"I get home and collapse onto the couch. My body has a deep, aching fatigue that begs for sleep, but my mind is still racing. Like the virus itself, the fear of the coronavirus has spread to every aspect of my life. I used to look forward to relaxing after work, but with restaurants and shops closed, my schedule has been stripped down to little more than working and sleeping. Home is no longer an escape; I instead now read COVID-19-related resources that are released daily and watch YouTube tutorials on ventilator settings just in case... I call my parents in lieu of being able to see them. My mom is frequently trying to find reasons that make me too high-risk to work. I don't blame her for doing so. I confess that a small part of me wishes I had a reason to stay home and self-isolate like so many others. But true to my "I always knew I wanted to be a doctor" core, my instinct to serve the public prevails over the instinct to self-protect. As I fall asleep, I remind myself that the only thing scarier than contracting COVID-19 is abandoning my team and my patients in this hour of great need. This does not make me a martyr, nor does it make this period any less daunting. It is simply a job that must be done, a terrifying privilege that I among countless others have volunteered to perform."
To read the full article, visit the American Association of Medical College's (AAMC) website.
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