Did you ever have a teacher who changed your course or your life? Someone whose habits, actions, insights and integrity made you want to follow in their footsteps? Dell Medical School students share personal stories of profound influencers in this blog series.
All members of the Dell Medical School community are welcome to submit stories of teachers or mentors whose character moved them and made a difference in their development. This story is shared by Thomas Varkey, student at Dell Med.
Elliott Frohman is a wonderful example of how a physician should interact both with his patients and with his colleagues. In my time working with him, I saw Dr. Frohman make time specifically for each of his patients. He would not stop the history-taking until he was sure that there was not a single rock unturned and that every single one of the patient’s concerns were heard.
A great example of this was when Dr. Frohman took on one particular new patient. This patient had seen several physicians over the course of nearly a decade and had still not been diagnosed with a condition. She had been told a variety of times that she was making it up or that it was psychosomatic. When she saw Dr. Frohman she was sure that he was going to do the interview and the physical that lasts twenty minutes and then kick her out the door. When Dr. Frohman heard that her complaints were not the normal pick of the litter — he made sure to have her placed at the end of the clinic day so that she would have his undivided attention. The day before she was to come to clinic, Dr. Frohman spent time scouring through her charts from previous physicians looking for any clues he might find as to what her potential diagnosis might be and to help him tailor questions to ensure that he would be able to maximize her time in his office.
When she arrived, he spent three hours asking every question that could be asked and chasing every rabbit down every hole, until he was sure that he could order appropriate testing to see what she had. She had brought her partner with her to the appointment also and what happened next is what I believe makes Dr. Frohman one of the most skilled clinicians that I have ever worked with. He proceeded to ask the partner about changes or different behaviors that they might have noticed anything that might give him a clue. Both the patient and the partner gave Dr. Frohman everything that they could think of and answered all of his questions. At the end of her history and physical, he ordered an autoimmune panel and scheduled an appointment for her so that she would be able to discuss the results and then get her the necessary medications for her condition. To this day she still sees Dr. Frohman in clinic and receives the best care that he can provide.
This episode helped me with my history and physical exam skills. Every time I work with a patient, I take the time to go over their history in detail. I want to know not only why they came in, but what else is bothering them. I then take the time to perform every pertinent physical exam finding that I can to ensure that there is nothing missing from my understanding of the patient; while this takes a little extra time, it has helped in finding things within the different patients that I have seen earlier than if I had deferred these physical exam maneuvers to a later date. I am so grateful for my time working with Dr. Frohman and the lessons that I learned in how to be the best physician that I can be.
The Kern National Network for Caring & Character in Medicine (KNN) is a national network of seven medical schools dedicated to advance caring and character in medicine with the goal of promoting human flourishing. Guided by the principles of caring and character, the KNN provides a framework for training physicians, strengthening joy in medicine and improving health to promote human flourishing within, across and beyond the medical profession to positively impact individuals and communities in our society.
This initiative was made possible through support from the Kern National Network for Caring & Character in Medicine through an investment from the Kern Family Trust and Kern Family Foundation.