LCHM Summer 2017 - 24

PRACTICE
MANAGEMENT

"
C

" DO
I

had not one, but two critical Emergency Room admissions to my
Internal Medicine service. 7C just
called to ask me why I hadn't been
up to the unit yet to discharge Mrs. Kimmel.
I didn't even know her; she was my partner's
patient. Then, I realized I had only seen three
patients on rounds and had at least fifteen
more to see. And I promised my wife I would
be home by two that afternoon. And then:
I......woke.....up.

I was drenched in sweat, my heart was racing,
and I sensed that familiar knot in my stomach.
And then, suddenly, a wave of glorious relief.
"I'm retired! I don't have to do this anymore!"
Good night!

24
24 Lehigh County Health & Medicine | SUMMER 2017

REFLECTIONS ON
PHYSICIAN RETIREMENT
BY GENE H. GINSBERG, M.D.

After six years of retirement, I still get "professor of economics" to "I'm still working;
recurrent variations of this dream. What I'm a lawyer. In fact, I'm working right now."
does it mean? Was it that bad? Or do I miss Then it's, "How about you?" I pause. "Well,
it that much?
I was a physician. Well, I'm still a doctor, but
not really. Ah, I don't see patients anymore, but
I have stopped trying to analyze my dream, I guess I'm still a doctor." I turn away ever so
but I still have that nagging feeling of an existen- slightly so that I miss any mixed facial signals.
tial dichotomy. Doctoring, after all, somewhat My new friend will now address me as "Doc"
defined my life for so many years. And now, I every time I pass him at the Clubhouse, the
am a doctor AND a mere mortal. Do I define dining room or even on the street.
my life by what I did or by who I am?
So, many people call me "Doc." I really don't
I am reminded of a frequent scenario. I am in mind , and I rather enjoy it, but I am realistic
a golf cart, matched up with a golfer from my enough to know that it might be an easy way
club who I have never met before. Somewhere out for simply forgetting my real name.
on the course, I usually ask, "So, what did
you do in your past life?" Answers vary from
In my brief study of retirement, I have
"software engineer" to "full time military" to learned that it is important to hold onto your



Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of LCHM Summer 2017

LCHM Summer 2017 - 1
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