Summary Of An Interview With A Single Patient

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Although Mr. Ng will certainly appreciate more time and attention from doctors, he understands that in a public hospital setting, the doctors cannot direct too much time on a single patient due to the current shortage of doctors and resources. He seems disappointed at the fact that doctors are not able to get to know the patient more as a person. This is the most memorable part of the interview for me. I find the fact that Mr. Ng is not satisfied by the lack of emotional care from the doctor but still has to accept the current experience saddening. I think there are multiple ways of improving the situation. First, doctors should be trained to be acting in a more caring way to patients. Secondly, the government can increase the number of …show more content…

Being a doctor is serving others, understanding their needs and caring for them as a person. I think that speaking with patients is the best way to allow me to discover the various needs of different patients, allowing me to give them more satisfaction in the care process. Patients suffering from diseases often view things from a different perspective, making it hard for doctors to imagine the difficulties they are going through. Often, patients do not want to have to rely on the care of others, as it can be embarrassing and demoralizing for patients to require help for the most basic daily activities like eating or going to the toilet. Doctors may have to experience the condition or the treatment firsthand before they can comprehend what it feels like to be a patient and understand their expectations and desires from doctors. It is only by learning the perspective of the patient that doctors can tailor their care to address the hopes of patients.
Whilst I do agree that for now, the primary goal for us medical students is to study well and gain the medical knowledge required to diagnose patients, I think that patient skills are vital and should be developed from the start. Good communication and patient skills cannot be achieved suddenly. To avoid turning into an alienated doctor who speaks with patients in complicated medical terms, I will make use of every opportunity of patient contact in the future years to become a caring and understanding

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