The Greatest Teachers

We stood in a line and palpated his thyroid. We then reformed the line and asked him to follow our fingers with his eyes. One last time we formed a line and listened to his irregular heartbeat. As we left his room, we each shook his hand and thanked him. I was the last to exit, and as I walked out, I heard him let out a long sigh. I turned around and saw him sink into his bed.

I left the hospital that day feeling conflicted. It was a great experience learning first-hand how Grave’s disease can manifest in patients, but I couldn’t get Mr. Jones’ sigh out of my head. It kept replaying inside me. It sounded like the sigh of someone who was tired. Someone who was annoyed having a group of strangers observe him like he was a zoo animal. Someone who was there to be healed but instead was being used as a teaching tool.

To this day, I wonder whether there can be a better way of conducting physical exam rounds. They say that experience is king, and I agree with the sentiment that the more I experience in my training, the better doctor I will become. However, until a better way of learning physical exam findings can be developed, all I can do is thank the patients who have let me touch them. Thank you for bearing with me as I struggle to feel your lymph nodes. Thank you for patiently waiting as I stumble with my stethoscope trying to hear your heart murmur. Most importantly, thank you for enduring all of this amidst your illness. It is not often acknowledged, but your sacrifice is helping shape the doctors of the future.

Elijah Li
Houston, Texas