From Hands to Heart: What My Father Taught Me About Medicine

Conventional medicine often seems to dismiss the impact of lifestyle changes, treating diseases as isolated issues. This approach is perpetuated by multi-specialty boards, which tend to operate in silos.

My father, a brilliant and deeply respected small-town family doctor, was frequently sought out during hospital rounds for his ability to see the patient as a whole. He had an exceptional ability to understand how every part of the body is interconnected. He frequently expressed concern that today's specialists have lost the art of diagnosis, become overly reliant on technology, and too focused on their narrow fields.

He had a particular affinity for rheumatologic diseases and trained me to diagnose conditions just by examining the hands, a practice I continue diligently during my skin exams.

He instilled in me the importance of listening to the patient, echoing Sir William Osler's famous advice: 'Listen to the patient; they are telling you the diagnosis.' In today's world, genuine human listening is often sidelined by technology, time constraints and laboratory tests, eroding the human connection that is crucial in healing.

Inspired by him, I approach each patient asking myself what internal conditions their symptoms might indicate. This often leads to early diagnoses of conditions like pre-diabetes, diabetes, thyroid issues, or liver disease.

Early diagnosis, coupled with the diet and lifestyle guidance I have done since 2004, makes seeing patients a joy. My ability to use this approach in my conventional practice shows that there is still room for physicians who are passionate about these things to operate in their current setting.

I owe so much to my father. His memory is a blessing to me and continually pushes me to be my best.