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The Final "Step" Exam

A lyrical, three-part reflection on the evolution of a physician through the eyes of the USMLE Exam—from the first spark of study to the growing responsibilities of clinical training and the integrative wisdom of residency

And To Get Ready To Discharge

A vivid, emotionally charged reflection on a day in emergency medicine, capturing the whiplash of caring for fragile patients, witnessing a traumatic birth, managing anxious families, and confronting burnout—all culminating in the surreal experience of having life-saving educational content flagged as “spam” by AI censors.

Our Next Thought: How Medicine Meets This Moment. Why Physicians Must Lead the Next Era of Human-centered AI

A visionary exploration of how physicians must lead the integration of human-centered artificial intelligence into modern medicine. This piece argues that AI will not replace clinical judgment but expand it, offering structured insight into uncertainty while preserving the irreplaceable human expertise at the bedside.

When The Silence Was Deafening

A powerful reflective narrative in which a physician recounts the transformative lessons learned from caring for patients with advanced ALS. What begins as a routine ICU consult becomes a profound reckoning with the importance of seeing—and truly addressing—the person behind the illness.

Prometheus, Unbound

In Prometheus, Unbound, a veteran heart surgeon draws a brilliant and haunting parallel between modern cardiac surgery and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Blending literature, philosophy, and lived experience, the essay reflects on medicine’s “unhallowed arts” — the power to restore life, the moral peril of detachment, and the enduring need for compassion amid technological triumph.

Holy Verbal Chernobyl! CMO Injured When Jargon-Bomb Detonates Accidentally

In this darkly comic satire of hospital bureaucracy, a “jargon-bomb” detonates during a routine administrative meeting, injuring executives and scattering buzzwords, binders, and clichés across the room. Through absurd humor and razor-sharp parody, the piece lampoons corporate healthcare’s obsession with empty jargon, performative leadership, and misplaced priorities—reminding readers that in modern medicine, clarity may be the rarest casualty of all.

Emphysema

With lyrical precision, Maya Sorini MD reflects on the human spirit’s complexity and the quiet prayers physicians carry for their patients.

Angels

In this reflective piece by Dr. Victor Pricolo, a skeptical conversation about angels unfolds into a profound meditation on the everyday miracles that surround us — the innocence of a child, the wisdom of age, the courage of those with special needs — gentle reminders of humanity’s purpose and the quiet grace present in ordinary lives.

Those Cigarettes

In “Those Cigarettes,” Bruce Harris reflects on America’s mid-century smoking culture and its evolution from glamorized normalcy to a recognized health hazard. Blending surgical insight with nostalgic storytelling, he recalls his childhood fascination with a half-smoked cigarette, his brief, disastrous experiment with lighting it, and the later medical realities of treating patients harmed by the habit.

A Physicians Journey

From small-town dreamer to seasoned physician, Dr. Greg Gatchell’s journey reveals the harsh realities of modern medicine and the redemptive power of purpose. After years battling burnout, bureaucracy, and disillusionment, he discovered a new path through Lifestyle and Obesity Medicine—helping patients and physicians alike reclaim health, balance, and meaning.

Part 5: The Life of Gus Kappler MD, Vietnam Trauma Surgeon

In this powerful and deeply human account, Vietnam trauma surgeon Dr. Gustav “Gus” Kappler reflects on the moral collapse and psychological toll of war—from the “band of brothers” camaraderie that sustained soldiers in combat to the moral abyss of the My Lai massacre. Blending history, psychology, and personal confession, Kappler examines how fear, exhaustion, and disillusionment led ordinary men to commit atrocities, how Agent Orange poisoned both land and lives, and how one act of compassion decades later—a friendship with a Vietnamese student named Mytrang—finally allowed him to heal and come home from Vietnam.

Part 4: The Life of Gus Kappler MD, Vietnam Era Trauma Surgeon

In this harrowing first-person account, Vietnam trauma surgeon Dr. Gustav “Gus” Kappler recounts performing a rare bilateral hemipelvectomy under battlefield conditions, confronting the chaos of war, rampant heroin addiction among troops, and the collapse of military discipline after the TET Offensive. Through reflections on triage ethics, the wartime versus peacetime moral code, and the psychological toll of killing, Kappler explores how soldiers’ humanity and moral compass were torn apart—leading to lifelong PTSD, moral injury, and a generation of veterans struggling to reconcile survival with conscience.