Recreating the empathetic medical professional: The traditional long path to a medical career

For earlier articles in this series click here.

Setting empathy aside for a moment, let's peruse the journey and  the length of time it traditionally has taken for a physician to hang out his shingle.  

Consider this journey: 4 years of college, then 4 years of Medical School, followed by a year of internship and then a residency that could take 3 years for internal medicine and up to seven years for neurosurgery.

That's 12-16 years so far and still counting....

But training is not yet complete in many subspecialities. Joining or opening up a practice is further delayed by the need for more clinical experience to keep up with changes brought about by advances in technology.

After residency many newly minted physicians follow up with more training in a one or two year fellowship programs;  here they assimilate  more hands-on experience--in fields where technology is leading and pushing the boundaries of  operational techniques at a rapid pace. (particularly in peripheral vascular medicine)

Medical Path: image courtesy of Kaplan Learning Center 

The total commitment now stands at up to 18 years after High School ... which translates into nearly age 40.

Next take a deep breath.

Now, contemplate the financial burdens encountered along the way; many young doctors emerge the slog carrying a debt burden that  easily totals  hundred of  thousand  dollars.... 

In my next aritcle, I will focus on techniques that have been introduced in medical training to enhance student empathy.

So tune in!

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The model of Empathetic Medicine: The Way it Was

There was a time when physicians got it right.

The GP or general practitioner was a true care giver. He was your family doctor who took time to get to know you, listened to all your complaints  physical, psychological and spiritual--real or imagined.

The session usually began with  stethescope pressed to your heart to monitor your heartbeat for irregularites such as murmers. Then, he brought out the sphygmomanometer or blood pressure kit with its cuff applied to the forearm  to measure your blood pressure.

All the while the patient would be sharing his or her complaints: my stomach hurts me,  I have frequent heartburn, I have constipation for over a week, my 17 year-old daughter still in high school ran off with the postman- no goodbyes nothing.

And the doctor would listen patiently and record mental notes. And oftentimes give simple advice to help alleviate the high blood pressure reading he just noted.

The doctor would often climb apartment building stairs visiting the home-bound.. And the word quickly got around and he built a loyal group, who when recovered, lined up at his office for a private consultations.

Now there is skype.

Image above is courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle article: House calls make comeback, fueled by technology and busy patients....

Crises in Medical Arts: A Band-Aid Solution on the Horizon?

   A Band-Aid Solution on the Horizon?

To view the first article in this series, click here 

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal may offer a stopgap solution: Entitled  "Columbus Discovers America"  author Andy Kessler surmises that Jeff Bezos founder of Amazon may be exploring the placement of  Alexa, the virtual digital assistant, in every physician office "to listen and correctly fill in medical records automatically from the transcripts freeing doctors to actually care for patients." 

Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon

With a Net Worth of $109.2 Billion: 

Can he save personalized medical care? .

Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia 

Quarae: Though this scenario may or may not happen soon--indeed-- may not come about at all--will it solve the root of the problem?.

If indeed, the  medical professional is freed to render fact-to-face quality time with the patient, has he/she developed the skills--have the emotional intelligence---to relate to those suffering from chronic pain, distress and depression?  

..Namely: what does it take to train young men and women to be sentient understanding, sympathetic and, above all, empathetic,  care givers practicing the MEDICAL ARTS in the traditional old fashioned way.

Tune in to my next article,  on empathetic medicine as it should be practiced. 

Crises in the Medical Arts: Returning Medicine to Patient Centered Care Giving.

A Canary in the Goldmine

If there was ever a time that doctors (including all care-givers) need to have and nurture quality face- to- face time with their patients IT IS NOW!

Under the Electronic Medical Records Mandate of 2014, all public and private healthcare providers and other eligible professionals (EP) were required to adopt and demonstrate "meaningful use" of electronic medical records in order to continue receiving Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements at their current levels.

Since then, doctors' visits have become depersonalized, more robotic and more perfunctory so that the traditional care giver has been transformed into a data entry expert merely listening and simultaneously recording patient responses to routine questions with eyes focused most of the time on the computer. 

Sadly gone is the traditional patient doctor relationship of old when caregiver would give 100% attention to the body language, facial expressions, emotions, vocal intonations, etc. of his patient. 

Gone is empathy.

Say Hello to de-humanized care giving----if you can even call it that. 

It's rush rush rush at the consultation as the health professional is under pressure to 'see' as many patients as possible in an hour to maximize reimbursements from the governmental single payer system....

But, let's pause a moment because there may be a solution on the horizon. 

To learn more stay tuned. 

  

    

Are the Liberal Arts dead? The Start of THE Conversation

The news is rife with announcements that well known Ivy League Universities as well as state universities are cutting back on their budgets for the support of the Humanities. 

It is well know that Yale has dramatically curtailed funding of many of its liberal arts departments in recent years.
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Wisconsin State University, Stevens Point likewise has recently proposed a plan to shut down majors in more than a dozen (12)areas including history, political science and geography as a cost cutting measure.

Many others are beefing up courses in practical "hot demand" areas such as informational technology artificial intelligence, deep learning and practical medical courses for much needed personnel in the fields such  as Occupational,  Physical and Speech Therapy.

Is the "Rush to Judgment" to condemn the values of courses in Philosophy, English, Art History, Classics in Western Civilization, etc. justified?

Here is a story that offers a most refreshing answer: the start to THE CONVERSATION

Robert E. Rubin. 

A  recent Wall Street Journal op-ed article spotlighted  Robert E. Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury during the Clinton administration.  Prior to the appointment, he  spent 26 years at Goldman Sachs.

 Rubin describes how his philosophy professor at Harvard prepared him for his career in government:

 "His approach to critical thinking planted a seed in me that grew during my years at Harvard and throughout my entire life." Then he goes on: "I'm asked from time to time which undergraduate courses best prepared me for working at Goldman Sachs. People assume I'll list courses in economics or  finance, but I always answer that the key was Professor Demos's philosophy course and the conversations about existentialism in coffee shops around campus."

Read the article for yourself and let the conversation continue. 

By the way, Rubin's net worth is in 9 figures.

On the Eve of my Birthday: The Sum of All Things

Two Feel Good Stories You Might Have Missed: Extending the limits of living through Meditation Music and Poetry

1. 106 year old Eileen Ash, from Norwich England drinks two glasses of wine daily does Yoga daily  and just recently passed her driving test;  she  drives around in her bright yellow Mini.sports car-- yes, at the ripe 'young' age of 105. Click here for a video celebrating her 106th birthday by flying in an open cockpit Tiger Moth.

    Kudos to Eileen....

Eileen Ash drives a yellow Mini Sports Car 

(Courtesy of the Daily Mail)

                  

      2. An announcement during National Poetry Month: With much gratitude to organizer Relly Coleman.  Yael Stolarsky, Shlicha, and I have been invited to inaugurate the First Connecticut Hebrew Book celebration on Sunday, June 10th, 1-6 PM  as part of the second annual  Israeli Food Festival to be held at Temple Israel in Westport. Besides vendor and demonstrations, there will be 2-3 breakout sessions: one about Hebrew short stories with Susan Boyar, a professional book discussion leader and another about Modern Hebrew poetry and music  that Yael and I will lead.

      In prior years, I have led  three  Modern Israeli Poetry and music discussions at the Stamford JCC with Or Berger, Shaliach, and Yael. sponsored by the Jewish Historical Society of Fairfield County.

      Here is a podcast link to our last event held at Curley's diner--an event hosted by Poem Alley  and introduced by its leader Ralph Nazareth and , Eleni. Begetis, the poet/owner of Curleys.

http://richardjschwartz.com/rj/pods/CurleyPoetry.MP3

Curley's Diner is alive with Israeli Poetry and Music presented
by R.J. Schwartz and Yael Stolarsky, Shlichah