With a Vengeance
I got rocked in negotiations today. Like, the other party totally cleaned my clock; ate my lunch; and took me in lock, stock and barrel. And after that, my teammates and I had to rescue and evacuate two fragile patients–as well as each other–from a burning hospital wing.
Okay, so maybe the “patients” were eggs, and maybe the “burning hospital wing” was a teeter-totter. We struggled to fit all seven of us on the see-saw as the heavy, teetering ends came distressingly close to crushing our charges. Yet with a briefing, clear roles and responsibilities, a mid-procedure huddle, and effective communication, we performed our task admirably and with time to spare. And that’s what the Marseille experience is about: challenge that spurs growth. The faculty are pushing us to transition from merely identifying problems to offering solutions to them. To do that, we need to be uncomfortable, to find that,… Continue reading
I Am a Doctor
I am a doctor. I save lives. Sometimes, by accident, I take them. I fight off bad infections. I spread worse. I do no harm. I do no good. I order the right tests and the wrong ones. I do only what is necessary, then do more. Maybe I do less. I care for the individual. I care for their lab values. My care is evidence based and defensive.
I am a physician. I am the new guard and the old. I am bright eyed, optimistic, jaded and bitter. I have integrity and prescribe the drug rep’s newest candies. My patient’s autonomy knows no bounds, nor has my paternalism found its limit. I admire. I condescend. My patients are wise fools. I welcome their questions and scorn inquisitiveness. I listen to them. I don’t. I have the utmost respect for nurses when I dismiss their assessments. My patience is exemplary,… Continue reading