Standing in front of my patient’s home, I reach out to ring the bell. On the other side of the door live a man and his wife, who have been waiting patiently for my arrival. I hesitate for a moment before pressing the button.
As I wait uneasily for the door to open, I think to myself that this is the first time I make a house call on my patient …
Every so often you have a patient in your practice that you sort of know, but really don’t. You’ve seen the name somewhere, but your mind draws a blank when asked about him. You may even have a vague idea of what he looks like, but if he were to bump into you on the street, you won’t even recognize him, despite the fact that you’ve been inside his heart …
There was a time when doctors were doctors. There was a time when young men and women sacrificed the best years of their youth, learning to treat patients and conquer diseases, not to become typists, paper pushers, data-entry clerks, or to have hospitals, insurance companies, and the federal government dictate to us how to practice medicine.
There was a time when doctors were …
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