My Child, My Patient

: Many times, we make decisions in our lives that have unanticipated impacts. Decisions made can change our careers and outlook toward life. As a younger doctor, I considered illness and disease abstractions, and good management with optimal outcomes for the patient was our focus, as we strive toward our professional goals. But having experienced the real pain and helplessness that patients and their parents undergo during critical illnesses, the importance of empathy together with the knowledge and skills needed to treat a child should never be undervalued.