Naomi Headley1, Shalini Pooransingh1
1Unit of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, St Augustine
Corresponding Author:
Shalini Pooransingh
Email: [email protected]
DOAJ: 3676179a22e643a188e7c26665fa422e
DOI: https://doi.org/10.48107/CMJ.2024.09.002
Published Online: September 21, 2024
Copyright: This is an open-access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
©2024 The Authors. Caribbean Medical Journal published by Trinidad & Tobago Medical Association
I was exposed to the medical field at a young age. At the age of seven years old, I had a heart murmur which was being investigated at my family general practitioner (GP). This involved routine checkups at the family doctor where a series of, what I now know are, electrocardiograms were done. The stress of each visit, financially and emotionally, could clearly be seen on my mother’s face. This was evident to even my family doctor and though I was very young at the time, I recall how he would intentionally address all my mother’s concerns and reassure her after each visit. He seemed to care about what worried her and in doing so many of my visits were free of charge.
I recall over the years hearing him share of his own humble beginnings and truly felt like he was more of a trusted advisor and friend than simply a family GP. Even before deciding to become a doctor he inspired me to be kind and humble above all. Upon the pursuit to become a doctor, his model also inspired me to be a doctor that addresses more than just symptoms or treats a diagnosis but rather one who treats the individual and considers their support system, whether it be family or resources available. Over the years, my mother has reminded me of how charitable the waivers in fees were at the time and how important it is to practice similar judgement calls when I have my own medical practice one day. Truly 500 words is not enough to represent the lasting impact of my many encounters I had with Dr. R.
Empathy goes beyond the clinical setting. Simply put it is a catalyst to forge human connection that is built on trust and mutual understanding. It is an essential part of human interactions and its presence is likened to the glue that holds everything together. Without empathy there would be no drive to care and love others in a sincere way that allows persons to feel heard, understood and safe. Empathy is both the foundation and a building block in our interactions as humans and undoubtedly as medical professionals.
Ethical approval statement: Not applicable
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Conflict of interest: Not applicable
Informed consent: Not applicable
REFERENCES
1. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Empathy definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empathy.
2. Olson, Joanne K. Relationships Between Nurse-Expressed Empathy, Patient-Perceived Empathy and Patient Distress. Image: The Journal of Nursing Scholarship 1995. 27 (4): 317–322. doi:10.1111/j.
