Thread by @CQ__MD

Just spent a night catching up with an old friend from med school.

I’ve put on a few pounds, he’s lost a few hairs from the top of his head, and we both look tired no matter the time of day.

"What's your book about?" He asked.

"It's about us."
#medtwitter
1/

He’s a black man. Brilliant with a mellow disposition.
Failed to match into Ortho at the end of Med school.
Did a year of Gen Surg internship and was accepted the next year into residency in Ortho at a program in the Deep South.
2/

Along with the standard punishment of residency training, he endured endless acts of racism both overt and covert.
At one point he had to employ a civil rights lawyer to scare his bosses into letting him complete his training on time.

He's now a spine surgeon.
3/

“Residency is hard enough on its own, educationally. But they want to break you. Just to see how hard it is, and how long it takes. They don't even care if you know how to put yourself back together,” he said.

"And are you better for it?" I asked.
4/

"It's funny--nothing ever gets me too sad anymore. I just don't feel the lows. But I realized I'm never really happy either. The last time I felt joy was maybe ten years ago.

I'm numb at both extremes.
And that's just who I am now.

Am I the only one who ended up like this?"
5/

I ordered another round and told him, "That's why I'm writing. Because we all come to the end wondering if it's just me that's just a bit more broken.

But it's us. Nearly all of us.

I think the power to change it might start with knowing we're not suffering alone."

Cheers.