Osteopathi Combission

In order to make a smooth transition from studying medicine to practicing medicine, student doctor must demonstrate three professional qualities which include communication, compassion and cultural competency in order to gain respect from the community.

Medicine is largely based on communication. It requires cooperation from both health care providers and patients. As a physician, one has to constantly exchange medical information with other specialists, who are also treating the patient. For instance if a patient comes in complaining about an abdomen pain, as a osteopathic physician, I would have to contact the patient’s other physicians depending on the conditions such as cardiologist or even an orthodontist to see what other medications and treatments are being administer before deciding on a treatment. This quality plays a vital role especially for an osteopathic student doctor adjusting to the practice of medicine. Osteopathic medicine employs the whole body concept which allows physicians to view the body and person as a preventive agent rather than zooming in on the details of specific diseases. In order to do so, an

osteopathic physician needs to have strong sense of communication while interacting with both physicians and patients. For a practicing physician communication involves multiple facets, which includes the ability to listen, explain and empathize with patients. During office visits patients often skip on the details of the symptoms or past history, if they feel the physician is not going to take their conditions seriously or empathize with them. This could result in inaccurate diagnosis, which can delay treatment and deteriorate the patient’s health.
Communication for practicing physician also includes the ability to coherently explain medications, treatment plans and options thoroughly. This enables the patient to decide on a treatment plan that best suits their personal life styles. For instance a student doctor observing a cardiac patient might suggest valve transplant from a pig based on its prior success rate, thus advocate for that particular treatment. However, professionalism in communication allows the practicing physician to build upon his/her initial foundation on communication but also consider the situation from multiple perspectives, such as cost for treatment, long term maintenance and how the treatment plan fits into the patient’s personal, religious and social beliefs.
As a medical student at VCOM, I will demonstrate this quality by learning how to exchange medical information efficiently with other medical personnel as well as the patients. In addition to working in collaborate fashion with my fellow classmates and colleagues; I will try to volunteer as much time as possible with local clinics and hospitals to acuminate my ability to explain, empathize and listen
Compassion is one of the most important qualities for practicing doctors.

As a doctor it is important to alleviate patient’s suffering with not just medicine but also with care. When a physician shows empathy and understanding about the patient’s condition, the patient is more willing to trust the physician. In addition, the patient will feel more comfortable about sharing their symptoms and concerns. This allows the doctor to build healthy physician-patient relationship based on communication and trust. As a medical student I will use care and compassion to understand my patients as respectful individuals rather than vessels of illnesses. I will try to provide both sympathy and empathy when speaking to patients about treatment plans and explaining their questions and concerns in a manner which is comprehensible but no

disrespectful.
In order to gain community’s respect doctor needs to have culture competence when dealing with patients. United States is a very culturally, religiously and ethnically diverse country with people from all over the world. Therefore, as a practicing doctor, one needs to be aware of different cultures and customs and to be respectful about the patient’s cultural and religious beliefs. As a medical student transitioning to a practicing doctor I will ask patients if they have any religious restrictions before providing treatments. For instance, if a patient is fasting during the month of Ramadan, I would have to respect my patient’s religious obligations and administer medicines in a way that will not conflict with the patient’s beliefs. Similar situations would apply if a patient was from Hindu or Jewish backgrounds and could not consume medicine with gelatin coating. Therefore, as a medical student transitioning to practicing doctor, one must learn to provide quality of care which meets patient’s cultural, social and religious needs.
As a medical student in VCOM I will demonstrate professionalism through qualities such as communication, compassion and cultural competency in order to gain respect from the community.