Personal Narrative: A Career As An ER Physician

In times of crisis, have you ever noticed that some people run towards a disaster rather than away from it? During September 11th, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and the Boston Marathon bombing, news channels showed everyday people not hesitating to aid first responders and help each other amidst danger.. Within each of us there is a desire to help others in need. In response to threats, human beings feel a wide range of emotions. As an ER physician, I must channel these emotions into action. While this initiative remains essential, my tasks cannot be accomplished without compassion and teamwork.
In ED, we are the people that rush to aid the sick and wounded no matter the circumstances. During my Emergency Medicine clerkship, I received a call from an ambulance making its way to the ED. The paramedic sent us the EKG and there was obvious ST elevation in lead V3-V6, which pointed to a severe heart vessel blockage. As a team, the nurse prepped the room, my attending notified the on-call cardiologist, and within three minutes of arrival in the ED, he was transferred to cardiology OR where he received the balloon catheter that saved his life.

Physicians, nurses, medical staff, and family members must all work together as a single unit. I relish the opportunity to fulfill my role in this medical community. A collaborative environment where colleagues share knowledge is important to me. For example, during my ER rotation, a resident and I were concerned about a patient whom we suspected had a pulmonary embolus but had initially shown negative on the imaging report. As a result of communicating our concern to the radiologist , further investigation was undertaken resulting in an appropriate diagnosis. This experience taught me the importance of teamwork in patient care. Acceptance into your Emergency Medicine residency would be my transition to becoming a member of this