Onaola Adedeji

If you had told me before residency I’d come out of it with an interest in medical journalism, I would’ve offered to help find the person you mistook me for. Four years ago, I sat in awe during an op-ed writing workshop led by my co-intern, thinking, "I wish I had the knowledge, skills, and passion to do this kind of work." I eventually did get to write op-eds, though not through any carefully orchestrated plan.

This lyric essay is part of the Medical Humanities vertical on Op-Med, which showcases creative writing by Doximity members. Do you have a comic, poem, work of lyric prose, or flash fiction piece related to medicine that you’d like to share with the community? Send it to us here. There are doors in the hospital and in the clinic I do not open right away. My hand rests on the handle for a moment longer than necessary. Not because I do not know the medicine. Not because I am afraid of the conversation.

If you had $9,000 a month to spend on housing, would you choose a beachfront property — or an average shared room in a nursing home? If you or a loved one needs long-term care, that price tag becomes an expensive reality — one that many physicians aren’t aware of until it becomes personal. Unlike most medical expenses, insurance rarely helps. Aside from Medicaid recipients and veterans, long-term care is largely paid out of pocket, often until savings run dry.