Annals Story Slam - Finding Joy in Uncertainty
Authors: Amber E. King
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2019)

Web Exclusives3 September 2019Annals Story Slam - Finding Joy in UncertaintyFREEAmber E. King, PharmD, BCPSAmber E. King, PharmD, BCPSSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/W19-0012 SectionsAboutVisual Abstract ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Video. Annals Story Slam - Finding Joy in Uncertainty "Finding Joy in Uncertainty," by Amber E. King, PharmD, BCPS (Duration 5:46)Building on the popular Annals feature “On Being a Doctor,” storytellers share stories about the experience of doctoring on video.For more videos from and information on Annals Story Slam, visit go.annals.org/StorySlam. Comments0 CommentsSign In to Submit A Comment Mary Ann Kliethermesnone12 September 2019 Thank you As a past faculty member, clinical practitioner and mother, kudos to your strength, your story and your willingness to share. Disclosures: none Bimal K AgrawalM M Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Maharishi Markandeshwar Deemed to be University, Mullana, Ambala,India25 September 2019 Relearning The Art of Medicine Amber King reminded me of the book Only 10 Seconds to Care(1) by Wendy S. Harpham. As Amber says, life is full of uncertainties. But we don't realise this until a tragic event occurs. Then we bring order to our chaotic life and start making connections with ‘life’ once again. People like Amber King and Wendy are an inspiration to physicians like me. They motivate us to be more empathetic, to deal with patients directly and extend a helping hand to any who need it. These are matters not to be delegated. In the quest of the science of Medicine, we are neglecting the art of Medicine. This video made me pick up the book again and go back to some old favourites. Dr Wendy, having seen the world from both sides—as a doctor and as a patient—is uniquely placed to guide a caring physician. The author didn't want to know whether she has achieved remission from her disease. She preferred to live in uncertainties rather than to know the answer. There are many things I learned from the book. One can learn how to communicate and articulate to offer hope without having your patient develop false expectations. A physician needs to be more careful and sensitive in his utterances. Something as innocuous as ‘you are looking good’ can be misconstrued by a patient who is ill or feeling downright miserable. Hearing Amber King’s story or reading Dr Wendy’s book equips us to relearn the lost art of Medicine. It gives me more satisfaction when I treat the patient, not merely the disease. It means helping the patients not to give up, extending support to them in their suffering. Reference- 1 Harpham Wendy S , Only 10 Seconds to Care, Philadelphia, ACP Press, 2009. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics 3 September 2019Volume 171, Issue 5Page: SS1 ePublished: 3 September 2019 Issue Published: 3 September 2019 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.Loading ...