Expressing Appreciation for Other Members of the Healthcare Team

Anthony Rudine -- Well, I started my clinical years this week, and the excitement has been almost palpable. Step I is over, and of course I am thrilled about that, and my healing days have hopefully begun.

This summer I spent some time chilling out with my sister, who is also entering the healthcare profession as a nurse. She will start nursing school this fall and is quite excited. We often discuss healthcare, the things we like, the things we dislike, and we enjoy the discussions. In these discussions, I have begun to truly realize the importance of a complete healthcare professional system. I have never been one to think that physicians are of such great importance as to be immortal and omnipotent, but simply a person who wanted to be a doctor and help out where I could. My sister has the same philosophy, but her dream is to be a nurse rather than a paramedic, physician, etc.

I just want to take this opportunity to tell all of the nurses, paramedics, and other members of the healthcare community how much I appreciate what you do. I know that at times it certainly seems, even to a student, that the physicians get all of the credit, but this should not be the case. Without the help of the nurses and other professional staff members we would certainly lose many more patients than we help.

My sister and family have always been big proponents of following your dreams, no matter what they are. And although it is my dream to be a physician, those of you with dreams other than the Hippocratic Oath, fear not. You are important, too. Much more important than society lets on.