An examination on the art of caring: Physician writing contest
Medical Economics is proud to unveil the honorable mention entries in our 2015 Physician Writing Contest. We believe the essays exemplify what connecting with your patients is truly about, and demonstrate the levels of heart, determination, and empathy you strive to bring into every exam room, every day. Thanks for reading.
The hand that touched me was that of “Jane,” the young check-out clerk at the MRI office. She was young and I could sense her eagerness to comfort from the look in her brown eyes that first greeted me and then followed me as I went to change into a gown. That I was seriously ill was apparent from the loss of virtually every hair on my body.
Jane compassionately recognized my anxiety and asked, “Is there anything I can do?” I did not immediately respond but then shared how I unexpectedly suffered a panic attack at my last MRI and dreaded having another.
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In my rational mind, I knew I had done far more difficult things than having an MRI. Notwithstanding the medical school and residency experiences, I was unprepared for my role as a cancer patient and the new appreciation for fragility of life and sense of helplessness made even the smallest tasks overwhelming to me.
As I entered the MRI room Jane followed, saying “I want to be here for you, maybe I could just touch your foot while you are in the MRI machine.”
Then she placed her hand on my foot as the machine slid me in. This human touch that showed me that someone cared and recognized that I needed that more than I could verbally express...more than the MRI that had been ordered. Jane’s act of kindness and compassion came from her heart after she recognized my unspoken need to be cared for.
“Boom, boom, boom” blasted loudly as the MRI magnets churned. Trying to escape from reality, I fantasized I was at a rave nightclub jumping and dancing to the loud rhythmic noises that the DJ was playing, but I knew it was really just the MRI. I now knew that in a blink of an eye, one’s life can be changed from being a confident, invincible, high powered physician to a vulnerable, scared and physically weak patient because of cancer.
I focused on the staff’s hand on my foot as I needed to feel comforted as I felt disconnected to the outside world during this time deep in this loud, large medical tube cold, claustrophobic, and unable to move. “Jane” unselfishly did this for me.
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