The Unhurried Patient Visit with Dr. Vincent Rajkumar
S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD, is the Edward W. and Betty Knight Scripps Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic and Chair of the ECOG Myeloma Committee. He is also the Associate Editor of Mayo Clinic proceedings, as well as the Editor-In-Chief of Blood Cancer Journal. He was recently awarded the Giants of Cancer Care Award in 2019 and the Waldenström Award for lifetime achievement in myeloma. When Dr. Vincent Rajkumar first joined the Mayo Clinic, he was inspired by his colleagues to embrace the “unhurried patient visit” with a focus on "hearing the patient's whole story" however long it takes. Today, Dr. Rajkumar elaborates on why really knowing the patient is critical in truly being able to help our patients and provide care tailored to their unique circumstances. Join us as we journey from Madras to Minnesota with one of the most respected names in Myeloma to learn the tips to building relationships with patients that last a lifetime. Pearls of Wisdom: 1. The secret to building clinical excellence is to use same-day, patient-oriented learning. Make it a habit to read up on patients you’ve seen that same day—rather than doing it later. 2. Patients are vulnerable and need the comfort of knowing they can access their doctor, if an emergency happens. Be proactive and share your direct contact information. Let’s be available for our patients in times of need. 3. Mentors are critical in achieving our peak potential. There’s so much to learn in medicine that we can’t become good at those things if we aren’t proactive in finding other people who are brilliant, and try to emulate them.