To honor his uncle ’s memory, young doctor wants to offer hope to those with cancer

When Razmik Ghukasyan received his acceptance letter to the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, he and his family were ecstatic. But their celebration was cut short days later when his uncle was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer.During his first year of medical school, Ghukasyan frequently accompanied his uncle, Partev Kolanjian, to oncology appointments at another hospital. He was disturbed by the impersonal way his uncle ’s doctors treated him, which differed sharply from what Ghukasyan was learning at UCLA about the importance of a compassionate doctor-patient relationship.“In school, I was taught to develop a relationship with a patient, even when there is no hope,” Ghukasyan recalled. Everyone at UCLA is instructed that even simple things, like addressing patients as “Mr.” or “Ms.” and explaining in detail what procedures are happening and how long they’ ll take, matter.“Some of my uncle’s oncologists would not even look him in the eyes or acknowledge his concerns,” Ghukasyan said. “His experience gave me a lot of insight into the patient’s perspective and illustrated how important it is to personally connect with my patients and respond to their question s with respect.”Discouraged by his doctors ’ lack of support, his uncle began exploring alternative therapies. The 48-year-old died eight months after his diagnosis, leaving behind a wife and two young children.His death deeply affected Ghukasyan, ultimately shaping his future ...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news