Blogs

We gathered June 17, 2018, to celebrate the achievements of six amazing people who are now alumni of the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program. The past three years were special for all who were involved in their training.

The residency application and Match process is an exhausting but exciting time that occurs during the fourth year of medical school. It involves applying to programs in which a graduating medical student is interested, hoping they are granted an interview at those programs, and then ranking all these programs in order of preference in hopes that their top-ranked program also listed them at the top of their list.

During some personal soul-searching a few years back, I discovered the concept of the vulnerability gap. A vulnerability gap exists between two people when one person is more willing to be vulnerable — to let him/herself be seen in an open and authentic manner — than the other.

It is a typical clinic day at Duke Family Medicine Center. Sitting across from a patient in clinic, my mind jumps between differential diagnoses, charting, placing orders, an unanswered page in my coat pocket, the emotional visit that came moments before, and the patient waiting for me in the next room. As my last patient walks out the door, I feel my mind settle.

Many of my patients come to the doctor because they want to feel well. Though I can treat an ear infection or modify insulin regimens, “wellness” is complex. The majority of conditions I see are chronic and preventable — including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and arthritis.

This past May 19 was WORLD Doctors’ Day, and WONCA, the World Organization of Family Doctors, suggested that for 2018 we all highlight the role and contribution of family doctors in health care systems around the world. What can we celebrate here at Duke Family Medicine?

June 16 was residency graduation day. It seems they come so quickly — 43 since my first year at Duke (then Duke-Watts) Family Medicine. The format has changed over the years but the spirit remains the same.

The mission of the Duke Family Medicine Residency Program is to train physicians who are excellent clinicians, leaders and advocates of health care. Population and community health are key components of our resident education, but, to be honest, when I began residency last summer, I didn’t really understand how I would be “practicing” community health as an intern.

Early into my intern year, I conducted a home visit for one of my favorite patients with heart failure. Despite his numerous medical problems and difficult life circumstances, this patient was always exceedingly respectful, polite and grateful for the care I provided.

This past January, my sister and I found ourselves in a temporary new role: caregiver for an aging parent. It’s a role I am sure many find themselves in at some point, whether by choice or by necessity.