The Roots Of Physician Well Being

Melvin Kooner, an anthropologist who entered medical school in his mid-thirties, characterizes physicians as “tough, brilliant, knowledgeable, hardworking, and hard on themselves.” (Kooner, 1998, pg. 374) Many personal conversations with medical students, residents, and attending physicians from a variety of specialties confirm Kooner’s assessment. Doctors work hard, work long hours, deal regularly with life-and-death situations, and make substantial personal sacrifices to practice in their field. These attributes of medical practice can provide a great deal of satisfaction to the aspiring or practicing physician, but can also be a source of professional and personal distress. Burnout or the experience of long-term emotional and physical

Professionalism and the ability to gain respect in the community in which you live is of utmost importance as you embark upon a career as a physician. What three professional qualities do you feel a Student Doctor must be able to demonstrate as he/or she makes the transition into the study and practice of medicine. How will you demonstrate those qualities as a medical student at VCOM?

As a future student doctor the qualities that I adhere to are trustworthiness, humility, and passion. As a medical student, those qualities will show during interactions with faculty and staff and in particular with patients. I will earn trustworthiness by being punctual and following through with schedule events. I will show humility by keeping in mind that I can always learn something new from every interaction, whether it is between faculty, patients, or peer physicians. My passion for medicine will show during patient interactions, this will also be evident by my eagerness to learn. My past experiences as an Aerospace medical technician with the United State Air Force has giving me a glimpse of what I could expect from practicing medicine

The physician–patient relationship is the quintessential fiduciary relationship because of the vast disparity in knowledge about disease and treatment between the clinician and the typical lay patient. The consequence of this disparity is that the physician has a moral (and ultimately a legal) responsibility to utilize that manifestly superior knowledge exclusively for the benefit of the patient. (Rich, 2005, p. 393)

“Professional integrity derives its substance from the fundamental goals or mission of the profession” (Wakin, 1996, para. 15). Meaning to say, individuals seek for a professional’s valued and ethical advice to which the professional holds their responsibility to maintain and exceeds the level of their expertise. For example, a general practitioner will treat a variety of patients, from all different walks of life with a plethora of different problems. It is their duty to diagnose and treat the patient to the best of their professional ability without prejudice. Another aspect of their duties is the principle of patient confidentiality. Medical professionals are legally bound to not divulge any information provided to them by their patients.

Professionalism in health care is of utmost importance, because it involves the delicate relationship between the caregiver, patient, and patient’s family. Patients often confront illness, social disruption, or any other life-changing event and are more often than not presented in a very vulnerable position. They expect healthcare professionals to handle their needs in an expert professional manner. “As a member of this profession, a physician must recognize responsibility to patients first and foremost, as well as to society, to other health professionals, and to self.” (Pozgar, 2012) This is why professional conduct plays such a critical role in today’s healthcare setting. The rapport established between the medical professional and patient is fundamental in providing success to the diagnosis and overall care of the patient.

After reading the Sox article, I believe there are many important components of Medical Professionalism. The first component I consider the most significant is patient-physician trust. This component falls under the principles of primacy of patient welfare. This principle states that nothing should compromise a patient-physician relationship. Patient’s have to confide in and rely on their physicians for treatment. If the patient does not have any trust with their physician, then the patient will not receive the best care. The second component I consider essential is commitment of honesty to patients. There have been so many times I have been admitted to the hospital and the doctor comes into the room for only ten seconds, tells me what he is going

The Ethic of Respect for Persons operates on the principles of fidelity, veracity, and autonomy. In the context of medical ethics, fidelity means that a medical professional and patient should show loyalty to one another, which in a medical setting mainly manifests as “a duty to keep promises and contracts” for their own sake. On a similar note, veracity is the duty to tell the truth. Both may be valued because of the inherent value of keeping one’s word in society, particularly important in cultures influenced by Judeo-Christian tradition. However, fidelity and veracity are also important from a consequentialist standpoint, as they are linked to patient trust in the medical system, which is essential in order to allow for the goal of helping patients with medical knowledge and

A common idea, which I believe to be a misconception, is that the role of the physician is strictly medical in nature. Instead, I believe that along with providing healthcare, physicians also provide structure and safety to society. I believe physicians not only help patients treat physical symptoms but also act as role models to patients suffering from a lack of confidence, problematic mental health, and decreased energy levels. This allows people to perform their best in all aspects of life whether it be their occupation, relationships, and/or hobbies. Overall, when people feel their best, the community on a whole begins to improve. Also, physicians should be non-biased to provide the highest quality of medical care to patients of various

I am self motivated, determined, hard working with an ability to succeed. Coupled with enthusiasm and positive attitude, I want to prepare myself for social and academic challenges of medicine. I have realized that kindness and compassion are cornerstones of good medical care. I believe that well rounded person like me has capability to acquire different skills through different activities. I am caring, patient, like communicating with people and making new friends. I believe these are my strengths that will help me to become a good physician.

"The American Medical Association Code of Medical Ethics states that building a relationship of trust with patients is fundamental to the ethical practice of medicine. Sadly, doctors often find they

Good Medical Practice Professionalism, Ethics and Law [society trusts doctors to give these certificates as professionals – truthfully and objectively according to the best judgement of matters within their knowledge and expertise.] it further adds that records need to provide any relavent information concerning the patient’s medial history.

Do you like your primary care provider? Is your relationship with your doctor satisfactory? To no one’s surprise, the doctor-patient alliance is an essential element in the practice of healthcare today. In today’s society, many people tend to overlook the value of these relationships. As more research and studies are going public, this special bond has some people questioning how crucial a positive interaction between the patient and doctor must be for the delivery of high-quality care. The simple answer to their question is that such bonds are both effective and necessary when it comes to achieving a positive outcome. In order to achieve the best results, the healthcare system must restore trust and successful communication between the two parties; the doctor and the patient. Although scientists have called to conduct more research on this concept, studies have already shown that a valuable clinician-patient interaction has a small, but very significant impact on patient care.

The doctor–patient relationship is central to the practice of healthcare and is essential for the delivery of high-quality health care in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The doctor–patient relationship forms one of the foundations of contemporary medical ethics. Most universities teach students from the beginning, even before they set foot in hospitals, to maintain a professional rapport with patients, uphold patients’ dignity, and respect their privacy.

“Don’t consider yourself a real physician except when you practice medicine at its best” by these words, Dr Hassib, my medicine professor ended his final lecture in medical school. His words were always in the back of my mind when I graduated with Excellent with Highest Honours and got accepted in the best internal medicine program in Egypt, Cairo University. I thought I reached the peak of my dreams, but through the following years I realized that my journey didn’t begin yet.