10/24/2025
When students or peers ask me what being on call is really likeโฆ I donโt like talking about it.
I donโt want to discourage anyone. But the honest truth isโฆ
Imagine your phone buzzing at 2 a.m.
Youโre tired โ bone-deep tired โ but you have to move. Every step aches. Your back screams. Your shoulders are tight. Your brain is running a thousand miles an hour, replaying every choice, every decision, every patient youโve touched. ๐
Now imagine it doesnโt stop.
Another emergency.
Another life that depends on you.
You havenโt eaten.
You havenโt slept.
And yetโฆ youโre expected to be sharp, steady, perfect.
You think about home. A quiet dinner. Your kidโs laughter. Your daughter turning 4 soon โ a milestone you almost missed because of call. ๐
Call isnโt just a shift. Itโs a test of your body, your mind, your patience, and your heart. You feel the fatigue in every muscle, the weight of responsibility in every second.
Nowโฆ could you do that?
Could you stay sharp when your body screams, your mind rebels, and the world sleeps?
Thatโs what being on call really is.
