Medicine Hack

The word 'patient' is derived from the Latin patiens , meaning sufferance or forbearance. The overall purpose of medical practice is to relieve suffering. It is important to make a diagnosis, to know how to approach treatment, and to design an appropriate scheme of management for each patient. It is therefore essential to understand each person as fully as possible, whatever their social class or ethnic and cultural background.

No greater opportunity, responsibility, or obligation can fall to the lot of a human being than to become a physician.  In the care of the suffering, the physician needs technical skill, scientific knowledge, and human understanding.  Tact, sympathy, and understanding are expected of the physician, for the patient is no mere collection of symptoms, signs, disordered functions, damaged organs, and disturbed emotions.  The patient is human, fearful, and hopeful, seeking relief, help, and reassurance.

A Short History of Medicine 2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root." 1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer." 1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion." 1940 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill." 1985 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic." 2000 A.D. - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root."

A doctor must work eighteen hours a day and seven days a week.  If you cannot console yourself to this, get out of the profession. :)

If you diagnose a rare disease, you are rarely correct. . .

This is the very first post of our website. Below are just a few words that we heard at medical school, during our internships and residency programs. It is not intended to offend any of our colleagues. We, ourselves, have a few physicians, surgeons and a psychiatrist in our medicinehack team. First published on : 4 May 2010 Last reviewed on: 12 September 2015