The hazard of the health care common is communication

Physician
September 19, 2018

Both in and outside of health care certain buzz words and phrases become so ubiquitously used that a shared understanding is assumed despite conflicting perceptions of what these sentiments actually mean. Examples in health care include: shared decision making, quality of life, professionalism, patient-centered care, and evidence-based. Each sounds positive and intuitive — what health care provider perceives her/himself as not professional and patient-centered or not providing shared, evidence-based, quality …

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The hazard of the health care common is communication

What personality type fits your medical specialty?

Physician
July 29, 2018

Both patients and providers realize that an internist is different from a surgeon, but specifically how they differ and how this affects their approaches to patient care is largely under-appreciated. Over the last four years, I have conducted over 250 interviews with physicians across specialties and institutions about what they do and why they do what they do. With each project, I continue finding remarkably distinct, specialty-specific values, perceptions, and …

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What personality type fits your medical specialty?

Solve our health care problems by conveying more love

Medical Education
August 22, 2016

Many recent articles, blogs, and presentations have focused on what American health care lacks and what additional skills health care professionals should adopt to “fix” our “broken” system. Third-party payers and health care organizations tend to promote the need for quality improvement and economic measures, while clinicians grapple with their transition to less-autonomous employees, noting increased job dissatisfaction and conflicts regarding administration and reimbursements. The theme that American health care …

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Solve our health care problems by conveying more love

What is professionalism and wellness in medical education?

Medical Education
August 5, 2014

Last August I sat surrounded by 163 other ambitious, new medical students on our “introduction to the profession” week. Anxiety was high with undertones of self-doubt mixed with lofty goals. Another distinguished figure had taken the floor to introduce us to the concept of medical professionalism: commitments to patient-centered care, intellectual honesty, social responsibility and advocacy. The long list of medical virtues we were to develop, cherish, and exemplify in …

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What is professionalism and wellness in medical education?

Can I listen to your history or must I take it?

Medical Education
May 4, 2014

“You will have 15 minutes to take a full medical history,” the moderator says in a plain, mechanical voice. We stand at our assigned exam room doors ready to embark on a mission that will be recorded, reviewed, and graded as part of an OSCE (objective structured clinical examination).

“You may begin!”

I knock, enter, and make a b-line to the soap dispenser — check. I take the history in record time …

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Can I listen to your history or must I take it?

Is medicine a choice or a calling?

Medical Education
June 7, 2013

Over the last couple months, I have often been asked what I plan to do as a recent college graduate. My response has been that I will be attending medical school in Chicago.

“Oh! Medical school!” many exclaim as their eyes light up, “So you’re going to be a rich doctor.”

This response as well as most others I have received seemed to imply that medicine is an ideal profession if one …

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Is medicine a choice or a calling?