The lost art of medicine
Clinicians should practice the art of medicine, which seems harder in these times of declining reimbursements and the proliferation of new shiny toys we can use, and charge for, to measure aspects of the tear film. If that sounds like advice from a dinosaur, I’m proud of it.
By Joseph Tauber, MD
P: 816/531-910
Dr. Tauber is medical director of Tauber Eye Center, Kansas City, MO, where he is an anterior segment subspecialist and refractive surgeon.
I was privileged to receive my
We learned far more than just the science of medicine; we learned the art, the humanity, and the responsibility that comes to those who choose careers in health care. Like most physicians in training, we focused on the science, the knowledge we would need to practice, but the other aspects of these “Giants” soaked inside by osmosis.
I could never be more than a pale shadow of these dinosaurs. However, as my hair becomes more and more gray, I find my thoughts are becoming more “old school” and I understand the wisdom of my great teachers. Part of our responsibility is to give back, to train the next generations of physicians. This notion needs to become part of the “me” generation in the digital age.
In medical school, I was taught that it is possible to make a diagnosis based on history alone, and that one could anticipate a diagnosis even before performing an examination. I was also taught that it is equally possible to make a diagnosis from a nonverbal patient, without any provided history, based on a thorough exam alone.
While both statements are true, I have had enough diagnostic “surprises” that I have learned to keep my mind open until I have collected all the observations I can. A broad knowledge base is important. The eyes only see what the brain knows.
At the same time, our brains can get in the way of our eyes. There is an old Zen saying (poorly paraphrased here) that once we label a thing, our eyes are no longer open. It is in the time before we assign a label to something that we truly are open to seeing it and understanding it.
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