Time is a challenge to the practice of rheumatology, he says. Although technology has saved time in some respects, in others, he says, the introduction of technology has actually resulted in a longer journey to the proper result. “There is a push in medicine to see more patients, which results in less detailed history taking and physical examination; less time for critical thinking,” he says. “This sometimes leads to a greater need for expensive testing and technology to get answers. In this environment, achieving empathy and patient satisfaction can be a struggle.”
Although many of his contemporaries have since retired, Dr. Thoburn doesn’t see his career coming to an end anytime soon and, in fact, was recently asked by the medical school to expand his role in the clinic.
Always Learning
He says the students he comes across during his workweek teach him as much as he teaches them. After all, he says, no matter how far you get in karate or in life, you are always a student.
Eric Butterman is a Texas-based freelance writer.
