What I Am Thinking About

Thoughts this morning filled with anger and frustration with the medical system in the US. Nothing to see here, keep on moving. Just another physician complaining, right? Well, it is we who are in front of the patient, hearing of the struggle to balance which meds they can afford. It is we who are on the phone arguing with a faceless “peer” about a test or intervention our patient needs but the insurance company will not approve. Why do I so often feel like a sucker in these situations, having fooled myself into thinking I could possibly make a difference or be in charge of my patients’ care? I do it for the same reason I care for any patient who comes to me in need - who else is going to do it? That is what insurance companies, politicians, administrators and their ilk do not understand about what drives physicians, even in the 21st century. We are here to serve those who need us. We are here for those who are vulnerable, who are scared, who are frightened, who are polite, who are angry, who are rude, who are rich, who are poor. That is what I remember when I get too frustrated with ‘the system’. We are here, we will do our best, we will continue to think about them long after the day is done, and we will be back again tomorrow.