By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    healthy hobbies
    The Importance of Hobbies for Our Health
    September 15, 2024
    Whiplash
    Understanding Whiplash: A Guide For Healthcare Practitioners
    January 22, 2025
    research chemicals and health care
    Chemical Research Drive Medical Breakthroughs
    June 14, 2023
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Hospitals and Providers Using NHIN (Nationwide Health Information Network)
    March 11, 2012
    Image
    Physicians With High Productivity And Satisfaction Scores Employ Strong Patient-Centered Communication Skills
    May 7, 2013
    My Solution to the Healthcare Crisis
    March 31, 2012
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Doctor as Patient
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > News > Doctor as Patient
News

Doctor as Patient

Andrew Schorr
Andrew Schorr
Share
4 Min Read
Dr. Paul Schellhammer
SHARE
Dr. Paul Schellhammer

Dr. Schellhammer

Dr. Paul Schellhammer

Dr. Schellhammer

The other day I interviewed Dr. Paul Schellhammer, a noted urologic oncologist in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Paul is 71 now and is very well known and respected in his field. He is a former president of the American Urological Association. As you can imagine, Paul has treated many men for prostate cancer. All men have a high likelihood of developing it as they age but in the vast majority of cases it is non-aggressive. Increasingly there are men who receive no treatment. It’s simply what doctors call “a finding.” But in 2000 Paul met prostate cancer “up close and personal.” Not only was he diagnosed with it, but as he and a pathologist friend looked at his biopsy under the microscope it was evident his prostate cancer could not be considered “non-aggressive.” And so began another story of a doctor as patient.

Paul began his journey from surgery to radiation to hormonal therapy to clinical trials. While he is not on a trial just now he expects to be in another one in a few weeks. He is living the life of a doctor who knows exactly how his patients feel. Please listen to my interview with Paul where he explains how he processes information about treatments both as a doctor and as a patient. And he shares his advice to others. You’ll hear how he stresses the importance of patients becoming students of their own health condition. He echoes what I always say, that no doctor cares as much about your case as you do or has as much at stake. With the treatment landscape changing in prostate cancer, for example, it’s imperative a man learns all he can with the understanding that he may sometimes know something his busy doctor does not. These days Paul Schellhammer doesn’t see that as a patient being too pushy. He sees it as a requirement for patients today, and he is among them.

One other note about doctors as patients. When I remember, I ask doctors I interview why they became a physician. Not infrequently it is because they experienced an illness themselves or a family member did. Recently, I interviewed Dr. Bart Scott, a noted oncologist and bone marrow transplant specialist. I asked him about his connection with the field. In his case he was in training to be a doctor and then got hit with a life threatening diagnosis – Hodgkin lymphoma. It was after treatment and beating the disease that Bart resumed his medical training, this time directed toward a specialty that treats young adults like him with that same diagnosis. Look for my interview with Bart very soon.

So, as you can see, it would be inappropriate to blindly say “Doctor, you have no idea what I am feeling because you’ve never experienced it yourself.” Because not infrequently, they have.

Wishing you the best of health!

Andrew

TAGGED:cancerdoctor/patient relationshipprostate cancer
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Ebola Education, Hospital Marketing, Healthcare Marketing, Healthcare Communication
BusinessGlobal HealthcareHospital AdministrationNewsPublic Health

Hospital Marketing and Ebola: Communication and Education Needed

October 30, 2014

Fighting Anti-Abortion Legislation with Humor

March 9, 2012

What Doctors Don’t Know About the Drugs They Prescribe : Video

November 18, 2012

Innovation: Aligning Physicians and Hospitals to Create Sustainable Health Care Delivery

April 22, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?