The Provider Will See You Now
When did doctors become “providers� The term has a deliberate sterility to it that wrings out any sense of humanity, and connotes a widgetlike framework for that which is being “provided.†More
Recertifying Doctors
In 1990, seeking to keep pace with the rapid advances in medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine initiated the “recertification process.†Now, doctors must take an exam every 10 years. More
Doc, How Much Time I Got?
There are few situations more horrible than having to tell another human being that he or she is going to die. And it doesn’t get any easier with experience… More
Pharma in the Jungle
How to make pharmaceutical R&D worthy of James Bond-like drama. It’s not easy, but Anne Patchett gamely tries. An American drug company based in the dull stretches of Minnesota is racing to develop the holy grail of fertility drugs—a simple pill to allow women to get pregnant at any age. The stockholders are rubbing their palms rapaciously at the mere thought. More
Doctors, Patients, and Computers
The presence of computers in the exam room has had another consequence. Both physically and psychologically it has placed a wedge in the doctor-patient relationship. More
Remembering 9/11
On 9/11, doctors and nurses swarmed Bellevue Hospital, ready to help the injured from the twin towers. But we weren’t ready for happened next. More
A “Difficult” Patient’s Journey
Chloë Atkins is the type of patient that every doctor dreads—presenting with a plethora of symptoms that don’t offer any obvious medical explanation. There are multitudes of such patients in a general practitioner’s roster and most, thankfully, will not turn out to have a serious illness. But there are a few who do, and as Atkins’ book points out, this can be a harrowing experience. More
Facing the Water
She eyed the cool, glistening water, watching her friends swim. Gushes of water lapped over the edge, dousing the riverbank’s knot of weeds and rushes. She chided herself for forgetting her bathing suit. But this outing hadn’t been planned… More
"Quality" Medical Care
We all want “quality†medical care. But how should quality actually be measured? Quality is one of those words that used to mean something. Nowadays in hospital hallways, quality is a charged word that is more corporate-speak than actual English.
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Why Would Anyone Become a Doctor?
The awe of discovering the human body. The honor of being trusted to give advice. The gratitude for helping someone through a difficult illness. These things never grow old. More
“Noncompliant” Patient?
It was a year into our relationship when my patient finally told me the truth. No wonder he couldn’t keep his medications straight. More
Stereotyping Patients and their Ailments
Mr. S received the unwelcome news that he was H.I.V. positive, though his T-cell count was still in the normal range. His T-cell count stayed high enough to protect him from opportunistic infections. He seemed to be one of the rare, lucky “nonprogressors.†But after several years of consistently robust T-cell counts, one of the nurse practitioners had a hunch. More
Lives Cut Short by Depression
There is something about a first friend that is irreplaceable. No matter how disparately your lives travel, the first friend you ever had occupies a special place in your heart. I was lucky that Michael was considerate enough to be born four months before me, waiting next door, ready to join me in elaborate childhood games of hide-and-seek, multilevel couch forts and family camping trips in the Catskills. More
Doctors and the D Word….
I could understand why other people might prefer euphemisms for death, but why medical professionals? Weren’t we supposed to be much more comfortable with the workings of the human body? Didn’t we pride ourselves on our technical accuracy? Didn’t we say “umbilicus†instead of “belly button� More
Health and Luck of the Draw
We imagine medicine as a rational science, and we imagine our attention to our lives and our bodies pays off in reasonably predictable ways. But I have to admit that random, irrational, unplanned events can often have greater effects on overall health. More
