Get Closer to Your Patient With Touch
BENJAMIN BARANKIN, MD, FRCPC, FAAD discusses the importance and impact of appropriate patient touch.
What We're Taught
Our teachers warn us not to touch the patient throughout medical school, residency, and clinical practice. Medical societies regularly remind us of the importance of not touching our patients. That is, at least inappropriately.
"While telling the patient it was not con …
BENJAMIN BARANKIN, MD, FRCPC, FAAD discusses the importance and impact of appropriate patient touch.
What We're Taught
Our teachers warn us not to touch the patient throughout medical school, residency, and clinical practice. Medical societies regularly remind us of the importance of not touching our patients. That is, at least inappropriately.
"While telling the patient it was not con … 
What has been the greatest difficulty you've come across in starting and maintaining your own dermatology practice and in the business of skin care?
What about practice growth?
The greatest difficulty remains the ongoing challenge to find team members who share the same vision. It is so difficult to determine who will come on and be a productive and integrated team member. While every job inte … 
The first time someone called me a thought leader I did a double take.
I knew there were thought leaders out there, a host of doctors I respected and looked to for guidance and support. I knew that when they spoke I could count on their words, they loved to teach, were generous with their time, and they participated in academic activities like speaking at meetings, publishing papers and serving … 
An Introduction and a Handshake
My number one piece of advice for graduating dermatologists is connect with your patients. Connect well. Learn about them, learn a little bit about their personal life, their family and that really helps cement your therapeutic connection. The other thing is, sit down! When you go in a room, sit down and listen to your patient. The other thing I like to do, which … 
Part 2 of 2
Last month in the first part of this article, I discussed aspects I have found helpful to optimize patient encounters at the start of their visit, starting from the moment I enter the room.
Next is the physical examination component of the patient visit. You may wonder how communication plays a vital role in the physical exam portion of the visit. Before touching the pati …