"Do you have clinics on Saturdays?" one of my patients asked me today. "No," I replied. "The company told me you had Saturday clinics," she countered. I had to explain to her that I did quite a few years back.
This conversation made me think about why I no longer hold Saturday hours in my city clinics. I need to take time off to renew myself every week.
I have been taking time off more or less regularly on an annual basis. I spend time in silence, prayer and deep conversation. This helps me renew in mind, body and spirit. This has become a habit such that I look forward to it when it is due, and I long for it when I am unable to do it at the usual time.
My provincial clinic is a different story. Because I only go there a few days a month and my patients get agitated when I don't keep my scheduled days, I have been sticking strictly to my published dates. That is until this year. This April and May - when medical school is out - I have cut down my scheduled days.
I wonder how my patients feel about their doctor taking time off - for weekends, for school breaks, and yearly. I hope they would agree that it is good for the doctor, and for them as well.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Doc, these are important to me!
Have you noticed that when making health care decisions, you can have as many choices as there are people involved? Use of the worksheet suggested in the following link may help facilitate such decisions. Read and fill it out to bring to your next appointment to your doctor.
http://thegeriatrician.blogspot.com/2011/08/communicating-to-physicians-goals-of.html?spref=fb
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