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John Haeberle, MD's avatar

Excellent post.

My advice (almost 30 years in) ... don't be "irritate" at the need to rush. Rushing is part of the job, and learning how to rush is good.

But cherish the moments when you can talk to a patient about "life." I like learning my patients' hobbies, and they love being asked why they got into that, or what their interests are in that specific hobby.

I like asking them about their thoughts on COVID, too ... they don't have to be "right," after all. I just like learning where they're coming from. That's empathy, too.

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Adrian Gaty's avatar

Keep it up! Best thing I ever did in med school was participate in this humanities elective that was all about talking to the patients like actual human beings and learning their stories, never forget that. The best advice I ever heard in med school was “sometimes people just need someone to talk to, so just shut up and listen.”

Counterpoints: Our favorite pediatrician has no kids and the best OB in town is a guy, so empathy seems to have its limits

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