Tim's journal

The following question was posted on a closed support group that I read on Facebook:
I'm applying for residency to become a family medicine doc. Chronic pain and illness is a huge part of taking care of patients, and I want to know your opinion on your healthcare experience. What did you like/dislike/need/receive/not receive from the healthcare field. What is a small thing that would have made a big difference? How can I become a great doctor for my patients? How can I teach others/emulate behaviors for others to become better doctors? Thank you!

I'm copying my reply here to save it for posterity:

I would love it if more doctors understood Health at Every Size (HAES) - specifically, the role of weight stigma, largely inflicted by the medical profession, as a barrier to health care and cause of stress-induced illness and shorter lives for many fat people. It would be great if they understood it comprehensively, but even if they just understood that there is no evidence that intentional weight loss improves health outcomes, that would be great.

Understanding that trans people are biologically the sex that we affirm ourselves to be would be great.

Understanding that the boundary between physical and mental illness is political, not scientific, would be great, as well as the role of abuse culture manifested through childhood trauma in causing both, and how widespread PTSD and CPTSD really are.

If you haven't, read everything by Paul Farmer that you can (especially _Infections and Inequalities_ and _Pathologies of Power_.)

Finally, I wish more doctors would treat a patient who does their own research on their own condition the way they'd treat a student they were mentoring, rather than shaming such patients for 'going on the Internet'.

If you have anything else to add, I'll try to pass it on to the person who asked, as best I can!