self cultivation

[Guest guest]

I think the purpose of self cultivation in our field should be just

that - cultivation of the self. I think this is highly desirable to

develop compassion and egoic detachment. I think it is undesirable

that teaching about spirit is how we define ourselves as a profession.

Because the fact is that one can be a terrible person and still do

great things in medicine. In fact, many of those with the greatest

physical skills are biggest egomaniac assholes. And while I would not

want my longterm personal care on a weekly basis to be under such a

person, there are numerous other circumstances, usually those requiring

immediate relief from acute suffering, when such a hypercompetent

egomaniac is just what the patient needed. If your role is longterm

care of the chronically ill, you better cultivate your self or both you

and your patients will suffer. If you mostly deal with severe sx and

not long term case management, it might make no difference to your

patients. In fact, you might do your job better if you do not connect

with your patients. This is certainly the attitude of many surgeons

and widely bemoaned, but the sad fact is that many of these folks would

not be able to concentrate on the work at hand if they were empathizing

with the patient. I don't want my surgeon to drift off for even one

moment into thoughts about the horrible invasive violation of the body

that is surgery. Not even for a moment. I feel the same way about

high force chiropractic and deep orthopedic needling.

 

 

 

 

Chinese Herbs

 

 

FAX:

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

,

wrote:

> I think the purpose of self cultivation in our field should be

just

> that - cultivation of the self. I think this is highly desirable

to

> develop compassion and egoic detachment. I think it is

undesirable

> that teaching about spirit is how we define ourselves as a

profession.

 

Me too. But neither should we define ourselves as nutritional

experts if there is someone near at hand who may have even more

infomation. We should, however, let our patients know how important

these potential insults to the body are to health and that

improvement/removal of said causes of disease can increase health

and reduce the need for as much treatment.

 

 

> Because the fact is that one can be a terrible person and still do

> great things in medicine. In fact, many of those with the

greatest

> physical skills are biggest egomaniac assholes.

 

Skill, perhaps. True patient satisfaction io being treated as a

whole human being and like a human being....maybe not. Skill in the

larger sense includes all our skills, including interpersonal

relations and bedside manner.

 

And while I would not

> want my longterm personal care on a weekly basis to be under such

a

> person, there are numerous other circumstances, usually those

requiring

> immediate relief from acute suffering, when such a hypercompetent

> egomaniac is just what the patient needed. If your role is

longterm

> care of the chronically ill, you better cultivate your self or

both you

> and your patients will suffer. If you mostly deal with severe sx

and

> not long term case management, it might make no difference to your

> patients. In fact, you might do your job better if you do not

connect

> with your patients.

 

Hmmmmm.

 

 

This is certainly the attitude of many surgeons

> and widely bemoaned, but the sad fact is that many of these folks

would

> not be able to concentrate on the work at hand if they were

empathizing

> with the patient. I don't want my surgeon to drift off for even

one

> moment into thoughts about the horrible invasive violation of the

body

> that is surgery. Not even for a moment. I feel the same way

about

> high force chiropractic and deep orthopedic needling.

 

IMHO, the superior physician in any field cultivates all his skills.

If he is truly balanced, he will not be " overly compassionate "

during procedures. He will have " dealt with " these emotional issues

before entering the operating room, adjustment area, or needling

situation and be ready for the job at hand. If he has cultivated

compassion and detatchment in balance, he has the best of both

worlds to offer. I agree that to be drifting off if the middle of

horrible invasive violation would be tragic. But failure to connect

would be equally tragic. That's why, to me, emotional and spiritual

mastery must co-evolve and are equally important as we act as

physicians, people, and patients. It is possible. There are

wonderful, talented and compassionate surgeons, chiropractors and

acupuncturists out there as well as ego maniacs and simps.

 

Regards, Shanna

>

>

>

>

> Chinese Herbs

>

>

> FAX:

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

, " shannahickle " <shannahickle>

wrote:

> IMHO, the superior physician in any field cultivates all his skills.

> If he is truly balanced, he will not be " overly compassionate "

> during procedures. He will have " dealt with " these emotional issues

> before entering the operating room, adjustment area, or needling

> situation and be ready for the job at hand. If he has cultivated

> compassion and detatchment in balance, he has the best of both

> worlds to offer. I agree that to be drifting off if the middle of

> horrible invasive violation would be tragic. But failure to connect

> would be equally tragic. That's why, to me, emotional and spiritual

> mastery must co-evolve and are equally important as we act as

> physicians, people, and patients. It is possible. There are

> wonderful, talented and compassionate surgeons, chiropractors and

> acupuncturists out there as well as ego maniacs and simps.

 

" Compassion and detachment in balance " --this is how a practitioner people may

practice for many years with many people with seriour illnesses without burnout.

Thanks for the good and wise words.

Misha