Listen to your patient, he is telling you his diagnosis – Sir William Osler

Most of us have learned that if we can just be quiet and listen, to listen to what our patients are truly saying, they will tell you the diagnosis.

We know that most diagnoses can be made on history alone.

Urinary urgency and frequency, most likely UTI.

Do you know what I hear when I listen to medical students, residents, and physicians these days?

I hear despair. I hear burnout. I hear depression. I hear anxiety. I hear overwhelm. I hear desperation. I hear they want out. I hear this is unsustainable.

Listen to our people.

They are telling us the diagnosis.

So, the question is…

Now that we have the assessment, what is the plan?

Who makes the plan?

We do.

The physicians.

Assessment -> Plan.

Think of something, anything that you can do, where you are, in your personal or professional life, in your health care system. Something has got to change. So let’s come together and make a plan.