Healing Doesn’t Happen Overnight

Two days into a hospital admission for the treatment of alcohol dependence and detox, a patient of mine wanted to go home. He said that he would be able to handle rehab on his own by attending AA meetings. When he mentioned his desire to leave, many thoughts raced through my mind: Was he having an alcohol craving? Was he bored of the arts and craft activities on the unit? Did he want to go hang out with his friends? Was he missing a significant other? Whatever his thought process, his end goal was clear: he wanted to leave the…

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Pray (AND Prepare) For Your Blessings

I worked with the same veteran for about a week on the psychiatric unit. When he first entered the floor, he was determined to make a change in his life. He no longer wanted to be a prisoner to his addiction to alcohol. He told me that “it was time” to make a change in his life. However, as the days passed while he waited for placement at an inpatient drug rehabilitation facility, his determination was marred by anxiety. The veteran noted that he was looking forward to treatment, but he was also a bit nervous about the experience. He…

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EMBRACING YOUR CREATIVE SIDE WHILE IN MEDICAL SCHOOL

My Aha Moment Clerkship year of medical school, followed by two months of studying for Step 1 (the first of three medical licensing exams) was easily one of the most difficult periods of my life. When I finished my boards, I felt like I’d become a shell of myself. There had to be more to life than studying all day to cram random facts that I was certain to forget within weeks. During one of my many self-reflection sessions, I thought back to my years in college, which grossly speaking, I really enjoyed. As I sat and thought about my…

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What Christianity Means to Me

I grew up in a very religious household. As a kid, skipping church service was not an option. Despite the fact that it was mandatory, I actually really liked going to church back in the day. But what I liked most were the competitions that fed into my overachiever tendencies. Prizes for perfect attendance at Sunday School or for memorizing Bible verses motivated me. Chances to participate in Christmas and Easter plays allowed me to be the superstar that my childhood-self wanted to be. Christianity took on a new meaning when, at six years old, I made a profession of…

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My Journey Back to the Wards

April 24th marked my first day back to the clinics in almost a year. I’ve spent the past month working at the inpatient psychiatry unit of the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. My first morning, I had the chance to awkwardly stand in the corner (like all good medical students do) as patients ran a Community Meeting. Community Meetings at the VA are ~15-minute meetings where veterans lead a discussion about their care. Everyone in the room – veterans and providers – introduces him or herself. Next, elected veteran representatives remind the group of the unit rules, and veterans have…

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