To Those Who Have Just Begun Their Journey With the White Coat …

I feel for you

I feel for the first and second years as you are missing much of the class fun

I feel bad as you are missing some of the anatomy dissection

You are probably doing your classes online

And trying to have "patient experience" and "case-based learnings" through Zoom

I know and remember the excitement that comes with medical school, and I am sorry that you are missing some of it

I feel bad about that

Yes, I do feel for the rising third years in med schools

You were probably so excited to finally have your “own” patients

You were so excited to learn to write your own “progress notes”

And all of that seems to have been put on hold

And for those who are graduating medical school

And of course, for the rising fourth years as well

I feel bad for all of them

I have not forgotten the new interns, residents and fellows

And those who finished their training in June

I know you are all very excited for myriad reasons and in myriad ways

And you probably are a little confused as to how things will shape up

And what will happen to you when you are all done

I feel bad for that

But please do not worry

There is no doubt that this new virus has made our lives difficult

There is no doubt it has made our training difficult

And there is no doubt that it has put our lives on hold

But remember, as you wear your mask next time

Be it an N-95, surgical or the PAPR

Remember the lives that have been lost

Not just of health care workers, but people throughout the world

And I bet that after an initial overwhelming weakness, you will feel strong again

You will realize that in your journey going forward, you will have the opportunity to save many lives

And each time you are blessed to have that chance, go for it in full swing

You will be proud that you belong to a group that fought hard with the virus

And that will help you learn things that you think you may have missed

I think this awful virus has taught each one of us something

And make sure, you learn your part of the lesson, and more

Please be safe and careful, but never make a patient feel that you are “afraid of their disease” or that you hesitate to touch and examine them because of their diagnosis

The patient can sense it all

And that will not only make them scared but will do more harm

Don’t forget to display warmth and affection

And remember to spread hope even if you feel there is none

And do not forget the basics of medical teaching

Rest assure that at times, it is possible to not speak the "truth" without lying

Continue to believe that you can make a difference in this world

But above all, remind yourself that your white coat stands for responsibility and privilege

Yes, the privilege to study the art and science of medicine and to use it every day

It is a privilege to know the privileged information of fellow human beings

Respect that privilege

And enjoy your journey

You will, even in the COVID-19 era.

Dr. Cuckoo Choudhary is a professor of medicine at Jefferson.