2022 SPEAR ESSAY CONTEST
The brand my brother wears : I told him I loved them . We chatted it up . I was loose . I was having fun .
I was practicing medicine .
It is easy to become hardened and cynical . Patients require patience — something our health care system wants to choke out of us . Yes , there are many changes that need to be made to improve health outcomes before patients see a doctor . But thankfully my joy no longer falls prey to seeds of doubt that utopian claims can sow . The truth is that there is always joy — and purpose — to be found in this noble pursuit . It may be harder to find some days , but if you look in the right places it ’ s there . them to check into rehab . It ’ s in the hug from your brother that you appreciate more after a hard semester . It ’ s seen in the eyes of a grandfather as he connects with his grandson about his health . It ’ s lying awake dreaming of practicing . It ’ s in bonding over cowboy boots with a patient in the hallway . All of this is medicine too .
And it ’ s these little joys that keep me putting that white coat back on in the morning .
Cole Dowdy is a third-year medical student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine .
It ’ s in a phone call from a patient thanking you for inspiring
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