The Art of Medicine
mementomori | October 24, 2007As many ScienceBlogs readers know by now, last month Popular Mechanics published a list on their website of "25 Skills Every Man Should Know," which included such esoteric talents as "frame a wall" and "extend your wireless network." How these two made the list over such accomplishments as "find tickets to a Hannah Montana concert," or "pass gas anonymously on an airplane flight" is beyond me, but then again I'm a doctor, not a popular mechanic.
Just for fun I'd like to share my version of this meme, so without further ado here is a list of 25 skills every doctor worth his or her salt should…
mementomori | August 3, 2007[Editor's note: now that The C.O. is back to work he is swamped by the duties of his day job, so he asked us if he could start a new post called "Footnotes," where he writes a quick comment about something on his mind. Of course we told him no - what does he think we're running here, a 6th grade field trip journal? Out of respect for the more delicate members of our reading audience we will refrain from printing his answer, but we can state with reasonable certainty that the penultimate member of his two word reply to us was "Up." Doctors can be somewhat recalcitrant, can't they? Anyway…
mementomori | June 1, 2007I have a question for any students in the audience today. Are you ready? Here it is: what is the most important part of the medical history?
The medical history, by the way, is what physicians document when they meet a patient for the first time. The doctor asks a series of questions and the answers are shaped into a narrative that documents the details of the clinical situation in order to deduce what exactly is wrong with the patient and maybe even correct the problem. The medical history is recorded in this order:
Chief Complaint
History of Present Illness
Allergies
Medicines
Past…
mementomori | May 30, 2007What's more disturbing, a frustrated patient or a frustrated oncologist?
I only bring this up because I had one of those days at work today where it seemed legions of smartly dressed nurses, secretaries, pharmacists and lab techs were conspiring to drive me insane with their bureaucratic edicts all designed to obstruct my plans to deliver proper medical care [Waaa! The poor widdle kid! -Ed.] Now in the comfort of my home I realize I have violated Rule Number Four of the House of God:
"The patient is the one with the disease."
As penance let me share my view on the top reasons why patients…
mementomori | September 5, 2006September 5, 2003
Dear [name withheld],
I just found out that you have decided to use a different oncologist for your adjuvant chemotherapy and wanted to let you know that I certainly understand why some patients hit it off with one doctor but not another. I wish you nothing but the best of health and know you will be treated well in Dr. [name withheld]'s office.
I would be dishonest if I did not confess that I am disappointed you chose not to use me - perhaps this simply reflects my pride in my work; perhaps it reveals me to be self-centered. If I failed to reassure you of my abilities as…