As a nurse in his mid 30s, Luis shares with us golden advice he has been given by old patients on how to live a successful life. When your patients are old and salty, the advice you get is... practical.
All in Physician Life
It's MORPHIN TIME!!!
Halloween in the Emergency Department can be an exciting time especially when the RED RANGER from the Power Rangers decides to visit
Soul Brothers
Social norms are not the norm in the ER. Things that are regarded as gross in the real world are an everyday occurrence. Our ER especially lived in a special universe where all social graces were stripped away and the rawness of humanity is what remained. In this narrative medicine piece Dr. Zahir shares a special moment with a patient.
Best, Wang Shi Kai Email 2 Part 2
In the continuation of our series "Best, Wang Shi Kai" Dr. Rich continues to share a variety of patient interactions and interesting cases. In the continuation of his 2nd email Dr. Rich expresses his frustration with the antibiotic prescribing patterns of his colleagues.
The Pepsi Center Blew Up
It’s the first day of my first ER rotation as an intern. I had endured months on Medicine, Neurosurgery and the Medical ICU and I am finally home, back in the ER. I am hoping that today will be a somewhat slow day so that I can ease my way back into the swing of things. As I walk around the department I begin to notice that everyone is moving around frantically. I find the senior resident. Without saying a word, he hands me a vest that says physician. "What’s going on?" I ask him. He looks at me and chuckles. The Pepsi Center blew up...
Match Day
In this edition of the Physician Grind we revisit Match Day. A day where Medical Students discover where they will be shipped off to complete their residency training. Dr. Liz shares her Match Day story.
Best, Wang Shi Kai Email 1 Part 2
In this edition of the Physician Grind Dr. Wang Shi Kai describes the drastically different hospitals he works at in China. The first is a private hospital, where patients expect immediate, top quality and specialized service. The second is a public hospital where the waiting room is full of patients and chaos is the norm. To switch back and forth between these two completely different environments requires the doctor to be able to flex and adapt quickly.
Best, Wang Shi Kai Email 1 Part 1
Dr. Rich is an emergency medicine physician from Los Angeles who is currently practicing in China. He was given the name Wang Shi Kai by the Chinese Medical Board. In this post Dr. Rich shares his experiences transitioning to life in China.
Another Extremity Shot
Gunshot wounds are commonplace in an Emergency Room. Doctors and nurses know the protocol and do everything they can to provide the highest level of care for their patients and to save lives. They do not often have the luxury to sit and reflect on what caused the trauma, which can be even scarier than the trauma itself.
Class of 2009
It was June 2005 and I was up early in the morning as always, but this morning had a special breath to it. I was going to drop off my husband and son that night at LAX airport as they headed to New York on a red eye flight. My son had an appointment with a faculty member, the same day they arrived, regarding getting him off the wait list of the medical school he had applied to.
CO Was Supposed To Be CA!?!
Match Day is an exceptionally stressful time for any medical student. It seals your fate of what program you will be in and where you will be living for the next couple of years. A surprising and unexpected match brings both elation and dejection to a hopeful medical student.
Ice Cold
Chaos ensues prior to a pediatric arrest arrival to the Emergency Room. Trying to stay calm and collected during these moments is one of the most challenging skills an ER doc has to learn. Be ice cold.
Gratitude & Grit
In this post we explore the burn out that residents and physicians can feel when they are working grueling hours under the most stressful circumstances. A young doctor in training realizes that he is grateful and honored to treat the patients that are entrusted to his care.
A Warm Farewell
Another busy night in the Emergency Department when a frequent flyer rolls in. Let's just say he had a little too much to drink. It's these type of patients that allow me, the drunk whisperer, to really shine.
LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!
Tune in for the MAAAAAAIIIIIIIN EVENT of the EVENING!!!!! In the red corner: A 92 years young gem hailing from a local nursing home MR. X!!!! In the blue corner the reigning champion CT “the scanner of the universe” TECH!!!
Is there a Doctor on the Plane?
That heart stopping moment when a flight attendant calls for a doctor on the plane.
Tasteful Attire
Shoes are a marker of status. Having nice clean shoes can identify a person as being successful, organized, and an upstanding individual. Being in the ER it is impossible to keep your shoes clean. So what happens when a dog tries to lick the shoes of an ER doctor. Find out in this weeks post.
It's MORPHIN TIME!!!
Halloween in the Emergency Department can be an exciting time especially when the RED RANGER from the Power Rangers decides to visit
Vacation's Over
Just returned after an epic trip to Southeast Asia. It was a nice decompressing trip and I am glad to be back. I decide to go hang out with some friends before my first shift back in the ED. My drive home would be one that I would never forgot.
A Classy Affair
A hat has just been passed to me. In the hat are a few 20 dollar bills. I reach in my pocket and throw in a 10. I am just a resident, hopefully that won’t be considered too cheap. You may think I am at a church but I am actually at my weekly conference. This is how money is raised to host recruitment dinners during residency interview season.