Narrative medicine

Today I met my medicine preceptor, and he reminded me why I love Brits: They are infused with literary-ness and see the stories in life. He's one of those clinicians who think you can diagnose pretty much everything by observing the patient and taking a detailed history, a philosophy I share. He wants my presentations to him to be narrative and engaging. "We're called attendings because we have a short attention span."

My other favorite quote of his was, "All my patients get better sugars in Hawaii." Meaning their diabetes somehow miraculously gets better when they're relaxing and swimming in the ocean. The vacation treatment, love it.

Today I was surprised to see a clinician actually take a blood pressure by palpation before doing it by auscultation. Miraculous.

I was moved by a five-year-old dumpling of a boy named Vincent who came to his dad's appointment and proclaimed, "He smokes even though I tell him not to."

I was inspired to hear that Dr. Masharani endorses fish oil. (But Kristin, he sends people to Trader Joe's for it. I gotta get him on Minami.) He also is researching chromium and alpha-lipoic acid in diabetes treatment. Go go complementary and alternative medicine!