Johnny Tenegra, MD
So much of 21st century medicine can seem dehumanizing. Whether it is handling prior authorizations by insurances, signing hundreds of orders from pharmacies, or even spending hours in front of a computer screen clicking checkboxes on your electronic medical records, I think to myself that this is not why I entered medicine. As much as every day seems to come to routine, we can’t forget about the memorable moments that come with those special doctor-patient relationship encounters. I spent some time reflecting on my work in academic medicine and realized there have been many times that my patients have helped me be resilient.
Sometimes my patients have great suggestions. I had just finished precepting my last patient, but the clinic was supposed to be finished a half hour ago. I had had a busy afternoon, multitasking, handling phone messages, nursing issues, and even interviewing a resident applicant when I received a message about a patient needing some lab results (thank goodness they were normal!), and I had to call her with a message. I apologized that it was a busy week and for the length of time it took to respond to her, and she detected that I was tired. Realizing it was a late night, my patient then said, “Go home and get some dinner with your wife. I’ll be okay.”
Sometimes my patients are my coaches. Several months later, a couple of my patients noted I was running behind, and I sat down to thank them for being patient with me that day. They told me that I was a sweetheart for not making them feel rushed and that they appreciated my listening to their thoughts and suggestions. Feeling a boost of enthusiasm to get through the rest of my clinic, I gave them a couple hugs for the extra pat on the back.
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