Your substack helped me navigate the primary care system and the system at large as well. I had to reverse engineer "doctor thinking" to figure out what was going wrong. Here's a new medical aphorism: if you think you need a second opinion then you need a second opinion.
Wonderful, welcome to Substack, Mara. You are off to a good start. A great list of 10 lessons.
Sarah Fay, SWAW has lots of helpful webinars, pdf’s etc. to help you get organized and attract. Claire Venus, Sparkle on Substack, has lots of creative tips. People seem to love hearing from doctors who are still practicing, rather than us older ones. I’m retired and doing this out of love and advocacy for working moms. Check out my Moms Matter Substack when you have time, and shoot me any questions. ❤️
I love hearing from all doctors who care! I'm in my mid-40ies, and I admit that ageism goes both ways... I felt like I couldn't really trust the fresh-faced "newbies" with my care. I've been SO WRONG. There have been so many advances in medicine in the past few decades, and young doctors come equipped with a new standard of care. I recently switched to a younger PCP, and she is phenomenal. She brings a 360 view that I haven't experienced before. But then again, I chose to find a gynecologist who is older than me to provide guidance for perimenopause, after feeling like younger gynos just weren't very interested in me as a patient, as someone past birthing age (who has never given birth). I'm so grateful for the knowledge and wisdom all my doctors bring to my care. Thank you for caring!
Thanks Eileen, I also like a younger doc for all their recent training and an older doc for all the experience. It’s even better when they are in the same practice.
Your patients are so lucky to have you in their support system. I have a PCP who is competent (and female, which as a female is important to me just because we share some of the same body systems :-) ). She is relatively young, and was very enthusiastic when she took over the practice of my former doctor. Over the past 10 years I have watched as the bureaucracy has worn her down --she wants to be more holistic in her patient interactions, but you can tell that she doesn't really have the time or energy anymore. Now our visits are very perfunctory and rushed. As a professor, I know how bureaucracies can dehumanize the system we work in, and leave us much less energy for the human connection to students or patients. I'm not sure there is any way in a capitalistic society to change that, but I still hope the future will bring positive change.
Yes. Thank you for sharing this. And she's not alone in feeling that way… we have a lot of work to do if we want to make our health care system more compassionate.
Hi, Mara. I appreciate this introduction to some of who you are and what you do. I am old and have a number of doctors. Each time I meet a new specialist, my primary care physician or psychologist or close friends ask: "How was she?" [all my docs are women] I have been happily able say, as to each one over the past years+, that my first response has been, "She's great; she listens, she answers directly and clearly; and when I've had later questions and ask on the patient portal, she has been responsive, direct and clear." As you said, "The secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient." Caring for a patient includes listening, paying attention, being responsive, clear and direct, and welcoming later questions. I can see you know that, too.
Thank you for sharing this! I’m so glad your experiences have been positive. (And not that you’re obligated to do this, but your docs might like to hear that you’ve had good experiences - we get a lot of grief, so words of praise really do mean a lot :)
I do this regularly—directly to them and in filling out recommendations on Google and in-hospital and in-practice “How was your experience?”
For many years I have made it a point to thank people and tell them the effect their work/practice had on me, or the benefits I received. I do that in numerous areas, not only in medicine. A couple of years ago I was in the hospital for 2 weeks for C-diff, was very sick, and in the last 24 hours I was there I thanked everyone who had been part of taking care of me When I Could Not Take Care of Myself, including the person who brought in the CPAP machine and the people who brought in food. They all mattered, and all people need to know that.
With docs, nurses, techs, aids, et al., I make a point of telling them how their actions made me feel. I don’t know that everyone is like I am in this regard, but how the person affects my emotions is critical to me, so I always say so.
Thanks—wholly recovered from the C-diff infection. Two skin cancer surgeries in the past 3 weeks—one squamous cell & one melanoma; surgeries went well and there will be a follow-on treatment to be determined later this month: chemo, hormone, radiation. It’s all okay; the medical care I am receiving is great, and I have very little anxiety because all of my questions were answered directly and kindly.
25 years ago, my then-wife had inflammatory breast cancer, received wonderful care throughout—lots of chemo, 5 surgeries, radiation & and caring human interaction by all—and she survived. She is still alive and has had many years of good health and professional advancement; as a result, she & I were and are extremely grateful (and expressed that to the all-woman medical team of oncologists).
Welcome... back!? ;) I'm so happy you are here sharing your wisdom and spreading kindness. I deeply appreciate your writing -- I always look forward to your posts. Thank you!
Love that Peabody quote! It is a more elegant version of something a friend told me. He is a college football coach and is fond of saying, "The way to make those kids feel that you care about them is to...actually care about them."
Your substack helped me navigate the primary care system and the system at large as well. I had to reverse engineer "doctor thinking" to figure out what was going wrong. Here's a new medical aphorism: if you think you need a second opinion then you need a second opinion.
Thank you! That means so much!
Wonderful, welcome to Substack, Mara. You are off to a good start. A great list of 10 lessons.
Sarah Fay, SWAW has lots of helpful webinars, pdf’s etc. to help you get organized and attract. Claire Venus, Sparkle on Substack, has lots of creative tips. People seem to love hearing from doctors who are still practicing, rather than us older ones. I’m retired and doing this out of love and advocacy for working moms. Check out my Moms Matter Substack when you have time, and shoot me any questions. ❤️
Thank you! ❤️
I love hearing from all doctors who care! I'm in my mid-40ies, and I admit that ageism goes both ways... I felt like I couldn't really trust the fresh-faced "newbies" with my care. I've been SO WRONG. There have been so many advances in medicine in the past few decades, and young doctors come equipped with a new standard of care. I recently switched to a younger PCP, and she is phenomenal. She brings a 360 view that I haven't experienced before. But then again, I chose to find a gynecologist who is older than me to provide guidance for perimenopause, after feeling like younger gynos just weren't very interested in me as a patient, as someone past birthing age (who has never given birth). I'm so grateful for the knowledge and wisdom all my doctors bring to my care. Thank you for caring!
Thanks for sharing this!!! We really do try… I think most doctors genuinely want to do the right thing. The system does try to beat us down, though.
Thanks Eileen, I also like a younger doc for all their recent training and an older doc for all the experience. It’s even better when they are in the same practice.
Totally agree! My students ask smart questions, but I also have phone-a-friend mentors for their wisdom.
Your patients are so lucky to have you in their support system. I have a PCP who is competent (and female, which as a female is important to me just because we share some of the same body systems :-) ). She is relatively young, and was very enthusiastic when she took over the practice of my former doctor. Over the past 10 years I have watched as the bureaucracy has worn her down --she wants to be more holistic in her patient interactions, but you can tell that she doesn't really have the time or energy anymore. Now our visits are very perfunctory and rushed. As a professor, I know how bureaucracies can dehumanize the system we work in, and leave us much less energy for the human connection to students or patients. I'm not sure there is any way in a capitalistic society to change that, but I still hope the future will bring positive change.
Yes. Thank you for sharing this. And she's not alone in feeling that way… we have a lot of work to do if we want to make our health care system more compassionate.
10/10 all on point!!!
:)
Hi, Mara. I appreciate this introduction to some of who you are and what you do. I am old and have a number of doctors. Each time I meet a new specialist, my primary care physician or psychologist or close friends ask: "How was she?" [all my docs are women] I have been happily able say, as to each one over the past years+, that my first response has been, "She's great; she listens, she answers directly and clearly; and when I've had later questions and ask on the patient portal, she has been responsive, direct and clear." As you said, "The secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient." Caring for a patient includes listening, paying attention, being responsive, clear and direct, and welcoming later questions. I can see you know that, too.
Thank you for sharing this! I’m so glad your experiences have been positive. (And not that you’re obligated to do this, but your docs might like to hear that you’ve had good experiences - we get a lot of grief, so words of praise really do mean a lot :)
I do this regularly—directly to them and in filling out recommendations on Google and in-hospital and in-practice “How was your experience?”
For many years I have made it a point to thank people and tell them the effect their work/practice had on me, or the benefits I received. I do that in numerous areas, not only in medicine. A couple of years ago I was in the hospital for 2 weeks for C-diff, was very sick, and in the last 24 hours I was there I thanked everyone who had been part of taking care of me When I Could Not Take Care of Myself, including the person who brought in the CPAP machine and the people who brought in food. They all mattered, and all people need to know that.
With docs, nurses, techs, aids, et al., I make a point of telling them how their actions made me feel. I don’t know that everyone is like I am in this regard, but how the person affects my emotions is critical to me, so I always say so.
That is wonderful. I hope you are feeling better, now!
Thanks—wholly recovered from the C-diff infection. Two skin cancer surgeries in the past 3 weeks—one squamous cell & one melanoma; surgeries went well and there will be a follow-on treatment to be determined later this month: chemo, hormone, radiation. It’s all okay; the medical care I am receiving is great, and I have very little anxiety because all of my questions were answered directly and kindly.
25 years ago, my then-wife had inflammatory breast cancer, received wonderful care throughout—lots of chemo, 5 surgeries, radiation & and caring human interaction by all—and she survived. She is still alive and has had many years of good health and professional advancement; as a result, she & I were and are extremely grateful (and expressed that to the all-woman medical team of oncologists).
Welcome... back!? ;) I'm so happy you are here sharing your wisdom and spreading kindness. I deeply appreciate your writing -- I always look forward to your posts. Thank you!
Aw, thank you ❤️
Love that Peabody quote! It is a more elegant version of something a friend told me. He is a college football coach and is fond of saying, "The way to make those kids feel that you care about them is to...actually care about them."
Love this
Love the rebrand! It sounds like you have an amazing group of friends.
Thanks Kim :)