I remember when I first entered practice back in 1997. I was pretty green and, while I had received outstanding training all around rural and urban Newfoundland and Labrador, I personally hadn't experienced many things that might help me as a doc.
21 years later, and wow! All the tidbits I have learned about how to make baby food, how to pace oneself after surgery, who are the other health care professionals in the community with particularly excellent unique skills, what it's like to live through an unexpected water-borne disease outbreak - all of these things and so much more I have been able to leverage. With them, I can give people more of a heads-up on what things will be like with certain medical conditions, or where to go in the city to get a particular needed item or care.
I think, though, what patients most appreciate is that they know I've "been there, done that" a bit. They know that I know what some of their journey is like - not just from my training and having worked with so many patients over the years, but because I personally too have been down some of those same or similar paths.
To get to work in a field where I can pull my own learnings and those of my family and friends and pass them on directly in my role is pretty cool.
I love family medicine.
21 years later, and wow! All the tidbits I have learned about how to make baby food, how to pace oneself after surgery, who are the other health care professionals in the community with particularly excellent unique skills, what it's like to live through an unexpected water-borne disease outbreak - all of these things and so much more I have been able to leverage. With them, I can give people more of a heads-up on what things will be like with certain medical conditions, or where to go in the city to get a particular needed item or care.
I think, though, what patients most appreciate is that they know I've "been there, done that" a bit. They know that I know what some of their journey is like - not just from my training and having worked with so many patients over the years, but because I personally too have been down some of those same or similar paths.
To get to work in a field where I can pull my own learnings and those of my family and friends and pass them on directly in my role is pretty cool.
I love family medicine.
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