A pediatric surgeon laments the economics of managed care while he tries to help a teenager diagnosed with cancer. Also: a sea turtle from the National Aquarium benefits from modern technology; and young boys from the community visit a gunshot victim. Sylvia Chase narrates.
A doctor explains her preference for the chaotic world of the emergency room, while a first-year intern opts for the surgical realm. Also: parents of a toddler consider surgery to remove an aneurysm, which is judged to be the cause of her increasingly frequent seizures.
A 17-year-old boy and his family anxiously await a lung transplant, while an organ-recovery team races against the clock to deliver the new lungs; a 27-year-old emergency-room doctor talks about her career, and faces a scare when she comes in contact with HIV-infected blood; first-year medical students discuss the impact of their introduction to human anatomy. Sylvia Chase narrates.
A doctor discusses his moral obligation to his patients; a pediatrician charts the course of a baby in need of a heart transplant; an orthopedic surgeon recalls the obstacles in overcoming his diminutive size; a pediatric emergency staff reacts to a child who has suffered head trauma, though they suspect it is not accidental. Sylvia Chase narrates.
Young women discuss the dangers of eating disorders and self-abuse problems; hearing-impaired patients adjust to a surgical procedure designed to help their auditory capabilities; a third-year resident talks about the ups and downs of practicing medicine and the often humbling experience of seeking help with her work. Sylvia Chase narrates.
The conclusion of the series follows a third-year resident on the physical and emotional roller-coaster ride of a 60-hour shift. Also: an ER doctor tries to look on the bright side of a bad night, and a 45-year-old man waits for a liver transplant. Sylvia Chase narrates.