A R T O F F A M I LY M E D I C I N E
Vol 66: APRIL | AVRIL 2020 |Canadian Family Physician | Le Médecin de famille canadien
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Throws up the arms in despair Rolls the eyes at the politicians
Shakes the head in disbelief Clenches the fist in anger
Grinds the teeth in sleep Raises the eyebrows in disapproval
Frowns at the computer screen Shrugs at the wait times
Pulls the hair when yet another specialist declines the referral Yet smiles warmly when the patient comes in
Guides and steers the patient Listens patiently Nods in agreement And comes to a common ground Hums, smiles, and even guffaws occasionally
Bites the tongue when yelled at Types like a scribe Fills out forms, writes letters
And types some more Squints at the screen Rubs the tired eyes Straightens the hunched shoulders
Learns to adjust
“Less is more”
Calls the patient Calls the pharmacist
Calls the specialist Then still feels
Could have done some more!!
Really?
Halt! Take a deep breath and exhale Now listen to this—a novel treatment
Tried and tested
Celebrate Self and Others today and every day Come out and walk together
Think big, Start Small, Move fast
You prevailed then, you prevail now, and you will prevail in the future
Dr Vaideswaran is a family physician in London, Ont.
Competing interests None declared
The novel disease of the family physician and its cost-effective treatment options
Sangeeta Vaideswaran MD CCFP FCFP
