Obligation to Treat

Do physicians have a professional duty to treat and what are the limits to that duty? This is a very difficult but interesting question. According to the AMA, physicians do have an obligation to treat patients even in the face of "greater than usual risks". I agree that physicians have an obligation to treat people during times of disaster. When we decided we were going to medical school, I think that we were agreeing to put the needs of others before our own. However, I also believe that there is a limit to that duty. The AMA puts it well when it says, "the physician workforce, however, is not an unlimited resource..." I feel that I would personally feel very obligated but also very willing to help during times of disaster and terrorist attacks, ect. I feel that the struggle comes in a time of epidemics and when the physician would be in great danger. It would be a lot harder for me to feel comfortable putting myself in danger of getting the illness and spreading it to my family and loved ones. The paper said that according to the survey, having a family did not affect the HCP's answers. However, I feel that having a family would make me more hesitant. Having a family to go home to and potentially infect makes me less willing to risk my own health.

Lazy physicians

I chose to write about the article, "Sloth: American Idle" by Rafael Campo because it started off by making me laugh. The way that the author writes about the word sloth is humorous and so was the final story he tells about a patient using a commode. Within the humor was also an important message that each of us should hear. The message of the article is that we as future physicians need to always be working hard and doing our best for our patients. The author mentions a scenario where an attending physician only writes down the notes from a medical student and none of his own. He also talks about technology making us more lazy as well. The topic of laziness is directly connected to professionalism. It is not professional for a physician to cut corners when it comes to treating and interacting with patients. It was very unprofessional and lazy for the author of the article to go into the room of the patient and assume that she was being lazy by sitting in a chair, when really she was going to the bathroom. It is our job to assess a situation and take the time to understand our patients and their conditions. We will all have days when we are tired and want to "just get by". However, as a physician we have the responsibility to be professional and put our urge to be a sloth aside.

Review of "The Right Road For Medicine"

In the JAMA article "The Right Road For Medicine", the president, Dr. John Ring, talks about the importance of professionalism and the new ideas of the American Medical Association (AMA). My overall feeling after reading this article is that Dr. Ring is very passionate about his role as a physician and president of the AMA. He says that it is no longer acceptable to allow so many American citizens to go un- or under-insured. This statement is a very hot topic right now, and will be directly affecting our generation. We will be becoming physicians right when our country is remodeling our health care system. I do not know the answer, but I do know that things must and will change. As a future physician, I agree with Dr. Ring that we need to be a "high moral ground of professionalism" no matter what the future holds. Our patients will expect quality care no matter what changes the health care system is going through. Even on days when we are tired and crabby, we need to leave our personal issues at home and put our patient first. Also, Dr. Ring states that becoming a physician means sacrificing certain things for the good of our patients. I think we can all understand this because we are already sacrificing some things in order to dedicate so many years of our lives to studying and learning the field of medicine.

Debate on overweight physicians

The first part of the article was by Robert Centor, who spoke about physicians as role models. I agree with his idea that physicians need to be role models. I really appreciate the comment that the article made about making exercise a priority during our medical school training. It would be very nice to have an hour set aside during the day to make sure every one gets physical activity. Another option could be having some kind of reward program for exercising. The second part of the article was by Pennie Marchetti, someone who argued that overweight physicians could perhaps build better relationships with their patients. I do not agree with this. I feel that we as physicians have the responsibility to not only be a healthy role model but also to treat every patient equally. I believe that a thin physician is still able to bond with their overweight patients. Marchetti writes, "Being fit and slim does not automatically make one a better physician." I agree with this comment, however, the patient needs to be able to look to their physician and know that the advice he or she gives is attainable.

The Most Powerful Therapeutic Force: Kirsner

The title of this article eludes to the idea that the doctor/patient relationship is a very powerful and important thing. The author, Kirsner, believes that this vital relationship is missing in today's society. Personally when I see a physician, I look for a person that I feel comfortable around and has a friendly personality. I liked the story in the beginning of the article because it shows that patients really desire a physician that listens and is concerned about them, even if they are only a medical student. It is also a realization that my relationships with patients start now, as a student, not seven years down the road. The story about the physician who did not call his patient back was very startling. I feel that it is important for me to always keep my priorities in line and realize that my patients are important and deserve my time and attention. After reading this article, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a friend who was not satisfied with her family practice physician. She said that the doctor came into the room and left without placing a hand on her. This made her feel that he was in a hurry and that he didn't really listen to her. As a future physician, I know that it will be difficult and busy, but the patient is the reason we have a career. We need to make sure we give each patient the time and energy that he or she deserves.

Reaction to Whitcomb's essay: What Does it Mean to be a Physician?

I feel that this question, what does it mean to be a physician?, is a very important question. During our first few days of orientation, I feel that this medical school does an exceptional job at addressing this issue. This relatively new topic is a very important one that many medical schools are trying to address. The article says that it is not only important to have the knowledge to be a doctor, but also to have the attributes necessary to be a good doctor. The article says that a doctor needs to first be caring, and I agree wholeheartedly with this statement. I think that my caring nature is what influenced me the most in becoming a physician. Being inquisitive and civic minded are two more qualities that the articles attributes to being a good physician. Overall, I really enjoyed this article. It was well written and interesting.