EM RESIDENTS AND MEDICAL STUDENTS: WE’RE MAKING HISTORY! By Gregory Jasani, MD My favorite class in school was always history. I believed then, as I do now, that understanding the past is the key to making sense of the present. Yet even while I enjoyed reading about the pivotal moments in our nation’s history, I could never fully grasp the emotional impact of actually living through those moments. Well, residents and medical students, this is our moment to make history! As emergency medicine physicians, we are on the frontline of a pandemic unlike anything this world has seen in more than a century. Our nation, and arguably the world, is experiencing a defining moment in its history and we have the privilege of playing an active part in it. I always knew as an emergency physician I would have the opportunity to make a difference in my community, but I never imagined that I would be called upon to serve my country in such a dramatic way. Every time I go to work, I get to try and stem the onslaught of this deadly virus. My role is admittedly a small one compared to that of others, but I take pride in knowing that I am helping my fellow citizens through this trying time. Of course, I would be lying if I said I am not scared…I am scared! Coronavirus has killed thousands of people, including many fellow health care workers. I worry for the safety of my loved ones and myself. Yet, during these trying times, I think about the men and women who have helped to write our nation’s history. Undoubtedly, they experienced fears and trepidation along the way; however, they overcame their doubts to forge an enduring legacy. I take comfort and
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"OUR NATION, AND ARGUABLY THE WORLD, IS EXPERIENCING A DEFINING MOMENT IN ITS HISTORY AND WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF PLAYING AN ACTIVE PART IN IT." inspiration from the words of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.” One day, hopefully soon, the coronavirus pandemic will be history. It will be written about and studied for generations to come. But for those of us on the front lines, this event will never just be words on a page…It will be history that we actually lived! Our actions in emergency departments today are shaping what will appear on the pages of history books in the future…. And that is something to be proud of! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Jasani is a resident at the University of Maryland Medical Center