Over the years I have accepted humor as a coping mechanism for physicians. Humor has helped me to relieve tension, defuse tense situations, counteract grim aspects of medicine, and alleviate pain.

A student physician assistant sustained blunt trauma to her right ear, hit hard in the head in the emergency department while treating a college football player who had gotten quite drunk after his school's homecoming game. The resultant drone gave the author an opportunity for an improbable diagnosis.

"I don't know exactly how to tell you my problem, Doc. I'm not old enough to have difficulty like this. And I'll tell you this much, there's no way I could discuss it with your nurse....

An opening in my schedule allowed me to see a walk-in patient with an urgent "stomach problem." As I entered the room, I noticed a pleasant-looking woman in no obvious distress...

Hans G. Engel, MD, wrote about the amazing Valerie in September 1994.

Listening is a powerful therapeutic tool. Indeed, it may be the only one needed to relieve a patient's discomfort. There are times, however, when doctors may incorrectly anticipate where a conversation is going and blindly try to steer it there--often with hilarious results. This is one of those times.

A memorable tale about Mark and his tragic/heroic end.

Though I never knew his name, spoke with him, or even looked at his face, I shall never forget this patient.

I had last seen Stanley before he left on a two-week trip to Africa. A mild upper respiratory tract infection had progressed to a productive cough, fever, and sinus pressure....

Tyler has been one of my favorite patients ever since I delivered him three years ago. An active child, he has been trying his best to give both his mother and me gray hair....