The best teachers

SPOTTED at the PGH OPD Surgery Clinic.

Often we complain that we deal with so many patients, and we forget that they are the best teachers in our medical training. We're able to diagnose colorectal cancer because they've allowed us to poke our fingers inside their anal openings. We're able to detect cardiac murmurs because they've have agreed that we listen to their heartbeats. We're able to insert IV lines seamlessly because they've not hesitated to steady their hands so we could hit the veins.

They give us bags of sweet lansones because we've dressed their wounds. They feed us cake and give us burgers and invite us to lunch because we've taken time to ask them how they are.

Ultimately we become better at what we do because of them—and we should be grateful. That I have to daily remind myself of.