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

2 a.m. thoughts of an emergency physician during the pandemic

Keith Schenker, MD
Physician
December 3, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

Ooh child
Things are gonna get easier.
Ooh child
Things’ll get brighter.

I sing these words to my one-year-old son quite often; I believe them. I’ll never lose hope.

Hospitalizations hit greater than 90,000 yesterday, and the trajectory is frightening.

This is not a political issue; it’s bigger than any one individual’s opinion. People will continue to die alone and say goodbye on FaceTime.

Thank your grocery store worker and the cleaning person cleaning every COVID+ patient room in the hospital. They don’t have a choice to work remotely or to minimize their exposure.

I’m not a hero. I’m a doctor who took an oath and will fulfill it every day for the rest of my life, pandemic or not: do no harm. It’s a pretty simple concept.

I don’t want to be called “a hero.” I want people to do the right thing—enough of entitled bull.

I love my 73-year-old mother, a three-time cancer survivor, and grandmother of eight grandkids who cherish her.  I refuse to see her, because as a front line provider, I may cause her demise. It seems many others need instant gratification and don’t see the long game. Maybe it’s time we all adopt the mindset of doing no harm and protect everyone, especially our elderly. My one-year-old son would like to see his grandma one day again soon.

If people have love in their hearts and care about something bigger than themselves, maybe, just maybe, they can think twice about their neighbor, their loved ones, and not only about themselves.

Many of us have fumbled and made mistakes in the last nine months; it doesn’t mean we can’t change our course now. Every individual’s daily decisions can make a huge impact. It’s a choice.

Like I told my own family very recently, I’m not a hero. The most love you can show is to mask up, minimize unnecessary risk and spread this message to help get us back to some normalcy, so our children can, one day, walk in the rays of the beautiful sun, anywhere they want to, without fear.

Keith Schenker is an emergency physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

ADVERTISEMENT

Prev

The other side of the curtain

December 3, 2020 Kevin 2
…
Next

Who are the doctors who end their own lives? [PODCAST]

December 3, 2020 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: COVID, Emergency Medicine, Infectious Disease

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The other side of the curtain
Next Post >
Who are the doctors who end their own lives? [PODCAST]

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Denying payment for emergency care: a physician defends insurers

    Michael Kirsch, MD
  • A prayer from an emergency physician

    Edwin Leap, MD
  • The climate crisis as viewed by an emergency physician

    Elizabeth M. Barreras-Rivest, MD
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • Why this physician marched during a pandemic

    Raj Sundar, MD
  • The pandemic has only further strengthened my passion to become a physician

    Karan Patel

More in Physician

  • The unseen burden patients carry between appointments

    Ryan Nadelson, MD
  • My journey to loving primary care again

    Jerina Gani, MD, MPH
  • Why doctors striking may be the most ethical choice

    Patrick Hudson, MD
  • How photos shape drug stigma—and what we can do about it

    Jeffrey Hom, MD, MPH, MSHP
  • From participants to partners: Rethinking clinical trial design

    Robert Den, MD
  • First-name familiarity improves doctor-patient connection

    Ryan Nadelson, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Meeting transgender patients where they are: a health care imperative

      Tyler B. Evans, MD, MPH | Physician
    • How AI, animals, and ecosystems reveal a new kind of intelligence

      Fateh Entabi, MD | Tech
    • A physician employment agreement term that often tricks physicians

      Dennis Hursh, Esq | Finance
    • How are prostate exams done and why you shouldn’t avoid them

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How reforming insurance, drug prices, and prevention can cut health care costs

      Patrick M. O'Shaughnessy, DO, MBA | Policy
    • Why agency and partnership are vital in modern health care

      Alan P. Feren, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How are prostate exams done and why you shouldn’t avoid them

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • Airlines’ policy ignores your do not resuscitate (DNR): Discover why and some ways to protect yourself

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • A dual citizen’s choice between two imperfect systems [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How pediatricians can address the health problems raised in the MAHA child health report

      Joseph Barrocas, MD | Policy
    • The unseen burden patients carry between appointments

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Choosing the best EHR for your new behavioral health business

      Ram Krishnan, MBA | Tech

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 1 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

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Meeting transgender patients where they are: a health care imperative

      Tyler B. Evans, MD, MPH | Physician
    • How AI, animals, and ecosystems reveal a new kind of intelligence

      Fateh Entabi, MD | Tech
    • A physician employment agreement term that often tricks physicians

      Dennis Hursh, Esq | Finance
    • How are prostate exams done and why you shouldn’t avoid them

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • How reforming insurance, drug prices, and prevention can cut health care costs

      Patrick M. O'Shaughnessy, DO, MBA | Policy
    • Why agency and partnership are vital in modern health care

      Alan P. Feren, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Forced voicemail and diagnosis codes are endangering patient access to medications

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Meds
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • The One Big Beautiful Bill and the fragile heart of rural health care

      Holland Haynie, MD | Policy
    • Who gets to be well in America: Immigrant health is on the line

      Joshua Vasquez, MD | Policy
    • Why specialist pain clinics and addiction treatment services require strong primary care

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Conditions
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How are prostate exams done and why you shouldn’t avoid them

      Martina Ambardjieva, MD, PhD | Conditions
    • Airlines’ policy ignores your do not resuscitate (DNR): Discover why and some ways to protect yourself

      Althea Halchuck, EJD | Conditions
    • A dual citizen’s choice between two imperfect systems [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How pediatricians can address the health problems raised in the MAHA child health report

      Joseph Barrocas, MD | Policy
    • The unseen burden patients carry between appointments

      Ryan Nadelson, MD | Physician
    • Choosing the best EHR for your new behavioral health business

      Ram Krishnan, MBA | Tech

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

2 a.m. thoughts of an emergency physician during the pandemic
1 comments

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

Loading Comments...