Below you'll find a list of all posts from September, 2020
It is a paradoxical time of stasis and upheaval. At the macro level, the world is burning, figuratively and literally (at least in the West where I live). The upcoming election has both political parties highly polarized and in full propaganda mode. International interference in the upcoming election from unsavory outside actors seems more real and potentially more consequential now …
Might meritocracy undermine one’s sense of humility? It’s an unusual line of argument, but one that caught my eye in a recent alumni magazine article reviewing the political theorist Michael Sandel’s newest work, The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? A year ago this month, I wrote about another interesting piece by Daniel Markovits debating the success …
In medicine, the suffix -algia indicates pain. Neuralgia is nerve pain. Myalgias are muscle aches of the type that we commonly feel during an acute viral illness (it is one of the common symptoms of COVID 19). Nostalgia combines the Greek nostos, to return home, with -algia, pain. We regard others who dwell in nostalgia as prone to melancholy, pining …
As an emergency physician, it’s a gift being of service to patients on the worst (or last) day of their lives. It’s not easy, and it’s not for everyone, but it lets me contribute in a meaningful way. Acknowledging that being an emergency physician provides me a real sense of fulfillment is not enough to persuade me to want to …
It was during one of my return visits home from college, and I was in the vulnerable seat that is the barber’s chair. I sometimes imagine a barber offering an old-fashioned lather and shave with a sharp blade – a man submits his neck to a stranger with a knife, trusting that no harm will follow. It’s an interesting exercise, …
I recently reconnected with someone I’d been out of touch with since the start of the COVID pandemic. On paper, he’s a cliche of a 1950s American male – works in tech, married with kids and a non-working spouse, living on the east coast. He and his wife have a traditional marriage more characteristic of prior generations – a division …
My wife and I belong to a book club where we enjoy our role as being the youngest members. At one point, there was a 47 year difference between the youngest an oldest person in attendance. Having such a diverse range of life experience offering insight on a shared bit of literature is a delight (at least until the point …
As an ER doc and birdwatcher, I find that the breadth of human behaviors have a great deal in common with the variety of birds. Many years ago I enjoyed explaining to a faculty interviewer at a residency program that a short observation period, applied pattern recognition and a need to think quickly on one’s feet are inherent to both …
It’s my lot in life to be the last to know. I find out about relationships in the ER after an engagement ring has been presented, a child has been born or a staff member has departed. There are ambivalent aspects to my naivete – it’s arguably more difficult to enter the line of fire when you never knew where …