Our last class discussion was inspired by several diseases that we examined in various ways. We received a packet about toxoplasmosis, examined the CDC tuberculosis modules, and ended with a discussion about Dr. Verghese and his experience with caring for AIDS patients in My Own Country.
The chapter we read in My Own Country for this week mentioned toxoplasmosis, so we examined this disease in greater detail by reading about it. This week's TB module focused on incentives and enablers, so as our in-class activity, we were given a list of incentives and enablers and asked to distinguish between the two, as well as examine the list more closely and decide which ones to remove and what to add to it. This part was actually a lot of fun, because we thought a few of the things listed were pretty ridiculous (e.g. crickets) and we had some better ideas that we came up with collectively.
Near the end of class, our professor posed the following question to us: is it realistic for us, as future physicians, to expect to practice like Dr. Verghese does in his memoir? Personally, I think it depends on a number of factors - your specialty, the number of patients you have on average, and the kind of environment in which you practice. The specialty of medicine you choose determines a lot of things, including lifestyle, the number of hours you work, and the nature of the relationship you will have with your patients. Physicians who work in specialties that consist of patients with a chronic condition that continuously needs management (and thus who come into the office on a regular basis) are more likely to have a stronger relationship with them than physicians who work in specialties where they see patients on more of a "one and done" basis, and may not see them again after one visit.
The number of patients a physician sees is also important to consider; doctors who have fewer patients to see in a day can spend more time with each of them, thus learning about their stories and getting to know them really well not just as patients, but as human beings. The chapter mentioned that in the clinic, Dr. Verghese had only 2 or 3 patients to see that day, so he had the luxury to spend as much time as he wanted with each of those individuals. On the other hand, in medicine today, doctors who often have 20-30 patients to see in a day can't afford to spend too much time with any one of them, as there will always be more patients waiting to be seen.
The environment in which one practices has an impact on the physician-patient relationship as well. Working in a large public hospital means having to deal with bureaucracy and typically a greater number of patients to see, so doctors who work in this environment will have less flexibility. In contrast, doctors who work in private practice or own their own clinic are more likely to know their patients more intimately and have greater freedom to decide what they want to do.
The chapter we read in My Own Country for this week mentioned toxoplasmosis, so we examined this disease in greater detail by reading about it. This week's TB module focused on incentives and enablers, so as our in-class activity, we were given a list of incentives and enablers and asked to distinguish between the two, as well as examine the list more closely and decide which ones to remove and what to add to it. This part was actually a lot of fun, because we thought a few of the things listed were pretty ridiculous (e.g. crickets) and we had some better ideas that we came up with collectively.
Near the end of class, our professor posed the following question to us: is it realistic for us, as future physicians, to expect to practice like Dr. Verghese does in his memoir? Personally, I think it depends on a number of factors - your specialty, the number of patients you have on average, and the kind of environment in which you practice. The specialty of medicine you choose determines a lot of things, including lifestyle, the number of hours you work, and the nature of the relationship you will have with your patients. Physicians who work in specialties that consist of patients with a chronic condition that continuously needs management (and thus who come into the office on a regular basis) are more likely to have a stronger relationship with them than physicians who work in specialties where they see patients on more of a "one and done" basis, and may not see them again after one visit.
The number of patients a physician sees is also important to consider; doctors who have fewer patients to see in a day can spend more time with each of them, thus learning about their stories and getting to know them really well not just as patients, but as human beings. The chapter mentioned that in the clinic, Dr. Verghese had only 2 or 3 patients to see that day, so he had the luxury to spend as much time as he wanted with each of those individuals. On the other hand, in medicine today, doctors who often have 20-30 patients to see in a day can't afford to spend too much time with any one of them, as there will always be more patients waiting to be seen.
The environment in which one practices has an impact on the physician-patient relationship as well. Working in a large public hospital means having to deal with bureaucracy and typically a greater number of patients to see, so doctors who work in this environment will have less flexibility. In contrast, doctors who work in private practice or own their own clinic are more likely to know their patients more intimately and have greater freedom to decide what they want to do.
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