“Today is a special day Emily. Maybe one of the most important days of your life.” I tried to conclude the clinical encounter. After giving her scientifically derived percentages of prognosis of her breast cancer and answering all her carefully jotted-down questions, I tried to end with a customary parting comment. “It’s been almost a …
Note to reader: This is a longer essay that will be best enjoyed if you take your time to read it rather than a quick scroll. Think of it more as a book chapter rather than an internet meme. You also have the option to listen to it if time is a constraint. “In each …
My Father Wanted to be a Crow, I Want to be an Ant Read More »
It is almost approaching two decades since I have worked at this hospital. This is where I grew up as a physician. After my home, I have spent most hours of my life within these walls and walking around these hallways. The hospital used to have two main buildings but a few years ago, the …
Two women in their thirties meet unexpectedly at a gathering and realize that they are seeing each other after fifteen years. The last time they spent time together was when they were in high school. Then the paths of their lives diverged and they did not keep in touch. Now was a good time to …
There is no news that one can hear about oneself that is more dreadful than being told that you have cancer. The mind shuts down for a few minutes. No matter what the doctor is saying, the words do not register. It is like in the movies. The only difference is that the scene passes …
Some lines that you read or hear get stuck in memory without any good reason. From teenage years of reading Sidney Sheldon books, the phrase “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” has been etched into my memory. The idiom is sometimes attributed to Shakespeare but upon further digging I found out that this …
There were times when Latin or Sanskrit were the most widely spoken languages around the world. Today, that claim goes to the English language. When I was growing up in Pakistan, we used to speak Urdu and Pashto at home but since the country was under British colonial rule prior to gaining independence, English was …
No matter what kind of work you do, you likely take a break for coffee or lunch. This is a time when you catch a casual moment with your colleagues. Although this moment is meant to break the monotony of the day, it is not uncommon for your mind to keep going back to the …
This article was published in The Friday Times on March 7, 2023. Should you choose to read it at the newspaper website, please click here. “A good doctor has to wear three hats. That of a clinician, a researcher, and that of a teacher.” I remember being instructed by the Program Director on the first …
I was recently in Peshawar to attend my younger brother’s wedding. It was a long time, more than a decade since there was a wedding in my family, so everybody was excited, including myself. After spending a week full of festivities and fun, when I came back to Rochester, all my American friends were excited …
A Desi Wedding, Explained for my American Friends Read More »
If my grandfather were alive, he would be the same age as Mr. Hendricks. Seventy-eight years old. That’s why when I first met him, he introduced himself as John but I preferred to call him Mr. Hendricks. That’s how I was taught as one of the ways to give respect to the elderly. The “American” …
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