We concluded the day with a discussion regarding what scares us the most. As I reflect on the last two days, I am continually struck by how great a responsibility it is to be a good clinician. It is such a great honor to be given the opportunity to practice medicine and to care for those who are sick and vulnerable. Patient’s and their families place such a high level of trust in us and the medical system. Something that I have observed through many of the stories shared over the last two days is that we must always remember that our patients are all someone’s loved one. During my intern year I have forged many positive relationships with my patient’s and their families. When I started residency almost one year ago, I was immediately impacted by how much trust and faith families place in the medical profession to help… Continue reading →

I had such a thought provoking and incredible first day at the conference. I was particularly moved by Helen’s story about her son, Lewis. I was challenged by our discussion about anchoring which I believe happens too often across specialties and which I have seen first hand many times over the course of my intern year. The outcomes are not always good and major diagnoses are missed as a result. I personally want to be cognizant of this idea and for it to better inform my practice of medicine. It is all too easy to hear a signout when you are covering 50 patients and to miss details either from exhaustion or being overwhelmed. I want to ensure that information is being properly communicated and that family concerns are being raised and brought to the forefront of the clinicians mind and to continue to try to approach each patient with… Continue reading →