10
doc • Spring 2016
Kentucky
He allows the patient to
ask questions or discuss
concerns, and after taking
care of the patient’s needs,
he always asks if the family
member/care provider has
any questions.
from a doctor, she jokingly recalls wanting to ask,
‘”Are you sure you have an MD after your name?”
Regarding the ways in which he sustains compassion in his life, he says “Home has to be a good
place. It’s hard to remain compassionate if home
life is a struggle.” He feels fortunate to have found
a part of medicine that “fits me”. He explains,
“Oncology has scientific and clinical questions
that intrigue and stimulate me. At the same time,
I’m most comfortable in clinical areas where I
get to know the patient as a person. To help learn
about the patient as a person, I often ask, “Where
did you grow up? Where do you live? What do you
do? Who/what matters to you?“
Regarding our responsibility to train and educate medical students and residents to prope