the first post

Well...I've got a blog.

I know this is a strange time to start a blog since I got married on July 4th of this year to my amazing bride, Katie, and started medical school just two and a half weeks ago, but I figure there'll never be a perfect time, so why not?

During our orientation a couple of weeks ago, one of our anatomy professors, Dr. McCord, gave a lecture describing how we have officially become public figures upon entering medical school. From now on, we will be representing ourselves as medical professionals. Every interaction with a patient, henceforth is an opportunity to make an impression. In today's age of instant and easily accessible information, a two second Google search of a someone's name will turn out an entire page of results. The point being that anything that you put out there can be read and seen by anyone. This includes our peers, future residency admission boards, and, most importantly, our patients.

Today, our Introduction to Clinical Skills professor, Dr. Wiprud, mentioned that many patients have a distrust for their physician. Many trust TV commercials, Wikipedia entries, or marketing directors of herbal remedies over the knowledge, experience, and beneficent obligation of their doctor. He proposed that one way to establish and enhance the patient-physician relationship is to utilize the communication methods at our disposal today. Other physicians have echoed this sentiment.

I have followed two physicians' blogs for a few months now and since I don't have a Facebook or Twitter account, I feel like this is the best way to toss my hat into the ring.

The two blogs that I've been following are linked here. One is an emergency medicine physician and the other is in primary care.