MD-PhD student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Non-traditional student: older and a father. Roberto is a 2nd year MD-PhD student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY class of 2031. He graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology (2008) and a Masters of Science in Mathematical Statistics (2011). He enjoys spending time with his wife and kids in his free time. After graduating medical school, Roberto wants to pursue a career in neurology, psychiatry, or neuropathology.
A light knock at your hospital room door and my introduction: “I am a first year MD-PhD student. Thank you.” You smile and wave me in. Hidden around the corner, your guest stands up from their bedside chair to leave your hospital room, though I ask if you would like them to stay. Their face, their eyes, and their mouth shine a striking gratefulness in my direction: as if, through the ever-present weight of my …
Every day after clinic, I eagerly anticipate the serene stroll along Brickell Key, a therapeutic journey that has become a source of solace. I look forward to the sound of palm trees swaying and waves crashing. I am excited about being greeted by wagging tails of enthusiastic dogs, eagerly seeking attention with their beady eyes. This quiet path has often welcomed my tears, those of joy and even of sorrow; the subtle traces of my …
No matter how much I learn, some things cannot be taught. There was no prepared script and no checklist to follow when my father tersely told me, “your uncle in India passed.” Five solemn words and a pregnant silence. His eyes, rung with the blue of cataracts, did not shed a tear. Instead, they were fixed on an empty corner of our worn sectional couch. My lack of words stretched across the silence. I could …
My patient sleeps peacefully. I wake him guiltily. I don’t want my face to be the first he sees. We love you, Pop-Pop, the whiteboard reads. No code, the chart reads. Later the neurology attending hurriedly packs his case reflex hammer flying. My wife went into labor He says. I’ve got to get going. I sit, in the empty conference room, feeling something a little like joy, a little like loss. The presentation about gait …
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.”
I start the day like most of us do: stimulating the needy vessels we call bodies with caffeine. As I open up my coffee jar to dispense ground Turkish coffee beans, I am met with a hint of loving bitterness. It carries a comforting brown sugar warmth that often stirs a sense of weakness given my inherent dependency on this substance but also commands secure boldness through notes of molasses and dark chocolate.
The once-sterile hospital room had become a sacred space, where the raw emotions of love and loss hung in the air. The young daughter, vibrant in her essence but tethered to life support, teetered on the precipice between existence and the inevitable.
We are given tools to imitate their behavior, in hopes that we ourselves will one day embody that behavior. Mechanical checkboxes on the standardized exam with standardized patients. Cannot forget a single step. But life is not standardized, is it?
In order to honor these works as well as celebrate the start of the New Year, we asked each of our editors to share their ‘Editors’ Pick,’ a must-read piece from 2023 that showcases the talent and breadth of our contributors.
My eyes have adjusted. Faint streaks of light from the edges of my window illuminate the darkness of my room. I toss onto my side and my gaze drifts to the shadows on the wall. I make shapes out of them, like making shapes out of passing clouds.
As a person still learning to manage grief, I have to remind myself that perfection doesn’t exist in our loved ones either. We are all imperfect beings, but the best we can do is try, believe in ourselves and tell some stupid jokes along the way.
To be seen, / as you are, / For who you are, / Absent judgment, / Equals patient care.
Contributing Writer
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
Richard is a fourth-year medical student at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami, FL, class of 2024. In 2019, he graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences and with a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies. In 2020, he graduated from Florida State University with a Juris Masters in health care regulation. He enjoys writing poetry, indoor rock climbing, movies and baking in his free time. After graduating medical school in 2024, Richard would like to pursue a career in Neurology.
