Dr. Weisman was so inspired by what he learned from Dr. Zvaifler that he decided to become a rheumatologist instead of a nephrologist—and has never looked back.
A ‘Good Doctor’
Dr. Anderson shared his thoughts on what it means to be a clinician rather than a technician. He noted that a master clinician has great medical knowledge and technical skills—and is often sought after by colleagues for sage advice. But they also are able—as said by Philip Tumulty, MD, a legendary physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore—“to manage a sick person with the purpose of alleviating most effectively the total impact of the illness upon that person.”
A technician goes through the motions, dutifully taking a history and working to solve discrete problems for the patient. Meanwhile, a clinician takes the holistic view of a patient’s care and attends to their social, psychological and overall health and well-being.
Dr. Pisetsky provided an interesting twist on what it means to be a good doctor in the eyes of a patient. He agrees that it’s important to build rapport with patients and establish strong therapeutic relationships with them whenever possible. However, he recounted his own medical ordeal. He had been suffering from acute back pain and—after seeing many providers—was still without an answer. Finally, a doctor made the right diagnosis and provided an effective therapy.
For Dr. Pisetsky, these efforts made all the difference. He did not say that he has—or needs—an ongoing therapeutic relationship with this doctor. Yet, he feels grateful that this physician fixed the specific problem he needed addressed.
This anecdote emphasized for the audience that, sometimes, just doing one’s job and focusing on the specific medical issue at hand is a demonstration of clinical excellence and all the patient truly desires.
From the Q&A
The session was highly interactive, with about half of the time devoted to questions from the audience.
One first-year fellow asked how it is possible, in this modern era of busy in-patient rotations, note-writing and endless electronic communications, to find the time to connect with patients. In response, Dr. Weisman asked, “What made you want to be a doctor?”
The ensuing discussion demonstrated that as long as a clinician remembers the goals and values that drove them to a career in medicine, it’s possible to hold true to these principles and make connections. Although doing so may not be possible every single minute of the day, small actions—such as displaying attentive listening skills, recognizing and validating the patient’s experience—don’t always take a lot of time or effort. Through these small actions, a doctor can have a profound impact on the patient’s life.
