Today I had the honor of addressing a small group of oncology fellows at Baylor University Medical Center. "Fellows" are physicians who have completed their internal medicine training and are now receiving training in a specialty (in this case, oncology). I shared stories, insights and advice.
Here are a few of the tips I offered:
- Aim to help patients heal. If healing a patient includes curing the disease, that's great. In the many cases where cure is unlikely, clinicians still can do much to help these patients heal.
- Guide and support patients' efforts to be Healthy Survivors.
- The more you know about your patients' world, the more opportunities you will see to help patients heal.
- It matters less what you say than what patients hear.
- Unless you can predict with 100% certainty, leave room for hope.
- Separate hope from acceptance; share both hopes and expectations; help patients find a balance of hope and acceptance that helps them live; encourage families to respect that balance.
- Help patients embrace necessary uncertainty in healing ways.
Every single day they have innumerable opportunities to help others not only with their medicines, but also with their words and actions. And that is a most wonderful thing.
Thanks so much for speaking to our fellows. You have some great insight to share!
Ashley Howland
@BaylorHealth
Facebook.com/BaylorHealth
BaylorHealth.com
Posted by: Ashley Howland | April 28, 2010 at 12:09 PM
It is my honor, Ashley
With hope, Wendy
Posted by: Wendy S. Harpham, MD | April 29, 2010 at 10:51 AM