As a family doc, I get to be side-by-side with families and individuals in their life and health journeys. Part of these journeys are the big things facing our world: the growth of anti-vaccination ideology, the future higher-tech and low-employment world, continuing sexual and other discrimination and harassment, and more. The list is long.
As their family doc, my job is to help people with whatever they need help with. Sometimes, it's helping them identify options, and sometimes it's helping illuminate how these big issues affect them.
The anti-vaccine movement is a good example. I get it: I'm a dad with three kids and I don't want anything bad to happen to them, just like every single parent or guardian I have ever met. So when they decide to do their homework and find some plainly worded evidence of the value of vaccines challenged by massive amounts of social media and other digital tirades against their value, of course many will pause.
That's where I come in. Having been their family doctor, having helped them with different things over time, our relationship becomes one of trust. In that room, with the strength of our relationship, I can help untangle the anti-vaccination vitriol, or help nudge someone to think about how to upskill to preserve their ability to work in the future.
At the end of a long day, it's these interactions that I think about the most. And I'm grateful that my patient or patients have continued to trust me to help them see through the noise to the best available facts, and make great decisions for them and their families.
I love family medicine.
As their family doc, my job is to help people with whatever they need help with. Sometimes, it's helping them identify options, and sometimes it's helping illuminate how these big issues affect them.
The anti-vaccine movement is a good example. I get it: I'm a dad with three kids and I don't want anything bad to happen to them, just like every single parent or guardian I have ever met. So when they decide to do their homework and find some plainly worded evidence of the value of vaccines challenged by massive amounts of social media and other digital tirades against their value, of course many will pause.
That's where I come in. Having been their family doctor, having helped them with different things over time, our relationship becomes one of trust. In that room, with the strength of our relationship, I can help untangle the anti-vaccination vitriol, or help nudge someone to think about how to upskill to preserve their ability to work in the future.
At the end of a long day, it's these interactions that I think about the most. And I'm grateful that my patient or patients have continued to trust me to help them see through the noise to the best available facts, and make great decisions for them and their families.
I love family medicine.
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