What Makes A Great Oncologist?
I had a WOW experience yesterday when I accompanied my wife to interview a new doctor for her. As some reader may know she is being seen by specialists at MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston for Stage IV lung cancer. She has not had a local oncologist for the past 6 years…but she does now. And we both love this guy!
You need to understand that I have been very underwhelmed by the local oncologists I had met up till now. I am sure they were clinically proficient…but as a group not a one could muster a smile….or any sense of interest or curiosity in my wife’s medical condition. I held out little hope that this new doctor would be any different.
After being ushered into the exam room, a Physician’s Assistant came into the room to get smart about my wife’s history and records (which she brought). Three things surprised me about the PA. 1) She was incredibly thorough actually reading the radiology reports and reflecting with my wife on what she learned, 2) her empathy – as she read the reports she actually used terms like “bummer” when she read how my wife developed pneumonia during her treatment, and 3) she faithfully summarized the results of her review to the doctor before he came in. In other words – the PA listened and heard what my wife shared with her!
Now enters the doctor. He has a warm smile on his face while he extends a hand to my wife and me. He says just enough for us to know that he has talked to the PA. He asks my wife to sit on the exam table and does a physical exam (also a rare event these days). Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Mind The Gap*
