Observe, record, tabulate, communicate. Use your five senses. Learn to see, learn to hear, learn to feel, learn to smell, and know that by practice alone you can become expert.
William OslerRead
The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A good physician focuses on the disease, while a great physician considers the whole person affected by it.
This quote emphasizes the difference between merely addressing a medical condition and taking a holistic approach to care. A good physician may diagnose and treat the disease effectively, but a great physician understands and addresses the patient's overall well-being, including their emotional, social, and psychological needs. This perspective fosters a deeper connection and trust between doctor and patient, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.
Themes
HealthMedicinePatient CareHolisticPhysician
In practice
Example use cases
In a medical conference discussing patient care.
More from William Osler
All quotes βThere is no more difficult art to acquire than the art of observation, and for some men it is quite as difficult to record an observation in brief and plain language.
William OslerRead
One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine.
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No bubble is so iridescent or floats longer than that blown by the successful teacher.
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The young physician starts life with 20 drugs for each disease, and the old physician ends life with one drug for 20 diseases.
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Let each hour of the day have its allotted duty, and cultivate that power of concentration which grows with its exercise.
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