Memoir of an intern doctor….day 51

Day 51 going strong, still working hard, smiling, and having my patients bless me. Yes, I get that daily. I have been told ‘Medicine looks good on you’ in those exact words.

But I have a major challenge. I have failed to meet that fine line between Empathy and Sympathy . I have failed 😢. I’m not sure I have tried enough to get to this line because emotions crowd my head many times.

There are times I almost want to cry breaking bad news to patients or caretakers. There have been times I want to hug my patients so tight. There have been times times when I want to join them in their episodes of crying. I have failed . I have even failed to try 😢.

Today I almost cried on table while in Theatre. The size of the abscess this woman had was disturbing to my brain. It still is 6 hours later.

I need help here. I need to learn how to stand between Empathy and Sympathy.