Missing the Point

One of my primary goals while supervising emergency medicine residents was teaching them to correctly diagnose the medical problem. However, the chaotic atmosphere of the emergency department had the potential to distract student physicians. For instance, a bleeding...

Transformation Not Information

The volume of information about the human body overwhelmed me during my medical school days. I was eager to conquer that medical information in order to begin diagnosing and treating diseases. However, a course called "Putting the Ill at Ease" changed my...

The Depth of Words

"You will never fully understand what Miguel Cervantes was trying to say until you have read Don Quixote in Spanish. The English words are inadequate," my Spanish-speaking uncle adamantly said as I sat reading the English translation. Expressions- whether...

Recognizable Anywhere

As I travel around the world, I am delightfully surprised at similarities in the midst of many differences. For instance, while trying to function in a totally unfamiliar language and culture, traffic signals are green, yellow, and red; other traffic signs bear enough...