SZ’s Director General Delivers Key Address at Hebrew University Medical School Commencement
| http://www.szmc.org.il/Eng/Index.asp?CategoryID=198&ArticleID=1210 On Monday evening, July 5th, the graduating class of the School of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem heard the official address marking their taking the oath as physicians from Professor Jonathan Halevy, Director General at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. Professor Halevy said that the honor of delivering the address served as important recognition or the central role Shaare Zedek has come to play in the Israeli medical community and in the academic curriculum of the Hebrew University Medical School. This address delivered immediately alongside the students reciting their oaths as doctors is generally recognized as the highlight of medical school commencements. The address is always afforded to a senior member of the medical community and is designed as a final and very practical form of education before the young physicians prepare to join the work force. Professor Halevy’s address was entitled “Confronting Professional Challenges in Contemporary Clinical Medicine.” Below is an adaptation of his remarks which were delivered in Hebrew: Modern medicine presents a series of opportunities and challenges unlike what physicians of past generations might have ever encountered. Today’s world of clinical care is defined by several specific challenges: -A Hi-tech culture of medicine- While the plusses of course outweigh the minuses, the advent of a medical world guided by machines and computers can very negatively impact on how the doctor relates to the patient. A natural response of detachment occurs to the point where certain areas of medicine like radiology no longer demand that the physician be in the room with the patient- or that matter in the same country. An often overlooked downside of technological advancement is that it also imbues unrealistic expectations within the patient. People come to believe that because of developments in medical science, every aspect of disease should be conquered. How often have we heard “If we can land a man on the moon, how are we not able to cure cancer…? -Heightened anxiety from the patient community- From the patient’s perspective information is power but from the physician’s outlook, an individual with too many details, many of which are often incorrect or misleading leads to a more anxious patient. The principle medium driving this anxiety today is the Internet. While in the hands of an informed and educated party who can discern what is valid data and what is irrelevant the web is an invaluable resource, too many people are falling into the trap of “Internet MD.” Using the web, all too many people grow ever-more fearful about their personnel conditions simply based on what they read on any particular website. This is one problem which a doctor would have never faced only fifteen years ago. -Accountability- A physician, regardless of where he or she might be employed, is not an autonomous figure. Every doctor is subservient to some form of hierarchy, including managers, health funds, malpractice insurers, Ministries of Health, the list goes on and on. While accountability is designed to protect both physician and patient, there is no disputing that it can impede the doctor’s ability to offer the best care by injecting a level of excess caution into the realm of healthcare. Responding to these and other challenges is incumbent upon each and every one of us as physicians and for every problem there is a solution. -Perhaps the most fundamental lesson that we can impart as physicians is to be guided by a code of ethics. Every man and woman comes into the world with an inherent sense of what is right and wrong. This is a basic reflex which is invaluable in the medical profession and must be accessed in all aspects of patient care. -We must always remind ourselves that even as physicians we are humans, with the same flaws and jealousies as anyone else. Yet, the life-altering nature of our profession requires that we seek out the best in ourselves and our peers. For that reason, while there are no perfect doctors, we must recognize the individual strengths and weaknesses of others in the medical community and take the best characteristics of those around us to enhance our ability to be the best possible caregivers. -The patient can be your best educator. The ideal physicians are those who are open to change and criticism and welcome the wishes and perspectives of the patient. It is critical to recognize as a physician you enter into a covenant that requires you do all in your power to give that individual the very best possible care. It is far more than a legal contract, which is only one aspect of what binds us to our patients. It is rather a moral and ethical imperative which drives us to invest everything we can to ensure the optimal outcome. It is furthermore vital that we practice modesty and humility in our professions. We are a simple component in a social system of healthcare, and part of our jobs as doctors is to recognize that role and ensure that we are giving back to society as much as we are personally benefiting from our work. A substantial aspect of this understanding requires that we never judge our patients based on who or what they are. Discrimination of being partial to a richer or poorer, more advantaged or disadvantaged patient is both immoral and diametrically opposed to what we are meant to stand for as physicians. As you take this oath you are entering into the grandest of professions. Medicine stands at the forefront of science and technology and enables us to truly change lives for the better. Yet, what will always distinguish you as a truly excellent doctor is the ability to utilize far more than the most advanced machines or newest drugs. What will define excellence is how you are able to ensure that your humanity and compassion is delivered into each and every patient you are blessed to treat. Accomplishing this often elusive, yet always vital, aspect of healthcare is what will make your lifelong dreams of being a great physician quickly become the reality. |
