I Demand You Consider Us Humans: A Poem of Medical Student

Slave, I am not
Servant, I may be

Arrogant, I am not
Ignorant, I may be

Un-engaged, I am not
However, Quiet, I may be.

Your coat is long, mine short
Your knowledge mile deep, mine mile wide
You have seen 100 patients this week, I have seen 10
You trained for 10 years, this is my first

If I look scared, it’s because I am
If I seem intimidated, I indeed am
If I appear confused, I in fact am
If I show up tired and exhausted, I really am

I accept my role as a student
I am satisfied with it
I wake up at 4 a.m. every morning

I put a smile on my face

I worry about my patients
I want to invest in their care
I do not wish their misery to be wasted
I want to learn from their suffering

I only ask,
You accept your role as an educator
You take pride in the opportunity to shape young minds
You understand you are enriching future doctors
You realize we will treat you, your children, and your grandchildren
You invest in turning us into clinicians, not technicians
You encourage us to engage our minds, and think critically

Finally, I demand
You know that I am a person
You respect us as team members
You consider us humans
You treat us with respect

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