There are a number of people who seem to look with disdain upon the field of sports medicine. They criticize it because you're taking care of "high-functioning, healthy people" when you should be dedicating your medical education to the poor, helpless, or otherwise unfortunate. Obviously, I am not opposed to serving the poor, helpless, or otherwise unfortunate, but I think it is equally important to treat those who are high-functioning and healthy. Some may scoff and say that a knee injury in a college football player threatens neither one's morbidity nor mortality. Is it really fair, though, to condescend and say that fixing an injury that could ruin everything that person has worked for in their life is less important than saving that same person's life in a MVA? Sure, they'll continue living if their knee never gets treated, but "living" becomes a subjective assessment. Say they are from a poor, inner city family and football is what is getting them their college education. Imagine that football is the only thing they have going for them and they've poured all their efforts into it over the years. Is it worth any less than the high-functioning student from a middle class family who has worked their whole life to go to medical school and then suffers a brain injury that lowers their intelligence to a level that is compatible with life and happiness, but not an MD? Haven't both patients worked hard and then suffered a medical misfortune that threatens their dream? Don't both deserve to have their suffering treated with equal respect?
I've found over the past 2 weeks of this sports medicine elective that I really like the patient population. We see high school kids who play for love of the game and suffer an injury, but can be treated and returned to play. Maybe someday they will even earn a college scholarship. We see the weekend warriors who work hard to keep themselves fit. They are taking care of their bodies so that they don't become obese and end up with complications such as diabetes and heart disease. Are they any less important as patients than those who don't try to lose weight and inflict all types of medical misfortunes upon themselves? We see elderly people who have always been active, but now have arthritis because their joints have taken so much wear and tear. They, too, deserve the best treatment so they can continue to stay healthy and have the best quality of life. Could you really tell any of these people, "your joints are not as important as another patient's complications of metabolic syndrome" or "your sports medicine doctor should have gone into trauma so that they could be treating patients on death's door rather than you"? I think every single specialty has it's merits and is important to the field of medicine, and that includes the oft misunderstood specialty of sports medicine.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
燃える.
We cannot kindle when we will
The fire which in the heart resides,
The spirit bloweth and is still,
In mystery our soul abides;
But tasks in hours of insight willed
Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.
- Matthew Arnold, Morality, 1852
The fire which in the heart resides,
The spirit bloweth and is still,
In mystery our soul abides;
But tasks in hours of insight willed
Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.
- Matthew Arnold, Morality, 1852
Saturday, March 15, 2008
diagnosed.
Excerpts from today's devotion from "My Utmost for His Highest." Yes, the title sounds somewhat cheesy, but it's actually a great devotional book that I was introduced to last year.
"At the beginning of our life with Jesus Christ, we were sure we knew all there was to know about following Him. It was a delight to forsake everything else and to throw ourselves before Him in a fearless statement of love. But now we are not quite so sure. Jesus is far ahead of us and is beginning to seem different and unfamiliar."
They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were frightened. - Mark 10:32
"He no longer seems to be my Counselor and Friend and has point of view about which I know nothing...At first I was confident that I understood Him, but now I m not so sure. I begin to realize that there is a distance between Jesus and me and I can no longer be intimate with Him. I have no idea where He is going, and the goal has become strangely distant."
"The discipline of dismay is an essential lesson which a disciple must learn. the danger is that we tend to look back on our times of obedience and on our past sacrifices to God in an effort to keep our enthusiasm for Him strong."
"Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment." - Isaiah 50:10-11
"But when the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come the ability to follow Jesus truly, which brings inexpressibly wonderful joy."
Anyone who has been a follower of Christ long enough will tell you that all Christians go through periods of darkness in their lives, but this is the first time I have heard it described in such a way that I can begin to understand what that darkness means. It is not simply that God has left us floundering about in the dark, but that He is walking ahead of us. If Jesus is the Light in the dark, then it only makes sense that when He walks ahead we are left in the dark. What does it mean to endure?
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer." - 2 Corinthians 1:3-6
This is where my understanding of the Trinity, of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, fails me. From my readings today, I would say God is the ubiquitous comfort, Jesus is the light in darkness, and the Spirit is my intercessor and constant companion that is always with me.
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." - Romans 8:26-27
The Spirit is the one in the Trinity I understand the least, and yet is probably the one that is closest to me and guiding me in day to day life. I think a new goal of mine will be to better understand the Spirit and to remember him when I think of the Father and the Son since they are, after all, all part of the nature of God.
"At the beginning of our life with Jesus Christ, we were sure we knew all there was to know about following Him. It was a delight to forsake everything else and to throw ourselves before Him in a fearless statement of love. But now we are not quite so sure. Jesus is far ahead of us and is beginning to seem different and unfamiliar."
They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were frightened. - Mark 10:32
"He no longer seems to be my Counselor and Friend and has point of view about which I know nothing...At first I was confident that I understood Him, but now I m not so sure. I begin to realize that there is a distance between Jesus and me and I can no longer be intimate with Him. I have no idea where He is going, and the goal has become strangely distant."
"The discipline of dismay is an essential lesson which a disciple must learn. the danger is that we tend to look back on our times of obedience and on our past sacrifices to God in an effort to keep our enthusiasm for Him strong."
"Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the word of his servant? Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment." - Isaiah 50:10-11
"But when the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come the ability to follow Jesus truly, which brings inexpressibly wonderful joy."
Anyone who has been a follower of Christ long enough will tell you that all Christians go through periods of darkness in their lives, but this is the first time I have heard it described in such a way that I can begin to understand what that darkness means. It is not simply that God has left us floundering about in the dark, but that He is walking ahead of us. If Jesus is the Light in the dark, then it only makes sense that when He walks ahead we are left in the dark. What does it mean to endure?
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer." - 2 Corinthians 1:3-6
This is where my understanding of the Trinity, of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit, fails me. From my readings today, I would say God is the ubiquitous comfort, Jesus is the light in darkness, and the Spirit is my intercessor and constant companion that is always with me.
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." - Romans 8:26-27
The Spirit is the one in the Trinity I understand the least, and yet is probably the one that is closest to me and guiding me in day to day life. I think a new goal of mine will be to better understand the Spirit and to remember him when I think of the Father and the Son since they are, after all, all part of the nature of God.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
impropriety.
An e-mail sent out on the first year listserve earlier today (bold for emphasis):
" We had an interesting conversation in PBL today and I feel convicted to share with everyone. We all need to work together to keep the average close to 70 so that EVERYONE can pass. I know everyone has been working hard. We all want to do well, but let's think about the success of the entire class for this exam instead of individual success.
I've never had micro and I feel like I got hit by an 18-wheeler with all this information. Four weeks has not been enough time to digest everything (and I think I speak for a lot of people in the class). Of course I want everyone to study hard and learn the material...but maybe those of you who are comfortable with the material (you know who you are) could intentionally miss a few questions to keep the average down...many of us would greatly appreciate it.
Honor council people please don't kill me but I just don't want to see people fail! If we all work together on this as a class I think everyone will benefit! The rumors are out that we're a bit too competitive and that would make me a liar because I told the 7 applicants that I interviewed that we weren't like that. I don't want to start a class-wide mass email frenzy with people's opinions so everyone just go along with it!!!"
Wow. Who's going to go along with that?? I mean, theirs is a class of gunners to begin with, but this is still medical school after all. Nobody is going to throw points away "for the good of the class."
And some loving continuations circulated on our class listserve...
"This is genius, I think we should let the word out to the other schools about this, and maybe have a nation wide movement where we all try to miss as many questions on the Boards as possible so that everyone can be a doctor! Wouldn't that be great?"
" I would like to make a plea to all of you to please try and keep you Boards scores down at about the 130 level. PittSOM is getting a reputation for being too competitive, but I figured that if we keep it low, then the rest of the country will follow suit and residencies will be forced to look at applicants based on whatever else we contribute besides our score number. I am only thinking of all of you and for all of our benefit!!!"
"Also, for future consideration, if everyone on your surgery service kills a patient, then each of you won't look as bad. Think about it."
Even the 4th years joined in:
"Wow...I don't know what's scarier - the recent spate of college shootings or that plea..."
This is what makes medical school...interesting.
" We had an interesting conversation in PBL today and I feel convicted to share with everyone. We all need to work together to keep the average close to 70 so that EVERYONE can pass. I know everyone has been working hard. We all want to do well, but let's think about the success of the entire class for this exam instead of individual success.
I've never had micro and I feel like I got hit by an 18-wheeler with all this information. Four weeks has not been enough time to digest everything (and I think I speak for a lot of people in the class). Of course I want everyone to study hard and learn the material...but maybe those of you who are comfortable with the material (you know who you are) could intentionally miss a few questions to keep the average down...many of us would greatly appreciate it.
Honor council people please don't kill me but I just don't want to see people fail! If we all work together on this as a class I think everyone will benefit! The rumors are out that we're a bit too competitive and that would make me a liar because I told the 7 applicants that I interviewed that we weren't like that. I don't want to start a class-wide mass email frenzy with people's opinions so everyone just go along with it!!!"
Wow. Who's going to go along with that?? I mean, theirs is a class of gunners to begin with, but this is still medical school after all. Nobody is going to throw points away "for the good of the class."
And some loving continuations circulated on our class listserve...
"This is genius, I think we should let the word out to the other schools about this, and maybe have a nation wide movement where we all try to miss as many questions on the Boards as possible so that everyone can be a doctor! Wouldn't that be great?"
" I would like to make a plea to all of you to please try and keep you Boards scores down at about the 130 level. PittSOM is getting a reputation for being too competitive, but I figured that if we keep it low, then the rest of the country will follow suit and residencies will be forced to look at applicants based on whatever else we contribute besides our score number. I am only thinking of all of you and for all of our benefit!!!"
"Also, for future consideration, if everyone on your surgery service kills a patient, then each of you won't look as bad. Think about it."
Even the 4th years joined in:
"Wow...I don't know what's scarier - the recent spate of college shootings or that plea..."
This is what makes medical school...interesting.
Monday, January 14, 2008
idleness.
Lectures are a time when the mind tends to wander, particularly if it is the 8th hour long lecture of the day. What sorts of strange ideas do people come up with in lecture? Well, let's take this cute little guy...an innocent little leukocyte. After enough lecture and boredom, it suddenly makes sense that I should do this to it >>
so that it suddenly becomes a Reed-Sternberg cell. It was quite delightful when I realized that I could do this, so I tested it out on several classmates. Most could guess what it was before manipulation, and about half realized what it became after having its eyes squeezed together. That's not a bad response rate, in fact, considering that you have to think a certain way to go down that alley of thought. It is a dark alley, I might add. Just goes to show that med students really do kind of think alike.
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