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Dr. Temte, your article brought back a rush of memories for me. I took night call throughout my 40+ years of practice until hospitalists arrived on the scene. Trips back to the hospital to admit a patient from the ER, or attend to one on the wards, often came at the expense of sleep or time with family, but there were unexpected benefits as well. The appreciation of patients for the familiar face of their doctor at a moment when they were frightened; the interaction with staff and trainees as you all worked out the diagnosis and management details in the middle of the night as colleagues; the drive home at dawn when the streets of your town were so quiet you could hear the early morning bird calls; the exquisite taste of a freshly-brewed cup of coffee at an all-night diner.
Now retired, these things I remember as punctuation marks in the type of practice I trained for, and in the style of care I had the opportunity of providing during my time as a physician; I am so grateful for that experience.