番茄社区

What's the biggest barrier to practicing medicine today? That's just the first of 10 questions the 番茄社区 staff is asking leading clinicians and researchers to get their personal views on their chosen profession. In this series we share their uncensored responses. Here, answers from , Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, Texas.

Erwin joined Scott & White as a staff cardiologist in 1998, after completing residency training and a cardiology fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He received his medical degree from Texas A&M College of Medicine and his undergraduate degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. In addition to his appointment at Scott & White, Erwin is vice-chair of internal medicine at Texas A&M.

1.What's the biggest barrier to your practicing medicine today?

Increasingly burdensome documentation requirements.

2. What is your most vivid memory involving a patient who could not afford to pay for healthcare (or meds or tests, etc.) and how did you respond?

In every instance that I've had a patient not able to afford one part of his/her care or another, I've been able to work with health plans, pharmaceutical companies, and/or charities to make it work.

3. What do you most often wish you could say to patients, but don't?

"You could easily afford to cover the cost of your medicines if you'd quit smoking a pack of cigarettes per day."

4. If you could change or eliminate something about the healthcare system, what would it be?

Wasteful use of tests and treatments that do not have evidence to support their use.

5. What is the most important piece of advice for med students or doctors just starting out today?

This is still the noblest of professions -- if entered into with the proper motivation. That motivation should be to heal and to serve our patients.

6. What is your "elevator" pitch to persuade someone to pursue a career in medicine?

No matter what happens in healthcare, you will always be needed and will always have a rewarding profession.

7. What is the most rewarding aspect of being a doctor?

There is nothing more rewarding than to help save a life or ease suffering and to see one's patient feeling better and the patient's family feeling relieved and grateful for the care provided to their loved one.

8. What is the most memorable research published since you became a physician and why?

The CHAMP trial because it showed that if we simply did what has already been proven to work, our patients would benefit. This seems overly simple; however, doctors do not always follow good evidence-based care. This proved that evidence-based care algorithms in cardiac care weren't simply "cookbook medicine".

9. Do you have a favorite hospital-based TV show?

No. I don't watch much TV.

10. What is your advice to other physicians on how to avoid burnout?

Enjoy your work and foster your relationships with friends and family. I also recommend against socializing outside of work too much with other physicians. When two or more docs are together, they tend to talk shop, and we need time away from work for grounding purposes.

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