Emergency Medicine

Lakshmi gave every appearance of being perfect. Her marks in undergraduate medical school were exceptional. She was intelligent, well prepared, charming and efficient. Always beautifully dressed, her hair was professionally blown out, her nails never ragged or chipped. Unlike the other often frazzled and sleep-deprived members of her resident cohort, she never looked flustered, exhausted and overworked.

Until recently, only methadone was available to help these patients get off street drugs and, although Health Canada has removed prescribing restrictions for methadone, in Ontario the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario still requires us to get special training.