My favorite day of the year is December 26th. All work done, house a mess but, who cares – the kids are happy. No dinner to make. There’s enough left-over turkey for the apocalypse. I was sitting by the fire, new book in one hand, glass of Prosecco in the other. I never sit and haven’t read much this year so you’ll forgive me that I did not at first …
Doctors should never treat their families: Easier said than done
Something difficult has unfolded around here lately and when news got out a dear friend came by with a gift of a story. She told us about a day years ago when one neighbor heard the other had breast cancer. The well neighbor was shocked and saddened. She was at a loss and wanted to help; wanted to do something but, what? In a daze but motivated none the less, …
We often feel at a loss for words when the news is bad
Language matters. The words we choose can have far-reaching impact on those we interact with. This is arguably more true in medicine than in any field.
Ryan Madanick wrote a recent blog post on the use of descriptor terms used by physicians in patient’s charts. He felt that the use of phrases like “is a very pleasant 52 y/o woman” or “is an unfortunate 16 y/o boy” is inappropriate. I agree. …
The words we choose can have impact on those we interact with
In the New York Times article “18 Stethoscopes, 1 Heart Murmur and Many Missed Connections,” Madeline Drexler tells her story of being a model patient. Not like a model citizen cooperative and pleasant but, a person with a medically interesting finding who is asked to help teach medical students. These “patients” are examined by small hoards of inexperienced medical students who have little knowledge, little skill and varying degrees …
A model patient in physical exam class
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