Regardless of how difficult medicine is, each small step we take to listen, be compassionate, have patience, and advocate is meaningful, even if we must start over and do it again tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.

Lisa Gong reflects on a patient who helped her to see the value in normalcy and routine.

The essay read in this episode was published in the Teaching and Learning Moments column in the July 2025 issue of Academic Medicine. Read the essay at academicmedicine.org.