I Had to Be a Patient First to Become a Better Doctor
The view is completely different from the other side of the waiting room
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It was a beautiful Friday afternoon and all I could think about was the nine holes of golf I got to play before having to work a Saturday shift. I should have thought about the concrete ledge I was stepping on, instead.
Before I knew it I was falling to the ground, bracing myself with my right hand which landed in a pile of shattered Pyrex glass. I use Pyrex containers for my daily meals and I can attest to their high quality. Now I can attest to their sharpness when broken.
Luckily a kind passerby saw my fall, along with the blood pouring from my right hand, and handed me a rag to stop the bleeding. I was across from my office clinic, so was able to run back inside and have one of my nurses clean the wound with betadine and place a dressing so I could head to the ER to get fixed up. I knew I needed stitches.
Check in, triage, then wait
The ER system is generally the same everywhere. You tell the front desk why you are there, if you were lucky enough not to arrive by ambulance. The waiting room quiets as you register and listens in on…
