It had been a long battle. The pandemic that scientists predicted had arrived leaving in its wake millions of deaths. A staggering number of cases had been reported worldwide. Efforts to contain the continuously mutating virus had stretched resources beyond recovery. An annual vaccination had been added to traditional flu shots to help contain the novel virus.
As the world struggled for basic resources, the world of medicine struggled with availability of human resources to meet demands of patient care. Educational institutions specializing in healthcare were recruiting and producing graduates as quickly as possible. The call to duty in healthcare was an altruistic career choice pursued by the most physically and mentally capable students.
Among these students were Ansley and Brent who were reunited at a midwestern hospital for their residencies. They had joined the ranks of medical school graduates at a critical point in time. They closely monitored the pandemic's aftermath as they reaffirmed their commitment to improve patient outcomes. They often talked about the committee they served on in undergraduate school and how their undergraduate professor had predicted the pandemic months before it started. They were eager to reconnect with the outcomes research world as soon as they were established in their medical residencies. Much had changed in the post-pandemic world.