by Jeremy Topin | Jan 31, 2018 | Balance, Change, Medical, Medicine, Parenting, Transformation
The lob shot. As a goalie, it’s my nemesis. It was my major weakness in college and even more so today. Standing (or more appropriately treading) 6’3″ tall, with an even longer wingspan, I have always been eager and ready to explode up and out of the...
by Jeremy Topin | Sep 5, 2017 | Medical
The patient, previously a John Doe, is now known. Family now present, when before there was none. A spouse, siblings, and young kids all around. Despite seventy-two hours in the ICU, his lungs have failed, his heart has failed, his liver has failed, his kidneys have...
by Jeremy Topin | Jul 20, 2017 | Balance, Burnout, Healthcare Reform, Medical
Uncertainty. In particular, diagnostic uncertainty, would keep me awake at night, early in my career as a freshly minted critical care doctor. Patients who deteriorated without explanation or haziness on CT Scans without an identified cause, fanned the flames of my...
by Jeremy Topin | May 26, 2017 | Medical, Medical Education
The alarm sounds, a painful reminder that it’s my week to cover the ICU. I take off my favorite sweatshirt, stripping away its warmth and comfort. I quickly jump into and out of the scalding shower, racing to get ready. Making my way toward the kitchen, I roll my eyes...
by Jeremy Topin | May 9, 2017 | Medical, Medical Education
The patient in front of me is trying to die. Elderly and frail, he is lying in the bed. His ribs outlined under skin that should be smooth. His temples are concave where they should be flat. Both are an outward display of internal damage from his lung cancer. More...
by Jeremy Topin | Apr 26, 2017 | Medical
He sat next to the judge in the witness chair. Of medium height and build with a clean shaven head, he recalled the night in the hospital where he lost his dad, role model, grandfather to his newborn son and best friend. In the small courtroom he spoke directly to the...
