<i> A look at noteworthy addresses in the Southland.</i>
On the Medical Profession “In the last seven years of my life I have met more doctors than I can even recall, but the ones I do remember are the ones who are heroes to me. Men and women who have gone far and beyond what is expected to help a family desperately in need. Men and women you can be proud of joining as you leave here today. . . . I know one cannot go beyond the call of duty all the time, but when you do it will be appreciated by your patients more than you can ever, ever imagine.
“You have chosen a noble profession because healing is what our world needs. . . . In doing that you will carry the hopes and fears of many on your shoulders. . . . These hopes and dreams and fears of patients may feel like a challenge or a heavy responsibility. In my eyes they are both. “
On Empowering Patients “I rarely call doctors by anything but their first name. For me it is a way of saying ‘we both have valuable information.’ When I called a physician doctor, as I did in the beginning, I found, in subtle ways, I was also giving them all the responsibility for my medical progress. . . . It took a long time before I felt brave enough to actually pay attention to what my body was telling me and to say it out loud. I was afraid to say what I thought because I was afraid of being wrong. My life and my children’s lives were at stake and it was easier to give you all the responsibility. But, in time, as I realized that no one, not even doctors, had all the answers, I became less fearful of being wrong and more comfortable in saying what I thought was going on with me and my two children. . . . I came to believe that while we bring different training, different knowledge and different experiences to the table, what each of us knows is important.
“I ask my doctors now to be honest but not cold. To be practical but not hopeless. To find one little space of optimism. . . . It’s important to find hope together. It’s important to have a team effort. . . . I think in the early years of the HIV epidemic many people just gave up, just accepted the inevitability of an early death. I do believe that if you give up your hope you probably will die.
“In the midst of changing times, remember why you chose this profession--to help people. . . . But it’s not just about doctoring, it’s about healing. It’s not just about treating the illness, but finding a way to treat the wellness.
“I will not win all my battles and neither will you. But if we do our best with intelligence, compassion and love, that will be enough--it has to be enough. And that way, though each outcome may not be what we had wanted or hoped for, at least, each day, we can be proud of who we are.”
Looking Ahead Tuesday: Sen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.) will discuss “The Moral and Political Challenges Faced by American Society” at the Stephen S. Wise Temple, 7:30 p.m. His remarks are co-sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League; call (310) 446-8000.
Thursday: Les McCraw, chairman and chief executive officer of the Fluor Corp., will discuss “Global Competition: A New Mind-Set” at the Biltmore Hotel, 11:30 a.m. His remarks are sponsored by the Asia Society; call (213) 624-0945.
Announcements concerning prominent speakers in Los Angeles should be sent to Speaking Up, c/o Times researcher Nona Yates, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA. 90053
