“Who shall say what prospect life offers to another? Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” – Henry David Thoreau

Most often when a patient enters the room, we immediately ask them about their illness and suggest the line of treatment. And ring the bell for the next patient. All this would hardly take a few minutes (unless it is some serious condition). Our conversations are always hurried and professional to the core. 

Have we ever paused and asked ourselves – Is it just a “case” who walks into the room or is it a “person” with a medical condition who requires holistic care?

A skill is the learned ability to perform an action with determined results and with good execution. Here is an approach that explains the optimum use of the head, heart and the hands to learn a skill.

Are you a doctor with a scientific approach? Or a healer who offers hope and solace? Or both? How do you strike a balance?

Last week, one of my friends brought her 89-year-old grandmother to my clinic. She had complaints that warranted invasive investigations. She came across as a strong woman and made it clear to me that she had no intentions to get admitted into a hospital either for testing or for treatment! Whenever such a patient walks through the door, I tend to change my hat from being a doctor to a healer!