July 1, 2013
New York, NY
Life is more difficult when we are forced by the inner
compass of integrity and truth demanded by the Hippocratic Oath.
Today’s physicians do what the others do, because they can,
…. and because it pays for their lifestyle.
Am I cynical? I have seen this with thousands of physician colleagues,
and openly challenge any MDs to complete their patient advocacy scorecard. Even the 20 celebrity physicians I know. Or those from or at the best schools.
The issues are time and patience. Cardiologist colleagues
quickly recommend angioplasty, rather than Dean Ornish’s medically-proven diet
and lifestyle reversal of heart disease. One tells me he is heart-broken at
what he has to do, but has worked hard for his chairmanship. He has to do
procedures to keep the numbers up, for the rating of the department.
Gynecology colleagues do coloscopy but throw in a cone
biopsy “just to be sure,” rather than use vigilance and patience to watch
clinical symptoms or consider the risk factors for infection from having an
open wound for 4-6 weeks in the cervix. One blindly tells me that she must follow the
standard of care, else her practice colleagues will discontinue her from the
practice.
Of course, oncology colleagues insist on chemotherapy even
when they have not a clue about maintaining the health of the healthy tissue
surrounding the cancer. One tells me he only does what the literature
recommends.
My obstetrician colleagues do too many ultrasounds, too many
cesarean sections, too little observation. They says it is a game of time
management. My friends blame it on “the
system:” not enough time to see patients, ridiculous rates of payment for
thankless, heart-wrenching work, and little support from administration,
nurses, or those who “support” the system.
Their own unwellness is the source of this, Ayurveda
suggests. When a physician is not healthy and clearly connected in mind, body,
senses and soul, s/he will make decisions about others that are not of the
highest use to the patient.
Thus begins the journey to explore what Ayurveda
prescribes: how do I make myself
healthier, stronger, more clear, so that I can serve my patients more fully?