Dr. Jennifer Israel wrote a moving article in the Cases section of the New York Times Health section yesterday about the need, as a doctor, to slow down. Physicians are busy and because they are so busy, they sometimes risk becoming desensitized to the beauty and pain of life and death. So they must make an effort to slow down and take in and respect the moments that make up their professional lives.
You can find the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/health/views/22case.html?ex=1374465600&en=558e88206d6b356e&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink.
This article also reinforces my belief that it is useful to teach medical students the art of reflection, through study of the arts and humanities. Being able to write and reflect on the experiences of dealing with life and death gives physicians a coping mechanism for facing the particular stresses of their job. But ultimately, it is a lesson we can all learn: to slow down when life seems rushed and take in the moment.
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