, it was my connection to my patient and the world that truly mattered. For many patients, especially those who share… Read more »
In medicine, some diseases belong clearly to one specialty. A myocardial infarction belongs to cardiology. A stroke belongs to neurology. But autoimmune disease does not belong neatly to anyone. During my first months of medical school, I began working with a rheumatology clinic studying systemic lupus erythematosus. Lupus is often taught as the quintessential systemic… Read more »
On my first week as a resident on service, I noticed the stool before I noticed the attending. Small and woven—like you bring to a kid’s soccer game—Dr. N carried it folded under his arm. On rounds he set it down, sanitized it with care, and carried it inside the patient’s room, unfolded it and… Read more »
“Are there differences in how this presents across populations?” The question lingered briefly in the small group room before the discussion moved on. The case—carefully constructed, neatly summarized—made no mention of who the patient was beyond their age and diagnosis. No one addressed the question. I felt the familiar hesitation: the quiet awareness that something… Read more »
