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Tabula Rasa

Pancreatectomy. Splenectomy.Cholecystectomy. Bowel resections. Her post-surgery support group has slowly shrunk from twelve to three over the years. She needs another surgery due to adhesions from her prior surgery. Is she next? Snow falls over the construction outside. We can hardly see the mud. “I just wish I could start all over,” she cries.

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Alcoholic Hepatitis

The yellow balloon continued inflating.It enveloped the bedside nurse, then myself.Soon the whole room was awash with dingy mustard light.There was so much pressure, with nothing to relieve it.Inside the balloon, I saw him, scared and strong.Shaking my hand firmly, he thanked me,ready to die with his dignity intact.

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Med Clearance

She told me she

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Fever

She can’t stay seated, fake lashes

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Running His Mouth

I’m trapped in the room—twenty-minute visit turning to sixty.

Benjamin Drum, MD, PhD

Email: ben.drum@hsc.utah.edu
Link: More info
Bio: Assistant Professor, Department of General Internal Medicine

Ben is a hospitalist with clinical interests in medical humanities, medical resident selection, and ultrasound. He has had medical humanities pieces published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education, Families, Systems, and Health, Ars Medica, The Intima, and others.

Voices from the Housestaff:
2023 Faculty Support
2022 Chief Editor

2022 Prose, "Med Clearance"
2022 Poem, "Lying"

Voices from the Faculty:
2025, "Tabula Rasa"
2024, "Alcoholic Hepatitis"
2022 Prose, "Initial Management of Acute Onset Chronic Imposter Syndrome"

Voices from the Residents:
2021 Editor in Chief
2020 Co-editor

2021 Prose, "Fever"
2021 Poem, "Wizard"
2021 Poem, "The benefit of the doubt"
2020 Prose, "Running His Mouth"
2020 Poem, "Med-amorphosis"
2020 Poem, "Gallbladder Pain"
2019 Poem, "Hospital Tourism"