BEING A “DOCTOR” IS MORE THAN “KNOWING YOUR STUFF”

LAST MONTH, we discussed the online reality and other forthcoming challenges that we face, both as a profession and as an industry. This month, we will extend that conversation to talk about what we really do (or should be doing).

One of my mentors, Dr. Larry Alexander, once shared with me one of the most important lessons I have ever learned. This lesson just may enlighten and completely change how you think about what we do and our greatest responsibility.

SMART ANSWER, FAILING GRADE

Larry once asked me to look at a patient. The patient had a complex multisystem bilateral uveitic issue. He quizzed me (relentlessly, I might add) and asked me how I would treat this patient. Being “smart,” I provided him with a litany of therapies and referrals. In typical Larry form he said, “All those things are correct. You failed the test, though.”

Failed? I mean, I was impressed — I pretty much quoted Wills and thought I had it all down. He leaned over, smiled and said, “Did you ever consider the person behind those eyes, and ask them what they want to do? After all, it is their eyes, their body, their money and their life.” Floored I was. Oh, great Yoda!

GETTING CAUGHT UP

In today’s world of technological advances, complex drugs, nouveau surgeries, homeopathic options and crazy amounts of available treatments, we, as health care providers, can often get so caught up in diagnosis and treatment, that we forget this creature in front of us is a living, breathing, biological entity, one with a complex chemistry set that is driven by an equally complex social, emotional and psychological set of rules that are likely different than those under which we operate. This is where being a “doctor” is more than “knowing your stuff” or having the ability to proficiently ask Dr. Google. This is where the simple trait of being a caring human being comes into play. It is caring for the person behind those eyes.

This means asking the right questions not just about the condition, but how the condition(s) affect(s) the patient’s life. It is about showing empathy. It is about being a source of information, so patients can make their own decisions. It is about providing solutions to all their issues, both the ones that they know about and the ones that they don’t.

It is about observing, diagnosing and treating the whole visual system, including the adnexa, ocular surface, retina, optic nerve and everything in between. It is about EOMs, visual pathway, visual function and visual performance. It is about wellness, preventive medicine and complete care of the whole body that is attached to those eyes.

As Larry taught me, it is their eyes, their body. They pay for our opinion, and, if we are lucky and good, they might come back to us, not because of what we know, but, because we care! Now, these are words of wisdom — not that we should store in the recesses of our brains, suppressed by our egos — but that we should post in our offices and adopt as our mantras. OM.