If you are a runner and have children, there will come a point when your children ask the question, “Can we come with you?” You may try to put them off at first, but sooner or later they will beg and plead enough that you give in. If they are three or four years old, they’ll only make it a block or two, with you practically jogging in place beside them, before they tire out and want to go ...
Blind Spots
Every three years, hospitals must go through a major inspection to make sure they remain in compliance with all the local, state, and federal health rules and regulations, which are themselves constantly evolving and changing. The inspection is a grueling process spread out over a very long week as multiple investigators go over every facet of operations with a fine-tooth comb. Much is at stake. ...
Traveling Companions
A good friend of mine completed his doctorate in Switzerland. During his years of study there, one of his favorite extracurricular activities was hiking the Alps with friends. He loved the crisp clean air, the majestic views, and the well-worn trails beaten into place by centuries of adventurers. It was a great place to reflect on what lay behind, to wonder about what lay ahead, and to get to ...
Waiting
The year before my third son started medical school, he asked me what he could do in the interim that would make him a better doctor. Should he take some extra science courses to get a head start on all the tough classes he would soon be facing? Should he enroll in some business classes, so he could better manage his practice one day? Do research or teach perhaps? Pursue short-term mission work ...
Option for the Poor
In 1983, a young man by the name of Paul Farmer finished his college degree and applied to medical school. While waiting to see if he would be accepted, he traveled to Haiti to help with relief work. Haiti was then (as it is now) one of the poorest countries in the world, and Farmer soon found himself amongst the sickest and most destitute on the island. When word came that he had been accepted ...
The Gluten-Free Gospel
Mankind has been eating bread for thousands of years. It has been one of the cornerstones of nutrition since the dawn of time. Egyptian hieroglyphics show stalks of wheat and a “bread recipe” that has been used by modern researchers to recreate perfectly edible loafs. Grains have been considered one of the “Basic Four Food Groups” in the United States since before most of us were born, and they ...