Takeaway
What feels run of the mill to clinicians can be life-changing for patients. A focused moment of empathic presence may alter the course of their life.
Lifelong Learning in Clinical Excellence | October 28, 2025 | 2 min read
By Cynthia Argani, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine
A clinical vignette from my residency
I was an OB-GYN resident with a particular distaste for GYN consults. As a senior resident, I was annoyed when the ED asked me to see a patient with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). I walked into the room, and there was palpable tension between the patient and her partner. The only reason that they weren’t glaring at each other was because they both refused to look at each other—they had just been told she had an STI.
I took the history and did the exam. She had cervical motion tenderness and adnexal tenderness—however, there was no unusual discharge, she was afebrile, and had a normal white count. I reviewed the sonogram with the radiology resident, and we found a ruptured ovarian cyst, which can mimic PID, but isn’t a sexually transmitted disease.
I went back to tell them the news, and they were instantly relieved. What I thought was going to be an annoying consult may have been life-changing for this couple. I like to think I helped save their relationship.
This encounter has stuck with me. It reminded me that we don’t always appreciate how our routine tasks impact patients. What felt mundane to me had profound implications for them.
Here are two things I’ve learned along the way:
1. You’re only human.
No one is at 100% all the time, and you won’t love every aspect of the job. It’s ok to be annoyed at times, but you still have to show up and be professional. To the patient, this isn’t a trivial interaction.
2. Remind yourself why you went into medicine.
Some medical schools have first-year students write a letter to their future selves. Even if you didn’t do this, visualize the letter you would have written and renew your inspiration for patient care.
We have unique opportunities—and responsibilities. Because our face-to-face time with patients is limited, it’s important to maximize each interaction. Before entering a patient’s room, take a centering breath and greet them with a smile.
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This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.