"The nature of clinical medicine teaches us to hear difficult stories from patients without being knocked over by them. But I think it will require intentional awareness and self-reflection throughout my career as a physician to respect every heavy moment for its immense worth."

Medical student Nicholas Lenze reminds readers that although the normalization of the extraordinary may be a common experience in medicine, it doesn't have to be harmful if physicians remember to notice and remain aware of the people and happenings around them. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the September 2019 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

Heavy Moments

Meet medical students and residents, clinicians and educators, health care thought leaders and researchers in this podcast from the journal Academic Medicine. Episodes chronicle the stories of these individuals as they experience the science and the art of medicine. Guests delve deeper into the issues shaping medical schools and teaching hospitals today. Subscribe to this podcast and listen as the conversation continues. 

The journal Academic Medicine serves as an international forum to advance knowledge about the principles, policy, and practice of research, education, and patient care in academic settings. 

Please note that the opinions expressed in this podcast are the guests’ alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the AAMC or its members.

Heavy Moments

Academic Medicine Journal