I\u2019m making a job change.\u00a0 I have worked at the same institution for nearly 23 years straight (plus med school before that- was only way for my year on internship- they did it that way back then!).\u00a0 Clearly this was a cause for reflection.\u00a0 This is an edited version of the thank you letter I wrote to my colleagues in the emergency department<\/i><\/b>:<\/p>\n
I drove away from the ambulance bay after my last official Jacobi Saturday, and my second to last clinical shift, I had some tears, but was truly overwhelmed by gratefulness.\u00a0 Twenty-two years, 10 months and 6 days after entering Jacobi\u2019s halls as a nervous resident I will walk out as I move towards a new stage in my career and life. I won\u2019t necessarily leave forever, but by definition as I take this new job, any time I return it will be a different experience.\u00a0 I am overcome with sadness.\u00a0 I feel confident that my new role is a good fit for me, but am sad at what I leave behind. You are my family.<\/p>\n
I have watched all of you.\u00a0 I have been honored to be among you as we are spit upon, vomited on, bled on and changed diapers and left our shifts exhausted.\u00a0 And I have been with you as we walked in again for our next shift, expecting the same. I have seen such astounding things with you.\u00a0 We have delivered babies.\u00a0 We have been the hands that those passing on have held onto in their last moments.\u00a0 And then sometimes, truly through our conjoined efforts and the gifts we share we have brought someone back with the grace of god from that brink, to live a bit longer.\u00a0 We have tried to comfort families on the worst day of their lives, never to see most of them again.\u00a0 We have been there for each other when it is our family who is moving towards death.\u00a0 We have lost some of our own, whom we will never forget. We have been there for each other\u2019s\u2019 joys.<\/p>\n
I am honored to have seen the kindnesses you have given to those society throws away.\u00a0 You have helped me be a kinder person.\u00a0 As I see you take the time in your overwhelming day to show small and big acts of kindness- never with the intention of having it witnessed, but instead just because it is the right thing to do- I have worked to follow your example.\u00a0 I have seen us come together with goodness in our hearts to give comfort every day to our fellow man and woman.<\/p>\n
I complimented one of the residents once on his kindness to a patient and he said, \u201cwell, my mother just raised me right.\u201d\u00a0 I am astounded to work among a group who had either mothers or fathers or aunts or neighbors who \u201cjust raised them right.\u201d\u00a0 In a world at times filled with such profound pain and hurtfulness, it is amazing to feel every day how we each work to just do it right for someone in need.\u00a0 Their need might not be the stated reason they have come to the ED, but it may be a completely different need- to witness compassion, to hear a kind word, to feel a hand upon their arm- that is fulfilled by their time in the ED, by you- my friends and family here.\u00a0 By your modeling your patience and simple kindnesses you have helped me rise to be a better caregiver and doctor, and I thank you.<\/p>\n
To the residents:\u00a0 I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with you. You have been an astounding group to work with, learn from and stand beside in trying and joyful circumstances.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if you yet realize it- individually you are incredibly powerful, but as a group of young, bright seeking minds you are downright intimidating.\u00a0 And yet every day I see signs of your astounding humility.\u00a0 I believe humility is the defining characteristic of the truly great ED doc, combined of course, with intelligence, decisiveness and kindness. Humility allows us to admit when we don\u2019t know the answer and learn from others.\u00a0 I am humbled in your presence every day. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to become better at what I do because of you.\u00a0 You have taught me both directly and indirectly.\u00a0 The indirect teaching is when I work harder to learn just that little bit more to share with you.\u00a0 I have appreciated your wisdom- for some who are often so much younger than I am, you have a host of life experiences that have often provided a level of insight I needed to hear.<\/p>\n
I remember wanting to go into medicine because, like many of you, I wanted \u201cto help people\u201d.\u00a0 Something I didn\u2019t fully have insight into at the time is that by definition it meant that I was going to work with lots of other people who want \u201cto help people\u201d.\u00a0 And even in our striving to be the best we can be, being among so many altruistic souls only elevates that desire. Indirectly those we help most are each other.\u00a0 We stand next to each other through tragedy and joy.\u00a0 We use gallows humor to get through the shift.\u00a0 But we support each other with the common goals we share.<\/p>\n
I understand there are people out there who go to jobs every day that they don\u2019t like or work with people they do not enjoy.\u00a0 I am overwhelmingly appreciative that I don\u2019t know what that feels like.\u00a0 During the hardest times of my life, through the deaths of those close to me, the exhausting new mother experience (physically and emotionally) and when I had my own injuries and illnesses you, as a group, have been the reason I came to work, and came joyfully.\u00a0 You have been this island of wonderfulness.\u00a0 I now leave the island, as many of you will.\u00a0 But remember there are boats that can take us to meet again.<\/p>\n
With respect, love and gratefulness-<\/p>\n
Marianne Haughey<\/p>\n
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I\u2019m making a job change.\u00a0 I have worked at the same institution for nearly 23 years straight (plus med school before that- was only way for my year on internship- they did it that way back then!).\u00a0 Clearly this was…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":1809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[5],"tags":[78],"coauthors":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n