Without the White Coat
Caring doctors....just a few and handful
September 30, 2006, at 12:00 noon concludes the assembly of Joy of Caring (JOC) leaders at the Eugenio Lopez Learning Center in Sumulong Highway, Antipolo City. It was attended by 14 cell leaders all over the Philippines in a day and a half live-in seminar and workshop that was geared on the "Healing for Healers". It may have been a few, but always put in mind that it do not have to take a multiple to make a change in bringing life back to the practice of Medicine, but a drop in a big body of water that will start a ripple for things to happen.
For the drug company, BIOMEDIS it is not an advocacy or initiative anymore, but a mission which seeks to improve the physician-patient relationship that will encourage a deeper human interaction between the doctor, the patient, and his family and friends in the healing process.
A colleague, a practicing pediatrician whom I met at the lobby of Iloilo Mission Hospital and introduced her to the hospital's medical director had commented on the lecture I gave on the "Happy Doctor" module, "that I am into Christ".( One thing that I have learned way back in medical school in my first and formatted years is looking at my patient with the face of Jesus Christ, maybe it could have been brought about by some readings I have encountered in the US) She may not have understood me fully and personally that it is my personal satisfaction of "caring" for my patient, a satisfaction that does not come in monetary means, but just deep within me. For her it may be far out, but it is self fulfilling for me. A lot of practicing physicians do not understand those strengthening bonds that gave the doctor a sense of meaning. We should put in mind that the residency training the we have in our medical institutions have never taught us to be "compassionate and caring" physicians.(The residency training in our medical institutions had never taught us to deal with the dying patient, moreover on how we deal with the bereaved family and especially those that have died in the emergency room.) The worst irony that I have meet in medical school was the phrase that most incoming first year medical students will answer when ask by the medical school dean "why did you enrolled in medical school?" and the most common answers heard from this incoming first year medical students was "TO SERVE HUMANITY", was that just a lame excuse in getting to medical school? or we have some further motifs deep within us, making more money?, follow the footsteps of my parents and eventually inherit there medical practice?, earn a decent living and seek greener pastures as a registered nurse? Earn a career and a way of life , (life of what?, ARROGANCE ad GREED, or I just to ride that brand new car), that's may be the reason why some physicians have detached themselves from the practice of medicine and have concentrated on nursing, as doctors do we have to change gears in this time and age? Where is the sense of meaning and commitment, but as times go by there is always that stage of burn-out in the ranks of practicing physicians, that when time comes our poor colleagues will never the solutions to it.( because we were never trained to address it) Why can we live continually by heart and the true meaning as a doctor, since our medical training have taught us that, live by heart.... An organ of vision, a way of seeing life that allows one to see below the facts of a situation to its real meaning.... a meaning that renews and inspires one to continue doing work that he has been doing for years. Inspire all of us physicians to bring their full " humanity" to their work. Remember it is the pressures of medical practice that will rob us of that sense of value as a doctor.
Now the question that I will pose on my colleagues, are you part of that healing process of your patient? Let us give meaning to the practice of meaning.