Dr. Matt Poyner, who took a year off to travel with his wife and kids before the pandemic, is back in Canada and has some thoughts about returning to medicine or starting a new chapter in his life.
“I was having a shower and felt this lump” is the beginning of a conversation most doctors recognize. It comes with urgency, fear, and uncertainty. The silent communication: “I don’t know if this is really a thing or not. I need you to tell me to take this seriously or to relax.” It leads quickly to a physical exam—nothing else matters as much as the lump.
The death of one of our patients is often considered a failure to maintain longevity. It’s not a topic for discussion at the dinner table, or in the office. But, sometimes we need to go to difficult places.
More and more of my time is spent signing forms, ticking boxes, re-writing histories, generating ridiculous prescriptions so people can get stuff for free.
