【初次】A Young Doctor's First Elderly Patient

Quite literally the very first time in his early career as a physician, he was shocked to the core. In medical school, he had learned of Paradigm Shift, now a popularized term meaning that the underlying assumptions of one's practice are fundamentally challenged. In other words, it is a sea change. No medical school has prepared him for such a sea change brought about by a no-nonsense 65-year-old gentleman with a soothing voice:

"Look, doc. I've had a tough life but I remain in good shape. I don't drink or smoke. Weather permitting, I can easily walk ten miles, as I just did early this morning. Yes, I walk the walk. With all due respect to you and your profession, I don't think I need an annual checkup. If and when I don't feel OK, I promise I'll schedule an appointment in no time. Make no mistake. I'll keep my Medicare and all that. Sounds good to you?"

The young doctor walked the senior citizen to his car, wishing him all the best. Then he dashed back to his office. Here's what he found in his quick research:

In a 1914 landmark case regarding the patient's informed consent, Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo affirmed that "every human being of adult years and sound mind has a right to determine what shall be done with his own body."

Whoever makes more sense should be listened to, especially when it comes to medical practice.

 

Author: Ren Qiulan

所有跟帖： 

• 很喜歡這個活動主題，謝謝書壇，謝謝眾位版主。匆匆下筆，請恕未能雙語兼顧。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:20:50

• 又一個犯規搶跑的！罰你把 sea change 翻譯成二字中文詞匯，含海字。 -梧桐之丘- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:24:34

• 謝謝梧桐版主賞罰分明！Sea Change 也者，徹底改變之意。源出莎士比亞戲劇《暴風雨》，原文確是“海變”。唯我受罰？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:29:48

• 老生被罰補寫【美食美人】，他完成了。你也算付了罰單，沒事了。 -梧桐之丘- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:41:37

• 謝謝梧桐版主小懲大誡！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 21:00:21

• Similar meaning to the metaphor of “quantum leap” -changjia- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:46:10

• Nope. It doesn't mean "quantum leap." -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:49:26

• I donot quite understand it. -changjia- ♀ (186 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:38:23

• Thanks! Please read one more time & re-frame your question. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:44:27

• Sorry no doctor walked me to my car never. -changjia- ♀ (73 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:48:53

• I respect your experience, but we're living in a big world. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:50:13

• 我不隻一次目睹過年青醫生幫助推輪椅，把病人送上車子的。個見：洋君寫的是故事吧，重要的是中心主旨。 -LYJiang- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 21:29:13

• I'm afraid you've put words in my mouth. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:48:22

• Whatever -changjia- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:52:20

• Thank you and good night! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 20:55:22

• 你們可成書香“詩社”，高興，高手又飛來。。。。。。。。。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 21:12:23

• 謝謝愛貓版主！詩書詩書，大家有興趣就湊幾句，開心就是。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 21:21:33

• 人權法治的社會不是天堂，隻是較為合乎情理的人間。醫護界弊病多多，但是總體上還是人權主導的。謝謝洋君分享！ -LYJiang- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 21:35:56

• 是我謝謝Jiang 先生才是，賜評中肯到位。有新作嗎？期待。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 21:41:26

• 我也期待跟洋君教學相長。二人行，必有我師焉。哈哈！晚安！ -LYJiang- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 21:45:59

• 先生晚安！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/30/2023 postreply 21:47:45

• 很同意這個觀點，人權，公民權至關重要 -浮雲馳- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/31/2023 postreply 14:05:59

• 謝謝浮雲版主！ -LYJiang- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/31/2023 postreply 20:26:29

• +1 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 02/01/2023 postreply 06:18:22

• 學習了，上了詩詞課，再上英語課，都是FREE！ -花似鹿蔥- ♀ (0 bytes) () 01/31/2023 postreply 05:41:33

• haha...same here... -老林子裏的夏天- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/31/2023 postreply 07:32:45

• 謝謝夏天先生鼓勵！I enjoy dialoguing with Mr Jiang, Socrates-style. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/31/2023 postreply 10:42:38

• 不用謝！非常期盼兩君的對話。不跟話，不是忽視，是學習，消化並敬仰。望洋君多留華章在書香。 -老林子裏的夏天- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/31/2023 postreply 13:22:03

• 夏天先生是一位謙謙君子。借用王勃句，秋蘭“童子何知”，跟前輩們和家母學學平仄而已。拙作是“學而時習之”的功課。再謝！ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/31/2023 postreply 18:05:34

• 謝謝花姐！America is the land of the free (pun intended). -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 01/31/2023 postreply 10:29:20