Dont let the shiny floors, glass windows, and the beautiul architect of the white hospital towers fool you. When I walked into this local community hospital my experience was not  so much glamourous as it was gut wrenching…..

I have forged relationships with some of the most complex patients. It was here that I had a pregnant patient with an abcess leave AMA,  a patient that required 30+ units of RBC and a patient with a evasive rash that stumped ID, Dermatology, and Rheumatology. These are just  a  few of the complex cases that I encountered. The FM residents took my under there wing and showed me the ins and outs of running a code, performing ultrasound, inserting IUD…yup FM doctors do it all at the community hospital, They were taking care of some of the sickest patients in Columbus and were always ready to be the patients advocate and my teacher. This is how I want to be. I loved working at a community hospital. And I enjoyed listening to my patient stories about their time in military service or about their grandchildren .Of course there were fonder memories for many of my patients and often the ideal crutch to initiate motivational interview :

“It seem you enjoy being a grandfather, but on the other hand you continue to smoke and your COPD has now resulted in you 3rd hospitalization this month. How do you feel about that?.”

At the end of all my HPIs,PE, Notes, Labs, and Imaging, it always came down to being a good listener. Being a good listener prepares me to be the best advocate for my patient. It prepares me to communicate with families and other physicians. In fact, I believe It is first step to providing equal and quality patient care. From there, we will be able to ensure healty individuals and populations .

During summer 2012, I participated in the Patient Safety Quality Improvement Summer Internship. As technology continues to progress and mor advances are made in medicine, I recognize that more efforts have been placed in ensuring that patients receive quality care with minimal medical errors. With the advent of Epic sometimes our jobs seem easier, however I saw that culminating data and interpreting data cannot always be performed in an efficient manner.

Woking with research faculty and administration I saw the collaboration that occurs within the medical center as various project teams to ensure the hospital is able to maintain patient satisfiaction scores, decreased ED readmissions, and obtain appropriate expenditures. I completed several IHI modules that encouraged Crew Resource Management, Cost-Concious care, and Medical Error Management.

Outside the hospitals the establishment of Patient -Care Medical Homes has set up a one stop shopping system for my patients. I was able to have my patient see a Nutritionist and Social Worker at their follow-up visit for diabetes. He was homeless and did not have a steady place to store his insulin. As more interventions, occur at the system level I realize that it has strengthened about ability to practice day to day care efficiently.

Medicine is art as much it is a science. I had the opportunity to enroll in the Healers Arts Elective during my first year of medical school. Contemplative exercises, didactics, and group sessions allowed for honest discussions of regret, hope, and loss in a supportive setting amongst medical students and faculty.

At the end of the course I was reminded that its okay to cry. Its okay to be frustrated. Its ok to have feelings. Its okay to laugh and pray with your patients. We are all human. Being a physician places us in a unique position to know about individuals most intimate moments. Its an honor that allows us to make a difference in their lives. Being able to share with our classmates some of our most vulnerable and trying times created a safe space for communication in an open and non-judgemental atmosphere. As physicians sometimes we have the “pain seekers” and “frequent fliers” who sometimes take our toll on our ability to communicate in a honest and caring manner.  Its important we do not allow it to interfere with our ability to make sound and rational decisions. We want to be able to communicate with our patients and families with courtesy, respect, and professionalism. Since this course  I have tried to practice more mindfulness. Being more in touch with my feelings will enable me to feel more empowered and have better control over my thoughts and emotions.

The course fostered a deeper understanding of humanism in medicine and reinforced the importance of communication in patient care, as well as mindfulness in self-compassion and self-care.

Healers Art Pin & Humanism in Medicine Pin on White Coat