Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Doctors: All of you have a superpower

Saurabh Sinha
Physician
September 25, 2015
Share
Tweet
Share

Recent essays have shed light on the Herculean task of maintaining humanism in medicine in the face of added responsibility during residency and the seemingly inevitable cynicism embroiled in patient care. The solution appears to be rooted in active reflection on the process of training and clinical practice and recognition of what it is that brought us here.

In this moment of active reflection, I contend that you have a superpower

Clark Kent was born with his. For Peter Parker, it arose from the bite of a spider. For Bruce Wayne, it was the death of his parents and the strength of his conviction.

Your superpower is a little different though. It’s been in the making for quite some time. You’ve been picking it up in forgotten classroom activities, between the pages of textbooks and paperbacks, and in silent breaks in conversation.

What is this unrecognized, extraordinary ability of yours? It’s what coalesces at the intersection of your medical knowledge and your humanity: a profound sense of empathy.

Consider the following: At any given moment, you can talk to your patient and zoom down to the cellular level, ducking beneath kinesin as it marches across microtubule freeways, then out against the walls of the pericardium, watching with concern the pumping of an impaired left ventricle, then again out to stand over your sweating, grimacing patient in the throes of myocardial infarction, and finally hovering over the room, each concerned family member’s face registering like pieces of a puzzle.

Empathy is the ability to deftly understand the feelings and experiences of another person. This is a skill that any decent, caring individual has, but the profundity of your empathy is rooted in the fact that you can telescope through your patient’s experience, as above, in a matter of seconds. In medical school, we alternatively discuss complex pathophysiology and its psychosocial ramifications, seamlessly shifting gears between the two. We are thus bred to switch lenses at a moment’s notice, addressing every aspect of what our patients, and their families, are navigating.

Today, while rounding in the surgical intensive care unit, we discussed the differential diagnosis for impeded renal artery flow in a young patient who had been in a dirt bike accident: renal artery occlusion by a nearby hematoma, renal artery avulsion, and renal artery stenosis, among many others. But given the mechanism of our patient’s crash into a tree, along with the appearance of his abdominal CT scan, it became evident that he had most likely suffered a renal artery dissection. We then discussed the urgency with which the interventional radiology team had to stent the dissected artery lest the kidney be lost to global ischemic insult in a matter of hours. After reviewing his fluid status, kidney function, and addressing his litany of musculoskeletal injuries, we stepped back to consider the bigger picture of our patient’s accident. Does he understand the severity of his injuries? What is his support system like? How will all of this affect his recovery? Even in a fast-paced, intensive care setting, these conversations are crucial for proper patient care.

The very breadth of these considerations, buttressed by the expertise of the diverse members that comprise the healthcare team, was a result of our superpower: profound empathy within the framework of medical knowledge and understanding of the human experience. The effects of prolonged renal hypoxia, the patient’s respiratory status secondary to rib fractures, the ideal rate of fluid replacement, and the nature of the patient’s relationship with his family — all of these points were covered during rounds in succession like an orchestra weaving together movements of a symphony as one unit. This coordination would not have been possible without a deep understanding of the multitudinous factors contributing to the experience of our patient and a desire to address them.

Allow this moment of active reflection to remind you what you are capable of. Allow your humanism to arise from the fact that what you do every day necessarily requires you to consider your patients’ pathologies as well as their narratives. In fact, there is no care given that does not consider the depths of the person who is being treated. Your superpower affords you a constellation of perspectives that few possess. It’s up to you to recognize it.

Saurabh Sinha is a medical student and can be reached on Twitter @originalsinha.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Not all patients want to be autonomous

September 24, 2015 Kevin 2
…
Next

When it comes to end-of-life care, perhaps we do need a bigger hammer

September 25, 2015 Kevin 5
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Not all patients want to be autonomous
Next Post >
When it comes to end-of-life care, perhaps we do need a bigger hammer

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Why do doctors who hate being doctors still practice?

    Kristin Puhl, MD
  • Doctors: It’s time to unionize

    Thomas D. Guastavino, MD
  • Doctors die. But the good ones leave a legacy.

    Jaime B. Gerber, MD
  • When doctors are right

    Sophia Zilber
  • We’re doctors. We signed the book.

    Jonathan Peters, MD
  • Why doctors-in-training need better nutritional education

    Abeer Arain, MD, MPH

More in Physician

  • Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire

    Andy Lazris, MD and Alan Roth, DO
  • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

    Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD
  • International doctors blocked by visa delays as U.S. faces physician shortage

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • How I redesigned my life as a physician without abandoning medicine

    Ben Reinking, MD
  • Why even the best employees are silently quitting health care

    Dr. Suhaib J. S. Ahmad
  • Why truth still matters in the courtroom: lessons from a physician witness

    Dr. Saad S. Alshohaib
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders

      Noah Weinberg | Conditions
    • Would The Pitts’ Dr. Robby Robinavitch welcome a new colleague? Yes. Especially if their initials were AI.

      Gabe Jones, MBA | Tech
    • How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Would The Pitts’ Dr. Robby Robinavitch welcome a new colleague? Yes. Especially if their initials were AI.

      Gabe Jones, MBA | Tech
    • Why medicine must stop worshipping burnout and start valuing humanity

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire

      Andy Lazris, MD and Alan Roth, DO | Physician
    • How organizational culture drives top talent away [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why perinatal mental health is the top cause of maternal death in the U.S.

      Sheila Noon | Conditions
    • Why medical student debt is killing primary care in America

      Alexander Camp | Education

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 23 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • How community paramedicine impacts Indigenous elders

      Noah Weinberg | Conditions
    • Would The Pitts’ Dr. Robby Robinavitch welcome a new colleague? Yes. Especially if their initials were AI.

      Gabe Jones, MBA | Tech
    • How to speak the language of leadership to improve doctor wellness [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • How medical culture hides burnout in plain sight

      Marco Benítez | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Would The Pitts’ Dr. Robby Robinavitch welcome a new colleague? Yes. Especially if their initials were AI.

      Gabe Jones, MBA | Tech
    • Why medicine must stop worshipping burnout and start valuing humanity

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why screening for diseases you might have can backfire

      Andy Lazris, MD and Alan Roth, DO | Physician
    • How organizational culture drives top talent away [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why perinatal mental health is the top cause of maternal death in the U.S.

      Sheila Noon | Conditions
    • Why medical student debt is killing primary care in America

      Alexander Camp | Education

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Doctors: All of you have a superpower
23 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...