Medical Memories

It has been three and one half years since I stopped practicing medicine. I graduated medical school in 1978 and practiced until the end of 2007. There were so many experiences that I am rapidly losing. It is like I am on a boat traveling away from land and what was so large is getting smaller and smaller with time.

I still maintain my license. I occasionally dispense medications and advice to family and friends. I don't miss practicing medicine. I still run into many of my former patients around town so I still have much of the satisfaction of seeing children I delivered grow up. In a way I get many of the benefits of having practiced in one town for 28 years without the pressure of having to worry about bad outcomes, unhappy patients, greedy insurance companies and increasing costs and regulations.

Medicine and especially Obstetrics and Gynecology changed significantly during my watch. Patients seemed easier to please when I started practice. They were happy to have a caring person to diagnose and treat. I basically followed two principles. First do no harm. Second, treat patients like I would like to be treated. It was simple. After a few years in practice I was quite confident.

Mother nature likes to throw curve balls. Early in my career it seemed that patients and families were more understanding and accepting of unfortunate outcomes that are part of any medical practice. Today with the internet, the proliferation of medical malpractice attorneys and second opinions, a clinician is more like a prize fighter bobbing and weaving to avoid trouble. After the fact there is always someone willing to be a Monday Morning Quarterback.
People have such high expectations especially after hearing news reports of advances in medicine. Medical options are numerous today while yesterday's options were few.