student voice
Ja m e so n Man n ix ’ 2 1
The Son Also Rises The scholarly publication Academic Emergency Medicine, the official journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, is the place to read up on such topics as, say, cervical spine motion restriction after blunt trauma. It’s also the place to learn about what it’s like to be the child of an emergency medicine doctor, thanks to a witty, reflective essay contributed by Jameson Mannix ’21. He wrote the piece last spring and submitted it to the journal; two weeks later, he received an email letting him know it had been accepted for publication. With permission of Academic Emergency Medicine, we are reprinting Jameson’s essay here.
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eing the child of an emergency medicine (EM) doctor means a lot of unappetizing dinner conversations. The nauseating remarks are usually casually weaved into common discourse, with a disturbing disregard for the family’s digestion. Perhaps a family member mentions an upcoming dental appointment—an innocent remark—which somehow elicits from my mother the gruesome suctioning noise that occurred when she replaced her patient’s displaced tooth in its socket. The conversations are a great way to make sure no one overeats. Being the child of an EM doctor means trampolines are out. I am not sure I am even allowed to be friends with someone who has a trampoline. Being the child of an EM doctor bends time. We never know if Mom is asleep or awake and have been forced to learn the art of swift and silent movements throughout our house. The care and fear with which we approach walking draws com- 38
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parisons to stepping in a field with land mines or a horror movie with an unnamed beast. You never know which board will creak and awaken the beast from its silent slumber. You do not want to wake the beast. I take very seriously the reports of scientists who discovered that American black bears react as though they are preparing for a sudden attack on them if they are awakened in their winter dens. Being the child of an EM doctor means my own injuries and illnesses are judged against a warped yardstick. Sometimes, it feels like I am in a silent competition with my mother’s patients to receive validation of my injured-ness. I am not sure if that’s a competition I want to “win.” At a young age, I would become immensely confused as I watched other mothers seem anxious when their child fell during a sporting event. I thought every parent would use obvious limb deformity as the criteria for concern. Being the child of an EM doctor means never putting nonfood items (like a bottlecap) in my mouth— not even for a second.
Being the child of a pediatric EM doctor means my mother loves interacting with children. Every time I go out into public with my mother, I pray we do not see a baby, for if we do, all hell breaks loose. She begins to talk aloud in high-pitched tones designed to attract and simultaneously soothe the baby. Soon there- after—my personal least favorite part—she undertakes a conversation with the parents about how special their baby is. I’m sure these are great techniques at work, but they are painful when deployed at Stop & Shop. Being the child of an EM doctor means I have had some sort of medical procedure performed on me in my kitchen. Being the child of an EM doctor means I am increasingly concerned about Mom’s safety. I acknowledge the risks my mom faces in dealing with COVID-19, but I also acknowledge that she will do her best to protect herself and her family. Most of all, being the child of an EM doctor means I feel proud. I understand how much work and dedication it takes to be an EM doctor. I accept the loss of nights, weekends, holidays, and normal life—traded for passion and purpose. I feel a sense of pride and reflected glory talking about my mother and what she does for a living. Although I have nothing to do with her profession, I am right there with her in her medical journey. When the mother is called to duty, the son also rises. It’s a family job.
Mannix, Jameson (2020). The Son Also Rises. Academic Emergency Medicine: Official Journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, 27(9), 936-936. doi. org/10.1111/acem.14074
