“The shame and guilt over my inept handling of that first terrible diagnosis have stayed with me. When I make an awful discovery, the dread is still there, but I confront it. … I acknowledge that we both may have more questions than answers but promise that we’ll make a plan to get the answers.”

Michelle Kittleson remembers a patient she saw more than 2 decades ago and what she learned about delivering bad news and providing comfort to patients who may be confused and scared. This essay was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the October 2019 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.

My First Terrible Diagnosis

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.

My First Terrible Diagnosis

Academic Medicine Journal