Evening star., 1962-10-25
STOP KILLING
YOURSELF
By Dr.. Peter J. Steincrohn

~N' - SASt - SAStN@iSItu
Dear DR.. Steincrohn: How
would you define a good doc
tor?-J.
THE FIRST essential, of
course, is that he has had
good medical training and
is well-grounded scientifical-
ly. But there is more to it
than that. Often, in these
columns I have suggested
that a doctor needs many
other attributes when he has
the health and life of other
human beings in the palm
Of his hand.
The good doctor should,
above all, be a good listener.
He should have large ears.
There is an art in listening.
He can't watch the clock and
be a good listener. He must
have interest and compass
sion for another's worries
and problems. He must be
willing to control the i'm
pulse to speak and lecture
while the patient unhurried-
ly begins to unburden him.
self of his anxieties and
fears.
The good doctor must be
tactful. He must know how
to handle the family as well
as the patient. Good pedia-
tricians are masters at
this.) He must be able to
keep condolences. The pa
tient must feel his doctor is
the safe repository of his in
nermost secrets. The good
doctor is optimistic.
A one-sentence description
of a good doctor is that he
is one who thinks Of the
worst yet hopes for the best.
This is important. He must
be suspicious of every Symp-
tom; guilty until proved in
nocent. Otherwise, he may
occasionally overlook seri-
GUS disease If he has a ten
dency to minimize the pa
tents complaints. But, hav-
ing discovered disease, he
must be optimistic and keep
fighting to overcome it.
The good doctor must be-
sufficiently energetic to be
able to a make house calls
and night calls as needed. He
must realize that everyone,
no matter how skilled, has
his limitations. Therefore,
he should never hesitate to
call in consultation when
there is any doubt in his
mind Cor the patient's) in
the management of illness.
When the good doctor is
making medical rounds he
reaches for his patient first;
and not for the laboratory
reports. Although he is we'll
trained in the scientific as
poets of medicine he is also
a student of the art of medi-
cine. And the art keeps re-
minding him that he is deal
ing with human beings and
not with guinea pigs.
I could go on and on. I
might use the old cliche that
he must be a gentleman and
a scholar. The good doctor
is a dedicated man. Medicine
comes first: Before golf. the
theater or other relaxations.
Nevertheless, he recognizes
the need for periods Of re-
taxation to function we'll as
a doctor. The tired doctor is
not the good doctor he might
be.
DOES HE need q good
bedside manner? Of course
he does! This is nothing
more than q combination of
many of the qualities I have
listed: Compassion, being a
good listener, optimism,
cheerfulness, tact, thorough
ness, understanding and
firmness. The last quality is
important. The doctor must
inspire confidence if he ex-
poets the patient to follow
his leadership.
If you have a doctor with
most of the qualities I have
mentioned hold on to him.
Don't let him go. You are
blessed more than you real
ize. If you haven't, then it
will repay you to search for
such a one. More than you
realize, such doctors make up
the backbone of American
medicine.
DR.. Steincrohn's Iedtlet,
Maybe Your Heart Troubles
Imaginary" tDiH be mailed on
receipt of a stamped, Selt-Gd-
dressed enUelope and 10 cents
in coin for handling. Address
DR.. Steincrohn in care OF The
Evening Star.
Tomorrow: Blood Pressure.