by Michael Barthman

About Michael Barthman

Michael Barthman is a poet, musician, and emergency physician at Tséhootsooí Medical Center on the Navajo Nation. His poems have appeared in Synapsis, Paper Darts, and Vita Brevis Press, and he is currently working on his latest collection of poetry.

Creativity

The budding medical student examines the patient, exploring every symptom and recording every detail. The abdomen is… kind of tender? The story is just as ambiguous. The patient’s account disorients her: he dodges questions, forgets answers, and at times, prickles. The patient says too much or too little. Nothing lines up. Each piece of information generates more uncertainty. Being a doctor seemed like it would depend on commanding a vast knowledge. She is finding that in the practice of medicine, knowledge alone is inadequate.