I came to be in 1816,
Before then I was never seen.
During my birth tuberculosis ran wild,
I think it is fair to say I saved the life of a child.
I arose from the astute mind of Monsieur Laënnec,
I bet you did not detect my French accent.
I’m often found around your neck,
Nowadays I can get pretty high-tech.
Sometimes I float in your white coat pocket,
But you will never find me in a joint socket.
My name means “I look into your chest”,
Always listening closely wherever I am pressed.
At the top I branch like a tree,
And into your ears is my favorite place to be.
As you follow my round snake-like form,
You will find my circular bell that serves to inform.
From the depths of your belly,
To your heart’s favorite melody,
I hear all their music and listen to their cry,
And silence when the time has come to die.
In a pinch I can be used to tap your knee,
And help you learn all that you cannot see.
I have come to be a symbol of your kind,
Finding pictures of us together are so easy to find.
Like Sherlock and Watson we make quite a pair,
Exploring the mysteries of the body’s lair.
Contributing Writer Emeritus
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Lindsay Boyers is a medical student at Georgetown University School of Medicine with an interest in dermatology. She graduated magna cum laude from University of California Santa Barbara in 2009 with a degree in Communications and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She enjoys both clinical medicine and research, having taken a year to conduct research at the University of Colorado in the department of dermatology. She enjoys the arts, especially painting and writing, and spending time with her family in Colorado.