patient-physician relationship Essay

value to others. The experiences I have had shadowing physicians and working as a medical technician have convinced me that I want to pursue a career in medicine and medical research. I grew up in a family of doctors, but the decision to pursue medicine was not an easy one for me. I remember…

Fourth of July, as family and friends celebrate with barbeques and fireworks, I will be working as a scribe in the emergency department—and I could not be happier. I have wanted to be a doctor since I was young. My father, an emergency medicine physician, was a significant role model throughout my life. When I was seven, my mother brought her three sons along to see our father at his workplace in the emergency department. My younger brother decided to test the mechanical advantage of the…

ontological as a disease process that is different or separate from the individual’s body (1996:170). To me this would be considered something along the lines of bacterial or viral infections that invade the body causing harm and sickness to the patient. Kinsley views the medical system with all its technology and gadgets as mechanical in nature, separating itself from the emotional, spiritual, and cultural aspects of healing. The body is broken up into parts, organ systems like a car. A car has…

result of cultural discord and misunderstanding. The book illustrates the story of Lia Lee, a young Hmong child who has been diagnosed with severe epilepsy. The stark contrast in beliefs, values, and cultures between Lia’s parents and those of the physicians tending to Lia eventually snowballed into a series of colossal misunderstandings that ultimately left Lia in a persistent vegetative state. Although both sides had Lia’s best interest in mind, the failure of Lia’s doctors to dig deeper into…

On a cold October morning in 2009, my grandfather had coronary artery bypass surgery. He had been to multiple physicians to assess the health of his heart months prior and was finally scheduled to have the surgery at Wesley Medical Center in Hattiesburg, MS. I can remember sitting in the waiting room with my family as the clock slowly ticked by during his procedure. As you can imagine, my mind was racing. In my lifetime, none of my immediate family members (that I could remember) had ever had a…

our own kind by putting them out of their misery. What if we can treat ourselves with the same respect, though there is more that goes into a human’s death, like a will, a death certificate, and many more, we can still help. This can be done with physician…

I realized, however, that I was unaware of many of the complexities and variables that go into the day-to-day life of a physician. For the longest time, this view of the profession suited me well; it stoked my excitement about pursuing a career in medicine and comforted me with the belief that my doctor could always help me. My grandfather, mindful of my age, knew the day would…

of having to live in a new culture and learn a new language. Now as I watch the news of Venezuela and learn of the political turmoil shattering the aspirations of many students, I appreciate having the opportunity to chase my dream of becoming a physician. Being inclined to study medicine was not something I envisioned at a younger age or during my undergraduate career. Initially, my goal coming out of high school was to pursue a career in chemical engineering to work in the oil and gas…

“Don’t consider yourself a real physician except when you practice medicine at its best” with these words, Dr Hassib, my medicine professor ended our final lecture in medical school. At that time, all I thought he meant was that I needed to excel in my final exams and secure a position in a good residency program. His words were always in the back of my mind though, and indeed, I graduated with the Highest Honours and got accepted in the best residency program in Egypt, Cairo University. At that…

medical profession has always been a difficult issue, particularly in the case of the doctor and patient. Often, a doctor will be tempted to withhold information from his/her patient with the belief that he/she is sparing the patient from the distress receiving such information can cause. This justification is termed “therapeutic privilege” by the American Medical Association (AMA, 2006); and many physicians, such as Dr. Collins, defend the use of such practices. However, this practice can cause…