A Little MS with a Little MSW

My sister made a statement to me recently after a rude encounter with a hospital employee:

“You can be brilliant AND kind.”

That’s not to say that everyone in the medical field is brilliant, but I digress. Her statement was in reference to a punk-ass resident that needed to have his face surgically removed from his phone during their conversation. He may have passed the MCAT, but he seems to be failing at eye contact and compassion.

Maybe you are someone who has been relatively healthy and has not had much interaction with medical professionals. If so, I envy you. I have had more surgeries and medical issues than I can count at this point. My most recent CIS debacle being the catalyst that made me a strong advocate for my health and acutely aware of the ineptitude and narcissism that permeates the walls and halls of pretty much every medical establishment.

Perhaps, when God was passing out brains, kindness was on backorder. Or maybe smarts and douchebags were buy one get one free. Whatever the case may be, the lack of warmth at your local health facility is chilling. How is it that hospitals lack hospitality? The English language can be as ass-backwards as the personality traits that dominate the helping profession.

Oftentimes, patients are scared. The patient does not view their ailment, procedure, or surgery as “routine,”; they view it as terrifying. I understand that the generation entering medical school now does not know a world without cell phones or the internet. And I know that they grew up in an age of immediate gratification, suffering a lifelong drought of interpersonal communication and anticipated events. HOWEVER.

The God complex and cell phone should be left at the door when entering a room to treat a patient. The medical component of the job may be complex, but the human part should not be. Smile. Make eye contact. Listen. Ask questions. Express concern. Help. Care.