Patient and Doctor Interacting in Health Care

Re: Why I almost Fired My Doctor, NY Times October 16, 2017

The article (Why I Almost Fired My Doctor, NY Times, October 16, 2017) written by Bob Brody, brings to light many of the problems currently facing the patient and the doctor interacting in health care.  Yes, I wrote interacting because unfortunately, we have come so very far from the concept of the doctor patient “relationship” that I was taught about. What has happened to that special relationship?   Why do so many patients feel separated from their doctors?   I will try to look into these issues in my next few pieces.

I was taught about this special bond between two people, the physician and patient by our family doctor “Charlie” since I told him, at age 7, that I wanted to be a doctor.  Charlie lived across the street from us, and he practiced and taught community medicine in the city.  I would visit him Sunday mornings for anatomy and biology lessons that year.  He was a kind, giving, caring person, and he taught me that we physicians are charged to nurture, protect and care for our patients.

I believe that medicine is a calling, and most who hear that call understand that the first tenet of that call is caring for another person.  We physicians are here to educate and assist in navigating the complexities of health and illness.  Always demonstrating our sensitivity to the vulnerabilities, concerns, and fears that our patience experience.   When our patients leave us after a visit, they should know what is going on, and feel better for the visit.

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Dr. David A. Seidman is the Director of the Center for Cosmetic Nasal Surgery and Rhinoplasty in Queens NY.  As the Director of the Center, he continues to blend his knowledge of nasal physiology and nasal airway science with the art of creating the nasal appearance that is most harmonious with the face.