Thread by @medicalaxioms

Things That Make You a Better Doctor, Nurse, or Caregiver:
- pain
- disappointment
- uncertainty
- loss
- fear

When you experience these “unpleasant” things, consider the patients you care for. They have been experiencing them too. You might never have known to ask, though, until you have experienced them yourself.

Your own suffering is a gift. It’s a window into the experiences of the people you take care of.

Believe me, I know it looks like shiny paper and a bow on a box of dog turds.

That’s where we all start. MY pain. MY uncertainty. MY fear...

Don’t stop there. Look for the similarities and parallels in the lives of your patients. They will start to make more sense: the look in their face. Their silence. Their meanness.

Over time, we all move from doctor to patient. For some of us, we spend years doctoring, nursing and caring for others while we ~are patients.~

The humility we gain from being on the other side of the computer monitor is a gift.

The funny dry feeling you have leaving an appointment having never been physically touched by your doctor.

Seems like no big deal but those stuck out in my mind. As do the appointments where we laughed at least once.

As you suffer the trials and tribulations of your imperfect biological house, remain a bit objective. Watch and learn how it feels and what matters.

Your suffering is a gift. Miles walked in somebody’s shoes you’d thought you’d never have to lace on your own feet.

Open the gift. Watch and learn. Be humble and willing to change your practice having experienced the practice of others.