Opening the heavy glass door, the immediate rush of cold air hit my face and cooled me off after walking in the hot beaming sun. I said hello to the office manager and made my way to the back office I’ve become all too familiar with these past two weeks. Just as I pulled my breakfast out and began to organize my notes, the first patient had arrived. Frantically, I grabbed my stethoscope and rushed …
“Nurse! Nurse! Please help me! Can someone please help me?” For several minutes, her cries echoed through the halls. Something felt wrong. I brought her cries to the attention of the Charge Nurse. “Oh Michael, don’t worry about her, she’s delirious.” “Really? She seems like she needs some help.” I replied. Boldly, I walked into the patient’s room. In front of me was Lucy, an elderly frail woman with a very disfigured face. She looked …
When I told my aunt I was going to medical school, she looked me up and down and said, “So you’re going to be a know-it-all.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I kept myself sane by writing “Notes from the 13th Floor” — a series of moments I wished I could share with the outside world and the kind I never wanted to forget.
Writers-in-Training Intern and Contributing Writer
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Allyson Flippo is a medical student at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Conroe, Texas, Class of 2026. In 2020, she graduated from Texas Woman's University with a Bachelor of Science in biology. She enjoys practicing Byzantine chant, studying Spanish, and spending time with her husband Christopher and son Justin in her free time. After graduating medical school, Allyson would like to pursue a career in pathology.
