Carl V. Tyler ~

Phillip H. ~

I was a third-year medical student, doing my internal-medicine rotation in a large regional teaching hospital.

"We have a new admit that I want you to pick up," my team's senior resident told me on my third day. "Mr. Ngo is a seventy-one-year-old man with congestive heart failure. He came into the ER with worsening shortness of breath and edema."

I read Mr. Ngo's chart and went to his hospital room. He sat on the edge of his bed, his labored breathing obvious even from the doorway.

"Hello, Mr. Ngo, my name is Phillip," I said. "I'm a medical student, and I'll be assisting in your care."

Daniel Lee ~