Very interesting feedback and discussion in response to the last entry, thanks everyone for weighing in. I think that to generalize is to oversimplify, but I said this in the comments and I'll say it again here: I think the reason that the process of medical training is so stressful for people is because those who go into medicine in the first place usually try their hardest to do their best, no matter how difficult the circumstances. And it can be difficult for us when we feel like our best, for whatever reason, is not enough. More than the fatigue or the workload or the ridiculous life-and-death stress of working in the hospital, far and away the hardest part for me was feeling like my best was not enough. Of course, my efforts for the most part were "enough" (at least by most quantifiable metrics and some intangible ones), and though it never felt like enough, I tried my best, then as I do now. As we all do.
Watching the news reports and photos and video footage coming out of Japan these past few days has been incredibly sobering, and puts into perspective how uncertain life can be, and how much we have to be grateful for. So let's keep up what we do, trying our hardest to do our best. Here are some ways to help.
(Kyoto, Japan, 2002)