Ask a dozen people what one word describes a doctor, and you’ll likely get a couple dozen answers. Caring and Healer come up a lot.
Ask a dozen doctors why they went into medicine, and the number one answer is that they wanted to help people… and they still do. Every day doctors see people who are hurting and need help. Sometimes it’s a simple thing — an antibiotic or a couple stitches. Other times, it may be a complex paradigm with many mitigating factors. Regardless, people come to the doctor for help, cures, easing of pain… and in most cases, the doctor is able to provide the cure for what ails them. Doctors dedicate their entire lives to making people’s lives better.
That’s probably why it hits a doctor so hard when he’s sued for malpractice. The allegation that he would be negligent, cause harm, is anathema to a healer. As a society, we put a lot of pressure upon doctors to be perfect. We may sometimes forget that a doctor is not a god or a magician. He’s a regular human being with a family and loved ones, friends… just like anyone else. Doctors aren’t all the same. They don’t all believe in the same religion, they don’t all have the same political views. What they have in common is simply a caring, a desire to alleviate suffering.
When it comes to health care reform, though, doctors are presenting a strong and consistent front: They all want functional changes that will actually help their patients get affordable coverage. Over 10,000 doctors’ signatures were presented to Washington, saying they want in on the process. Why? Because they’re there on the front lines, know what complicates things, where the wastes are, and what it would take to enact meaningful change.
Your doctor sacrificed much to gain the knowledge and ability to help you. Your well-being is his or her highest priority. When it comes down to it, your doctor is on your side, wanting the best for you, and has been all along. Doesn’t it just seem right that you return the favor?
