In the Mirror

摘要

I was drawn to emergency medicine during my third year of medical school. On the final days of the clerkship, the overhead announced a child in a motor vehicle collision. I scrambled to the resuscitation bay to find the entire department, gowned in blue, awaiting the patient's arrival. I changed into blue too, thinking my limited abilities of history taking might help the situation. I stood in the back, guarding the outer sanctum of the resuscitation bay from prying eyes. The bay doors swung open and a pulseless 7-year-old boy was wheeled in. The resident shouted physical exam findings while nurses delivered a barrage of medications. After several unsuccessful defibrilla-tions, an ultrasound showed a flickering, weak heart—one that ultimately stopped beating. The team worked together seamlessly like a well-oiled machine, unwavering in their attempts to resuscitate the victim.