Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Dad took me to work: The morgue was my favorite spot

Pamela Wible, MD
Physician
November 14, 2012
50 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

An excerpt from Pet Goats and Pap Smears.

Both my parents are physicians. They are never home much because they work all the time. With no reliable child care, Dad takes me to work. The morgue is my favorite spot. It’s like our secret clubhouse. Nobody ever bothers us there.

Entering the morgue, Dad opens the stainless-steel doors to the cooler and says, “Good morning! Is anyone home?” Then Dad props me up and introduces me to everyone. Today he announces, “Look! It’s Sally!”

I interview Sally while Dad examines body parts in a bucket by the sink. I always have a lot to talk about. I tell Sally all about my life and ask all about her life too. Leading with an open-ended question, I ask, “So how are things going for you?” I pause. Then I answer for her. I assume Sally is a brave woman who has led a heroic life. Dad says she’s probably a single mom, her life cut short by poverty. He eventually goes along with my version.

Dad and I work lots of odd jobs. Though his main job is at the hospital, Dad takes random jobs for the city, where he helps even more people in medical crisis. Leaving the morgue, we head to the drug addiction clinic and then work the night shift at the police station.

At the addiction clinic, in Camden, New Jersey, I sit between Dad and his clients. Dad introduces me the same way every time. “This is Pamela. She’s a doctor-in-training. Show her your track marks.”

Today it’s Mr. Jones who rolls up his sleeves to display his scarred arms. After a brief exam, Dad—a philosophy major in college—offers this guy all sorts of advice.

“How many kids do you have?” Dad begins.

“Got three, Doc. Twin girls and a boy.”

“How much money do you estimate that you have spent on heroin in the last ten years?”

“Not sure, Doc.”

Dad does a few calculations on a scrap of paper. He shows Mr. Jones the total. “With the money you spent on heroin, you could have sent all your kids to a fine community college and had enough left over for a car.”

“Probably right.”

Dad looks at Mr. Jones and admits, “I got an addiction too,” as he pulls out a bag of banana-flavored Circus Peanut marshmallow candies. “I love Circus Peanuts, but I’ve had this unopened bag in my desk for two years.

I don’t allow my addiction to control me.”

As Mr. Jones stands up to leave, Dad asks, “Do you have any words of wisdom for our doctor-in-training?”

“Don’t do drugs,” says Mr. Jones. “Save your money. Your dad is a very smart man.”

At noon, Dad passes out lunch money to clients in need. He hands ten bucks to a transsexual woman in a head wrap and tells us to “go have fun.” So I spend the afternoon on a street corner with recovering heroin addicts, eating pizza and learning Puerto Rican Spanish slang from a sexy black woman with huge biceps.

Then we head to the Philadelphia jail, where we evaluate drunk drivers. Every eighth night, Dad and I have a slumber party at the police station. We set up our cots in a cinder-block room with Dad’s name on the door. Every week, I’m given a new policeman coloring book with a fresh box of crayons. Coloring the same policeman on horseback each week bores me, so I get clearance to interview the inmates.

“Don’t get close to the bars or they’ll grab you,” the guard warns. But I’m never afraid.

In the first cell are three cackling black women. In the next, an old, naked white lady masturbates against the bars. I sit down in front of a caged, middle-aged white woman. She says, “Hey kid, get me a cigarette.”

“Why?”

“Helps me cope.”

“Okay, I’ll check.” I tell the guard, “That lady over there wants a smoke.” Then I wander off with Dad down the hall.

At midnight, Dad and I are sleeping when suddenly there’s a Bang! Bang! Bang! on our door. The policeman says, “Hey, Doc, we got some 1037s (a code number for a DUI).”

“Okay. How many do you have?” Dad asks.

“We got three waiting for you.”

“Let’s bring them in one at a time.” Dad moves to his desk as a black man staggers into our room and sits in a folding metal chair across from Dad.

“Mr. Johnson, I’m the police doctor and this is Pamela, a doctor-in-training. I’d like to ask you a few questions. Have you been drinking?”

“Huh? Uh . . . yeah.”

“What were you drinking?”

“Jus’ a nip of Thunderbird.”

“I’d like you to do several tests for me. Lean forward and breathe toward me.” Dad notes the smell of alcohol. Then he has Mr. Johnson do the walk-the-line test. But Mr. Johnson stumbles and leans against the wall. Dad types up a few things on his manual typewriter and Mr. Johnson leaves, just as the next man staggers in.

We talk to drunk men all night. On an average Christmas Eve, we see up to thirty prisoners during our twelve-hour shift, but if there’s a big snowstorm we might only get eight. Dad estimates he has seen 13,500 DUIs over all the years he has worked there.

We also spend two nights each month at the State Psychiatric Hospital talking to schizophrenics. Plus we’re on call for the Philadelphia Fire Department twice per month. Sometimes we get calls to go to huge apartment fires at two o’clock in the morning. I usually sit in the lead fire truck and drink hot chocolate while talking with the crew.

I learn to interview patients by watching Dad. He introduces me the same way to every patient: “This is Pamela. She’s a doctor-in-training. Do you mind if she sits here while I talk to you?”

Nobody ever says no.

After work, we return to our suburban neighborhood where I find my friends playing house with dolls. My best friend keeps begging me to play. But playing house is never my thing. And playing with Barbies just seems silly after examining real people.

Pamela Wible pioneered the community-designed ideal medical clinic and blogs at Ideal Medical Care. She is the author of Pet Goats and Pap Smears.

Prev

A high volume, efficiency-driven institution that delivers great care

November 13, 2012 Kevin 0
…
Next

Can women physicians truly be senior leaders in medicine?

November 14, 2012 Kevin 5
…

Tagged as: Medical school, Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
A high volume, efficiency-driven institution that delivers great care
Next Post >
Can women physicians truly be senior leaders in medicine?

More by Pamela Wible, MD

  • 13 tips for depressed doctors who need confidential mental health care

    Pamela Wible, MD
  • Doctors are trained to lie

    Pamela Wible, MD
  • Medicine’s culture of betrayal

    Pamela Wible, MD

More in Physician

  • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

    Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD
  • Practicing medicine with conviction

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • The power of memory in shaping human identity

    Emily F. Peters and Sandeep Jauhar, MD, PhD
  • Physicians have no autonomy. Here’s how to change that.

    Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH
  • The erosion of patient care

    Laura de la Torre, MD
  • Navigating adulthood in the digital age

    Eleanor Menzin, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Everyday dangers unknowingly impacting our health

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Everyday dangers unknowingly impacting our health

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • A shop teacher’s daughter on transforming patient safety

      Barbara L. Olson, RN | Conditions
    • What happened to the chemical pathologist?

      Martin C. Young, MD | Conditions
    • Utilizing AI may reduce maternal and infant mortality

      Matt Eakins, MD | Tech
    • Unraveling the complex enigma of obesity [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Second chances and simple beauty in thrift stores

      Debbie Moore-Black, RN | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 4 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • The ED Is Not the Place to Refer Kids With Mental Health Concerns
  • What Percent of Kids Had Long COVID?
  • Primary Care Visits With NPs, PAs on the Rise; C. Diff in the Intensive Care Unit
  • Are Obesity Drugs for Adolescents Cost-Effective?
  • Lab Tests That Escape FDA Oversight May Come Under Agency Review

Meeting Coverage

  • Fezolinetant Benefits Women Not Suited for Hormone Therapy
  • Plant-Based Estrogen Improves Lipids in Postmenopausal Women
  • New Schizophrenia Treatments Are Coming: Don't Panic
  • Loneliness Needs to Be Treated Like Any Other Health Condition, Researcher Suggests
  • Stopping Medical Misinformation Requires Early Detection
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Everyday dangers unknowingly impacting our health

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • Physician autonomy and patient interactions in corporate health care

      Michele Luckenbaugh | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • Reigniting after burnout: 3 physician stories

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • Mourning the silent epidemic: the physician suicide crisis and suggestions for change

      Amna Shabbir, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Everyday dangers unknowingly impacting our health

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • A shop teacher’s daughter on transforming patient safety

      Barbara L. Olson, RN | Conditions
    • What happened to the chemical pathologist?

      Martin C. Young, MD | Conditions
    • Utilizing AI may reduce maternal and infant mortality

      Matt Eakins, MD | Tech
    • Unraveling the complex enigma of obesity [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Second chances and simple beauty in thrift stores

      Debbie Moore-Black, RN | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Dad took me to work: The morgue was my favorite spot
4 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...