Every doctor should be a patient

My smashed wrist after the accident

 

I’m writing this post whilst waiting for Meg to get out of the OR. She has gone in for elective surgery for correction of her bunions, a major op with a very long and painful recovery time.

Megs being fussed over pre-op

Both Meg and myself have undergone quite a few surgeries in the past two years, Meg for elective surgeries on her legs and me for multiple ops after nearly meeting my maker by means of motorcycle. Combined with Meg’s scary encounter with TB, this has had the benefit of really putting us in the shoes of our patients.

When working as a doctor, one is constantly surrounded by patients with very serious conditions and trauma. A large proportion of these are either life-threatening or life-altering. This has the unfortunate consequence of distancing us from how our patients are feeling, and what they are going through. For us it is an every day occurrence, but for the patient it is a major life-event which has far reaching consequences and will be remembered for the rest of their lives. These are the sort of events that can define a persons life, and as doctors we must never forget this. What we do, and how we act whilst they are under our care can mold a persons view of the health-care system, giving them either inherent faith in medical care or an intense distrust and hate of that same system.

And I thought a hangover was bad…

Being a patient is a humbling experience for any doctor, and I strongly recommend it. What I don’t recommend is crashing a motorcycle. That is never a good idea. I will be sure to fill everyone in on Meg’s progress as it happens. And that’s enough ranting today from me.

~Poodle

P.S. Please leave us a comment if you have any views on the issue!