A medical center is not a hospital: More letters

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The perfect is the enemy of the good

To the Editor: My initial impression is sadness—sad that a dedicated physician should feel this way about his career. I’m not an internist, but rather a cardiac and transplant pathologist and member of the editorial board of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine and recently retired from Cleveland Clinic. Two days ago, at a social event, a grandmother approached me and told me with pride that her son was doing well in pre-med and was interested in oncology. She asked for my thoughts. I told her that I had had a great career, that I thought medicine was terrific, always stimulating and exciting, as well as demanding, and that I was well compensated. I still feel that way. I sympathize with Dr. Lansdale but wish he had taken to heart the message from Future Shock, ie, that the current rate of change is far faster than it has ever been, and that the rate of change is constantly accelerating…

…I’d like to end with another thought: the perfect is the enemy of the good. I found medicine to be a great career, and I’m afraid that too many physicians are dissatisfied because it isn’t perfect.

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Norman B. Ratliff, Jr, MD
Montrose, CO

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Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine - 75(12)
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Norman B. Ratliff, Jr, MD
Montrose, CO

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Norman B. Ratliff, Jr, MD
Montrose, CO

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The perfect is the enemy of the good

To the Editor: My initial impression is sadness—sad that a dedicated physician should feel this way about his career. I’m not an internist, but rather a cardiac and transplant pathologist and member of the editorial board of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine and recently retired from Cleveland Clinic. Two days ago, at a social event, a grandmother approached me and told me with pride that her son was doing well in pre-med and was interested in oncology. She asked for my thoughts. I told her that I had had a great career, that I thought medicine was terrific, always stimulating and exciting, as well as demanding, and that I was well compensated. I still feel that way. I sympathize with Dr. Lansdale but wish he had taken to heart the message from Future Shock, ie, that the current rate of change is far faster than it has ever been, and that the rate of change is constantly accelerating…

…I’d like to end with another thought: the perfect is the enemy of the good. I found medicine to be a great career, and I’m afraid that too many physicians are dissatisfied because it isn’t perfect.

The perfect is the enemy of the good

To the Editor: My initial impression is sadness—sad that a dedicated physician should feel this way about his career. I’m not an internist, but rather a cardiac and transplant pathologist and member of the editorial board of the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine and recently retired from Cleveland Clinic. Two days ago, at a social event, a grandmother approached me and told me with pride that her son was doing well in pre-med and was interested in oncology. She asked for my thoughts. I told her that I had had a great career, that I thought medicine was terrific, always stimulating and exciting, as well as demanding, and that I was well compensated. I still feel that way. I sympathize with Dr. Lansdale but wish he had taken to heart the message from Future Shock, ie, that the current rate of change is far faster than it has ever been, and that the rate of change is constantly accelerating…

…I’d like to end with another thought: the perfect is the enemy of the good. I found medicine to be a great career, and I’m afraid that too many physicians are dissatisfied because it isn’t perfect.

Issue
Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine - 75(12)
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Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine - 75(12)
Page Number
838-846
Page Number
838-846
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A medical center is not a hospital: More letters
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