Relationship is a key currency in medicine | Thoughts

Through teaching medical students, I realized that I've developed (pithy?) sayings to distill my philosophy of practicing medicine. I've been encouraged to put thoughts into words, so I offer them for your consideration.

Relationship is a key currency in medicine. Learners are (appropriately!) focused on being content experts, yet knowledge is not the only part of being a physician. The connection between a physician and patient moves our work beyond simply transferring information and into addressing the issues that each patient bring.

So while my learners may feel conscious of taking a long time with a patient, I remind them that those extra deposits of time build trust, which ultimately enriches patient care.