BIH Paper

From the moment we are born, there is an inevitable life cycle that will transpire over approximately the next eighty years. From infancy to childhood and from adolescence to their elder years, each patient has specific fears and issues based solely on where they are in their life cycle. In very young babies, constant medical care is often crucial for survival as well as the heartfelt dedication of their parents. In childhood, there are many milestones that incite fear in parents and insecurities in kids, and each issue deserves to be addressed, often by doctors such as myself before psychiatrists and therapists. For adolescents and adults, insecurity, sexual health problems, and inability to access healthcare abound, but it is still possible to create an impact at this life stage in every patient. Finally, in the later stages of life, the elderly receive some of the most extensive care from the healthcare system. However, their needs are often not addressed how they would like. No matter what life stage an individual presents to my clinic in, it is important to recognize these age-specific considerations before initiating any treatment, behavioral or physical.
The field of pediatrics is one of the most consistently changing fields in medicine. With the strong concern of parents and the healthcare goal to do everything possible to protect minors, there are many skills that are required of a physician to deal with the complexities of treating a young child with the secondary goal of satisfying the parents. First and foremost, my goal is to promote the healthy mental and physical development of a young child. Recognizing screening and immunization protocols in addition to developmental milestones is vital for each baby and child. ...

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...pant in this conversation. Placing the power in the hands of the patient and giving them the knowledge to come to a shared decision between their family and myself will always be the ultimate goal.
Each stage of the life cycle has chief concerns. The concerns of patients and their families are vastly different for babies and the elderly, but the principles of proper care by me as their physician should always remain constant. When I can actively engage patients in conversation, teach them, and then help them to make their own healthcare decisions, I won’t always save lives, but I will be providing the best care I can to each of my patients. Death may be the end of the life cycle, but it is not indicative of my failure. A deeper understanding of what each patient needs, young and old, will help me to promote healing and, in the end, relieve suffering as best I can.