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

Genuine empathy goes a long way

Philip DeGaetano, MD
Physician
December 17, 2018
Share
Tweet
Share

Not including residency, I have been caring for patients for five years. But was I really caring about them? We all took the oath to do no harm. We all began our journey into medicine with intentions to make a difference in patient’s lives. But sometimes our intentions erode. We become jaded. We listen to disgruntled counterparts tell us how medicine used to be.

It’s true. We missed the boat. Our freedom as physicians has diminished. We work to pay off our student debt, and we sign contracts restricting the areas where we can practice. Our patients should not suffer because of this.

About a year ago I began to question my empathy toward my patients. It’s easy to tell yourself that you are empathetic, and even it’s easier to pretend. I felt as if I was doing enough to convince the patient and myself that I cared. The great reviews I received fed my belief that I was a compassionate physician, but I knew it wasn’t completely genuine.

I began to give myself a pep talk every day on the drive to work. I pictured myself in an exam room with a patient and genuinely listening to what they were saying, not just teasing out what I needed to hear. I started to consider myself as the patient’s last resort. If I could not help them, then who would? For many without insurance, this is the case.

Each patient I saw, no matter how rushed for time, I would put myself in their shoes. If a patient came in upset, I would try to find out why. I would picture my mother sitting on the exam table and feel guilty if I didn’t treat the patient the same way as I would her. It’s amazing how many new questions naturally arise from a genuine conversation and not a medical interview. What is more amazing is what you find out about the patient and how it directly dictates your plan of care.

It took practice, but today I feel more genuine as a physician than I ever did before. I don’t have that pep talk driving to work anymore, but I still remind myself throughout the day to care. The results have been great. As an urgent care physician, having a patient ask for you to be a primary care physician, is the ultimate compliment. Also, I have been able to correctly diagnose and treat patients more often. I have led fewer patients to the emergency room unnecessarily, and I have looked up more pathology than ever before.

You did not land in medicine because you do not care, but maybe the stress of the industry has gotten to you. Don’t be like the rest, be your patient’s last resort. Listen to their story and understand why they came for your help. Maybe you don’t think you have enough time in the rooms to care like this, but you do. It’s a little tweak in the way you practice that makes a difference in the lives of the patients and your own.

Philip DeGaetano is a family physician who blogs at FastPass Medicine and can be reached on Twitter @FastPassMedici1.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Are scribes the solution to our documentation woes?

December 17, 2018 Kevin 22
…
Next

How doctors can distinguish themselves in a data-driven world

December 17, 2018 Kevin 3
…

Tagged as: Primary Care

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Are scribes the solution to our documentation woes?
Next Post >
How doctors can distinguish themselves in a data-driven world

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Philip DeGaetano, MD

  • Net promoter scoring needs to be tweaked for medicine

    Philip DeGaetano, MD

Related Posts

  • Why health care replaced physician care

    Michael Weiss, MD
  • The medical student who had a genuine human profile

    DrizzleMD
  • The dangers of selective empathy

    Anonymous
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • More physician responsibility for patient care

    Michael R. McGuire
  • Empathy is better felt than defined

    Brian Schnettgoecke

More in Physician

  • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

    Patrick Hudson, MD
  • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

    Howard Smith, MD
  • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Marketing as a clinician isn’t about selling. It’s about trust.

    Kara Pepper, MD
  • How doctors took back control from hospital executives

    Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD
  • How art and science fueled one woman’s path to medicine

    Amy Avakian, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How to survive a broken health care system without losing yourself [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • What the research really says about infrared saunas

      Khushali Jhaveri, MD | Conditions
    • How the cycle of rage is affecting physicians—and how to break free

      Alexandra M.P. Brito, MD and Jennifer L. Hartwell, MD | Conditions
    • Why ADHD in adults is often missed—and why it matters [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

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 4 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

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
    • When the diagnosis is personal: What my mother’s Alzheimer’s taught me about healing

      Pearl Jones, MD | Conditions
    • 2 hours to decide my future: How the SOAP residency match traps future doctors

      Nicolette V. S. Sewall, MD, MPH | Education
    • Key strategies for smooth EHR transitions in health care

      Sandra Johnson | Tech
    • Reassessing the impact of CDC’s opioid guidelines on chronic pain care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • “Think twice, heal once”: Why medical decision-making needs a second opinion from your slower brain (and AI)

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Tech
    • Why we fear being forgotten more than death itself

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • How to survive a broken health care system without losing yourself [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why some doctors age gracefully—and others grow bitter

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • What the research really says about infrared saunas

      Khushali Jhaveri, MD | Conditions
    • How the cycle of rage is affecting physicians—and how to break free

      Alexandra M.P. Brito, MD and Jennifer L. Hartwell, MD | Conditions
    • Why ADHD in adults is often missed—and why it matters [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

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

Genuine empathy goes a long way
4 comments

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

Loading Comments...