terminal wean n.— «In twelve cases they performed a procedure called, in only mildly obscurantist language, a “terminal wean.” (Although neither doctors nor nurses literally “pull the plug,” the process is dramatic...
organlegger n.— «The organlegger was officially dead. His heart went into storage immediately. His skin followed, most of it in one piece, all of it still living. The doctor took him apart with exquisite care, like disassembling a...
go bare v.— «Other doctors drop malpractice insurance because they have been sued so many times they cannot afford it. In either case, patients have the right to know when a doctor is uninsured or “going bare,” as the practice...
freeco n.— «Now, no one asks a neurosurgeon for a “freeco” or even a discount, perhaps out of respect for that particular type of profession, or concern that the doctor might perform a job precisely equal to the amount...
hospitalist n.— «“The primary-care doctor may feel a sense of loss and even abandonment giving up his patient to another doctor, and sick patients have the right to be worried about being cared for by a stranger,” says Robert...
hawasim n.— «I said “do you have a car?!” he said “yes, doctor,” at once I concluded that he was a thief (in slang known as Hawasim, a name derived from Saddam’s description to the coming war at that time as Al...