GP as a Co-ordinator

"Doc, you are the 5th doctor I am seeing this week..."

"Hi, am sorry, need your help to sieve through all these tests and x rays I did for my chest pain..."

"If I had come to you earlier, I would not need to run around to so many doctors..."

Don't get the wrong impression, I did not manage to treat any of the symptoms of the above 3 patients whom I have seen in the last 3 sessions.  If not, then why are they so grateful?

They are happy because as a General Practitioner, I have helped them understand what they have gone through.  I have helped them to decipher the technical part of their conditions.  I think they are grateful because we are friends.

First, as a missionary in my earlier working life, I learnt a lot about people.  I learnt to care, I learnt to show concern, I learnt not to be judgmental, I learnt to feel as a fellow human being, I learnt about non verbal language, etc.  So, I try to connect with all my patients the moment they enter the clinic.  It does not matter if they are babies, or they are very elderly folks, I try my best to see things from their views.  Not easy but the rewards is ministering, rewarding and humbling.

Second, as a General Practitioner trained in Public Health and Family Medicine, I have learnt to be a generalist with a helicopter view.  I am like a GPS helping my friends and patients to navigate the jungle of results done and the various mind boggling specialties out there in the hospitals.

Third, as a kaypoh (hokkien: Busy body), I have many good friends who are very well trained and excellent specialists.  They are very willing to minister to my patients as well.  They will keep me in the loop of the management of my patients.  They are keen to teach me and share with me the latest development in their fields.

Fourth, my students.  I love to teach.  Not that I have much left in my brain to teach the medical students and young doctors, but when I teach, I am forced to learnt through the preparatory work as well as learning from my students.

Finally, I attribute the last and most important piece of puzzle to a success GP co-ordinator of care to my patients.  The trust they placed in me is flattering.  With this trust, I am able to learn from them what works and what does not, what could be better and what is really the best.

Thank you everyone for helping me to become a competent GP.  I am confident you will find your GP excellent too.