Merry Christmas in the Hospital Wards

Tomorrow on Christmas I will be working. I’ve worked on December 25^th for as long as I remember. Our offices are closed but the hospitals are open. I have chosen a profession that must be available to serve at all times. If I want a day off, then I am obligated to make sure that there is a doctor in my place.

Many professions share this reality. Nurses, law enforcement, military personnel, hospital workers, firefighters have all worked on holidays when most families were relaxing together. We accept this responsibility. But, at times I do suffer a tincture of envy thinking of folks who never have to wonder if they are working on Thanksgiving since they are off on every holiday.

I remind myself during my Yuletide rounds that the last place that these patients – at least most of them - want to be is in the hospital. Yes, I will be spend some hours treating them, but I will return home and not face surgery, medical testing and the various indignities of hospital life. The nursing staff, the most compassionate profession I know, does their best to bring some measure of holiday of cheer to their charges.

Chanukah and Christmas are celebrated and festooned with light. Don’t we all need some more light?

Wishing everyone the blessings of peace, health and contentment.

Comments

Becoming a Part-Time Physician

Next month my schedule will change. I will henceforth be off on Fridays with my work week truncated to Monday through Thursday. I am excited to be enjoying a long weekend every weekend. And while the schedule change is relatively minor, this event does feel like an important career moment for me. It is the first step on a journey that will ultimately lead beyond my professional career. It is this recognition that makes this modest schedule modification more significant than one would think it deserves. As some readers know, my current employed position has been a dream job for me. Prior to this, I was in a small private practice, which I loved, but was much more challenging professionally and personally. My partner and I ran the business. Working nights, weekends and holidays were routine for decades. On an on-call night, if I slept through until morning, I felt as if I had won the lottery. And w...

When Should Doctors Retire?

I am asked with some regularity whether I am aiming to retire in the near term. Years ago, I never received such inquiries. Why now? Might it be because my coiffure and goatee – although finely-manicured – has long entered the gray area? Could it be because many other even younger physicians have given up their stethoscopes for lives of leisure? (Hopefully, my inquiring patients are not suspecting me of professional performance lapses!) Interestingly, a nurse in my office recently approached me and asked me sotto voce that she heard I was retiring. “Interesting,” I remarked. Since I was unaware of this retirement news, I asked her when would be my last day at work. I have no idea where this erroneous rumor originated from. I requested that my nurse-friend contact her flawed intel source and set him or her straight. Retirement might seem tempting to me as I have so many other interests. Indeed, reading and ...

A Patient's Loyalty to his Doctor

A few days before preparing this post, I greeted a patient who was about to undergo her 5 th colonoscopy. I was the pilot for the 4 prior excursions. “You should’ve signed up for the rewards program,” I quipped. “This one would’ve been free!” Our patients, with rare exceptions, enjoy our light atmosphere seasoned with some humor. This does not detract from our seriousness of purpose and commitment to their welfare, and they know it. Our endoscopy team is comprised of outstanding medical professionals. I care for many patients for whom I have performed all of their colonoscopies, which may exceed 10 procedures. I recently performed an examination on one of my colitis patients who has unique findings which have remained stable for years. I know his colon as well as I know his face! Indeed, if I were shown a photo of his colon, I would immediately be able to name the individual. So, when we gastroenterologists c...

MD Whistleblower

Search This Blog