As most of my patients well know, we have students rotating through our office all the time. I find their presence motivating and challenging, and always stimulating! I love teaching what I know to anyone who wants to learn it, either students or patients. That is why I sometimes get behind in my schedule; I teach and talk too much!! I want you to know “the what and the why” of your symptoms and problems. I want you to know why we are testing and treating as we are.
It is common for students to ask me the most important 5 things that will help them be really good doctors. The list I tell them is much different than it was 30 years ago when I was a newly minted physician. In fact I am embarrassed to say that my current 5 most important priorities were not even on my list then.
And there are really 6 on my list now. They are:
1) Care
2) Care
3) Care
4) Listen
5) Listen
6) Listen
These “core practices” do not generate more office profit, they are not legislated in Obamacare, they are not taught in Medical School, they are not related to rapidly-improving medical technology. Technology, testing, advanced and expensive treatments have their place in Medicine. But they don’t make my “Top Ten” list. Not even close. At Kaiser-Permanente health systems in California, family docs are now “on the clock”; they have 7 minutes with any patient and must move on after that. Seven minutes!!! Not much time to Care and Listen. There is currently an office in our area where poor Medicaid reimbursement has now generated a policy that Medicaid patients can have only one problem dealt with per visit. If there are two medical needs on the same day, that patient must make an appointment the next day to deal with the second one.
I have previously occupied these blogs with exciting new (and scientific and effective) alternative testing and treatments for “what ails us all” (fatigue, brain fog, hormone imbalance, inflammation, nutritional disorders and testing, etc., etc.). But undergirding and overarching all else that we do at Upper Valley Family Practice and Urgent Care IS the CARING and the LISTENING. Without that we would be just another doctor’s office instead of being part of your family. That is a trust we earn every day as we sit with you for however long it takes and solve your needs whether large or small.
If this sounds like what you always wanted in a doctor’s office, then call (356-8883) and come in and let us show you how kind and effective medical care are one in the same!
See you soon!
Dr. Hopkin