Managing Patients with Big Shot Syndrome

Self-restraint is one of the most-practiced and valuable skills in my repertoire. I stood in the exam room with her, hands in the pockets of my white coat. I was expressionless and silent while she ranted. I did not, (almost-irresistibly) tell her that this was not the behavior of a woman who was ready for motherhood.

Where Does the Patient Fit in the Medical System?

After I retired and moved to another town, I was still a physician, but no longer had easy access to the medical system. I had the full experience of what everyone else goes through: picking up the phone and attempting to make an appointment with a physician.

The Patient Centered Medical Home: Can You Afford to Pay the Rent?

My nose wriggled as it often does when I smell something unusual, but with all this talk about Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH), I wanted to explore the concept and do some investigating of my own. Soon after embarking on […]

How to Deal With Social Issues in the Medical Setting

In my short career I’ve learned that, to excel as a physician, you have to do more than be able to regurgitate information. Be an example of comprehensive understanding, cohesion, and humility.

Are Your Affairs in Order?

Delivering horrible news never gets easier. The physician pauses with a tense hand on the door, takes a deep breath, and enters the patient’s room. A room full of hope and anticipation is displaced abruptly with fear and sadness. The diagnosis now revealed, and the patient and family step back in disbelief.

We will do everything we can to help you beat this but recommend that you get your affairs in order…

Doctor means “to teach”

When I think back to the original meaning of the word “doctor,” I believe we may have lost our way in the physician/patient interaction. The word “doctor” originates from a Latin word, meaning to teach. As a physician and educator, I can’t remember the last time I went to the doctor and was taught something. Prior to starting medical school, I spent 6 months in the hospital and rehab, rebuilding my body from a construction accident. This situation was very painful and debilitating, but it provided me with the patient’s perspective to illness. It is from this perspective that all physicians need to originate. By teaching, you not only strive to treat, but you strive for the best outcome.

Making Evidence Based Practice an Easier Practice

The medical field is a wonderful balance of art and science. More and more, we, as practitioners, have access to the science and research at our fingertips. At the same time, our patients have more access to medical knowledge; it’s […]

How to Overcome Language Barriers in Patient Care

How Do You Say, “Do you speak English?” We have all seen it or done it – trying to communicate with someone who does not speak your language. Struggling through gestures, pointing, talking slowly, over enunciating, throwing in a random […]

Why I am a Psychiatric Nurse

The first time I tried to kill myself, I was 12. Twenty-three Benadryl just made me very sleepy. That is, until I had my stomach pumped. The second time I didn’t actually take the pills, but instead I held them […]

Where does Complementary and Alternative Medicine Fit in US Healthcare?

As a physician, some of my biggest disappointments have been with colleagues who could not visualize the benefit of going beyond the usual prescription medications or surgery as the only methods of treating a patient. Even after describing my successes, […]