The Doctor, The Billionaire, The Baby

I'm in Trouble

I smile as Andy finishes her speech, thankful to have someone like her on my team. I can only hope she stays here and completes a fellowship so I can hold onto her for longer.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Andy." I say smiling, causing the group to turn around and look at me startled. "Injustices are all too common in medicine, and they come in many forms. It's our job to recognize those injustices and disparities and speak up. I'm actually in talks with the medical school about introducing a mandatory seminar on this sort of thing. Would you be interested?" I get some very nervous nods from the students and interns, and Andy just smiles. 

"You know guys, you don't have to be afraid of her. Dr. Anderson is one of the best doctors in this hospital to work with, and just the best in general. Women come from all over the state to see her for high risk pregnancies, and even normal pregnancies."

I smile, "You know Andy, you're already on my good side, you don't don't have to kiss up to me that much." Everyone laughs.

I have everyone begin to introduce themselves, and as the new interns and medical students speak, I can't help but notice a female medical student in the back. Saying she looks anxious would be an understatement. When she's the only student left to introduce themself, I give her a nod of encouragement before she speaks up. 

"Hello, I'm Marissa. I'm deaf, and this is my first clinical rotation. Would it be okay if I went over some things that would help me out while I'm on this service?"

"Of course!" I exclaim.

We listen as she explains some things that help her be able to understand what we're saying/hear us. We learn she has a cochlear implant but her hearing still isn't perfect. She nervously tells us the importance of looking at her when we're talking so she can read our lips in noisier settings where she can be a bit overwhelmed, and also stresses the importance of making sure we have her attention when we try to talk to her while wearing masks, and to make sure that we speak loud and clear.

"Thank you Marissa, I know everyone here will do their best to follow all of these things. Please correct us if you're having problems understanding and hearing, or need us to make adjustments!", I say.

She smiles, looking less nervous than when I first walked up. Andy leads us down the hall to the first patient on the rounds list and I lag behind to talk more to Marissa.

"Have you talked to the nurses on the floor to have them put a note in the nurses station to be more mindful when talking to you?" I ask as we try and keep up with Andy's brisk pace.

She shakes her head no. "That's my next stop after this, although I'm really intimidated and nervous, especially hearing what happened with you this weekend. If they weren't caring about patients, the odds that they'll care for me are even lower."

My heart sinks in my chest as she explains this. Medicine really is only set up for the perfect able-bodied people. Healthcare workers with any type of disability have to work ten times harder to get where they are and to have their needs met. 

"Would you want me to go with you to talk to them after rounds? It was actually the surgical recovery floor that I pissed off but we can talk to them as well since we do sometimes have patients up there. She smiles at the offer, pondering for a moment. "That would be really lovely, I could use a little backup." 

I smile back, "It's no problem at all. I want to make sure you feel welcome and that you have the same opportunities every other student has."

She nods in response as we make it to the very end of the labor and delivery wing and arrive at the door of patient one of six. Not all of these patients are mine, but I also round on the patients of my team members who aren't working today.