This past weekend I was informed that I had been selected for induction into the Gold Humanism Honor Society at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) for the class of 2023. What is the significance of this and what is the Gold Humanism Honor Society you ask? Let me explain.
The Gold Humanism Honor Society is a national honor society that honors senior medical students, residents, role-model physician teachers and other exemplars recognized for excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion, and dedication to service created by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation for Humanism in Medicine. It is a competitive honor requiring peer nomination and faculty selection of no more than 15% of the graduating class. In the spirit of this news, let me share my thoughts on how I am going to assist ACOM in promoting the mission of patient-centered care.
~ People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care…
From my initial experience in medicine as an EMT, the portion that I was always most enthusiastic about was caring for patients, being there in others time of need. While this was a wonderful experience as a junior member of the team, I spent my time surrounded by those members who had been in the field longer than I. Quickly, it became apparent how easy it was to become “jaded” and forget that we were privileged with the opportunity to care for others, not burdened. How will I assist ACOM in promoting the mission of patient-centered care? The only way that I know how, by giving patients my time, avoiding complacency with respect to my competence, and being empathetic to patients’ situation.
I believe every patient can teach us something. Taking the time to listen to patients and spending a few extra moments with them pays dividends. The information I obtain from the patient and the rapport that I develop is something that allows the patient to get every ounce of care they deserve. It may seem simple enough, but presently given the many competing interests to our time, so far in my training this has proved to be something easier said than done.
While spending time with the patient provides them with the care they ought to have, it is important that we stay competent and up to date with the gold standards in care. We must be diligent in fighting against the urge to become complacent with our knowledge. I have been privileged to have many preceptors who demonstrated this dedication to continuing education by the many journal clubs, rounds, and tumor boards I have had the opportunity to attend and present at alongside them. It is via the strong mentors and teachers I have studied under that I have seen just how important it is to stay current with the most relevant data for our patients, and something I will carry forward with me throughout my career.
While giving patients the opportunity to share and ask questions they may have is certainly one way to help provide patient centered care, often it is not enough. Additionally, while we must remain competent and up to date with the most current practice, sometimes people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I believe being present and empathetic with patients is essential and that we must meet them where they are in their unique journey. I recall during my inpatient internal medicine rotation just how impactful this can be. My team cared for a patient who was a middle-aged woman with multiple TIA’s secondary to carotid stenosis. Ultimately, the path was going to lead to surgical intervention. Many doctors, residents and surgeons had come by to see the patient. However, no one had really “spent time with this patient”. Given my role on our team, I was able to get to know the patient and hear her story which allowed me to empathize with her current situation and the impact TIAs had on her career as an artist. I learned her fears about surgical intervention and was able to advocate on her behalf with the medical team. In the end, the patient just wanted to know that we were doing everything we could to be there for her and help her. By taking the time with her we were able to ease her fear and she underwent a successful procedure.
The question remains: how am I going to assist ACOM in promoting our mission of patient-centered care? I intend to fulfill this mission by continuing to demonstrate the aspects that I already live every day. Spending time to be present with patients. Staying up to date on the current best practices, and being empathetic to patient’s situation allowing me to offer patients care that is thoughtful, compassionate, and patient-centered. This opportunity that we are given is truly a privilege. I recognize that every day we are privileged to care for others and this care ought to put the patient first.