I am a final year medical student preparing for my exams and this Ted Talk is so empowering. I will never forget this message in my entire career as a doctor! Thank you so much. 🙏🏼
He’s also a great writer. I highly recommend reading Cutting for Stone, his first book, a wonderful story filled with all the attributes you described finding in Dr Verghese.
I’ve watched this in one of the times I felt desperate about my career as a doctor 👩⚕️ Thank you, it helped me to realize there still are good people and hope.
As a current patient in a neuro ward after 7th spinal surgery for tumour. This is a very powerful listen and I would love to share this with everyone. ❤
My Boss made me to watch this extraordinary video when I was resident, been watching every now and then, it's so powerful and changes the way we understand the medicine...and now I tell my residents to watch this on their first day and I made it a " ritual "
I´ve been a doctor for 10 years in Argentina, and I grew up as a professional inspired by great teachers and their "old school" methods... this video provides no "original" information to me (great argentinian phisician and writer Dr. Maglio always says "touch the patients!")... nonetheless is an excellent guide to youg phisicians and med students, because everything Dr. Verghese says is sadly true... as an atending phisician and med school professor I support his ideas completely. I´ll make sure my students watch this. Thank you Dr. Verghese!
Amazing video.. .. I am a doctor from India and I must say that clinical medicine with an intense emphasis on diagnosis and touching the patient still exists in my part of the world ( thankfully) especially in the low funded government hospitals which overflow with multitudes of patient and yet effectively mananged by skilled physicians. However it will not be long before money pours in , the MRIs make their way in and we go the american way. Treat the patient and not just the disease.
Please Vinayak ,don't go the American way. This is why ,I, as an American woman of a certain age have finally learned to always question before taking any long-term medications or having any surgery. I suffered from debilitating migraines for years and years and obediently took various pharmaceuticals which did nothing but drain my money and my soul. The remedy to my migraines lay in a lowly weed that grows in just about everybody's backyard. Why hadn't just one-just one of my "well paid, well educated "American physicians have known this? Now, I never go anywhere without a teabag of feverfew leaf in my pocketbook in case I feel a headache coming. Physical Cost? nothing really Real cost? A growing awareness of the American public that our "healers" seem to be becoming servants of the pharma/banking/insurance cartels.
WOW this doctor is totally right on. Before I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last year, I spent the 2 years prior to my diagnosis, going to at least 8 health care providers in an attempt to find out why I was having increasing and eventually crippling fatigue. Nobody got my diagnosis correct, and when I was diagnosed, it was by accident when I was getting a CT scan of my lungs. During the scan, it clipped my liver which showed 16 metastatic liver tumors. Each time I would go for a medical visit, I felt like they weren't truly listening to what I was saying, and often entered the room with a diagnosis already in their head. I was rarely touched. Nobody could enter the room with a clear mind, to find out my true story that was unique to me. I think the biggest lesson I learned from this personal experience and working as a RN for 30 years, the pace of office visits need to be slowed down, patients should be touched a lot more, and providers truly need to listen to their patients.
I'm a PA working in South Sudan where we can't rely on electronic gadgets to diagnose a patient's disease. I'm fortunate to have been gotten a good education at Hahnemann University where we learned to narrow down a diagnosis by doing a thorough physical exam and taking a good history. I would not want to work in a hospital in the US today as it seems so impersonal on so many levels. All to CYA in case the patient wants to sue. However, we all have learned that a good medical care combined with good bedside manner and showing true care and concern for your patient will be the best way to protect yourself from being sued.
I don't believe in practicing defensive medicine. BUT unfortunately, care and concern is not always the best way to protect yourself. As a doctor, I have had so so so many patient whom I have worked hard on, cared for, lost sleep over, and yet they treat me as if I do nothing, they blame me if they don't see perfect results. It is now popular in my country for patients to post their doctor's personal info, pictures and badmouth them on social media if they are not happy with them. As doctors, we treat and care for people whether they are good people or not. Be good to your patients, but make sure you have a good lawyer on hand as well.
I completely agree with Abraham. With the advances in technology over the years, it seems that that there has been a loss in the patient/physician relationship. More often than not, patients are briefly speaking to doctors that are staring at a computer screen. Patients need the type of doctor that will not rely purely on the machines (such as MRIs and CT scans) to do their work, they will also use the tool of touch and communication to diagnose patients. If I were a patient I would want a doctor that makes me feel comfortable, well-informed, and taken care of. One of the quotes from this video that will stick with me is, "I will never abandon you. I will see you through the end." This perfectly describes the type of doctor every patient should be dealing with, someone that will always be looking out for their best interest and that will do everything they can to help them. In order to do this, we do not have to take technology out of practices/hospitals but we do need to begin treating patients as we would want to be treated. The Occupational Therapy field exemplifies this well. An occupational therapist can help a patient recover by getting to know them, using "hands-on" practices, and gearing each therapy session toward the specifics patients needs and interests. This helps a patient engage and feel optimistic about their health condition. I have seen this type of work first hand when my brother was in a car accident. He was paralyzed from the neck down and the doctors told my parents that he would never walk again. By hearing this my brother was discouraged but when the therapists came to help him, they told him they believed in him, they began bringing in his favorite things to aid him in therapy sessions (such as a guitar to try and re-learn how to use his hands again). The positive communication and hands on therapy gave my brother the strength and courage to move forwards. He is now walking today, despite what the doctors said. I firmly believe in the power of touch and communication and how it positively affects the health of patients.
This what I always feel and encounter as a doctor, all of these advances in diagnostic imaging and laboratory tests has striped us from the very one important thing in our job, which is the bonding and communication with our patients
+Bubbles 007 He makes a valid point when he mentions that doctors, today, spend more time attending to the needs of the patient on the computer rather than examining the patient physically. I feel communication has been lost between our doctors and patients. This lack of communication creates uncertainty as many doctors rely on new technology and software to find answers instead of asking the patient. Dr. Verghese noted that when he made rounds in medical school, numerous physicians were surrounding the patient and consulting with the individual. Today, many physicians consult with each other in a completely separate room. In my mind, the patient is essentially being left out from the medical experience and consultation that the doctors are engaging in in another room. I personally believe that we need to build stronger doctor-patient relationships by promoting more physical examination and consultation of the patient, rather than solely relying on technology and numerous tests to find all of the answers. In order for a patient to get the most out of their medical experience, they must be involved in the process. Don’t get me wrong, technology is a very important aspect in the healthcare system. I just feel that doctors have become so absorbed in the technology, that they forget the basic roots of what a doctor should do with their patient. Therefore, the healthcare system needs to establish a balance between medical technology and personal patient examination.
As a physician of 33 years I have lived through some of the transition that Dr. Verghese describes. His final example was an interaction with an AIDS patient in which the patient physician relationship was of primary importance and value. With the scourge of opioid addiction which we are currently experiencing, that same patient centered approach will serve us well as we come to the side of our patients while we work to re-define the generators of their pain, explore alternatives and adjuncts to treatment and down-titrate their opioids to improve our patient's safety. We may provide comfort as we convey that we understand them and will be with them through their journey toward wellness.
AWESOME ! I hope there are people in the health care professions that see this video and think of ways to incorporate at least some of it , in their roles as caretakers of patients.
Kept snapping my fingers throughout this presentation like its spoken word. So powerful and profound. Watching in prep for a medical ethics final exam tomorrow based on this clip
I'm hearing many times in the last few months since I started practising in a poor region in the Brazil Northeast: "I've never been examined like this before". When I hear this I realize we're being praised for just doing our obligation. That's sad
"..the ritual is cathartic to the physician, necessary for the patient" fantastic words, Abraham Verghese was born in Ethiopia, his parents are from Kerala, India, studied at Madras medical College, Chennai, India.🙏🙏🙏
I could see a fresh perspective for advanced medical technology. It was very impressive that doctors should examine patients not simply judging by data, but claiming communication with them. In a time when conversation is decreasing even in normal life, not only for the doctors and patients, it was very useful opportunity for me to reconsider the importance of communication among people; conversation.
What an incredibly inspiring talk. I agree with the idea of considering medicine a ritual and a practice that does not need to be heavily reliant on technology, imaging, and complex treatments. From its very beginnings, like Dr. Verghese mentions, medicine has surrounded the patient and put the patient at the center of it all. There is something to be acknowledged about modern medicine, and that is that thanks to its advancements, we have been able to diagnose, treat, and even eradicate the most rare conditions, improving the patient’s quality of life. Many of the treatments we do today can help reverse certain conditions, and bring hope and life to many patients. At the expense of these advancements has come the physical disconnect between the clinician and the patient. With advancements and ease of imaging and ultrasound, clinicians perhaps don’t need to touch the patient any more to get a feel of what diseases they might have. Again, although extremely powerful and even more precise than the human examination, we are missing a key component of human interaction, touch. Touch has a healing power, and to those who are in a vulnerable state of being, tough is perhaps the one treatment they are in most need of. It is sad to hear stories, like the one Dr. Verghese mentioned, about patients discontinuing their care at prestigious institutions because nobody intently touched them or contacted their body. I think touch has the ability to communicate without using words and to display the patient that they are seen, further, felt. This is a powerful technique and one that most likely strengthens a relationship with a patient in a way that tears down mistrust and disconnect. On an ethical lens, I think the healing powerful of touch promotes a sense that the patient is being seen and considered more than just their symptoms. At times in medicine, we get carried away by the signs and symptoms and forget that who we are trying to help and heal is the patient, not the symptoms. With touch, we are identifying that who we are working with is the patient, not a folder filled with imaging slides or lab results. In my opinion, this illustrates the ethical principle of beneficence, in that as a physician the power of my touch may convince my patients that I will do everything in my power to do good and to positively impact my patient’s life. As an osteopathic student, what sets my training apart from my allopathic peers, is that we spend countless number of hours having skin on skin contact that allows us to palpate and truly understand the underlying ecologies that might be presenting, just with the power of palpation. I believe this is a powerful technique that allows a physician to not only connect with their patients on a deeper level, but also gives the physician another tool to better diagnose a patient. I would encourage the viewers to seek more information on the osteopathic practice, if they are looking for a holistic approach to medicine.
Remarkable talk and so good to see that there are physicians out there who care about the patient as a human being. Here in Sydney, where I live, medical centres are full of doctors that "process" patients like cattle. The GP I used to go to barely even let you finish explaining your symptoms before he was filling out the prescription.
It is enlightening to see such a passionate insight on a physician-patient relationship; something that is not popular to talk about. Great video! Inspiring.
In my medical school in Croatia rounds still look like the ones from dr. Verghese's student days. I always thought that to be a harsh practice for the pacients, listening about his disease and all possible diagnosees and prognosees. But now I see that is not the case. Thank you dr. Verghese, you opened up my views.
I use “My Own Country” as required reading for a class with 250 undergraduate students in a course on the intro to medicine and health at a major university. It is always so very well received by the students. I also highly recommend his novel, “Cutting for Stone.”
This is an excellent video, and something that, as an osteopathic medical student, really resonates with me. As healthcare professionals, it is our duty to ensure that our patients receive the best possible care. This principle is called beneficence, and it’s something that we are obligated to abide by when we decided to become physicians. I believe we can accomplish that obligation by using and becoming proficient in palpatory and interpersonal skills. We’ve come incredibly far with modern medical technology, but even the best algorithms depend heavily on the physical exam done by the physician. The future might hold smarter computers and AI, but I genuinely believe my job is safe because a robot can’t perform a physical exam. The physical exam is so much more than just using a tool to listen to a chest or look into eyes and ears. It includes listening to the way a patient speaks. How they interact with you and others. Even the perceived feelings you get from a patient. We as a species have evolved to read each other over millions of years, and that is a valuable skill we need to incorporate into our practice. I just want to add my voice to Dr. Verghese in saying that truly fulfilling our duty to our patients requires that we perform skilled physical exams on each of our patients.
In one sense, this speech is very inspiring. In another, you can tell that the rhetoric used is very catered toward those whom appreciate physical touch. To have his entire Modus Operandi consist of including very interpersonal physical touch - regardless of the nature of the visit - without the least caveat to when (almost described as intimate) physical touch is not warranted, is to use rhetoric to its highest degree.
Have been watching TED lectures for several years now and this is THE BEST I have seen. He makes the points, backs them with evidenciary material and nails every turn. This is not emotion,... it is logic applied to what is a deeply emotional issue... medical care... something between a doctor and a patient. Not being political... just a warning to DOCS... ya wanna be treated that way... then TREAT that way.
Abraham Verghese brings to focus an idea that is very concerning to many people who are patients of any type. To some doctors, they see their patients as a number in the system, a good or bad outcome. Like sated in his speech, talks about how interns are trained, around a computer. The focus not around patient care, but now about what the computer says. When looking at this topic from an ethical standpoint, what are the arutaes of a good doctor? One that is kind and caring, well knowledgeable of medicine, and talks to the patient in a way that they can understand. Based upon this speech and other observations through personal experience, that idea has shifted very minimally today, but what about years down the road. Are the bed side manners of doctors changing from looking at the patient to just looking at the screen? Further, another point Verghese makes is that as a patient and as a doctor, we both have a role. He goes on to say that at the beginning of being a doctor there was a ritual, would go step by step of what a basic physical should be like. Later states that the patient has never been examined quite like this before. Again, going back to a doctor's duty, what is their virtue ethics? Virtue ethics, going after the ultimate good, what should be done first hand for anyone in the healthcare field. We don’t expect our doctor’s to get lazy and skip the simple things within a check up. One simple thing missed early on, for example an unusual feeling on the patient’s neck could be cancerous and furthermore missed because of the doctor's need to go from patient to patient. The last thing is that I also believe that doctors are simply losing the personal relationship with their patients. Just simple conversation lacks and is something that I expect to come from my physician when going in for a checkup or visit. It is that simple conversation that distracts the mind of all the possibilities of the horrible things that can come out of the visit. Also, the conversation makes the patient more willing to talk about what is going on in their life further more allowing the physician to make a better conclusion about what is going on with their patient.
I'm a medical student and all of this sounds really nice and ideal, but at least in Sweden where I'll most likely end up working there's typically no time for this.I hope it changes, it's quite frankly one of the main reasons that make me question my ambition to become a general practician.
An addendum to the message, from the patient to the physician, is to please learn from this, find something new, and make the future better for someone else whom might not otherwise benefit for the lack of that knowledge. And I don't mean just the physical diagnosis and treatment.
I have just qualified as a nurse. In England hospital consultants are abrupt, snappy, and patients are an irritation between spending time with their mates on the golf course and their lucrative medicolegal work. My father lay dying in hospital. The doctor came in already angry, she bodged around roughly, couldn't find a vein then spoke rudely to my elderly mum and me. We wept together over my poor father's bed. How could she be so cruel. I will never forget her.
In his talk, Abraham Verghese discusses the importance of the physical exam in medicine and how it has been increasingly replaced by technology. He argues that technology cannot replace the human touch and the power of observation that comes with a thorough physical exam. One ethical principle that is highlighted in this talk is the principle of beneficence, which emphasizes the duty of healthcare professionals to act in the best interests of their patients. By performing a thorough physical exam, doctors can gain important insights into their patients' conditions that cannot be detected through technology alone, ultimately leading to better care and improved patient outcomes. However, as technology continues to advance, it's important that doctors strike a balance between utilizing these tools and not losing sight of the value of the physical exam and the human touch in patient care.
great speech, my friend's doctor didn't even tell her how to use the feeding tube he just put in. For 3 weeks, she didn't know she suppose to clean it and use it. She lost 30 lb by eating liquid food. Not until her first chemo consultation, that doctor send nurse to her house that day to show her how to use the feeding tube. Doctors today are over book. While we wait hrs, only able to talk to them for 10 to 15 minutes.
@FTLNewsFeed being a medical student myself, I can see that doctors nowadays care less about the patients. history taking and physical examinations is one important aspect to build rapport with the patient. you dont need a series of sophisticated test to find out what is happening, most of the time we just need to ask and discover and interpret from what we find, with our own senses.
Dr Verghese is so much more than a physician (albeit being a physician is admirable), he is a tremendously merciful compassionate human being.
This man's comforting voice, intellect, and writing/speaking prowess are incredible. We'd all be lucky to have a doctor like this.
Cutting for Stone is one of my top favorite books. Unforgettable read. Beyond my words of praise.
As a med student, this was really inspiring and enlightening. Thank you for the hindsight.
did u graduate
I imagine by now you’re a doctor? Haha. I’m a first year med student and just watched this - am very inspired by it too
I am a final year medical student preparing for my exams and this Ted Talk is so empowering. I will never forget this message in my entire career as a doctor! Thank you so much.
🙏🏼
This moved me to tears, how beautiful, how incredibly important, how very human and wise and tender. He is a great human being in my view.
He’s also a great writer. I highly recommend reading Cutting for Stone, his first book, a wonderful story filled with all the attributes you described finding in Dr Verghese.
Oh he is… he is. And you should read his writing - what a genius.
I’ve watched this in one of the times I felt desperate about my career as a doctor 👩⚕️ Thank you, it helped me to realize there still are good people and hope.
As a current patient in a neuro ward after 7th spinal surgery for tumour. This is a very powerful listen and I would love to share this with everyone. ❤
My Boss made me to watch this extraordinary video when I was resident, been watching every now and then, it's so powerful and changes the way we understand the medicine...and now I tell my residents to watch this on their first day and I made it a " ritual "
There is magic in his voice,the moment you start watching his lecture you never want it to end❤️
I´ve been a doctor for 10 years in Argentina, and I grew up as a professional inspired by great teachers and their "old school" methods... this video provides no "original" information to me (great argentinian phisician and writer Dr. Maglio always says "touch the patients!")... nonetheless is an excellent guide to youg phisicians and med students, because everything Dr. Verghese says is sadly true... as an atending phisician and med school professor I support his ideas completely. I´ll make sure my students watch this. Thank you Dr. Verghese!
If only EVERYONE could have a Dr. like this.
My third time watching. Tears streaming down my face at the end, as always. Thank you, Dr. Verghese.
This is so honest & genuine. I am sending this Ted talk to my daughter who is pre-med at UT. Very inspirational. There are good people in the world.
Amazing video.. .. I am a doctor from India and I must say that clinical medicine with an intense emphasis on diagnosis and touching the patient still exists in my part of the world ( thankfully) especially in the low funded government hospitals which overflow with multitudes of patient and yet effectively mananged by skilled physicians. However it will not be long before money pours in , the MRIs make their way in and we go the american way. Treat the patient and not just the disease.
well said vinoth rengan...we are glad that we did medical school in india
bro how are you .are you the one in speed med institute ad?
Please Vinayak ,don't go the American way. This is why ,I, as an American woman of a certain age have finally learned to always question before taking any long-term medications or having any surgery. I suffered from debilitating migraines for years and years and obediently took various pharmaceuticals which did nothing but drain my money and my soul. The remedy to my migraines lay in a lowly weed that grows in just about everybody's backyard. Why hadn't just one-just one of my "well paid, well educated "American physicians have known this? Now, I never go anywhere without a teabag of feverfew leaf in my pocketbook in case I feel a headache coming. Physical Cost? nothing really Real cost? A growing awareness of the American public that our "healers" seem to be becoming servants of the pharma/banking/insurance cartels.
Very well said!
Absolutely 💯 Unfortunately the medical field is going the corporate way..sadly it'll end up not being the "noble" profession it used to be😌
I love this man, he is a wonderful writer and human being, I hope to meet him one day,
One of the best TED talks ever.
Be Present: works not only in medicine but in all corners of life. Great speech.
WOW this doctor is totally right on. Before I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer last year, I spent the 2 years prior to my diagnosis, going to at least 8 health care providers in an attempt to find out why I was having increasing and eventually crippling fatigue. Nobody got my diagnosis correct, and when I was diagnosed, it was by accident when I was getting a CT scan of my lungs. During the scan, it clipped my liver which showed 16 metastatic liver tumors.
Each time I would go for a medical visit, I felt like they weren't truly listening to what I was saying, and often entered the room with a diagnosis already in their head. I was rarely touched. Nobody could enter the room with a clear mind, to find out my true story that was unique to me.
I think the biggest lesson I learned from this personal experience and working as a RN for 30 years, the pace of office visits need to be slowed down, patients should be touched a lot more, and providers truly need to listen to their patients.
Amazing, a lot of strength and remember that you will never be alone
Thank you so much for sharing and I hope you are well 🙏🙏🙏
What a human being this is and how deep he sees into the heart of a suffering person.
Wow, deepest blessings to you; such love and integrity
A remarkable speech! I am teary in the coffee shop where I am listening to this.
I'm a PA working in South Sudan where we can't rely on electronic gadgets to diagnose a patient's disease. I'm fortunate to have been gotten a good education at Hahnemann University where we learned to narrow down a diagnosis by doing a thorough physical exam and taking a good history. I would not want to work in a hospital in the US today as it seems so impersonal on so many levels. All to CYA in case the patient wants to sue. However, we all have learned that a good medical care combined with good bedside manner and showing true care and concern for your patient will be the best way to protect yourself from being sued.
I don't believe in practicing defensive medicine. BUT unfortunately, care and concern is not always the best way to protect yourself. As a doctor, I have had so so so many patient whom I have worked hard on, cared for, lost sleep over, and yet they treat me as if I do nothing, they blame me if they don't see perfect results. It is now popular in my country for patients to post their doctor's personal info, pictures and badmouth them on social media if they are not happy with them. As doctors, we treat and care for people whether they are good people or not. Be good to your patients, but make sure you have a good lawyer on hand as well.
14:15 Rituals are all about transformation... this is powerful... wonderful talk
Being a upcoming doctor , I look up to this man .loving His book "cutting for stone "
Sangeetha RV I so agree, as a professor in a major medical school.
I completely agree with Abraham. With the advances in technology over the years, it seems that that there has been a loss in the patient/physician relationship. More often than not, patients are briefly speaking to doctors that are staring at a computer screen. Patients need the type of doctor that will not rely purely on the machines (such as MRIs and CT scans) to do their work, they will also use the tool of touch and communication to diagnose patients.
If I were a patient I would want a doctor that makes me feel comfortable, well-informed, and taken care of. One of the quotes from this video that will stick with me is, "I will never abandon you. I will see you through the end." This perfectly describes the type of doctor every patient should be dealing with, someone that will always be looking out for their best interest and that will do everything they can to help them. In order to do this, we do not have to take technology out of practices/hospitals but we do need to begin treating patients as we would want to be treated. The Occupational Therapy field exemplifies this well. An occupational therapist can help a patient recover by getting to know them, using "hands-on" practices, and gearing each therapy session toward the specifics patients needs and interests. This helps a patient engage and feel optimistic about their health condition. I have seen this type of work first hand when my brother was in a car accident. He was paralyzed from the neck down and the doctors told my parents that he would never walk again. By hearing this my brother was discouraged but when the therapists came to help him, they told him they believed in him, they began bringing in his favorite things to aid him in therapy sessions (such as a guitar to try and re-learn how to use his hands again). The positive communication and hands on therapy gave my brother the strength and courage to move forwards. He is now walking today, despite what the doctors said. I firmly believe in the power of touch and communication and how it positively affects the health of patients.
CONGRATS DR VERGHESE.You are really a wonderful GEM
This what I always feel and encounter as a doctor, all of these advances in diagnostic imaging and laboratory tests has striped us from the very one important thing in our job, which is the bonding and communication with our patients
just beautiful ... wish all the doctors felt and understood their patients the way Abraham Verghese does :]
I definitely support Dr. Verghese and his perspective on our doctor-patient relationships in healthcare, today.
+Bubbles 007
He makes a valid point when he mentions that doctors, today, spend more time attending to the needs of the patient on the computer rather than examining the patient physically. I feel communication has been lost between our doctors and patients. This lack of communication creates uncertainty as many doctors rely on new technology and software to find answers instead of asking the patient. Dr. Verghese noted that when he made rounds in medical school, numerous physicians were surrounding the patient and consulting with the individual. Today, many physicians consult with each other in a completely separate room. In my mind, the patient is essentially being left out from the medical experience and consultation that the doctors are engaging in in another room. I personally believe that we need to build stronger doctor-patient relationships by promoting more physical examination and consultation of the patient, rather than solely relying on technology and numerous tests to find all of the answers. In order for a patient to get the most out of their medical experience, they must be involved in the process. Don’t get me wrong, technology is a very important aspect in the healthcare system. I just feel that doctors have become
so absorbed in the technology, that they forget the basic roots of what a doctor should do with their patient. Therefore, the healthcare system needs to establish a balance between medical technology and personal patient examination.
O Excellent! Wonderful human and physician, eloquent speaker and thinker! A beautiful testimony.
As a medical doctor, thank you very much with all of my heart. I really understood what you said. 😌
Sheer brilliance of Dr. Varghese. Such concern for his patients! May his tribe increase.
As a final yr med student, this was really enlightening and inspiring... Thanks a lot, Sir!
Fuerza en tu vida de medico
One of the most beautiful lessons I've listened to. Congratulations!
I shared this with my brother, an endocrinologist with 3 sons who will be future doctors.
As a physician of 33 years I have lived through some of the transition that Dr. Verghese describes. His final example was an interaction with an AIDS patient in which the patient physician relationship was of primary importance and value.
With the scourge of opioid addiction which we are currently experiencing, that same patient centered approach will serve us well as we come to the side of our patients while we work to re-define the generators of their pain, explore alternatives and adjuncts to treatment and down-titrate their opioids to improve our patient's safety. We may provide comfort as we convey that we understand them and will be with them through their journey toward wellness.
This video is so inspiring to all the younger physicians out there! Thank you Abraham.
AWESOME ! I hope there are people in the health care professions that see this video and think of ways to incorporate at least some of it , in their roles as caretakers of patients.
4th year medical student here: despite the new rules and regulations, this video reminds me to never lose sight of true medicine.
how's life as a doctor?
I ask that as well!
I pray that remains with you , always.
Kept snapping my fingers throughout this presentation like its spoken word. So powerful and profound. Watching in prep for a medical ethics final exam tomorrow based on this clip
As a med student, this is really an excellent example of what you have to do as a Doctor, this was really inspiring and i will follow all this steps
I'm hearing many times in the last few months since I started practising in a poor region in the Brazil Northeast: "I've never been examined like this before". When I hear this I realize we're being praised for just doing our obligation. That's sad
Thank you for reminding me of this 💛 God bless you!!!
My life is never gonna be the same anymore. Thank U
"..the ritual is cathartic to the physician, necessary for the patient" fantastic words, Abraham Verghese was born in Ethiopia, his parents are from Kerala, India, studied at Madras medical College, Chennai, India.🙏🙏🙏
How in the world do you down vote this? Such great wisdom that doctors need to hear!
I could see a fresh perspective for advanced medical technology. It was very impressive that doctors should examine patients not simply judging by data, but claiming communication with them. In a time when conversation is decreasing even in normal life, not only for the doctors and patients, it was very useful opportunity for me to reconsider the importance of communication among people; conversation.
I've always been quite healthy and I probably go to a medical doctor about once every ten years - I hope next time I get someone like this.
1st Year Medical student - Just got put onto this by a lecturer, and highlights the importance of the ritual and the doctor I want to be. :)
What an incredibly inspiring talk. I agree with the idea of considering medicine a ritual and a practice that does not need to be heavily reliant on technology, imaging, and complex treatments. From its very beginnings, like Dr. Verghese mentions, medicine has surrounded the patient and put the patient at the center of it all. There is something to be acknowledged about modern medicine, and that is that thanks to its advancements, we have been able to diagnose, treat, and even eradicate the most rare conditions, improving the patient’s quality of life. Many of the treatments we do today can help reverse certain conditions, and bring hope and life to many patients. At the expense of these advancements has come the physical disconnect between the clinician and the patient. With advancements and ease of imaging and ultrasound, clinicians perhaps don’t need to touch the patient any more to get a feel of what diseases they might have. Again, although extremely powerful and even more precise than the human examination, we are missing a key component of human interaction, touch. Touch has a healing power, and to those who are in a vulnerable state of being, tough is perhaps the one treatment they are in most need of. It is sad to hear stories, like the one Dr. Verghese mentioned, about patients discontinuing their care at prestigious institutions because nobody intently touched them or contacted their body. I think touch has the ability to communicate without using words and to display the patient that they are seen, further, felt. This is a powerful technique and one that most likely strengthens a relationship with a patient in a way that tears down mistrust and disconnect. On an ethical lens, I think the healing powerful of touch promotes a sense that the patient is being seen and considered more than just their symptoms. At times in medicine, we get carried away by the signs and symptoms and forget that who we are trying to help and heal is the patient, not the symptoms. With touch, we are identifying that who we are working with is the patient, not a folder filled with imaging slides or lab results. In my opinion, this illustrates the ethical principle of beneficence, in that as a physician the power of my touch may convince my patients that I will do everything in my power to do good and to positively impact my patient’s life. As an osteopathic student, what sets my training apart from my allopathic peers, is that we spend countless number of hours having skin on skin contact that allows us to palpate and truly understand the underlying ecologies that might be presenting, just with the power of palpation. I believe this is a powerful technique that allows a physician to not only connect with their patients on a deeper level, but also gives the physician another tool to better diagnose a patient. I would encourage the viewers to seek more information on the osteopathic practice, if they are looking for a holistic approach to medicine.
Remarkable talk and so good to see that there are physicians out there who care about the patient as a human being. Here in Sydney, where I live, medical centres are full of doctors that "process" patients like cattle. The GP I used to go to barely even let you finish explaining your symptoms before he was filling out the prescription.
It is enlightening to see such a passionate insight on a physician-patient relationship; something that is not popular to talk about. Great video! Inspiring.
that's why kids you should listen to your patients and always do a thorough history taking / physical examination
I wounder why the dislikes.... I'm no doctor and I found it inspiring! Thank for sharing...
In my medical school in Croatia rounds still look like the ones from dr. Verghese's student days. I always thought that to be a harsh practice for the pacients, listening about his disease and all possible diagnosees and prognosees. But now I see that is not the case. Thank you dr. Verghese, you opened up my views.
As a practicing physician,I see this an empowering experience, thankbyou
I use “My Own Country” as required reading for a class with 250 undergraduate students in a course on the intro to medicine and health at a major university. It is always so very well received by the students. I also highly recommend his novel, “Cutting for Stone.”
Thank You, Professor! ❤️👏
Nice speech. This is the part of the medicine we have lost. The best TED talks I've seen
This is an excellent video, and something that, as an osteopathic medical student, really resonates with me. As healthcare professionals, it is our duty to ensure that our patients receive the best possible care. This principle is called beneficence, and it’s something that we are obligated to abide by when we decided to become physicians. I believe we can accomplish that obligation by using and becoming proficient in palpatory and interpersonal skills.
We’ve come incredibly far with modern medical technology, but even the best algorithms depend heavily on the physical exam done by the physician. The future might hold smarter computers and AI, but I genuinely believe my job is safe because a robot can’t perform a physical exam. The physical exam is so much more than just using a tool to listen to a chest or look into eyes and ears. It includes listening to the way a patient speaks. How they interact with you and others. Even the perceived feelings you get from a patient. We as a species have evolved to read each other over millions of years, and that is a valuable skill we need to incorporate into our practice.
I just want to add my voice to Dr. Verghese in saying that truly fulfilling our duty to our patients requires that we perform skilled physical exams on each of our patients.
Amen! The power of the human hand !!
In one sense, this speech is very inspiring. In another, you can tell that the rhetoric used is very catered toward those whom appreciate physical touch. To have his entire Modus Operandi consist of including very interpersonal physical touch - regardless of the nature of the visit - without the least caveat to when (almost described as intimate) physical touch is not warranted, is to use rhetoric to its highest degree.
awesome ! impressed to find someone emphasising on clinical examination when the whole world is mad after modern gadgets,
Very beautiful talk ..... well articulated and clear in its message
This was so awesome speach. Wished my doc was like him.
Exceptional. A doctor of the very highest calibre.
Have been watching TED lectures for several years now and this is THE BEST I have seen. He makes the points, backs them with evidenciary material and nails every turn. This is not emotion,... it is logic applied to what is a deeply emotional issue... medical care... something between a doctor and a patient. Not being political... just a warning to DOCS... ya wanna be treated that way... then TREAT that way.
Why no one recommended me this before, 😭 okay it's never late to start and realise and to learn.
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
i'm a medical student and that is so much very freaking inspiring.....i'll try to adapt these rituals ^^
thank you
Abraham also has a novel called "Cutting for Stone" and it's one of the best books I've ever read.
"Rituals" a deep thought connecting us to the reality of the virtual world and teaches the virtues from the real ones.
Abraham Verghese brings to focus an idea that is very concerning to many people who are patients of any type. To some doctors, they see their patients as a number in the system, a good or bad outcome. Like sated in his speech, talks about how interns are trained, around a computer. The focus not around patient care, but now about what the computer says. When looking at this topic from an ethical standpoint, what are the arutaes of a good doctor? One that is kind and caring, well knowledgeable of medicine, and talks to the patient in a way that they can understand. Based upon this speech and other observations through personal experience, that idea has shifted very minimally today, but what about years down the road. Are the bed side manners of doctors changing from looking at the patient to just looking at the screen? Further, another point Verghese makes is that as a patient and as a doctor, we both have a role. He goes on to say that at the beginning of being a doctor there was a ritual, would go step by step of what a basic physical should be like. Later states that the patient has never been examined quite like this before. Again, going back to a doctor's duty, what is their virtue ethics? Virtue ethics, going after the ultimate good, what should be done first hand for anyone in the healthcare field. We don’t expect our doctor’s to get lazy and skip the simple things within a check up. One simple thing missed early on, for example an unusual feeling on the patient’s neck could be cancerous and furthermore missed because of the doctor's need to go from patient to patient. The last thing is that I also believe that doctors are simply losing the personal relationship with their patients. Just simple conversation lacks and is something that I expect to come from my physician when going in for a checkup or visit. It is that simple conversation that distracts the mind of all the possibilities of the horrible things that can come out of the visit. Also, the conversation makes the patient more willing to talk about what is going on in their life further more allowing the physician to make a better conclusion about what is going on with their patient.
fragud
good talk about the dehumanizing aspects of modern medicine
Just perfect!
It makes you think what things we do now in medicine that will be considered absurd in 20 or 30 years or even longer.
wonderful.discovered the power of touch.
Wow, what an amazing speech.
Excellent!
His first novel "in my own country." is a must-read
I'm a medical student and all of this sounds really nice and ideal, but at least in Sweden where I'll most likely end up working there's typically no time for this.I hope it changes, it's quite frankly one of the main reasons that make me question my ambition to become a general practician.
I liked highlights you mentioned but sometime patients don't like to be touched !!
Wow!!! Now I know. Thank you!
That's a doctor very passionate about his work.
Bravo! Spot-on! Thank you!
---Ken
An addendum to the message, from the patient to the physician, is to please learn from this, find something new, and make the future better for someone else whom might not otherwise benefit for the lack of that knowledge. And I don't mean just the physical diagnosis and treatment.
In India we do still practice the same way
I have just qualified as a nurse.
In England hospital consultants are abrupt, snappy, and patients are an irritation between spending time with their mates on the golf course and their lucrative medicolegal work.
My father lay dying in hospital. The doctor came in already angry, she bodged around roughly, couldn't find a vein then spoke rudely to my elderly mum and me.
We wept together over my poor father's bed. How could she be so cruel. I will never forget her.
In his talk, Abraham Verghese discusses the importance of the physical exam in medicine and how it has been increasingly replaced by technology. He argues that technology cannot replace the human touch and the power of observation that comes with a thorough physical exam.
One ethical principle that is highlighted in this talk is the principle of beneficence, which emphasizes the duty of healthcare professionals to act in the best interests of their patients. By performing a thorough physical exam, doctors can gain important insights into their patients' conditions that cannot be detected through technology alone, ultimately leading to better care and improved patient outcomes. However, as technology continues to advance, it's important that doctors strike a balance between utilizing these tools and not losing sight of the value of the physical exam and the human touch in patient care.
Wow... That was excellent!
I don't know how he does it, dealing with peoples lives, he lives with the tragedy and triumphs of the human
great speech,
my friend's doctor didn't even tell her how to use the feeding tube he just put in. For 3 weeks, she didn't know she suppose to clean it and use it. She lost 30 lb by eating liquid food. Not until her first chemo consultation, that doctor send nurse to her house that day to show her how to use the feeding tube.
Doctors today are over book. While we wait hrs, only able to talk to them for 10 to 15 minutes.
Really inspiring
well said!
@FTLNewsFeed being a medical student myself, I can see that doctors nowadays care less about the patients. history taking and physical examinations is one important aspect to build rapport with the patient. you dont need a series of sophisticated test to find out what is happening, most of the time we just need to ask and discover and interpret from what we find, with our own senses.
i cried.
It was so good and each and every doctor needs to understand this
wonderful