All corners of the world meet in the hospital. All kinds of people commit their lives to helping the sick. We are there to alleviate suffering and save lives. With these shared goals, other differences suddenly seem petty. We may differ in our belief systems, our life experiences, our opinions on policy. But when I am assessing a critical patient, the respiratory therapist is getting the endotracheal tube, the nurses are swiftly placing IVs, the radiology tech is wheeling in the portable X-ray machine, the clerk calling the social worker to help the family standing agape nearby, no one cares who we voted for or who we worship. We are one team there to save a life.

More in my latest for KevinMD.com.