Walking a Mile in Their Shoes
How Does It Feel to Be Both a Doctor and a Patient?
What happens when a physician
becomes a patient – forced to view
the health-care community through
a different lens? Some physicians
may have difficulty relinquishing
control of their treatment to the
hands of another, while others gain
a new appreciation for the patient
experience.
For some physicians, though,
the experience of being a patient
begins well before they have
completed medical school,
motivating them to study their
particular disease. ASH Clinical
News recently spoke with three
hematologist/oncologists who
have a unique perspective
on practicing medicine and
conducting research: Each is both
a physician and a patient with a
hematologic disorder.
34
ASH Clinical News
Holbrook Kohrt, MD, PhD
Holbrook Kohrt, MD, PhD, is an assistant
professor of medicine at Stanford Cancer Institute. He was diagnosed with severe hemophilia
as an infant and his condition has been a part
of his day-to-day life for the last 38 years, influencing his decision to become a physician.
March 2016