From the Wards

Jacob Kirkpatrick Jacob Kirkpatrick (1 Posts)

Contributing Writer

Mercer University School of Medicine

I am currently in my third year of medical school at Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, GA. My current interest is becoming a family physician and practicing in the Southeastern US where I am originally from. I have a beautiful wife and three lovely daughters that keep my life interesting and amazing.




When Does Full Disclosure Become Maleficence?

Published by Jacob Kirkpatrick

A 45-year-old with no past medical history presented to the emergency department with altered mental status. He was found face down in his driveway with no memory of an inciting event, or of his ride to the hospital. In the emergency department, the patient revealed that for the past two months he has experienced headaches, dizziness and left-sided weakness. On a hospital admission two months prior the patient reported similar symptoms but left against medical advice before any meaningful diagnostic testing could be conducted.

No Happy Ending

Published by Erica Patel

One after the other, day after day it seems, I find myself in a room where the resident is breaking the news of terminal cancer to my patients and I feel an overwhelming sadness belied by numbness. It has only been a week and a half on internal medicine and we have already diagnosed three unsuspecting patients with cancer.

The Right Time to Lose a Patient

Published by George Prousi

Although there is really never a right time to die or even witness death, it is important to acknowledge that death is a reality, and one to which all health care practitioners will be subjected at some point in time. For that reason, I raise the question: is there an appropriate time to lose a patient? From my perspective the answer is yes, and for good reason.

Done Smoking

Published by Tom Chaffee

She had survived an avalanche and was now lying face down in the debris. Longstanding ischemic brain disease had triggered a seizure. The seizure stunned the heart causing a cardiomyopathy. The cardiomyopathy, unfortunately, exacerbated her chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As her oxygen saturation dropped, she was intubated and mechanically ventilated. She was now agitated, restrained and delirious.

Physicians Must Help End the Cycle of Abuse

Published by Tehreem Rehman

“You need to come in to the E.D. ASAP.” A new patient was admitted at 2 a.m. and requested for a crisis counselor. Back in 2009 when I was volunteering in New York City, unlike with cases of sexual assault, survivors of domestic violence had to specifically request for the presence of an advocate. This woman, I’ll call her Sadie, had already taken the first courageous step to seek help.

Hysterectomy or SSRIs?

Published by Nita Chen, MD

She was a petite, otherwise well-appearing woman, apprehensively sitting at the edge of the examination table. Hoping to mask my nervousness about this first, intimate patient encounter, I inquired about the reason for her visit. She told me that she was here to discuss a hysterectomy. She shakily explained her two-year history of heavy, painful menstrual bleeding. She hoped that the hysterectomy would be her saving grace. The insistence on this procedure made me suspicious of stirring waters beneath calm surfaces, so I probed further.

Learning to Lean In

Published by Matt Peters

Today was my most challenging day of clinical work yet, but it had nothing to do with charting, the number of patients, or the attending on shift. Instead, today was about experiencing humanity and embracing the emotion of caring for others in their most trying moments. As a third-year medical student on my second rotation, I have not lost a patient, seen a code, or experienced serious trauma. I have not had to cope with loss yet. I recognize my innocence and realize that it must change eventually. That process began today.

Blurred Lines: The Doctor-Patient Relationship-in-Training

Published by Vivienne Meljen

It is one thing to be a doctor and another to be a patient. It is a radically different thing to be a medical student paired by your medical school to a physician who is your “patient-partner.” Sounds like a word salad, but that is where I found myself as a first-year medical student at The Geisel School of Medicine of Dartmouth a few weeks after moving to New Hampshire, weeks before I would receive my white coat, months before I would have any clear idea of what the medical world is really like.

Seeing Text Come to Life: The Case of Mr. X

Published by Jon Wolfshohl

I arrived at the neuro ICU at 5:30 a.m. to read up on my new patient before rounds. The resident on duty the day before had accepted a transfer at 7:00 p.m. and documented the following in his note: Mr. X is a 72-year-old male with a past medical history of severe bilateral carotid artery stenosis who had a devastating right MCA ischemic stroke at home this morning, confirmed by CT at an outlying hospital.

Jon Wolfshohl Jon Wolfshohl (1 Posts)

Contributing Writer Emeritus

University of Texas Medical School at Houston

Jon is a graduate from Texas A&M University, former investment banking analyst, and aspiring physician. He serves as a student advisor for the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics in Houston. Jon and his fiancée Kimberly enjoy birding, tennis, and eating Chinese takeout.