Experience & Curiosity: An Interview with Dr. Herb Baraf

One must recognize the limits of one’s own knowledge and be honest about uncertainty.

We live in an era in which nearly any fact is available through the Web, but simply knowing facts is not what we do as clinicians. Rather, we form our clinical opinions from speaking with and evaluating patients. We get the opinions of colleagues. We synthesize information, and, if you truly care about the patient, we share this process with the patient.

I try not to be afraid to say, ‘I don’t know.’

The best thing about being in a practice like mine is that I can bring colleagues into the room with me and the patient—I do this at least two or three times per week to bounce ideas off my partners. I believe patients appreciate this honesty and collaboration, and I think it leads to the best outcomes for patients.

Jason Liebowitz, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York.