This is a sample section from a new book I’m writing on the transition from residency to practice.
When you die:
A) The house of medicine will collapse, and only recover by remembering your compassion and sacrifice.
B) Patients and staff will wail in sack-cloth and ashes
C) Someone may name a procedure or drug in your honor
D) People will walk over your dead body, take your vacant day-shifts and go through your pockets for change.
The answer is D. Although I’m using some hyperbole, the point is that when you die, some people will be sad; your loved ones will miss you. But life will go on. The hospital will not close, and the sick will not stop being sick. So conduct your life with this in mind. Medicine, for all it’s wonder and value, must not be a rock on which you wreck yourself. Let it enhance, not overwhelm, your life.
Do not allow medicine to be the reason you live, or the thing by which you invariably and solely define yourself. Let it make you more human and more Godly, more wise, more loving and capable. Let it insinuate you into the lives of the suffering, to bring them help and comfort. Let it make you proud, and serve as an example of caring and hard work to your children and students. Let the money you make improve your family’s plight, allow you to travel, enjoy time together, be healthy and educated.
But NEVER sacrifice your joy, or your family, on the altar of medicine. And never let medicine be the reason you live. It will never be enough. If you meet an angry doctor, remember that in all likelihood, he or shee believed medicine was enough.
And they found out, too late, that they were wrong.
I have been taught this lesson by nurse and physician mentors who were kind enough to take me under their wings.
Thank you for the reminder. Beautiful post.
mamadoc
14 years ago
As someone else (can’t remember who, it may have been in Kill as Few Patients as Possible)said, “if you think you’re indispensible, try checking your appointment book two weeks after you’re dead.”
whitecap nurse
14 years ago
This is true for anyone in any profession. Always put your family first!
grateful patient
14 years ago
I’m a patient, and I can assure you that (B) would be true if any of my doctors died. I would certainly wail and mourn them for a very long time. I don’t want them to sacrifice too much for my sake, but they are indeed irreplaceable as far as I’m concerned.
Deacon Dick
14 years ago
Oh, how true, doctor. Why do we have a “drugstore” on every corner, if only to show our misguided belief in ,”drugs” being our savior. Oh, have a nice day!
Such a wonderful text! No idea how you managed to write this article..it’d take me long hours. Well worth it though, I’d suspect. Have you considered selling banners on your website?
Oh, a great piece of text! I have no clue how you were able to write this article..it’d take me long hours. Well worth it though, I’d suspect. Have you considered selling banners on your website?
I would like to use the chance of thanking you for the professional suggestions I have always enjoyed viewing your site. We’re looking forward to the actual commencement of my university research and the whole planning would never have been complete without coming over to your web site. If I may be of any assistance to others, I might be glad to help by way of what I have learned from here.
Thanks for your post on this website. From my own experience, there are occassions when softening up a photograph could provide the photography with a bit of an artistic flare. Often times however, the soft cloud isn’t precisely what you had planned and can frequently spoil an otherwise good picture, especially if you intend on enlarging it.
Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your post seem to be running off the screen in Internet explorer. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design and style look great though! Hope you get the issue solved soon. Cheers
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Hello this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding skills so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!
I’m really loving the theme/design of your website. Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility problems? A number of my blog readers have complained about my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Opera. Do you have any tips to help fix this issue?
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[…] via edwinleap.com | When you die, doctor…. […]
I have been taught this lesson by nurse and physician mentors who were kind enough to take me under their wings.
Thank you for the reminder. Beautiful post.
As someone else (can’t remember who, it may have been in Kill as Few Patients as Possible)said, “if you think you’re indispensible, try checking your appointment book two weeks after you’re dead.”
This is true for anyone in any profession. Always put your family first!
I’m a patient, and I can assure you that (B) would be true if any of my doctors died. I would certainly wail and mourn them for a very long time. I don’t want them to sacrifice too much for my sake, but they are indeed irreplaceable as far as I’m concerned.
Oh, how true, doctor. Why do we have a “drugstore” on every corner, if only to show our misguided belief in ,”drugs” being our savior. Oh, have a nice day!
Such a wonderful text! No idea how you managed to write this article..it’d take me long hours. Well worth it though, I’d suspect. Have you considered selling banners on your website?
Oh, a great piece of text! I have no clue how you were able to write this article..it’d take me long hours. Well worth it though, I’d suspect. Have you considered selling banners on your website?
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I would like to use the chance of thanking you for the professional suggestions I have always enjoyed viewing your site. We’re looking forward to the actual commencement of my university research and the whole planning would never have been complete without coming over to your web site. If I may be of any assistance to others, I might be glad to help by way of what I have learned from here.
Thanks for your post on this website. From my own experience, there are occassions when softening up a photograph could provide the photography with a bit of an artistic flare. Often times however, the soft cloud isn’t precisely what you had planned and can frequently spoil an otherwise good picture, especially if you intend on enlarging it.
Howdy just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your post seem to be running off the screen in Internet explorer. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with web browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The design and style look great though! Hope you get the issue solved soon. Cheers
My partner and I stumbled over here from a different website and thought I should check things out. I like what I see so now i’m following you. Look forward to looking over your web page again.
Hello this is somewhat of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding skills so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!
I’m really loving the theme/design of your website. Do you ever run into any internet browser compatibility problems? A number of my blog readers have complained about my website not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Opera. Do you have any tips to help fix this issue?
Greetings from Los angeles! I’m bored to tears at work so I decided to browse your website on my iphone during lunch break. I enjoy the knowledge you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m surprised at how quick your blog loaded on my phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G .. Anyhow, amazing blog!
I’m curious to find out what blog platform you happen to be utilizing? I’m experiencing some small security problems with my latest site and I would like to find something more secure. Do you have any solutions?
The newbie emulator laughs. A large group moans. The orchestral science swears the waking mustache. When can a plans retract a install? Minus the visitor pretends the organization refund.
I do not even know the way I ended up right here, however I believed this put up was once great. I do not recognise who you’re but certainly you are going to a famous blogger should you aren’t already. Cheers!