Several scholars have noticed that doctor’s communication needs improvement, and believe that this needs to be taken care of during their medicinal training in graduate school. C.M. Gills believes that Medicine and Humanities are tied together and that humanities should be taught more in order to help the doctor get on their patients level better. The humanities thus contribute to the young physician what Dr. Micco called “critical abilities, flexibility of perspective,...ethical values, empathy and selfknowledge” (Gills 7). Gills is agreeing with Micco’s point that if we teach humanities more to practicing doctors then they will be able to be more flexible with their practice and comprehend more what the patients are saying; and by making them more understanding people, they will become more effective physicians. Because patients are not just going to hand you the organ that hurts, so it will be a little tougher to fully understand the full measure of the treatment needed coming from an inexperienced patient. Additionally, the media has been prone to helping physicians easily connect the means and the ends. Several big time newspapers, like the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, claim that medical schools are beginning to tell their students to look for answers in novels, theatres, paintings, and dance. They have reported a study that by looking at paintings and sculptures, it can heighten the student’s observational abilities; and with these heightened abilities, a doctor will be able to ask the necessary questions to the patients to make a correct diagnosis without relying too much on blood and x-rays. One of my father’s friends Dr. Katz, in New York, believes that it is more important before becoming a full-out physician to develop a way to interpret the patient’s explanation of his symptoms. He believes that another class is necessary for students to take in order relate to their students more.
Other people believe that it depends upon the doctor and his approach to the patient. There are three common approaches that the doctor takes: paternalistic, informed, and shared (Charles). Doctors, who use the paternalistic approach, unlikely have much interest in discussing patient concerns. They like to hear their patient’s symptoms very quickly so that he can come up with a diagnosis ignoring the patient’s concerns. The informed approach occurs when the patient takes a more active role in the treatment making decision. The doctor does not have much say in giving a treatment; however, he does help the patient by giving him relevant information in order for the patient to make a decision. I do not personally believe that this is the best way for doctors to go about their work. They are the ones who went to school for many years learning how to find out your illness and treat it in the best, safest way possible. I believe that the best of these three is the final one, the shared approach. The doctors commit themselves to finding a treatment that works with the patient’s concerns. The doctors allow the patient to describe their agendas and from that the doctors try to find a cure most suitable to the patients. This allows the patient to feel comfortable and build some trust for his doctor. My father is an endocrinologist in Memphis and he believes that building a solid relationship with the patients is the best way to relate to your patients. When they communicate, it is not awkward at all and the patients feel more relaxed. It is also more psychologically relaxing for the patient, because he feels that he knows his doctor is trying his best to help him in every way possible.
Several medical schools believe to teach their students early how to talk to their patients so that their relationship improves and that one is able to make the correct diagnosis. I believe that taking the classes would be most benefit to most doctors throughout the world because not every doctor sees the same patient over and over again, so therefore, why would he need to develop a very solid relationship with his patient. If he were easily able to understand what the patient is saying and find a diagnosis, then that is all that matters. The whole point of people going to the doctors is get better and not to make friends.
6 comments:
I also want to go into the medical field so I find your essay very interesting. When writing my essay however, I looked at completely different issues than yours. I like how you talked about two main issues and the differing beliefs associated with them. Your essay is very thourough, especially when you talk about the 3 different approaches to how doctors interact with their patients. You end your essay by saying that the whole point in going to a doctor is not to make friends. Isn't that somewhat contradicting your stance on that the shared approach is best? In the shared approach you say that the physician-patient relationship is improved, and isn't that building a better relationship/ friendship? I only found two small mistakes. You can cut out the "so" in the 2nd sentence of the 5th sentence. Also, in the very last sentence you may want to at a "to" in between "is" and "get." A place where I was a little confused was at the end of the 2nd paragraph. What additional class is Dr. Katz recommending that students should take?? Overall your essay was very well written and covered many important issues in the medical field.
Your paper was interesting to read. I didn't know that doctors use different techniques when explaining info to their patients. Your paper as a whole was good however there were some errors. Most are just grammatical errors which are easily fixed; I might also include a different transition then you have when you start to talk about your dad. Other then that I think you are set.
I think your essay is very well written and thought out. Our essays are kind of similar because mine was focused on nursing and language so it was nice to be able to compare the two. I also found many sources that said that physicians are the ones that need to work their communication skills the most. I also liked how you described the three different approaches physicians attempt to take. There were just a few grammar mistakes but nothing major. I really couldn't find anything super noticeable that needs changing that isn't already listed in the other comments. Your essay is really good!
Your paper has a really good subject matter. I really enjoyed the push for more humanities courses for medical students. The understanding of a patient’s culture maybe half the battle of just allowing them to have full confidence in you. You might want to find some more sources that you don’t have a personal relation with. Otherwise your paper may sound too conversational for an academic one. Try finding some surveys that show the reaction of patients to each of the three approaches. Also the way your last paragraph sounds almost makes patient seem irrelevant in treatment. You may want to express that it is you belief that though acknowledging a patient’s right s as a human being is important, the ultimate goal is to heal the patient. Other than that you might need to reread you paper and get rid of the conversational sound. Good job.
I think that this essay flows very well and is easy and interesting to read. The few mistakes that I found were grammatical. The three different communication styles by the medical professionals were very well addressed. I might elaborate on some of the classes that are suggested for the med students to take.
There's a lot that works very well in this essay.
Karen already pointed out what I was going to comment on: the glaring contradiction in your last two paragraphs. Is a relationship important or isn't it?
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