I noticed that I get the most satisfaction out of the patients that have extended stays - particularly the ones that we end up providing palliative care to so they can die in peace. The patients here emergently or just for a day or two bring me no pleasure- for me there can be real care in taking care of someone over a long time.
Thus, today I had a vision of Family Medicine for my career, but within Radiation Oncology. I could provide palliative care to my patients or whatever their need might be, but they would become part of my "family." They would have email and phone access to me as they went through their cancer struggle. Just like family it would not be for emergency purposes (yes, I would still go on vacations, live life, etc), but it would be like family - they could call when things got difficuly, particulary if they were left with no family to be there for them.
I have noticed that both my grandmother and mother (and father) would take people into their house at all times, making many of our friends part of our family. And it wasn't unique to any of us - I have a brother that my sister once dated and a best friend who visits my family without me sometimes!
My vision is to have a small practice with cancer patients like this...unfortunately, this niche is hard to carve out in our current, fragmented system!
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2 comments:
Reading your honesty about your field of work is so refreshing! Not only knowing this was who you were as a young adult and now you have carried this honesty to your profession this is just plain Awesome!! Keep it up.
thanks brother - always good to hear from you. i still remember your good advice when i was super nervous before school started, etc
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