Ceriani's Argumentative Essay

I remember one time, when I was in the hospital doing an internship, there was this patient that was on her deathbed. I remember her saying she did not want to live anymore. On that day the elderly patient, who was in the Intensive Care Unit breathing her last breath, was slowly allowed to die. This was about two years ago and I’ve never forgotten that moment. I was told that day that sometimes you have to let the patient pass. A physician is taught to do no harm; however, when should a patient be let go? Would you rather have a physician that held your hand as you died or ignored you while you got better? No matter how thought provoking questions these might be, in the end the patient is always right, and going against the patient will lead to a road that is both illegal and unethical. The role of the Physician, is ever changing; however, the basic …show more content…
Doctor Ernest Ceriani certainly is a testament to how much has changed. A quick view of the photography of W. Eugene Smith in the Time magazine shows how Dr. Ceriani was not only a physician but a proper caretaker. The role of the physician in the 20th century had evolved from what it was in the 19th century. Now with better knowledge and well trained nurses a physician could travel and care for is his/her patients. With the ability to travel and provide one on one house call care to the patient Dr. Ceriani was regarded as a physician that understood the patient more so than the physician in a hospital. The role of the physician in hospital versus a house call physician ultimately are the same but have their differences. A hospital physician may visit his patient once or twice a day while the house call physician would theoretically stay with the patient until a sound diagnosis was achieved. Further making sure the family was given ample time to learn the skills necessary to complete the care the physician