Kickoff
I could feel my right lower leg starting to bend. And bend. And bend for an eternity before I finally hit the turf. Then, my only view through the bars of my helmet were the Friday night lights against the Friday night sky.
Tag: patient story
Contributing Writer
Florida International University College of Medicine
Nathanael is a medical student at Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in Miami, FL, Class of 2025. In 2020, he graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a bachelor of arts in public health and natural sciences. Prior to medical school, he worked as a research coordinator in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Outside of medicine, he enjoys watching and playing sports, relaxing at the beach and listening to music.
Purpose
My third year had not been going as planned, and most days I was questioning my purpose in life, which I was once so sure of.
Mirror
It is a snowy day in April / The three of us each sit at our own windows and watch the remainder of our winters, / She says it came out of nowhere. / She means the snow maybe, or the Dementia.
Dear God
My eyes locked on the upside-down words scribbled on the paper that was torn from my preceptor’s notebook a few moments prior. Dear God, my patient wrote, I am grateful for this life.
More Than Skin Deep
As a future physician, this experience reminded me to remain empathetic, compassionate and unbiased in all aspects of patient care. By doing so, I can not only improve trust and connection with my patients but also ensure that my clinical judgment remains clear.
The Most Important Thing: First Day on Wards
Most of all though, I tried to calm my racing mind and remind myself to just learn. And with that, I wondered, “What is the most important thing I can do today?”
Deceased Note: Facing Death as a Medical Student
I opened their chart and scrolled to the recent notes section. A new title I had never seen before popped on the screen. There, at the top of the chart, “Deceased Note” was written in bold letters.
My Most Important Lesson from Medical School
Upon reflection, my actions and feelings in caring for this patient reveal how truly afraid I was to be wrong; not necessarily about the diagnosis, but rather about whether the patient would be okay. Maybe coming in daily and opening her chart for good news was just me hoping that my initial impression was still right instead of coming to terms with the fact I was very wrong.
Reflections on Family Medicine
Many patient encounters, often brief, have left me with a lasting impression. I reflect on these moments by capturing the dialogue, gestures or quiet observations that occur when caring for patients.
Faces of the Wards
I would be lying if I said I remember every single patient that I have seen in the past almost two years of clinical rotations. However, each of my core rotations has become defined by one or two patients that most stood out to me.
Breaking the Curse: Communication in Health Care Teams
During my pediatric rotation, a little girl was brought to the ED the day her family was set to leave for vacation. Her physical exam and imaging confirmed a ruptured appendix that would require surgery and almost a week of IV antibiotics, meaning our patient would miss her family’s forthcoming vacation.
On Being a Patient
It was the first day of my inpatient internal medicine rotation and I felt as excited as ever to be in the hospital, participating in rounds. “How’s your day going?” I asked automatically in a cheery tone as I entered my first patient’s room.
Contributing Writer
Florida State University
Parastou “Mandy” Shahzeidi is a third-year medical student at Florida State University College of Medicine in Tallahassee, FL class of 2024. She graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in chemical/biomedical engineering and studied interdisciplinary engineering coursework at Purdue University afterwards. In her free time, she enjoys pickleball, meditation and wearing down her two rambunctious Italian Greyhounds. After graduating medical school, Mandy would like to pursue a career in Internal Medicine with an emphasis on global health and community outreach.