Merry Christmas From Healthcare Professionals

If it wasn't for healthcare's professionals' myriad cultures and dedication, the holidays would be a disaster.

Every year, particularly for residents in training, the holidays come, and somebody has to work. Did you know, there is a war on Christmas? The war isn't actually declared against Christmas, the war happens on the date of Christmas—it is waged on the hands, eyes, and other parts of the body of most people over the course of the holidays.

The holidays bring families together, to do things like cook meals, which involve knives. Knives often slip, and can cut you quite badly. People can get extremely drunk, and even get into fights with other members of the family. Those fights can lead to medical emergencies. People can feel suicidal, and even attempt to take their lives. And every day of the year, including Christmas, emergency rooms, inpatient hospitals, and on-call services for medical doctors are staffed by people who are working, while the rest of us are celebrating.

One of my dear friends, Jackie Arenz, is a Jewish psychiatrist— she would always choose to take an on-call shif…