What this physician misses the most

Empathy My eyes glare across the table. I can feel his shoulders hunch forward as he subconsciously recoils in preparation for my response. The room becomes thick. Nurses, social workers, a chaplain. Everyone waiting for the doctor. Not just the doctor, but me. Sixteen years out of residency. Battle-scarred and warn by PTSD. The images from residency still so clear. A gasp, a gurgle, flat line. Wailing family members, angry nurses, and an uncompromising chief. They died so much more easily back then. The young, the old, the unwanted, and the uncared for. The academic medical center with its social mission. The Veterans Administration, untethered and unloved. Practice. We practiced for lack of a better word. We stumbled into situations too big and too great for our burgeoning grip on competence. We learned as we taught. We taught as we mastered. We mastered in the single digits. Continue reading ... Your patients are rating you online: How to respond. Manage your online reputation: A social media guide. Find out how.
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Physician Primary Care Source Type: blogs