Don’t learn medicine from people who hate it.

More importantly, dont learn medicine from people who hate their patients.

It may seem like a position of power. Where you can do a tough job and never be hurt.

I am here to tell you, hating (doubting, dehumanizing, mistrusting) your patients is a dead end street.

It will lead you to believe “they” are different from “you.”

One day, like I have, you will become a patient. You will see doctors who treat you and other patients as Liars, Deceivers, Tricksters and Scammers.

You will see it is ugly.

You will also see this maladjustment that was intended to protect the care giver form being tricked and lied to actually has the opposite effect. It ruins the job.

It sucks the joy out of what should be one of the most joyful human enterprises.

Care givers who doubt every next patient are not protected form pain. They live in pain. They are only isolated from the joy of caring for living, breathing, story-telling patients who ae just like themselves.

Forever feeling separated and at odds with the sea of humanity that washes onto the beach of their exam room and hospital bed.

Isolated and alone surrounded by liars and cheats.

I count how many minutes it takes for me to tell a lie each day. Often less than one.

“I want to get up out of this bed.”

I recognize some 5-10% of the lies I tell each day.

“You looks nice.”
“I’m feeling fine thanks for asking.”
“It’s no trouble at all.”

This keeps me humble and a pat of humanity. Recognizing at least some of the lies I tell myself and everyone around me keeps me in the middle of the herd of humanity.

A part of.

Most importantly, it reminds me that no patient’s story requires any disclaimer about its factuality.

All are as full of myth and fantasy as my own stories I tell each day.

And at the same time, their is no truer version of your story than your own.

Hire a historian, a court reporter, and keep a drone to videotape every waking moment of your life.

You still reserve the right to tell your version of your experience and there is no higher gold-standard.

Your experience is The Truth. There is no greater truth.

Grant your patients the courtesy to live by the same rules by which you yourself live.

Show grace where it is shown to you.

Not for the benefit of others. Not selflessly.

Do it for yourself so you can join your patients as human beings living human stories together.

Do it to find (or rediscover) the joy of the practice of medicine.