Today one of the main topics we covered was effective communication. As long as I can remember I have been a fast talker, fast to the point that many folks often have a hard time catching what I am saying…this on top of all the other difficult factors that lead to misinterpreted messages that Carole taught us today. Listening to my own voice on the Instagram videos of a colleague today while trying to enjoy the festivities hosted by The Doctor’s Company, I couldn’t help but cringe at my pace of my words simply saying “thank you so much for having us.” How much more difficult would I be to understand when trying to explain complex diagnoses or treatment plans?

Throughout my first two years of medical school I have had ample opportunity to be recorded while working with standardized patients, but each time avoided completing a thorough review of… Continue reading →

What a privilege to hear the personal stories of those affected by medical errors today. The events surrounding the death of Lewis Blackman serve as the ultimate reminder to deliver patient-centered care and to be present with the whole person, not simply the condition. I can imagine that too many of the providers saw only the “15 y.o. with post-op constipation in room X,” and not Lewis, the bright young man who dreamed of travelling.

Helen Haskell specifically mentioned that no one sought to foster a relationship with her son. My first two years of medical school I planned to prioritize this. Developing partnerships with patients to restore their health was the motivation behind starting this career! But only three weeks into clerkship I am already collecting moments where I have failed at this goal. I will strive to do as Chris perfectly stated today and treat everyone like family.… Continue reading →

I was first introduced to the concept of improving patient safety during my college engineering capstone project. At the time, I naively believed that technology was the ultimate answer to healthcare’s problems. I was later fortunate enough to work as a data analyst for an organization with a tradition of starting every meeting with a patient safety story. As I sat there anxious to present my latest reports, the clinicians of the group would share a recent patient safety event whether it be a success, failure or near-miss. The impact of my tables and graphs paled in comparison to the words spoken by the clinicians. The emotions behind each story invigorated our group to continue working toward improvement. These moments inspired me to attend medical school where I could join the treatment teams in these patient safety stories, partnering with my colleagues, patients and their families in an effort make… Continue reading →