Beating the chest, emergency surgery, stopping the bleed,
The obvious ways to save a life, that which we all agree.
Picture a doctor saving lives–what first comes to mind?
The ER doc, the trauma surgeon, surely the first to find.
But we often fail to see beyond in more subtle ways,
How other doctors save lives through different displays.
The patient with chronic back pain, feeling death the only solution,
Relieved from misery by a single spinal fusion.
Another with mental illness that can’t help but think the same,
So let’s not forget psychiatrists who deserve plenty of fame.
And a teen with acne feeling ashamed of himself,
Yes, that dermatologist did more than just help.
These are lives saved that we often miss,
For all doctors save lives–let’s remember this.
Treating all patients with equality and respect
Holds a much deeper meaning and a profound effect.
But it’s not just doctors who hold the tools to do so,
For every person saves lives, though it might not always show.
Acts of kindness, floods of love and care,
You never know if someone needed you to just be there.
As doctors and as humans, let this all sink,
For saving lives is more than what we might think.
Poetry Thursdays is an initiative that highlights poems by medical students. If you are interested in contributing or would like to learn more, please contact our editors.
