This review article explores medical vocation as a phenomenon that extends beyond the mere duty of caring for patients, focusing on the significance of ethical commitment, empathy, and resilience in medical practice. The implications for medical training and clinical practice are discussed.

Life-Threatening abdominal pain is a common condition in emergency departments and it is associated with high morbidity and mortality, if not promptly and accurately diagnosed and treated. A man with symptoms of renal colic presented to the emergency room with severe abdominal pain and clinical deterioration. After a CT scan, an aneurysmatic image was found in the left primitive iliac artery. The patient was taken to an operating room for surgical repair but died. Life-Threatening abdominal pain requires a comprehensive diagnostic approach and individualized treatment to prevent serious complications. The complicated iliac artery aneurysm is a potentially serious cause of abdominal pain in elderly male smokers with a history of hypertension and atherosclerosis.

We analyzed a young man with a history of jaundice since childhood and cholelithiasis, who presented with abdominal pain, jaundice and splenomegaly. Initially, a diagnosis of dengue was considered, given the prevalence of this disease in the patient's geographic region. However, additional testing identified hereditary spherocytosis, a genetic hemolytic disorder. The importance of considering alternative diagnoses in the face of common symptoms in emergencies is emphasized. Initial dengue-oriented management was followed by targeted treatment for hereditary spherocytosis after the diagnosis was confirmed, resulting in significant improvement in the patient. This case emphasizes the need for thorough anamnesis and meticulous diagnostic evaluation to prevent diagnostic errors and inappropriate treatment, highlighting how inherited diseases can mimic infectious conditions in complex clinica...