“When are these kids ever gonna wise up?” asked Ellen, the older charge nurse, as she shook her head in frustration. “This is the third young single girl tonight that I’ve treated that is pregnant..."   

Enjoy this Night Shift from the EPM archives 

When you are a long way from home, there is nothing that cheers you up like getting a package. 

CDR Mark Plaster, MC, USNR writes from Iraq

“Sir, there was a little situation last night that you might want to be aware of.”

I’ve been staring at my sea bag and field pack in the corner of my office since May when I got notice of my return to active duty. But now it’s time to finally go...

As the final days of residency passed by, there were many things I looked forward to after graduation, but I never fully imagined what the real world would bring. Here’s what my first year as an emergency physician taught me...

Aphe*phobia

noun: a fear of being touched;

also called haphephobia, haptephobia, thixophobia,
origin: from the Greek haphe ‘touch’

It was to be my last shift in the ER for about a year, so I was feeling a little reflective...

I should know better by now than to answer a call at 9:30 at night. It can’t be good news. But I’m always afraid that I’ve made some bonehead scheduling mistake and have failed to show up for my shift. So I left the family watching March Madness basketball and took the call in another room.