Profession

The trip to the mailbox on that early Spring day was met with severe disappointment. An unexpected letter from my physician's office let me know my physician of some twenty years was "retiring."  How the heck could he retire when he is only 52 years old?  Did he not realize he was hand-selected with the intent he would still be practicing when I died?  Did he not realize I, and others, placed trust in his abilities, knowledge, and easy bedside manner?    How could he abandon his profession after training for nearly a decade of his life?  

As it turns out, Dr. Pat chose to move on from clinical medicine to medical research.  As it turns out, Dr. Pat has other competing priorities in life, as do all humans.  He has 4 teenagers.  Imagine!  As it turns out,emergency calls, on call hours, and occasional weekend hours are not compatible with being present for that many family members.  The pandemic forced him to re-evaluate his ideal work-life balance and what was best for him.  He is entitled to a change while still utilizing his training in more of a 9-5 setting.

The medical system re-assigned me to a mid 20's ish Physician's Assistant.  Seriously?  My medical history is a little more complicated than many others.  How could someone with so little schooling and experience know what's best for me?  Did I want to go through the hassle of finding a new doctor on my own?  As is typical for an over-thinker, this internal debate went on for months.  As time marched on and I was no closer to comfort on the topic, I finally realized I just needed to take some action.  Make an appointment and base your decision on actual facts.  And so I did.

Enter "Colin."  Personable, obviously has studied every aspect of my medical history, and appeared to be listening.  Isn't that the stuff doctors should be doing?  I asked my burning question of "why PA vs. Dr.?"  He answered confidently (perhaps he is asked this question multiple times a day as he takes 150 patients from the Dr. Pat patient-base.).  He loves biology and chemistry, he likes working with people, and he has well-developed organizational skills. He enjoys puzzles and the many different personalities he encounter.s.  He likes connecting the dots and determining how to effectively treat the medical side while dealing with the emotional/mental side of folks.  Isn't that the stuff doctors should be doing?  Colin went on to say he thought he could accomplish all of this as a PA and not spend years more in school incurring huge debt.  Honest.

As, I stand at check-out, my options are to pay the co-pay and walk away or make an appointment for a physical.  I make the appointment.

The actual term "profession" really just means that you have spent a lot of time in school preparing for your desired occupation.  Somehow our generation and those before us made "profession" more about dedication to the occupation.  Is Colin's approach to pursuing a career in clinical medicine all that different from Dr. Pat's?  It appears not.   It seems as if Colin may be approaching the occupation more pragmatically, but still with a passion for the work.  He feels he has the aptitude and knowledge to work through the science and the personal skills to work well with people.  Dr. Pat walked away (partially) from his "occupation" because it really is an occupation after all.  I had made our long relationship all about me, very one-sided.  Hopefully, lessons learned in this transition stay with me.  Although my physical care is very personal to me, it is a two-way relationship. Those treating us also have lives and must take care of themselves.   I wish Dr. Pat luck in his endeavors and wish Colin success in dealing with me.