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> “Never forget, if you accompany your patients only until the battle is lost and they are dying, if you abandon them at that point and leave them alone, you ha

> “Never forget, if you accompany your patients only until the battle is lost and they are dying, if you abandon them at that point and leave them alone, you have done only part of your job, and not done it well. Your job is to accompany your patients until they are either better or safely on the other side.” Worth reading for this line alone. Beautiful.

kbenson 9y ago
Every once in a while you read something where there's a statement that so epitomizes the content, and seems to resonate so closely with the author, that it's obvious that what they are doing is presenting one of their core beliefs. And not just core as in "I strongly agree" but core as in it's become integral to their way of life and how they perceive the world. Those are interesting pieces, as whether you fully agree with them or not, they are generally well thought out, as the author can and has put quite a lot of time into thinking about the subject.
hammock 9y ago
Do we really get that part wrong, though? There are specialties like hospice care and anointing of the sick, which accompany patients after "the battle is lost" and ensure they comfortably and safely make it to "the other side." These tasks are just done by people other than your oncologist.
- darkerside 9y ago
  It reminds me a bit (perhaps oddly) of technical consulting work. Sure you can check the box, deliver the letter of the contract, and collect your pay. There's a difference between that and building what the customer wants, not what they need; driving end user adoption to make the project successful; caring about outcomes and satisfying your stakeholders, not just about solving the technical challenge as it is presented. There are specialist techies who want nothing to do with half that equation, and don't need to pretend that they do because they are so valued for the specialized thing at which they are a truly expert professional. If you're not like that, another way to add value is by blending technical skills with the other half of that equation.

kbenson 9y ago

Every once in a while you read something where there's a statement that so epitomizes the content, and seems to resonate so closely with the author, that it's obvious that what they are doing is presenting one of their core beliefs. And not just core as in "I strongly agree" but core as in it's become integral to their way of life and how they perceive the world. Those are interesting pieces, as whether you fully agree with them or not, they are generally well thought out, as the author can and has put quite a lot of time into thinking about the subject.

hammock 9y ago

Do we really get that part wrong, though? There are specialties like hospice care and anointing of the sick, which accompany patients after "the battle is lost" and ensure they comfortably and safely make it to "the other side." These tasks are just done by people other than your oncologist.

darkerside 9y ago
It reminds me a bit (perhaps oddly) of technical consulting work. Sure you can check the box, deliver the letter of the contract, and collect your pay. There's a difference between that and building what the customer wants, not what they need; driving end user adoption to make the project successful; caring about outcomes and satisfying your stakeholders, not just about solving the technical challenge as it is presented. There are specialist techies who want nothing to do with half that equation, and don't need to pretend that they do because they are so valued for the specialized thing at which they are a truly expert professional. If you're not like that, another way to add value is by blending technical skills with the other half of that equation.