Panacea: Writing for Health

Alex had never stepped foot in a hospital until the day he chose to have surgery. As he waited for the surgeon to arrive, Alex lay in a bed in the pre-operative area surrounded by monitors whose beeps conveyed no meaning to him. The nurse who would draw his blood was an Italian woman in her 50’s and sported a Bostonian accent. You’ll do great, sweethaht. He raised his arm as an offering to her, and it visibly shook.

Lin: Welcome to Coffee Break. Chloe, you came up with the topic. What inspired you? Sales: I've been meeting a lot of doctors who have switched from one specialty to another over the course of their residency. For instance, I met someone who switched from surgery to pathology, and I said, “Oh, wow! That’s a pretty cool transition. How did you choose to go from one to another? And I know that a lot of people make similar decisions.

Maya J. Sorini is the author of the poetry collection, The Boneheap In the Lion’s Den (Press 53, 2023) which won the Press 53 Award for Poetry. This collection centers on her years working in the trauma unit of a large urban hospital, chronicling and exploring the reality so many in healthcare face: living up next to catastrophe and miracle.

At the end of a volunteer shift, six-year-old Jada lifted her hand and tapped mine to say good-bye. She had a tracheostomy and communicated with me by drawing symbols on my hand. We spent many weeks painting, doing each other’s hair, and listening to music, much to the surprise and appreciation of her mother, who asked how I knew to be so patient with her. Jada had three siblings who were always in motion, while she observed from the corner.

Lin: Welcome to Panacea Health. We are going to talk about AI and medicine. Justin, any thoughts about AI medicine and how this affects us as doctors? Lotfi: Yeah, I think it's a really fascinating tool and a really exciting time. I've had patients even in the last week ask me, “What's my take on all this? Will they replace doctors?” I think, in the near future, it's going to be a necessary tool — if you're not utilizing it, it's to your own and to your patients' detriment.

It was a Tuesday evening in September. The lights in the clinic room are bright as I make small talk with the second-year medical student I was paired up with. We were at the respite clinic, a building across from the main hospital. It is designed specifically for individuals experiencing homelessness who have no other place to go while awaiting medical care.

When she passed, the doctor delicately explained that although she was an organ donor, only her eyes would be safe for another body. When she was reduced to just her eyes, how could one give them away? Eyes that measured a half cup and a quarter teaspoon with ease after years of pie-making. Eyes that could spot the luckiest slot machine and the unluckiest rooster. Her eyes had stayed the same as her hair turned wispy and her skin creased and splotched.

Books discussed: Father by Sharon Olds Mistborn Series by Brandon Sanderson Mom’s Cancer by Brian Fries The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman Books mentioned: The Gold Cell by Sharon Olds The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang Lin: Welcome to our intermittent book talk. We've got Ellen, Justin, and myself, Bryant, here talking about what we're reading this week.

I took a deep breath before I knocked on Ms. S’ door. I blew out slowly, metering the flow of air out like water through a dam. My heart rate calmed. My shaking hands steadied. I had been told that Ms. S was friendly. She was willing to talk to a medical student – a generosity I have learned not to take for granted.

Lin: Welcome to another CCoffee Break! My name is Bryant Lin, and I'm joined by Ellen Zhang. We're going to talk today about politics and medicine. There was the state of the Union Address recently, and I'm always thinking about it": “Are we underrepresented? Are we over represented in politics? Are there a lot of physician politicians out there?” What are your thoughts on that? Is it not important to encourage our colleagues, physicians or nurses or other healthcare providers, to run for office?