My piece is about the importance of using empathy, curiosity, thoughtfulness, respect, and communication to learn about what matters to a patient. In particular, I was reflecting on the significance of occupation. In the previous seminars, we discussed how sometimes surgeons did not take the time to learn about a person more holistically. I thought about my own MSc work where I investigated the needs of cancer survivors when returning to work and how their job was such a big part of who they are. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised when my preceptor told me to make sure to ask patients what they do for work in order to form a connection and learn more about what is important to them with regards to their surgical outcomes. These are some examples that I remember hearing about from my patients during my surgical rotation. In some cases, we were able to address their concerns, and in others, we had to do our best to make sure we were honest with them.
Ivona Berger