I saw an elderly patient a few months back for a gastrointestinal issue that fortunately led to a benign outcome. He was a modest man who spoke softly and used few words. As has been my custom for as long as I’ve sat across patients, I was interested to learn something of the man beyond the issue that brought him to see me. Indeed, it is these vignettes that I regard as the gems of my practice. Without them, I would be left only with the practice of medicine, and this would not be sufficient.
I saw an elderly patient a few months back for a gastrointestinal issue that fortunately led to a benign outcome. He was a modest man who spoke softly and used few words. As has been my custom for as long as I’ve sat across patients, I was interested to learn something of the man beyond the issue that brought him to see me. Indeed, it is these vignettes that I regard as the gems of my practice. Without them, I would be left only with the practice of medicine, and this would not be sufficient.