Anesthesiologist and poet Audrey Schafer aruges that anesthesiology is actually an incredibly intimate medical specialty. In her poem, “Falling Fifth: The Neurosurgery Patient and the Anesthesiologist,” she tells NPR’s Sara Wong that her speciality is incorrectly viewed as more “knob-and-dial oriented than people-oriented.” Her poem outlines a poignant moment between her and a patient, hugging over “wires, bandages, the spaghetti of tubes, the upright side rail” in the sterility of the OR.

I think of the specialties that seemingly don’t interact as much with patients: radiology, pathology. I can see a familiarity that goes beyond even my most personal interactions with patients as a primary care physician. Radiologists see beyond a person’s skin, through their muscles, bones and vital organs. Pathologists meet a patient on a microscopic tissue level. I like how Schafer displays the connectedness between the anesthesiologist and patient: the physician serves as a trusted guide out of and back into consciousness. 

Writing Prompt: Have you ever had anesthesia? What was your experience both going under and coming out of a conscious state? Alternatively, are you in a medical speciality or type of profession that doesn’t traditionally interact much with people? Is there a component of your daily work that’s surprisingly intimate or keeps you connected to others? Write for 10 minutes.