Sometimes I have a second to step back and think about what comes out of people’s mouths when I ask, “Anything else?” I’m on family medicine in Bucks County right now, and I’m seeing the full gamut, and I’m simply floored by some of of what these patients reveal during the “ordinary check-up.” At the end of the day, my head feels flooded by information these folks have likely never told their family, their best friends, their spouses.
This week I had an otherwise healthy patient with no previous health issues come in for a relatively innocuous concern, for which we able to quickly put his mind at easy.
Me: Is there anything else you wanted to discuss today?
Him: Well, actually…my three greatest concerns are as follows…
And that’s how my 7-minute appointment turned into 45, including a full neuro exam, EKG, and bloodwork.
anna in med school 