Picked up 5 yr old from school, wearing scrubs. 2 classmates approach.
Girl 1: Do you work in a hospital?
Me: Yep!
Girl 2: Are you a Dr?
Me: Yes, I am!
Girl 2: And a mommy?!
Girl 1 to Girl 2: She’s a mommy & a doctor bc you can be more than 1 thing
Me: ❤️
#MouthsofBabes
I’ve given half my life to medicine.
And medicine wouldn’t give my husband a chest x-ray.
Some kids stole a truck yesterday.
And they almost stole my husband’s life alongside it.
(1)
My husband shouldn’t have to be married to a trauma surgeon to get even the basics of medical care. But, yesterday, that is what happened. Because no matter how many hours, days, and years I have given to my MD, my MD doesn’t protect my husband from his blackness.
(6)
For people asking, but how are you "sure" this is racism? Because this is how the papers are written, showing inadequate care is given to POC. It is a pattern and a collection of individual instances. It doesn't have to involve the "n" word to be racism.
Again, please. This did not happen in Colorado, and I am not interested in going after an individual hospital or dr. The hospital ended up providing standard care, after my phone calls. This is not an individual hospital problem. My only interest is highlighting systemic racism.
I wish I could say my situation was unique. That it was a one-off. That surely this wasn’t because of the color of my husband’s skin. But I can’t say that. Because it isn’t true. Systemic racism in medicine is just that… it is systemic... and it is racism.
(7)
I've been contemplating all day whether to share. But if I don't take my part, to help shed light. Then I am complicit with a system that treats my husband differently than it treats me.
And to clarify, he did end up getting the proper evaluation because I requested it. Because, when they called me to tell me they were discharging him, I disabused them of that notion.
Papers have been written, data have been presented, courses are often even mandated.
And yet the fact remains.
The hospital is not the same for my spouse as it is for yours… if yours is white.
(fin)
I'm not interested in "going after" anyone, I'm not interested in anything other than highlighting the issue. Systemic racism which all too often gets explained away - oh they didn't know, oh that was just random. Racism isn't random in this country, not even in medicine.
My feelings today have been such an odd mixture of gratitude & betrayal. Gratitude my husband is alive & well. Betrayal from a system I have devoted so much of my life. Betrayal from a system to which my husband has sacrificed so much of HIS life, for MY training & MY work.
(5)
Within minutes of his arrival, and without a BASIC trauma evaluation, that level II trauma center arranged to discharge my husband. ATLS protocols were not followed, standards of care were not performed…they didn’t even offer a chest x-ray.
(4)
Going over 80 miles an hour, they hit a total of six cars, eventually flipping their car into my husband’s. His car then flipped over two lanes of traffic on the interstate, over the guardrail and onto the adjacent service road, eventually landing on the passenger side.
(2)
He was conscious, and with the help of bystanders, able to extricate through the broken sunroof of the car, and taken by ambulance to a level II trauma center.
(3)
Because people think we shouldn’t.
Because people think we can’t.
Because people think we aren’t.
We should.
We can.
And we ARE.
#NationalWomenPhysiciansDay
20 yrs ago you asked me out,
I said no, I didn’t know what you were about.
Thankfully, you did persist,
Been proving me wrong ever since.
10 years ago I said yes.
And oh, How we have been blessed.
I'm so confused by this sentiment that wearing a mask is "living in fear."
If you wear your seatbelt, are you living in fear?
If you wear sunscreen, are you living in fear?
If you wear a bicycle helmet, are you living in fear?
Smart living is NOT living in fear.
#COVID19
Lol, was looking through old photos of hubby and me for a twitter tag, and think this is one of the best ones to sum up our height difference 😂
From our engagement photos 10 years ago.
For everyone with an “older” or immunocompromised loved one... can we start a thread?
Let’s remind the world WHY we are social distancing, hand washing, & not traveling.
I’ll start.
Here are my parents, both with asthma and in their 70’s.
My kids need Papa & Grandma.
As a wife of a black man, a mother to 2 biracial boys, and a trauma surgeon.
I feel like I have a lot to say.
But.
It is actually my time to LISTEN and AMPLIFY.
Please,
#MedTwitter
let’s lift our
#BlackMedTwitter
colleagues today, and every day.
Dear future surgeon,
2 am, in a tough case, you will never think "Wow, those residency years were a waste."
2 am, in a tough case, you Will think "Wow, thank goodness for residency & dang how did Dr. X do this?!"
Train for the toughest.
It will make you the best.
Why are people not allowed to smoke in public places?
You have a right to smoke, but not to harm the people next to you.
Your rights end when they infringe upon someone else's.
Your decision not wear a mask/socially distance infringes the rights of people around you. Period.
Yes, thousands of people die from the flu every year.
AND. We do not run out of vents or beds or PPE from the FLU.
We ARE running out of vents, beds, and PPE from COVID-19.
THEY ARE NOT THE SAME.
The point in not naming them is because then it becomes THAT hospital’s issue. This isn’t just THAT hospital’s or that doctor’s problem. This is EVERYWHERE. My husband was just one of many who did not receive adequate care on New Years Eve.
I would like to thank everyone for their support. And - encourage everyone who isn’t a person of color... LISTEN. FOLLOW. READ, LEARN. AMPLIFY. As has been stated before, anti-racism is a verb. And requires active listening, introspection, and learning.
1. Yes, lots of things kill lots of people- obesity, diabetes, cancer, etc
2. But, we are allowed to RESEARCH those diseases
3. I am not asking to ban guns.
4. I AM asking to research ways in which we can respect the 2nd Amendment AND keep people safe.
#ThisISMyLane
#gunsense
Hi, I'm a trauma surgeon.
You may know me from my hits “Yes, I am a Surgeon” “No, really, I am a Surgeon,” and the chart-topping “Let me introduce myself Again (I am not your nurse, although yes your nurse is fabulous).”
Hi, I’m a pediatrician. You may know me from my hits “that’s not technically a fever” “I still can’t fix that cough,” and the chart-topping “let me explain again why an antibiotic isn’t indicated.”
We’re moving, y’all!
I am honored to announce I am the new Vice-Chair of Wellness at the storied and forward-thinking Department of Surgery at the University of Louisville, continuing my research in sleep deprivation & stress physiology.
#newgignewduds
#GoCards
1. Visitors not allowed.
2. Clinics and elective surgeries cancelled.
3. Medical students dismissed.
4. Admin personnel at home.
5. Staffing altered to reduce exposure.
All mean few cars around.
Plus, we don't take care of patients in the parking lot, you dolt.
Just went to 2 hospitals in LA to check out these “War Zones” the MSM keeps telling us about.🏥
They are very quiet & EMPTY.
We are not being told the truth. Why?? Let’s get
#FilmYourHospital
trending. We ARE the news now. We can’t trust the news. Post pics of ur hospital here!
And the bottom line is, if you are black you are subjected to more “incompetence”. Whether you are pregnant, have cancer, surgery, or trauma- people of color get less pain medication, are offered fewer therapies, and have worse outcomes.
Actually, I am these women's worst nightmare.
Because...
They are 5 times more likely to meet me, and my scalpel, because they have been shot than women who live in a home without a gun.
The truth may only hurt some of the time, but getting shot hurts all of the time.
This is the Left's worst nightmare – women who fight for
#2A
.
Women play a significant role in the firearms community, and we spoke with a few of these patriots at
#SHOTShow
.
These women will never let anti-gunners destroy their right to defend themselves and their families.
Yes, for the thousandth time, let me make this as clear as I can. I am addressing this with the hospital directly. Just because I am not naming them publicly does not mean it isn’t getting addressed. Because it is.
Bwahahaha-
@TiffanyMoonMD
has been a friend of mine for years and recently launched her website ... ya gotta love it when an anesthesiologist starts her own candle line 😂😂
If a virus killed 20 children in 5 minutes...
If a virus killed 58 people in 15 minutes...
If a virus killed anywhere - in schools, churches, businesses, concerts...
If a virus killed more & more over time.
They would be SCREAMING at us to do something.
THIS. IS. OUR. LANE.
When someone tells you something that differs from your experience - you should listen.
And, when that person looks different than you (race, gender, age, etc)- that’s when you need to listen... and believe them.
Just bc you haven’t seen/heard/felt that, doesn’t make it untrue.
Dear
@VanessaHudgens
,
Hi. My name is Jamie Coleman, and I am a trauma surgeon.
I have told countless people their child/husband/wife/loved one is dead.
Come spend ONE night with me, witness ONE conversation with me.
HEAR those screams, SEE those tears.
Until then,
STFU
Dear future doctor,
Don't avoid the "tough".
The tough cases, tough patients, tough conversations.
Embrace the "tough".
They will make you sad, angry, upset.
But they will also give you HOPE, for having gone through them, you will be better able to save someone's life.
I am a surgeon. I tie knots and know anatomy for a living.
And yet.
Do not ask me to tie a ribbon on a present or carve your turkey.
#holidayconfessions
So, instead of using resources to have physicians spend an hour doing resiliency training, why not use resources to give an already incredibly resilient group of people an hour back to our day... to spend with our patients, our families, and ourselves.
The end.
Covid19 has now caused the death of 17 Americans over the past 6 days.
Grocery shelves empty. Flights cancelled. Billions of dollars allocated.
We lost 17 Americans in 6 minutes at Parkland.
Still waiting on those billions of dollars...
If a virus killed 20 children in 5 minutes...
If a virus killed 58 people in 15 minutes...
If a virus killed anywhere - in schools, churches, businesses, concerts...
If a virus killed more & more over time.
They would be SCREAMING at us to do something.
THIS. IS. OUR. LANE.
That feeling when you’ve “made it”.... when you walk in the OR, and you realize they’ve made a whole surgeon kit for you with your little gloves and little gown 🥰😂
We don't need resiliency training.
We need efficient EMRs, scribes, work schedules that don't inherently create sleep deprivation, parental leave policies, and structural support with home demands - childcare, grocery delivery, meal prep, and for the love of God, laundry.
Dear America,
We are at a national blood shortage.
We are entering the time of year when traumatic accidents increase in frequency, and WE NEED BLOOD to save lives.
Please, please consider donating.
Sincerely,
A trauma surgeon
Happy National Women's Physician Day!
Whether you wear heels or flats,
Your lipstick is pink or your lipstick is chapstick,
You are tall or small,
You are "too bossy" or "too nice",
You look like a doctor, dammit, because you ARE one😘
“Your Twitter feed is a weird mix.”
Well, my past 24 hrs: Finished 26 hrs in the hospital, read to 3 yr old’s preschool class, didn’t know was supposed to bring snacks to said class, opened a chest, fixed a hole in the heart, & took out a spleen.
My life is weird 🤷🏻♀️😂
It’s Monday, I’m finishing up 90+ hours in the hospital over the past week so proceed reading with caution, lol.
I get a lot of questions about who a trauma surgeon is and what a trauma surgeon does.
Here are some answers.
(thread)
Y’all.
I have taken out arrows. Bullets. Fireworks. Lightbulbs. All sorts of impaled, swallowed, impacted foreign bodies.
And, yet.
My husband won’t let me take out a SPLINTER in his finger tonight.
And what I realized is that today isn’t about mom guilt. It’s about appreciating this beautiful community known as motherhood.
We will never be everything to our children as individuals, but we can be as a community.
I’m blessed to be a part of it.
#HugAmamaToday
His “beautiful skin” and “gorgeous curls” will be same.
When he is 15 years old and 6 feet tall they will be the same skin and curls.
But then there won’t be ooh’s and ahh’s. There will be mistrust and fear.
Be the courage to change the things you can.
#BlackLivesMatter
Dear Car Salesman,
🦄🦄🦄 don’t exist.
🎅 isnt real.
BUT- a WOMAN buying her OWN car with her own 💵 DOES exist.
PLEASE stop asking me when is my husband going to show up, or what does my husband think, or how my husband wants to pay for MY car!!!
Got it? Okay, great 😉
What I needed to learn in medical school.
1. Statistics
2. Medical writing
3. Conflict Resolution
4. Public Speaking
5. Subconscious bias training
6. Research methodology
7. Debt management
8. Emotional processing techniques
9. Sleep optimization
10. Self-care
What I needed to learn in high school
1. Public speaking
2. Project management
3. Negotiation
4. Conflict resolution
5. Software development
6. Accounting
7. Financial planning
8. Critical thinking
9. How to mentor
10. Business plan development
11. People management
First surgery of the night.
Mangled extremity, partial amputation.
Hemodynamically stable, although owner visibly upset.
Massive transfusion initiated with whole fluff, 1 unit given pre-hospital.
Good morning
#MedTwitter
!
Here are your Monday updates:
1. Brad Pitt makes an excellent Dr. Fauci
2. Peer review is important.
3. Official
#MedTwitter
membership still reflected in being
#BlockedByGu
. If for some reason you aren’t, just like this tweet.
An ICU nurse came up with this latest chart-topping hit entitled, “VAP”, sung to the tune of “WAP”.
Ya’ll, I am DYING 😂.
Hats off to Natalie D... you are one solid, lyrical genius and thanks for the laughs!!
No PPE now means fewer physicians later.
You think it’s a long wait now for the ER?
Or for your surgery?
Who is going to take care of you after your car accident next year?
After your heart attack?
#GetUsPPE
now so we can take care of you later.
I rarely get mom guilt.
As a trauma surgeon with a work schedule that requires nights away from home and work weeks that can reach 100 hours, I quickly had to reconcile… to find purpose and meaning in my time away from my children when I became a mom 10 yrs ago.
(1)
Ted Lasso should be required watching for any hospital administrator wanting to address physician burnout.
How to get buy-in, how to earn trust, how to make people feel supported, how to build and maintain culture… ALL in there … alongside some impeccable humor.
My 1st yr med student self: “I could care less about the coagulation cascade.”
My pgy-14 trauma surgeon self: “Dammit why won’t this stop bleeding?!”
🤦♂️😂
#BasicScience
#SurgTweeting
1st case of the day: Penetrating trauma to the posterior neck, stuffing exposed, with signs of significant stuffing loss at the scene. Pt hemodynamically stable although 2 yr old witness to the accident visibly traumatized.
You know that time you put makeup on for the first time in a long time and you FaceTime your 4 year old bc you’ve been on call and then they just look at you and ask you what’s wrong with your face? 😒😒😂
#FridayFeelings
You are 31 years old, with 7 million
@Twitter
followers.
At your age, I was a board certified surgeon with zero.
We both can change lives.
What you say matters, so say something that matters.
Me, a surgeon, hiding under the bed:
Armed robber:
Me:
Armed robber:
Me:
Armed robber: Anesthesia says they don’t have a consent...
Me: I PUT THAT CONSENT IN THE CHART MYSELF!!!!
Me, a consultant anaesthetist, hiding under the bed:
Armed robber:
Me:
Armed robber:
Me:
Armed robber: There’s a lady on the ward who needs a cannula.
Me: WE ARE NOT A CANNULATION SERVICE. WHO ELSE HAS TRIED?
Anyone else want a tv show where they disguise attendings and put them back into residency as an intern just to see how long they would last?
Just me? 😂
I’ve had my “training 20’s” (started med school at 21, finished residency at 30).
I loved my “thrilling 30’s” (got married, started/finished fellowship, 1st baby, 1st job, 2nd baby, 2nd job).
I’m grateful & ready to embrace the “fierce 40’s”.
#nofilter40