I am not a Provider!
pro·vi·der n
pro·vi·der n
1. somebody
who provides the material means of support for somebody, especially a family
2. an
organization or company that provides access to a service or system, for
example, a cellular phone, cable, or computer network
I am a Doctor!
doc·tor n
doc·tor n
1. a
title given to somebody who has been awarded a doctorate, the highest level of
degree awarded by a university
2. in
the earlier history of the Roman Catholic Church, an eminent and influential
theologian
3. a
teacher, or somebody very knowledgeable (archaic)
After many years of practicing medicine, I have come to
realize that patients look upon doctors as belonging to their family of
friends. They share their hopes and dreams. They talk about illness and the
dread that comes with it. They speak about their families and what the
children, grandchildren or their spouses, nieces and nephews have to say about
inconsequential things. They talk about life.
From that, I decipher the heartache within, which has caused
the calamity that has propelled the patient to arrive at my doorstep. I am a
human like my patient. I have the same fears. I revel in in the joys similar to the
ones they, the patients have. I rejoice in the same accolades that they do. I
cry because of similar threads of loss and grief. But here is where the
unpleasant thoughts must end in caring for the patient. With all the empathy
endowed upon me through living a life, I must detach myself from the emotive
expressions and with a critical eye towards facts and none towards the bubbling
brook of emotions, cast my analysis in accordance with knowledge and
experience. To help my patient!
The frown of thought, the wrinkle of concern, the detachment
in the question must accomplish one and only one purpose; regaining the past splendor
of a life in turmoil. So I listen and think and listen some more. And at the
end, I have a plan.
Explaining the technical details to the patients are as
important for their understanding as it is to mine. They must understand what I
plan to do. I must understand what they expect of me in return for subjecting
themselves to the rigors of my plan. This understanding is an education, which must not be
cut short, abbreviated or rendered moot. It is crucial to both of us. It is crucial to the wellbeing of the patient and is equally
crucial to the promise of my dedication to this noble profession of medicine.
Why then do the “experts” continue to use the jargon of
“provider” when they talk about me? Why, am I to them, someone who provides only
“material means of support?” I ask myself. Is that what I do? Am I a car
salesman that provides a material means of support to a customer to ease their
travels? Am I a plumber that provides a material means of support for a burst
pipe? Both professions in light of need have an important place and need in
society, but I believe in my heart, I give more than that. I give of myself, my
experience, my knowledge, my humanity, my support, my confidence, my empathy,
my emotions and a share of unquantifiable intellect gathered through years of practice and
familiarity, that are all a part, which enrich me.
What then is the purpose of this changed definition? The
lexicon seems to have permeated into the professors, experts, journalists,
lay-people and even intellectuals who think for a living, in their daily conversation. I believe it is a means
of diminishing the significance of a doctor! Reduce the perceived value of the
doctor through this lexical obfuscation and then use that proposition to
demonize, demonetize, and vilify at random. Ultimately, one must wonder, to
what end? Is it because of money? Unfortunately, from my perspective, all
trails lead to the pot of gold at the end of their rainbow!
A noble profession does not and has never meant aloofness,
superiority and arrogance. It is meant an unvarnished reality of alleviating
human disease and restoring health.
This discussion is not about dipping in a pool of nostalgia, it is about reality. As a doctor, I must maintain my side of the bargain
of caring for the sick and educating them in health and leave to others to call
me what they want.
But in my own infinite space, I am and will always be a Doctor!
"Three-quarters of the sicknesses of intelligent people come from their intelligence. They need at least a doctor who can understand this sickness." ~ Marcel Proust
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