Cancer Docs…Must Have….
What do we look for in a cancer doctor?
Do they need to have a bag full of “must haves” that aren’t required of other doctors?
It’s probably unfair, but first impressions go a long way in doctor to patient relationships. The first time that doc opens the door and enters the room, he/she is judged beginning that instant. Really, it’s true. It may not be fair, but that’s the way it is. We all look for compassion in our doctors. They have to show that they care. That old “bed side manner” really counts in cancer world. So COMPASSION is high on the list.
SMART….they have to be smart. I mean all doctors have got to be smart, but some show their “smartness” better than others. Some think outside the box when it comes to treatment. Others make you feel like you’re the only patient they’ve got….and your care is more important than anything else in the world. That’s smart.
OPEN and AVAILABLE….A doctor who is open is a doctor who will listen to what the patient has to say. They have to be open to listening to what the patient is thinking…it’s one of the most important parts of treating a cancer victim. Being open lends itself to being AVAILABLE. The two go hand in hand. Being able to reach out and connect with your doctor and hearing back from them quickly is extremely important. None of this emailing back after days of silence….that just doesn’t work.
A CANCER COMPANION…Cancer docs need to be companions in this fight. Care givers, family, loved ones, friends…they all help, but being able to reach out to your doctor and feel like he/she is standing right there next to you, with knowledge and understanding makes this struggle easier.
There are some classes in med school that try to teach these skills, but so much of it comes from the heart. There’s not a class that I know of, that can teach from the heart.
December 21, 2011 @ 8:08 pm
Laurie: I agree 100% with all your comments. My husband’s surgeon and oncologlist were two people who met all of the above. They saved his life, but he didn’t turn things over to them completely. It was, as you pointed out, a journey together. And here before Christmas, I want to add that I am thinking of all those who still post, and for all those who have in the past. The holidays can be very rough!
December 21, 2011 @ 7:00 pm
It is a big deal when choosing a cancer doc. All of the attributes listed are important but most of all…..how does he/she interact with you the patient. I need to know that he/she will get into the foxhole with me and fight with every treatment in the arsenal until I decide “no more”. I am blessed to have such a man. We’ve been together for 10 1/2 years….through thick and thin…chemo, radiation, numerous surgeries, his referrals to other docs who were needed to help me, good news and bad news (and I know it hurts him to deliver the bad news but he doesn’t show it…so we move forward trying to overcome the bad news). I witnessed him saving a young man who should not have survived because he wouldn’t give up in spite of the tumors protruding under the skin of the young man’s chest and neck. I have trusted him with my life and will continue to do so. I wish that every cancer patient could find an oncologist like him. He is not touchy, feely..mostly business but underneath is a man who cares deeply for his patients. I am grateful.