Today was my first day working with Dr. Garcia. He is so seasoned in his interview skills, he does it effortlessly and gracefully. He talked to two patients about their substance use, and they didn't get defensive at all. One of them even opened up and shared that she's thought about ending her life but can't leave her kids behind. This patient's been on our service for several days now and this was the first time we heard this.

She has cirrhosis from Hepatitis B. She's Southeast Asian. Her husband died a few years ago. She uses methamphetamine. And yet, we didn't address her psychosocial issues with her until today with Dr. Garcia. Boy, is that humbling.

Another reason I am not cut out for the hospital setting. While we can plant seeds in the hospital, we can't support change long-term. Dr. Garcia proudly proclaims himself as a primary care doc, but he sure tries his best to get through to patients in the hospital too. I'd much rather follow this patient long-term and know how she's dealing than say goodbye to her forever after she's discharged from the hospital.