Annals of family medicine
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Family medicine is a champion of human-focused health care in the context of lasting relationships. What do humans need-those who seek care and those who offer it? Respect, understanding, and kindness. Without it, more money, more ancillary personnel, more time-saving technology cannot lift us from the profession's doldrums. The author believes that the deep desire to be of help to others can be rekindled in an office culture where the humanity in all of us is honored.
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An academic family physician reflects on 30 years of night call on the very last night of call. The experiences of the drive to the hospital, interactions with resident physicians, and caring for patients through the "neglected hours of the day" blend together in the narratives of patients. Night call is an essential and disappearing part of being a family physician, tied to the intimacies of the faces, grit, words, and stories.